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Name: Jennifer Barton

State: NSW

Job title: Director

Company: Social Change Room

Describe your typical day… Even though each day I experience is cherished, my typical day is far from an interesting read… But, here you go:

Alarm rings, I think a few self-affirming thoughts for my tasks ahead, get out of bed and select an outfit to match my mood for that day. This usually consists of locally made, preloved or vintage pieces and bright, sunny colours. I walk an hour to work listening to my iPod sprinkled with shameful early nineties pop tunes.

My work hours are filled with emails, phone calls, creative solutions, diplomatic explanations, really bad jokes, homemade lunches and my latest music purchase blaring whilst conducting online research. This is all followed by a walk back home (sometimes with a Bikram class before the trek) Once home, I make dinner, send more emails, write blog posts, take photos, make some more phone calls and devise clever plans for my success. Before bed, my candle of the week is lit and I read a few pages of a book (currently Tony Robbins’ Awaken the Giant Within).

When was the last time you felt inspired? I was last inspired in a big way at The Unconvention for Young Entrepreneurs in Sydney. It was at this event I saw individuals (some more than half a decade my junior) not just ‘thinking’ about great ideas, but putting them into action. It was on that very day I made a firm decision to just  put my thoughts into practice and worry less about ifs, buts and maybes. Since then, I’ve never had so much fun on a daily basis in all my life! I now find myself wondering why it took so long for me to ‘give it a go’ in the first place.

It’s also very important for me to feel little pangs of inspiration every day. One method I use to achieve this is to add all the go-getters and über successful people I meet as friends on Facebook. Unbeknownst to them, I’m inspired with every post on my wall and every email in my inbox. It’s a daily reminder to keep my butt moving.

What’s next on your Bucket List and why? The next item on my bucket list (apart from building my new business) is to one day create an experience (and/or documentary) for young, fashionable women to visit clothing factories in unregulated nations such as India, Vietnam and China, to raise a greater awareness amongst our female youth about who, and to what extent, people and the environment are affected by throw-away decisions to purchase, often in excess, fashion items that are not manufactured under Fair Trade or eco friendly conditions.

Why? … Young women have the most AMAZING consumer influence. $1.7 BILLION a year is spent by women in Australia on fashion alone. This fact drives me to rally women together and use this power to cause a dramatic change in the way our fashion and beauty products are made. It’s why I’m driven to make my business a success. It’s why I get out of bed in the morning.

Tell us something about you that may surprise people? I was paralytically shy as a teenager – Incapable of speaking to members of the opposite sex, unwilling to go to parties on my own, self-conscious, low self-esteem…Painfully unassertive in new company. In 2008, I moved to the UK and became the lead singer of an indie pop band in London. These days, you’ll have difficulty getting me to pipe down! Oh… I also have a great appreciation for body art. In contrast to my ultra feminine attire, I am speckled in tattoos (much to my dear father’s disapproval).

What’s your top tip for success? As my business has only just sprouted, my advice for success that I can offer is limited to addressing those still at the seed stage. To them, I say: “Ensure that your passion is interwoven into your business idea”. It is a struggle to stay motivated when your company based on nothing but accumulating wealth. You’ll know that you’ve chosen your path correctly when you find yourself waking up earlier in the morning because you’re excited about what you can achieve with an extra hour in your day and when you don’t mind occasionally foregoing a night out with mates if it brings you one step closer to your goals.     

What would you like to get from your Business Chicks experience? I’m new to the entrepreneurial scene, so my Business Chicks wishlist is a lengthy one…?• Obtaining connections for strategic partnerships?• Advice on applying for grants and raising capital ?• Acquiring successful mentors (preferably with experience in a similar industry)?• Assistance in spreading the word about my company/website and it’s events ?• Bartering my skills for help with my business (I’m an experienced print designer and you need some brochures/stationery? You’re a PR whiz and I need some stellar publicity? …Let’s chat over chai).?• Financial management advice – It’s the largest chink in my armour. Tips on keeping ontop of business finances will be soaked up fasted than a Chux wipe! ?• Connecting with likeminded women to meet and discuss the highs and lows of business, and creating a tight-knit support network of superwomen.

Learn more about, and connect with Premium member, Jennifer here.