Today I have the immense pleasure of speaking with Jes Wolfe, the remarkable CEO of Rebel Girls, a company dedicated to inspire the next generation of girls to embrace their most confident selves. In this deep dive into Jess’s life, Jes shares her inspiring story from a small-town Oregon upbringing filled with lots of outdoors time to becoming a powerhouse operator and entrepreneur who is making waves in the world of children's literature and female empowerment. 

 

Jes takes us back to her childhood, recounting her early money stories that taught her the value of saving and investing from a young age and ultimately set the groundwork for her future in finance, consulting, and, eventually, entrepreneurship. We journey through her career transitions, from her first job picking blueberries, to impactful roles at Morgan Stanley, the International Finance Corporation, and BCG, to selling her first business and finding her true calling at Rebel Girls. 

 

Throughout the episode, Jess eloquently discusses the importance of long-term thinking in personal finance, the grit required for entrepreneurial success, and her unwavering commitment to supporting women and girls in all her ventures. We also learn valuable lessons in planning out your pivots and taking time to really absorb life to figure out the best move for you and your future. 

Key Topics:

1. Growing up in small-town Oregon and the first jobs Jess had as a kid
2. Learning to invest in high school to start saving for her future
3. Taking time to explore the world while decided on a life path
4. The career fair that had Jes dreaming of work in the private finance sector
5. The aha moment of learning how the world works and understanding how to play the game of life
6. Jes’s start at Morgan Stanley out of university
7. How Jes planned her career moves to always be one step ahead
8. The long-term planning and saving that allowed her to graduate from business school debt-free
9. Moving to DC to work for BCG and all the places that job took her
10. Investing in her friends’ success by investing in the companies they worked for
11. Following her desire to build companies through another career pivot
12. Soul-searching in Asia, looking for her new path in life
13. The move to SF that allowed Jes to finally start building things bigger than herself
14. Navigating finances on a smaller salary while building a startup
15. The lessons learned from selling her first business
16. The pivot that brought her to Rebel Girls as the CEO
17. Investing in the next generation to support female founders 

 

 

Connect with Jes online: 

 

Website: https://www.rebelgirls.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jes-wolfe-a58921/

Find more from Syama Bunten:

 

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