IAM805- Founder Prepares Fresh and Healthy Homemade Meals

00:02 - Intro

Do you want to learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and grow your business from successful entrepreneurs, startups, and CEOs without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place. Gresham Harkless values your time and is ready to share with you precisely the information you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO Podcast.

00:30 - Gresham Harkless

Hello, Hello, Hello. This is Gresh from the I AM CEO podcast and I have a very special guest on the show today. I have Jeree Augen of Pinned Up. Jeree, it's awesome to have you on the show.

00:39 - Jeri Ogden

So glad to be here. Super excited to do this interview with you.

00:44 - Gresham Harkless

No problem. Super excited to have you on as well too and hear about all the awesome things you're doing. Before we jump in, I wanted to read a little bit more about Jeri so you can hear about all these awesome things that she's doing. Jeri is an educator, writer, culture curator, and designer from Pittsburgh, but has called DC her second home since 2005. She has always loved accessories. She's always had a lot to say. Pinned Up allows her to put both of these passions together. Jeree, are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?

01:13 - Jeri Ogden

I am ready.

01:15 - Gresham Harkless

Awesome, Let's do it. So to kick everything off, I wanted to rewind the clock a little bit. Take us and tell us a little bit more about what I call your CEO story. We'll let you get started with the business.

01:24 - Jeri Ogden

So I launched pinned up on November 2nd, 2019. It had been an idea of mine though for a little bit of time before that, probably for like, honestly, almost a year before that. And I just kind of was like, oh, I'm busy with work. Oh, I have this. Oh, I have that. And I do still work a 9 to 5. I work in educator engagement for a nonprofit organization. So when I switched over to that role, my work-life balance somewhat shifted for me. And it was like, okay, I actually do have the time to work on this. I have been calling it my passion project for a long time. So I was excited to launch. So yeah, November 2, 2019.

02:05 - Gresham Harkless

Nice. And it kind of sounds like as you said, when I said when I read your bio, you kind of have the seeds of it planted for at least there for a long time. And then once that opportunity opened up, it seemed like you were kind of ran with it.

02:17 - Jeri Ogden

Yeah, exactly. It was like, I had always had a lot to say, which is why I kind of put that in my bio. And people, you know, would, I think, kind of sometimes hear my different sayings or like, there were certain catch phrases I was known for. And those kind of became some of the first buttons that I made. And then from there, they've developed into different things that I want to express and have other people express.

02:40 - Gresham Harkless

Absolutely. No, I love that. And, you know, being a creative myself, I always loved the way that the creativity kind of comes out and manifests itself in different products and services that we're able to kind of create. So I know you have the clients that you serve. Could you take us through a little bit more about what pinned up is, and how exactly you serve the clients you work with?

02:59 - Jeri Ogden

Yeah, So pinned up, buttons for your emotions. It's a very long title, so I just go with pinned up. So a lot of my clients, honestly, are other educators. Educators know each other, so that's who we kinda hang out with. So a lot of my initial clients and customers were educators who wanted to put something on their lapel or put something on their lanyard while they're at work without necessarily, you know, having to say much. So as a button wearer myself, that was also why I decided to land on buttons because I wore buttons. I remember teaching third, fourth, and fifth-grade students when I taught in Houston, Texas and I used to wear a simple black power fist button and my students when I first wore it, what's that mean, Ms. Ogden? What is this?

So that launches this whole conversation around you know the Black Power Fist and the Black Power Movement and the Black Panthers, and they were like in awe, you know? So as I was making the buttons, that's what I was thinking about. What educator is gonna go to a conference or be in their classroom and want something to say, but how can they do that subtly? You know, I'm not a person who wears always necessarily t-shirts with a lot of words on them. So buttons are that simple way to spark that conversation and to support particular movements.

04:10 - Gresham Harkless

Yeah, absolutely. I love that. And you know, as we're recording right now, you know, We see that a little bit in the NBA and basketball where you get those subtle things that kind of express how you feel. But I absolutely love that. And I love that obviously being an educator, you're able to create something that connects you with obviously other educators, but also the students as well too and gives those teaching opportunities.

04:31 -Jeri Ogden

Yeah, I mean, I think that's probably some of the feedback that I hear most from people who buy the buttons is what kind of conversations they have because someone notices them.

04:41 -Gresham Harkless

Yeah, absolutely. And I think you can definitely get that opportunity to do that. And it kind of sparks that opportunity to kind of teach, learn, and create that deeper connection. So now I wanted to ask you for what I call your secret sauce. This could be for you personally or your business, but what do you feel kind of sets you apart and makes you unique?

04:59 - Jeri Ogden

I think what sets me apart honestly is that my buttons are, I put them out in collections so they're designed to wear multiple together but also stand alone. Also, it's kind of like a throwback because enamel pins have started to take over the accessory industry and I'm just like, no, we're just going to do a simple circle square little, you know, quarter, 1-quarter inch button. And it's like, oh yeah, like this takes me back to like blue jeans, 70s rock star jacket. So I think that's kind of what sets me apart. But definitely, the idea that I released the buttons as collections has been something that has been people like that, You know, so for example, I have the Sistis collection where all 4 of those buttons are around black womanhood and supporting black women in a variety of ways, or the self-care collection. And that's what those buttons represent. So the collections have been something I think is very different than what I've seen other button and pin companies do.

06:04 - Gresham Harkless

Yeah, absolutely. Is there a reason why you decided to do the collections? Is it so that people have different alternatives or they kind of maybe within themselves also tell a story as well?

06:13 - Jeri Ogden

Exactly that. So for me, it was like, what are these things that you want to say about this topic that kind of go together? So when I think about Black womanhood for me, it is saying her name, it is trusted Black women, it is these 4 women who have meant something to me, and it's also we're more than strong. Like when I think about black womanhood, those are kind of the things that come to mind. When I think about what it means to be an empowered educator, then these ideas come to mind. So yeah, I released it that way because it helps to tell the story around that subject matter.

06:44 - Gresham Harkless

Nice, I absolutely love that. And as you said, I mean, you get that opportunity to see that holistic, because I think the holistic view on these stories are different movements or different things that are that we individually are especially passionate about. I think so many times when you sometimes just have that 1 button, a lot of times it doesn't give you that opportunity to hear about those different aspects, those different stories, those different movements within a movement as well.

07:06 - Jeri Ogden

I totally agree. Like even today, I'm rocking, you know, the Say Her Name and Trust Black Women, because that's where I am right now. Like if you do these 2 things, your life will be so much better.

07:18 - Gresham Harkless

Absolutely. And I think it definitely, as you said, as well, creates that awareness around there. Because a lot of times when you have something and you showcase that, a lot of people may not know. So it provides that conversation opportunity. And I think definitely in today's time we need more enough conversations about some of the things that are going on in the world.

07:35 - Jeri Ogden

Absolutely, totally agree.

07:38 -Gresham Harkless

Awesome, awesome, awesome. So I wanted to switch gears a little bit and I wanted to ask you for what I call a CEO hack. So this could be like an app, a book, or a habit that you have, but what's something that makes you more effective and efficient?

07:50 - Jeri Ogden

I think what makes me more efficient being as though I'm running a business and still working for someone else, I think the thing that makes me more efficient is understanding when to say no and what to say no to. So I have a button that says no, a complete sentence. And I think being empowered to say no without explanation, without feeling guilty is honestly that hack. And like what that comes from is really being able to look at my calendars. I have all the apps that keep me organized and I read these different books from entrepreneurs who are successful, but it's really about like how I care for myself so that I don't get burnt out and that care is sometimes being able to say no to what's not going to be best for Penda or be best for me or be best for my 9 to 5. And I think a lot of entrepreneurs struggle with saying no. I really do. And I think that that's what has helped me. And I'm very young in the entrepreneur journey, it's like I said, I just launched in November, but it has helped me to put out what I wanna put out. Oh, every time I put out a button, someone tells me, oh, you should put this on the button, you should put this on the button. I'm like, thanks. So being able to say no, I would say it's my hack, honestly.

09:07 - Gresham Harkless

Yeah, and it's an extremely powerful hack. And I mean, I think that I feel like the older I've gotten, the more I've been more comfortable in saying no, but it's so important because you have to be able to kind of guard your time, guard your energy, guard your focus, and to be able to kind of put that focus into where it needs to be. And I think there's so many opportunities that you have, so many different buttons that you might want to create or people want you to create that you kind of can quickly end up running somebody else's race instead of staying true to your mission and what you're trying to do and accomplish.

09:38 - Jeri Ogden

Absolutely. I love that you said running someone else's race. You know, I said this on another podcast and I shared this advice a friend said to me 1 time, when you stay in your lane, there is no traffic. So it's like if you just focus on what you're trying to do you don't have to worry about everything else around you.

09:55 - Gresham Harkless

Yeah, absolutely and it can get really noisy and I think that's why it's even more important to know your race to run your race and understand exactly what that is because as more and more opportunities come, as even more and more success happens, it starts to get a little bit noisier. People start pulling at you in so many different ways, and you have to make sure you're staying true and you remember exactly why you're doing what you're doing.

10:16 - Jeri Ogden

Yeah, absolutely.

10:18 - Gresham Harkless

Awesome, so now I wanted to ask you what I call your CEO nugget. This could be a word of wisdom or a piece of advice, might be what you touched on before, but it might be something you would tell yourself if you were to hop into a time machine.

10:31 - Jeri Ogden

Honestly, if I were to hop into a time machine, I would tell myself to start sooner. Like I'm happy with when I started, but really looking back, there was some confidence lacking that didn't allow me to start sooner. And I just think about like, Oh, I could have been at that festival, or I could have met that person. But I also understand that's what's for me never misses me. Right. So it's going to come, but those opportunities will come back around. But I think that's what I would tell myself is that start now, you know, start, start now. So don't wait until every moment is perfect and the perfect investor has decided to share your product invest in your product or share your Instagram. But start when you have the idea and you feel that you're ready. Just go ahead and start. Because I made a lot of excuses. I said I had the idea for a year, you know, I made a lot of reasons why I couldn't start the year before.

11:24 - Gresham Harkless

Absolutely. And was it the job opportunity that really opened up that opportunity to make you, that opened up the door for you to understand and see and take that action towards that?

11:33 - Jeri Ogden

That was a big part of it. And honestly, working with a really good friend of mine who runs, Latonya, she runs a journey house and seeing her journey. And I was like, we were just working together at this.

11:45 - Gresham Harkless

I can do this. 

11:46 - Jeri Ogden

You know what I mean? Like, I was tasting her teas and talking about packaging with her and if I was doing it with her, why couldn't I do it with myself, you know? So yes, the job did help, but there was also, there was some fear there, you know? So I had to, like I think that there's an opportunity when even you're afraid to leave. And I think that's what I would tell myself, if I was taking a time machine back to say like, go ahead, girl, you got this, it's gonna be fine.

12:14 - Gresham Harkless

Yeah, absolutely. And it's so incredibly powerful. You know, having that environment around you and being around other entrepreneurs and business owners in and of itself gives you confidence. I know when I first started my business, it was being part of a networking group that actually helped me to understand and gain confidence because I didn't think I could do it before. And it was only regularly being around those people to say, Oh, Hey, maybe you can do this. Maybe you can do that. And it starts, to create that opportunity, that energy towards that. So love that, that CEO nugget and I appreciate it. And now I wanted to ask you my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO we're hoping to have different quote-unquote CEOs on the show so Jaree what does being a CEO mean to you?

12:53 - Jeri Ogden

You know it's funny that you asked me this because I was like see am I a CEO? Am I? You know I don't manage other people but I think being a CEO is it's it's taking your idea executing your idea and then moving forward and what it means to grow your product, your business, your idea, whatever that looks like. So you being the driver of that engine, of that ship, I think for me, that's what being a CEO is. And it's like, I'm in charge of my time. I don't answer to anyone else. I decide what products are going out, and what Instagram image I wanna put out. So I think for me, the CEO is being empowered. That's the biggest part of being a CEO is that I have control over the look, the brand, and the interactions, all of those things belong to me and that is much different than when you work for someone else

13:52 - Gresham Harkless

Absolutely, and I love that an empowerment is that empowerment piece is so important We kind of touched on a little bit on the power of saying no and how important that can be where you're you know they say as soon as you're saying yes to something, you're saying no to a million other things. So you have to be very clear on what you're saying yes to and being empowered to be able to make those decisions, whether that manifests itself and you know, who you work with, who you partner with, what podcasts that come on, or what actual buttons to actually create as well too. That gives you that empowerment to be able to kind of see the world as you hope to see it.

14:25 - Jeri Ogden

Yeah, absolutely. And being empowered, I think especially as, you know, In my 30s, black woman, like it just means so much to me to be a business owner and then to help other young women or other young men, but particularly other young women have come to me and said, hey, can you help me with my Instagram page? Or what do you think about this logo? It just feels so good that someone would even like to look at what Pinned Up is doing and say, hey, I want some advice from Jeread because what she's done in these 689 months is amazing, you know? And I think I just, I'm so honored and humbled by the other young women who have come to me and asked for my help.

15:03 - Gresham Harkless

Yeah, absolutely. And as you said, you know, Hanger Nugget is so important for us to take those leaps because often we forget how powerful we are. We forget how much of an impact we have. And sometimes the things we see and sometimes the things that we don't see, but we never get to that point if we don't take that leap so I appreciate you for taking that leap and reminding us of doing the same.

15:21 - Jeri Ogden

My pleasure.

15:23 - Gresham Harkless

Awesome, awesome, awesome, and Jerri truly appreciates your time and that definition as well. What I wanted to do is pass you the mic so to speak just to see if there's anything additional you can let our readers and listeners know and of course how best they can get a hold of you and find out about all the awesome things you're working on.

15:36 - Jeri Ogden

Yeah, so I would say to anyone who's reading or listening or hanging out with us that you know you have something inside of you and Don't diminish it, don't downplay it, don't second guess it. Like whatever that little seed is that's growing inside of you, water it, flourish it. And it will grow into something amazing and that is so powerful. Figure out your corner of the world and make it your own. To reach me is to up emotions on Instagram. That's the website. My DMS is open. Feel free to laugh at me. And I'm here for networking and community. So it means a lot to me when people do reach out to me.

16:19 - Gresham Harkless

Awesome, Awesome, Awesome. We will definitely have those links and information in the show notes, but again I appreciate kind of the reminder and even the education that we've gotten as well too about knowing this special thing that you're thinking about, that you want to do, that you maybe feel like you can't do. A lot of times you just have to take those steps and water, you know, those seeds as you said as well too. And that's when something phenomenal starts to blossom and grow sometimes beyond what we even thought possible. So appreciate that reminder, appreciate your time again, and I hope you have a great rest.

17:00 - Outro

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO Podcast powered by Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co I AM CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community. Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes Google Play and everywhere you listen to podcasts, SUBSCRIBE, and leave us a five-star rating grab CEO gear at www.ceogear.co. This has been the I AM CEO Podcast with Gresham Harkless. Thank you for listening.