When asked in January of 2008, “What are your career plans? “…
My answer was the inevitable: ”I’m moving to New York to work as a consultant by day, and fashion designer / entrepreneur by night.”
And that was the plan.
I was already designing, manufacturing, and selling a popular line of Pin-UP Girl inspired dresses in Texas with a small business that I had built from the ground up with my best friend / business partner… and we were most definitely ready to take on the Big Apple, 1950’s style.
I also had a BA in Inter-Cultural Communication, a Minor in Russian Studies, and a Master’s in Conflict Resolution and Negotiation that I had just completed earlier that month. I had lived in St. Petersburg, Russia during my undergraduate career, and I was addicted to international travel, especially throughout Eastern Europe.
With this carefully thought out plan, I would be able to work as a consultant traveling between New York and the former Soviet Union, with ties in the intelligence community making me feel like a modern version of a classic jet-setting spy, in fabulous Devushka dresses designed by none other than, myself (I’m wearing one in the photo below):
Then life threw a curve ball, as usual, and one change after another left me unable to move away from Austin, Texas, just yet.
So what does a modern “Pin-Up girl” in the making do when she has big dreams and big road-blocks? She alters the plan, just a bit. I knew there was no Inter-Cultural Consulting in Texas, so I scoured the local job postings looking for something with the word “international” in the description. And low and behold, there was Meltwater News.
Walking into the first interview session at the beautiful Driskill Hotel in downtown Austin, I was immediately impressed with the executive panel of judges on the other side of the table. Staring at a long line of tall, blonde, blue-eyed young men, aside from one or two exceptions, I halfway expected them all to be straight from Norway. With jet-black hair, strategically hidden tattoos, super pale skin and sporting a flower behind my ear, I instantly felt like an alien. But they were all smiles, and made us feel comfortable almost immediately.
The process was long, and exhausting in many ways, but I left the first interview feeling like I really did know a great deal about Meltwater News. One thing in particular: this was primarily a sales position. And sales had never been on the agenda. However, one thing that sparked my attention was the incredible competitive nature of the company. If there is one word to describe Jenny, it’s “competitive.”
Whether it meant graduating at the top of my class, or being the best female rock climber in the community, I was always striving to be number one and blaze my own trail!
But I knew I didn’t necessarily fit the mold. I looked different and had unique interests ranging from classic cars to Pit Bull rescue, sewing, mountaineering and collecting vintage vinyl. I was sure they thought I was crazy, but they decided to give me a second shot and invited me to the individual interview the next day.
In this session, Jonas Oppedal, the current Executive Director of Meltwater North America, and Matt, the current Area Director for Meltwater News South, kept prying into what really motivated me, on a deeper level, in an effort to figure out what this Texas girl was all about.
(I did talk about my biggest passion being vintage car races, and the smell of nitrous oxide, so I guess I don’t blame them for being curious…). Luckily they saw a winner in me and offered me the job the very next day.
Matt and I can now laugh about first impressions, and how happy we both are that they decided to give me a shot. I went on to sell 350% of my quota in my second month, so I guess that was enough to convince them they had made a good decision.
The position was in Austin, Texas…not New York…but if you keep following my story, you will see that it has an interesting twist. More to come on the Big Apple. 
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