The Sassy Jones Founder on Small Business Leadership

Charis Jones knows what it takes to build a team. The 2020 Tory Burch Fellow and founder of the accessories company Sassy Jones has built her brand in a big way since its 2013 launch, landing an HSN partnership and a spot on Forbes’ list of 25 small business standouts that have thrived during the pandemic last year. It’s her vision and leadership that really make Jones a standout. Inc. Magazine took notice, naming her number 75 on their Inc. 5000, a list of fastest-growing private businesses, and tapping her expertise in an article on leadership advice from some of the fastest-growing Black-owned businesses in the country.

Though 2020 was an incredibly tough year for many, Charis Jones managed to flourish as a business owner in that time. She was more than happy to share some hard-won insights with our community, answering their questions in an “ask me anything” on our Instagram. Here’s what the forward-thinking entrepreneur had to say about small business leadership, nurturing talent and more.

Q: Your leadership is amazing. What do you feel are the most important qualities in a leader?

A: Thank you! A fierce level of accountability and ownership, a servant’s heart and strong shoulders.

Q: What tools do you use to identify your team members’ talents and to place them in the right positions?

A: Talent is incredibly special to me. We use tools like the Enneagram and 360 feedback to identify the right fits. For leadership positions, we actually go as far as allowing our customers to interview [prospective leaders] unexpectedly on livestream to uncover traits. We are looking for a certain mentality and “quicktuitiveness”. However, you have to be in your role one year (to become an expert) before being promoted or transitioned.

Q: What practices did you find most successful for growing your network? More specifically, what did you think was a real game changer in terms of pushing your business to the next level?

A: I’d say joining a few communities that were catered to businesses in a similar growth phase so that we could share best practices and elevate one another. The real game changer came from a specific community called Traffic, Sales and Profit on Facebook. Check it out. It’s a great resource!

Q: How can leaders support someone who’s ready to step into a more senior role?

A: Ensure they have all the access, training and knowledge to ascend to the next level. The only way to really support effectively is by taking a step back and actually allowing them to feel their way through it while we remain in their silent corner. Frequent structured feedback is a must, however.

Q: What was the biggest mindset shift that you made to help you show up more fully for your business?

A: The biggest mindset shift hands down was believing that success is certain. Knowing that my gift will always make room for me, as long as I’m willing to put in the right work. That perspective has tremendously changed my approach to everything, from securing deals to designing a new collection.

Q: What self-sabotage habits have you had to face and break to take your business to the next level?

A: Definitely tying my worth to my results. I would beat myself up if something failed miserably or take all the blame for an employee leaving. And it took therapy–still does! I now understand that I’m worthy, regardless of the outcome and I encourage our community to live with the same mantra.

Q: Do you have a scripture that is your absolute anchor? How do you bring God into your business?

A: I live on Ecclesiastes 5:3: “Overwork makes for restless sleep, overtalk shows you up as a fool.” That scripture keeps me balanced. We bring God into Sassy Jones with our pearls of wisdom at the end of every Sparkle Party [a livestream accessory styling tutorial], offering encouragement to our viewers. Even internally, we open meetings with meditation and/or prayer.

Q: How do you find good, reliable people for order fulfillment roles? I’m struggling with this right now.

A: Craigslist! Yep! We have a HR consultant who keeps the roles filled now, but my founding team members all came from Craigslist. Those are sometimes the candidates who want it most!

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Meet the Entrepreneur Shaking up the Wellness Industry

Trinity Mouzon Wofford was just 23 years old when she decided to take the leap from wellness enthusiast to wellness entrepreneur. With the vision of making self-care more inclusive, engaging, and fun, she founded Golde. Infused with single-origin turmeric, Golde’s products serve as daily essentials for inner and outer radiance. Learn more about Trinity and her experience as an entrepreneur below.

I believed that being well should actually feel good! Too often wellness can seem exclusive or dogmatic. I wanted to create a brand that felt inclusive and approachable, without skimping on high quality product and engaging design.

Wellness is a really new and growing industry, which is so exciting for myself and our (small) team. I think that, like beauty, there’s plenty of room for brands to tell their own stories in the space. We’re super-proud to be championing a sense of ease and approachability in the industry. Right now, I’m one of the only minority founders in the wellness space, which enables us to speak to a really diverse mix of young consumers looking to build their self-care routines.

Build with honesty. If you solve a genuine problem that you’re personally having as a consumer, so many of the decisions that follow will feel intuitive for you. When you try to craft something that’s really far from your own pain points or perspective, you’ll constantly be questioning how to move forward.

Connect with people you admire! I cold-email (and DM) people, go up to them at parties, ask for intros via a mutual friend—don’t be afraid to hustle to get in front of the right person. So much of what I’ve learned has come directly from building mentor relationships with entrepreneurs who are a couple steps ahead of me.

Don’t be afraid to hustle to get in front of the right person.

We have so many new developments happening over the next year, from product expansion to building out the team. It’s really exciting, but we’re making sure to stay true to the DNA of our brand as we continue to scale. “Feel-good wellness” is always our priority and our passion.

Going for it! When we launched Golde, I was 23 years old—no funding, no connections, and very little experience. My co-founder and I learned as we grew. We taught ourselves Adobe Creative Suite so that we could design the packaging and take all of our own photos, we hustled to build out a network of trusted mentors, and we surrounded ourselves with people who believed in our vision. Don’t be afraid to start small, and never wait until you have “all the answers.” Your most valuable moments as a founder will be when you’re learning, so embrace what you don’t know (yet), and get after it!

Why Entrepreneurship Is Ageless

Launching a green beauty and botanically based skincare company just made sense. First of all, I have experience in growing all sorts of botanicals on our family farm in Scottsdale, Arizona. Second, using fresh milk from our small herd of Nubian dairy goats truly makes the most luxurious milk cleansing bars. Lastly, who wouldn’t want to partner with their daughter and granddaughter to make beautiful, effective skin care products that women would love?

To celebrate ageless beauty and create indulgent skin care elixirs that give women a reason to find peace and joy in their daily beauty rituals.

Prior to starting my business I farmed and gardened—milking goats every morning by hand and growing beautiful vegetables, flowers and herbs. With the milk, I learned how to make Drunken Goat Cheese (amazing aged cheese soaked in red wine) and Award Winning Sea Salt Caramels, that are now sold in shops across the country.

Having morning catch up moments with my husband.
Walking out my front door in the morning with a cup of coffee, taking the moment to breathe in the beauty of the gardens, and notice what is growing and what is dying.
Honoring the rhythm of work and rest (the 6 + the 1), which allows the mind, body and soul to replenish and fuels creativity. It is a must.

Being a woman entrepreneur in my 60s has a vantage point in terms of experience. It gives me the ability to see what works, and allows me to see what true beauty really is. Beauty fades, but nurturing and cultivating true beauty is ageless.

It’s easy to look around the valley and say it’s beautiful—that’s something young women get to see and experience with fresh eyes. But viewing the scenery from the mountain tops is something you can only earn from the years. Some women close up shop when they reach their 40s and 50s because America glorifies youth. However, those of us who continue to reinvent ourselves and contribute our wisdom and experience to something beautiful are leaving a legacy and a mark for the young. It’s important for women entrepreneurs especially to not run from aging, because age means experience and something lasting is born from experience. It is a huge reason I celebrate and embrace ageless beauty.

Besides connecting to a tribe of women, my advice would be to develop a personal life mission statement. A personal mission statement guides you, becoming a plumb line and foundation on living life successfully. I believe starting a business that comes from the core of who you are—that place of knowing what you value and why you are here—is a beautiful foundation.

To me, embracing ambition is a mindset or attitude—and a really good character quality to have. Whatever one does, it should be done with the whole heart. Accomplishing a task in a manner of excellence requires hard work, but so does loving and caring for others. It requires hard work in the soul, to take time to listen, care, and show honor. Embracing ambition is about not giving up. It’s about pressing in and at the core, and not losing sight of loving people.