Perhaps nothing else signifies the spirit of the true American entrepreneur than the story of a family business that has survived for almost 90 years. Those 90 years have brought incredible advances in machinery, technology, and the way America does business and manufacturing. Join us to hear my guest’s amazing story!
Janet Wischnia is the former CEO and founder of American Blossom Linens and owner of Thomaston Mills, the manufacturing arm of American Blossom. Since Janet was four, she’s been involved in the family business, which was started by her grandfather in 1931. Her father started out with one retail linen store in downtown Philadelphia, and Janet learned at his side about the textile industry from the ground up, including manufacturing, marketing, and even sweeping the floor. In this episode, Janet shares how American Blossom has continued to evolve and thrive over eight decades, providing linens for hospitals and the hospitality industry. Janet began recently selling linens directly to online buyers because she recognized the demand for sustainable products. Janet shares why buying organic and caring about people, products, and the planet make a huge difference in the way you do business.
Made in the USA
You’ve heard the #1 argument against buying American products: they are more expensive. Janet agrees. Her company is committed to using organic, American - grown cotton. Even though that makes her products more expensive than cheaper linens, people are becoming more environmentally aware as they look for quality and sustainability in the products they buy. There is a return to the solid philosophy of spending a little more money to buy something that will last longer than a cheaper product. The minimalistic movement also contributes to the popularity of American - made products in that if people have fewer things, they want them to be of the highest quality so they will last longer.
Challenges and opportunities
Janet says that the biggest challenge for her has been her lack of knowledge about retail marketing because it’s very different than business - to - business marketing. She had to learn about digital advertising for the retail arm of American Blossom. The company has raised its visibility by learning and utilizing SEO, Facebook and Google advertising, and influencers. Janet has witnessed these new strategies slowly starting to work to increase sales. The year 2020 and the global pandemic have brought a renewed interest in buying American and people being more committed than ever to making their homes into places of comfort. Spending more time at home makes us want to have quality items at our disposal.
2020 growth
Many factors have contributed to 400% growth in Janet’s retail business this year. Although their sales to hotels and hospitality venues have been down, they have seen an explosion in retail business, partly because they have diversified their products into different markets. Regarding the pandemic, American Blossom has developed a new fabric with which to make isolation gowns for healthcare providers. Unlike other businesses that have seen declining sales this year, American Blossom continues to grow and keep itsr employees’ jobs safe.
Tending to the business
Taking care of a family business is like tending a garden. Janet learned early from her father and uncles that you can’t ever rest on your laurels as a business owner. Things are always changing in the world of business, and you have to change to keep up. The biggest change over the years has been advancements in technology. From doing everything by hand and on paper to doing almost nothing on paper, there have been big changes in the textile industry. Early on, there were no emails, but telegrams. Carbon paper was used to make duplicate copies of important papers and receipts. We do everything via the internet today where there was much more face - to - face interaction back then when the world moved at a slower pace. Janet has changed and grown with the times, but she says the danger of advanced technology is losing the human element.
Managing a business during COVID-19
American Blossom has factories in Georgia and South Carolina, and their home base is still in Philadelphia. The company has followed CDC recommendations for wearing masks and allowing many employees to work from home. They have had to change procedures in factories to keep workers socially distanced from each other. Their commitment to doing what it takes to keep their factories open and keep their products available have kept their workers on the job during a time when many have been laid off. Janet is committed to doing the right thing for her employees because it’s what her father and grandfather taught her to do.
Janet’s product
American Blossom makes bedding out of 100% organic, USA - grown cotton from Texas. They make sheet sets in all sizes and duvet covers, and they will have blankets in a few weeks. Their cotton is grown with no pesticides or herbicides and is a non - GMO product. This produces a product that is heavier weight than average sheets. Their sheets are generously sized, and every queen and king sheet set comes with four pillowcases. They are available in three colors: white, natural, and latte linen, all produced with no colors or dyes.
Highlights of this episode:
Resources mentioned:
www.americanblossomlinens.com Use code “NextFem20” for 20% off your purchase!
Find American Blossom Linens on Facebook and Instagram.
The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham
One Up On Wall Street by Peter Lynch
Fem Five:
Favorite book to recommend for women? “The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham and One Up On Wall Street by Peter Lynch.”
Favorite self - care hack? ”Spin class.”
Best piece of advice and who gave it to you? “My father and my husband have both told me to keep trying and don’t give up.”
Female CEO or thought leader you’re into right now? ”Maria Shriver.”
One piece of advice you’d give your five years younger self? “Everything is going to be alright.”
If you love podcasts, the chances are that you’ve wondered what your friends, celebrities, and cultural influencers are listening to. What if there was an app that could connect you with other podcast lovers and allow you to follow each other, discuss podcast topics, and make recommendations? If this sounds too good to be true, then you need to hear today’s guest and hear about the wonder that is Goodpods.
JJ Rambert is an entrepreneur, podcast and TV host, bestselling author, and mom. For 13 years, JJ hosted MSNBC’s show Your Business and its second longest - running program and corresponding podcast, Been There Built That. She’s interviewed thousands of entrepreneurs and business leaders to discover what works and what doesn’t work in growing their companies. Her guests have included the likes of Neil Blumenthal of Warby Parker, John Foley of Peloton, and Bobbi Brown, amongst many others. JJ is more than a journalist. She’s a two - time co - founder who, with her brother, Ken, launched both Goodpods and Goodshop. Goodpods is an app where people can follow their podcast - loving buddies to find out what they’re listening to, discuss favorite shows, and interact with their favorite podcast hosts. JJ has business in her blood; in high school, she worked for her mother and brother in their startup, JOBTRAK, which they sold to Monster.com a decade later. JJ is an angel investor and author of two books: the best - selling It’s Your Business and the children’s book, The Startup Club. JJ received her MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business and her BA from Duke University. She currently resides in Brooklyn.
Navigating twists and turns
JJ left CNN to start her first company, Goodshop, with her brother. Six months later, MSNBC called because they needed a host for a new show called Your Business, about small business entrepreneurship. What was billed as a six - month gig turned into a lengthy 13 - year stint for JJ. Her family instilled the entrepreneurial spirit into her, as the Rambergs boast several generations of business - minded entrepreneurs. Like the tradition set by her family, JJ learned the importance of social justice and community service as she juggled her journalistic endeavors and entrepreneurship in her early years. To add to the craziness, JJ got married and had three kids in successive years; they are now 10, 11, and 12.
Building a solid team
Many entrepreneurs are overwhelmed with starting their businesses and building their team. JJ was fortunate to have a partner, her brother, Ken, whom she trusted unconditionally. Other team members were hired along the way. Goodpods has become a true family affair, with her sister and nephew now becoming involved. JJ says she works with the smartest people she knows, and they just happen to be her family.
Working in the family business
You would expect unique struggles to crop up with any family business, but JJ says it’s been an easy process, despite the caution some would advise. Working in business with your family and keeping your business and personal lives separate are definitely challenging. JJ says their family system works seamlessly in all aspects of life. They just don’t encounter conflicts like other family businesses often do.
Becoming an author
JJ wrote her first book, It’s Your Business, as a companion to the MSNBC show. The book highlights the many things they had learned through the show and put into practice at JJ’s first company, Goodshop. JJ’s real pride and joy is her children’s book, The Startup Club, which she wrote with her sister. They wrote the book because they were both raising kids and couldn’t find any books about kids becoming entrepreneurs. They wanted to teach their children the spirit of entrepreneurship in a fun story because kids are naturally inclined to entrepreneurship.
JJ’s focus on Goodpods
Since Your Business ended last December, JJ has focused on Goodpods, the family business that launched recently but has been in the works for years. The idea of the app is that you can follow friends and influencers to find out what they are listening to. Like social media platforms, you can pick who to follow and see their feed detailing what podcasts they enjoy. The app makes it easy to recommend podcasts to friends and family directly and gives you a larger network. The app highlights the beauty of podcasts and helps you curate your listening, along with making it simple to have discussions with other people. Unlike many apps, there is no extra stuff to distract you from the reason you listen to podcasts in the first place. JJ’s biggest dream for Goodpods is to get people talking about great things in the interesting world of podcasts.
What’s next for JJ?
JJ is fully committed to making Goodpods the best place for knowing what the people you care about are listening to and talking about. Her goals now are to take the features that are in the app and make them even more useful. JJ wants to take what they have already developed and ramp it up to the next level. She says the whole idea is to connect people, create community, and find out what people want to listen to.
Highlights of this episode:
Resources mentioned:
Email JJ: jj@goodpods.com
Find JJ on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram: JJRamberg or Goodpods
Visit nextfem.com for this episode to learn how to earn Goodpods swag from JJ!
Getting There by Gillian Zoe Segal
Fem Five:
Favorite book to recommend for women? “Getting There by Gillian Zoe Segal”
Favorite self - care hack? ”Running. It fixes most things.”
Best piece of advice and who gave it to you? “My friend, Courtney, told me to go into things knowing that it will be hard. It’s just part of the journey.”
Female CEO or thought leader you’re into right now? ”Samantha Skey, CEO of SheMedia”
One piece of advice you’d give your five years younger self? “Stop drinking soy chai lattes in the morning because they are really bad for you!”