We were lucky to catch up with Jean Criss recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Jean, thanks for joining us today. How did you come up with the idea to start a business?
Jean Criss Media, LLC. After working as a leader and business exec in tech, publishing, and media for 20 years, I got laid off from my most recent corporate job in cable TV.
Within 30 days, I launched JeanCrissMedia.com, a creative media services boutique agency, with a portfolio of digital media solutions. I took many of the crafts I learned over the years to devise experiential solutions for B2C and B2B clients. Initially, I was confronted by three key clients of mine who encouraged me to start my own business, but they never joined. I think customers get cold feet joining startups. So, I got creative and innovative.
I put my pedal to the metal and cold-called, something I was quite familiar with from the beginning of my sales career in media and tech and landed a list of new accounts. I initially pitched local, then, regional and national clients to show my talent. I drummed up small business accounts across various industries and pitched larger-scale ad agencies who managed hospitals, universities, automobile dealerships, and the like. I was comfortable doing all this based on prior work history collaborating with such a diverse set of customers.
I didn’t expect as a leader in the New York market to be seeking a new job or starting my own business while a top performer, especially since I was going through multiple breast cancer surgeries, one after another, a contentious divorce, and beginning our joint custody simultaneously.
It was certainly a heavy time juggling all this on the home front while keeping the numbers up reaching end of year performance goals for this leading cable company. They asked me to manage corporate layoffs for over 60 personnel across two sales offices, which were 75 miles apart from one another. I traveled to both offices almost daily, all while holding down the fort at home. I had two small kids, 5 and 7 then. The ongoing stress and surgical complications made matters worse but somehow, I figured out how to balance my work and life schedule during this period of time.
Sometimes you just need to accomplish what’s on your plate at that moment and not think about the big picture because that can be scary and overwhelming. I took one day at a time and ploughed through all of it towards the pursuit of happiness which I did achieve.
What other challenges did you face?
Well, I was forced to sign a non-compete leaving the cable TV industry. I had to establish credibility out the gate as a new woman-owned business enterprise and this allowed me to shape my company as I wished. I did feel exuberated doing so, I must say.
As Founder and CEO of a creative media services boutique agency, competing with larger ad agencies, you must be vigilant and savvy about who to call on, where to do business, and how to obtain it. Year one was successful, and I just kept at it. Then, I learned how to branch out and spread some olive leaves to launch other LLCs and get into product design, development, branding and more. Details to follow on these ventures.
How does one endure all the personal things that you did while working?
What I did not expect was that my post-surgical breast cancer complications kept rearing its ugly head, time and time again, to the point, I had over 13 surgeries in 4 years, with my breast implants replaced 4X in 18 months, and multiple life-threatening infections. You can only imagine how many uncomfortable bras I wore during that time, and how badly I wanted to return to work promptly to get my business back on track. But, sometimes, your health and wellness must take the front seat, while other things takes the back.
After too many short jaunts in the hospital, and one long 10-day visit in the isolation ward, I put pen to paper to get a little creative. First, I journaled what was going on in my life and that became the beginning of a trilogy series I wrote, My Pain Woke Me Up. I didn’t plan on becoming an Author, but after I did, I have been writing ever since. It has been a joy to share the art of storytelling in all my writing, emphasizing the craft of media and tech along the way, personalizing relatable stories with diverse audiences.
Next, I designed an intimate apparel collection of post-surgical undergarments I envisioned wearing if my surgeries kept going on and on. I hoped and prayed, I would not need to wear another such ugly bra but in the meantime, if there were other women (and men) enduring what I did, they could recover in style and comfort. This is how and when the first utility-patented line was innovated: CRISSCROSSIntimates.com.
The second utility-patented innovation was a universal mobile device, YouGoMobile.com. I was simply tired of carrying around heavy cords and plugs in my travel bags. Afterall, when you lose your breasts, it’s not only hard to lift things, but also difficult to carry what you normally would. So, I invented a micro-sized mobile device. Handheld to fit in your pant pocket. A revolutionary design that even today has not been seen manufactured by leading tech companies.
What else did you balance for work and personal?
So, what does one do when your plate is full? We stack it up a little higher and take ownership and control of our lives. While managing these three (3) LLCs simultaneously, I put my media and tech to work with my own brand and for clients and paid it forward with innovation and branding. I created all the media and marketing for my fashion brand that now serves breast cancer survivors, people with disabilities, and women on the go who enjoy sports, such as yoga and Pilates, in need of contemporary active wear. Our award-winning Nina Bra was the first to garner such accolades from Hollywood, and has been recognized as a leading innovative and creative brand in the marketplace. CRISSCROSS Intimates includes women’s bras, panties, leggings, compression garments, and accessories while the men’s collections offer tanks, tops, and training tights. We are currently seeking angel investors to support future designs from the patented collection. We hope to bring them to the market very soon.
As a women-owned enterprise business in fashion, I decided to get government certified in digital media to extend my reach and move up in ranks of business to thrive and drive growth to new heights in the digital era, upskilling with AI certifications. I enjoy new emerging products and technologies and applying those to my brands and those of my customers.
Jean, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Sure. Here’s a recent interview published by NYWIFT that shares more about me. https://www.nywift.org/2023/09/19/nywift-member-spotlight-jean-criss/
How did you fund your business(es)?
Starting a business is never easy, especially when you don’t have time to plan in advance. Well, that was the case with both my media and fashion businesses. I didn’t expect to be laid off, and I didn’t expect to get cancer. I also did not expect to be widowed in my twenties. Well, if I’ve learned anything in life it’s that you cannot expect the unexpected. Life is unpredictable. We must plan for our future.
What I became good at, at an early age, was investing and self-discipline. I upscaled and bought homes then, reinvested that income into larger homes, and sold on a high when that market was good. I invested profits into the stock market, watched the daily market news to keep a pulse on investments and continue to grow as a woman in business. All this is not an easy task. I was left with a lot of debt at age 28, after being widowed when my first husband died from a tragic automobile accident. I had to pull myself out of debt to earn a high income and support myself to pay off the bills. I did that within the first year of becoming a widow, and self-taught myself a lot about the investment industry.
Of course, I obtained guidance from professionals, but you can’t always leave things up to them. I drove my own bus and made sure I was not investing in high-risk funds, more on a conservative basis. I reaped the rewards to fit my lifestyle and to support my financial needs.
After divorce, I sold my home and have supported myself and businesses as a 100% woman-owned enterprise. Most women start or run a business by seeking capital loans, but I did not want any debt. It’s a personal choice and it has been my choice to live debt-free. I am not extravagant but any means and as a woman of determination, I continue to explore ways in which I can grow my companies without incurring debt — we are seeking angel investors to join our team. Watch this video.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates resilience?
I strive for excellence. My daily ritual – cup of java to get rejuvenized each morning. Daily schedule: keep a tight calendar, multi-task, stay organized. Use technology to its best maximizing productivity. Now, I am integrating AI tools into my work ethics to increase productivity and knowledge-share. Yes, I document most of what needs to get accomplished each day to stay on track. Eg, meetings, notes, things to do, plans, actionable items to complete, etc.
Don’t let anything or anyone get you down – people, drama, circumstances. Rise to the occasion. I accomplish what I set out to do each day. I strive for excellence and work towards goal completion. This process works for me. I don’t let others dogma drag me down. I keep a positive outlook on life – passionate about positivity, healthy mind, body, and spirit. I take breaks as needed. Self-care means listening to your mind, body, and soul to rejuvenate. I don’t let conversations or unsolicited words get the best of me. I stay upbeat, happy, and earnest as a multi-tasker with pre-set business itineraries.
I socialize and integrate that into my work/life balance as well. This is such an important aspect of a busy entrepreneur’s lifestyle. If you are not balanced, then it shows in your work and creativity. I try to stay focused on being in the moment and relaxing when my body tells me to rest. I plan personal and business travel alike and know that I may accomplish more outside from participation at virtual programs. Things like that.
Contact Info:
- Website: jeancrissmedia.com and crisscrossintimates.com
- Linktr.ee: jeancriss
- Instagram: jean.criss and crisscross.intimates
- Linkedin: jean-criss
- Twitter: jean_criss
- Facebook: jeancrissmedia, jeancrissauthor, and crisscrossintimates
- Youtube: jcriss0011/videos
- Amazon Books: Author Books
- Yelp: biz/jean-criss-media-new-york-city
Image Credits
Jean Criss images