Q & A: Ashley x Jen Spooner, CEO and Owner, The OZ & Co
So excited to feature Jen as part of my quarterly spotlight on female entrepreneurs! When I finally met her in person it felt like I had known her for years. She's a mom and she runs her own business. Which I've come to realize, are the people whom I tend to surround myself with and support the most. Being a working mom is hard, being a working mom that runs your own business is a whole other level of hard. So, when you meet someone who shares a lot of the same core values in life and business it only makes sense that our paths would continue to cross. Happy reading! And, be sure to check out my guest spot on her podcast, OZ Unscripted.
Where did you first come across AKL and my work?
Good ol’ Insta(gram)! It was a total girl crush on all things organizing. I’m inspired by talented entrepreneurs who are changing things up and capitalizing on their own strengths. You ]Ashley[ do that so well as a female general contractor in a male-dominated industry.
Tell me about your entrepreneur journey. How did you get to where you are today?
I’m a Russian immigrant and it was instilled in me as a kid. As a high school senior, I was ahead in credits and worked at a real estate office. I grew in my career and ended up as a 100% commission mortgage advisor at 22 and was in the top 1% of mortgage originators in the country. I am so thankful for my success, but I knew it wasn’t my final career. In 2020, I had the opportunity to go into business with my older sister. She’s a dentist and I’m a 50% owner of her general practice – The Dentist Off Main. We also opened up a dental aesthetics clinic in 2022 – The Aesthetic Experience. I run the business/sales/marketing side and she runs the clinical side. I still consult and coach in mortgage, but have stepped back from origination. Still in it, but in a different way.
Walk me through your morning routine! Step by step, all the deets, how do you set yourself up for success?
Oh boy. Well, I’m one of those crazy people who get up between 4–4:30 a.m.. First thing I do is make my bed. If I don’t, I’ll think about it all day. I’m a huge believer that it sets up your day to get tasks done. Then I journal, pray, and mentally prepare for my day. My husband and I have coffee for about 30 minutes, and then at 6 a.m. I’m getting my 10-year-old up. We’re out the door by 7:30–8 a.m. to drop her at school and then I’m off to the office.
What’s the best part of your job? What’s the hardest?
I have many fave parts, but I think the top of the list is empowering my team. When I see them succeed, it’s the best. I love creating something I’m passionate about and challenging myself. The hardest part is the stress that comes along with being a business owner. Especially when you are building something new. There’s so much that goes into it, including time, emotions, and finances. You don’t want your team to know everything that could or does go wrong. So, as the boss, you kind of take all of that on. We have the best team, so I am pretty lucky. But I also don’t want to let them or my family down.
As a mom who runs two businesses, how do you stay organized?
By being super type A! Haha. I live and breathe by my Google calendar. I have each part of my life in a different color – work, family, personal, etc. If it’s not on my calendar, I won’t show up, so I have to stay pretty on top of it. I have some amazing team members who also help with that. I don’t think there’s a bigger fan of time blocking than me. I’m not always perfect, but I try to have certain days I dedicate to each business.
What’s next on your make-it-happen list?
I’m currently working on building a solid foundation for our clinics, so it’s hard to think of what’s next. But I do get asked a lot about coaching and consulting. It’s something I am super passionate about and want to offer in the future.