Business Discussion featuring Julie Eggers - An Interview with the Businesswoman Julie Eggers
November rolls around, and it's time to celebrate National Entrepreneurship Month. And who better to focus on than Julie Eggers, our co-founder, and CFO here at Gardenuity? These folks combine passion, resilience, and ingenuity to put their own spin on the world, solving problems and creating products that make a difference.
Julie's entrepreneurial spirit burns bright, and it's been burning for a while. Her father, who started a company manufacturing windows for mobile homes during their surge in popularity, lit the flame for her.
"He had this business with a partner, running sales and marketing while my dad handled the customers," Julie shared. "He was honest with everyone, so people loved working with him."
Tragically, Julie's father passed away the year after selling his business, leaving her with a strong sense of inspiration from her mother.
"My mom would ask me how she could help me in business," Julie said. "I told her that she already did. She let me figure things out for myself. My mom raised us to have a good work ethic and a mindset for business. To be an entrepreneur, you need to be a jack-of-all-trades, and my mom prepared me for that."
Following college, Julie set off on her entrepreneurial journey with a business venture making Caramel Corn. She continued this while working full-time at Mobil Oil, driven by a spirit of innovation and self-discovery.
After earning her MBA from SMU and leaving Mobil, Julie founded several businesses. One of her most successful ventures was SuspendHers, a device for keeping pantyhose and mastectomy bras in place that brought Julie great joy. She also had a cake business, born out of the desire to provide her friends with unique birthday gifts.
"When I started making cakes, I realized that I needed a better box to put them in," Julie said. "So, I went about figuring it out. I realized the box had to be upside down, the cake needed to be in the lid, and no one makes boxes that way. I did my research and figured out how to make it happen."
This story is just a glimpse into Julie's passion, creativity, and unparalleled problem-solving abilities. When you talk to her, it's readily apparent that she's a problem-solver, no-nonsense kind of person.
"I enjoy inventing things," she said. "I like figuring out the products, figuring out the business, and running the business."
This mentality is evident in the makeup of Gardenuity, where Julie and co-founder Donna Letier aim to make gardens and gardening accessible for everyone, refining their mission through constant experimentation and improvement.
"No one's first idea is exactly right," Julie said. "As an entrepreneur, you have an idea, a problem you're trying to solve, but part of being an entrepreneur is refining the idea as you grow, listening to the customers, and finding ways to improve. You have to be resilient and bring that unrelenting mindset to the table every day."
Many entrepreneurs don't speak of patience—it takes most companies time to get it right. Julie stresses the importance of patience with persistence. "Many startups that are in the news today are called overnight successes—but they might not be telling you the years they've been working to perfect their idea."
Julie also believes in seeing challenges as opportunities. "Every setback or pivot is an opportunity to grow—either to fix a problem or to make sure not to repeat it in the future."
Julie is smart, courageous, tenacious, and guided by an unwavering faith. "Entrepreneurship is complex and demanding, but giving up has never been an option for me. I'm fortunate to have a fearless business partner who feels the same way, and I've had unwavering support from my husband and kids."
Ultimately, Julie's advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is simple: work hard, stay dedicated, have faith, trust your purpose, and never give up.
"Someone told us showing up is 90 % of the game," she said. "Part of our success is that we show up every day."
- Julie Eggers, with her background in finance, started her own business venture in gardening by creating a unique product for keeping pantyhose and mastectomy bras in place, demonstrating her entrepreneurial skills and business acumen.
- Julie's ventures in gardening and finance, such as founding SuspendHers and her cake business, show that she applies her entrepreneurial spirit and problem-solving abilities across different industries, constantly seeking opportunities for innovation and improvement.
