Jessica Lee co-founded Modern Citizen in the middle of San Francisco’s VC frenzy and made a very different decision than most founders:

She didn’t raise money.

She didn’t chase growth at all costs.

She built a brand slowly, intentionally, and on her own terms.

In this episode, she shares the real story behind building a modern fashion brand without losing yourself in the process. We talk about bootstrapping, resilience, motherhood, leadership, and what it really means to build something that lasts.

Timestamps:

0:00 – Intro

2:10 – Why Jessica turned down venture capital

6:50 – Fashion isn’t software: why growth looks different

9:30 – Valuation pressure vs. brand longevity

12:30 – You can’t force customers to love you overnight

16:00 – The fundraising bias founders don’t talk about

18:00 – What resilience actually looks like in business

21:00 – Building agility into your company from day one

23:00 – Why Jessica shares her playbook with other founders

25:15 – Scarcity mindset vs abundance mindset in DTC

28:00 – Fast fashion, decision fatigue, and building a thoughtful customer experience

32:00 – The role of AI in creative work (and where it doesn’t belong)

36:00 – Motherhood, entrepreneurship, and ruthless prioritization

41:00 – How to stay resourced while leading a company and raising kids

47:00 – Building a culture of excellence on your own terms

52:00 – Jessica’s definition of success (and why it matters)

54:45 – Where to shop Modern Citizen