Creative Leadership

In our digital age, it can be easy to forget the joy of receiving a card or letter in the mail. The weight of the envelope, the anticipation of opening it, the texture of the paper — it’s an experience an email could never replicate. The power of paper is something Jennifer Brodsky understands. After receiving a master’s degree in school guidance counseling, she decided to follow her creative passion and start Jennifer Ann Designs, a custom, luxury stationery company. Now, the St. Louis native is combining her business know how with her background in education to help others realize their entrepreneurial potential.

An MICDS graduate, Brodsky says she has been interested in art her entire life. “I’ve always enjoyed being creative and thinking outside the box,” she recalls. “I took classes at Craft Alliance growing up and was one class shy of an art minor in college.” Custom stationery has long been one of her outlets for expression. She finds inspiration in designing unique invitations. “I love knowing that it’s not just a piece of paper; it’s the introduction to the entire event,” she says. “The possibilities are endless, and it’s so much fun.”

After providing her creative input free of charge for years, Brodsky realized she could turn her passion into a career. As she launched Jennifer Ann Designs, her mind already was thinking about community outreach opportunities with the business. “From the beginning, I developed the philanthropic component because it was important to incorporate my love for teaching and counseling into whatever I was doing,” she says. “As I gained confidence in my business skills, I wanted to be a role model for other girls and show them they can turn their interests into a career.”

Brodsky developed an enrichment program, Be Amazing! Be You!, to educate young women about entrepreneurship and empower them to build a business of their own someday. “The goal is to provide tangible resources they can apply in real life to meet their goals,” Brodsky explains. The program is being used at Hawthorn Leadership School for Girls, and Brodsky also has partnered with Junior League of St. Louis and Connections to Success to reach more people. She developed the curriculum herself and says she enjoys coming up with workshop and activity ideas in her free time.

One of the program’s first workshops is on the importance of thank-you notes. “They’re an important part of business, and we often take for granted the skills it takes to properly compose one,” Brodsky says. Over the course of the lesson, students learn how beneficial writing a thank you is in the job market, and they practice writing and correctly addressing an envelope. At the end, Brodsky gives everyone a thank-you note from her. “I think it’s important for these young women to personally experience receiving one and the feeling of validation that comes with it,” she says.

Brodsky is excited to expand Be Amazing! Be You! Since its inception, she has funded the program herself, but she’s throwing her first fundraiser Dec. 6 at The Vault Luxury Resale in Brentwood. Guests can shop, and a portion of the store’s proceeds will benefit Be Amazing! Be You! The event will include live music, appetizers, drinks and a raffle. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to develop the program more than I could on my own,” Brodsky says.