Merchandising Powerhouse Jessica Nelson is a Leader Who Knows Investing Time in Herself and Her Team is the Key to Success

May 1, 2021

Q: What advice did you receive when you were starting your career?

A: That’s easy…1/ Do something you enjoy and 2/ work really, really, hard! My Dad had this really amazing career leading a SWAT Team for a federal agency in DFW, and he always told us, “he never worked a day in his life.” I feel that fortunate about my career and career path. I worked incredibly hard, but I’ve loved it and met the most incredible women.

Q: What do you wish you had known when you were starting your career?

A: Nurture the relationships with the women who will support you along the way, but steer clear of detractors who will try to knock you down. I worked for a luxury brand in NYC, and I resigned because I wanted to go work for a startup and try something new. After resigning, the President of the luxury brand told me, “if you do this, you’ll never be welcome to work in the luxury industry again.” I still took the scrappy startup job but was terrified of what might happen in the future; I loved luxury. A few years later, I was hired by Louis Vuitton as Director of Accessories.

Kendra Scott and Team on the Austin Habitat for Humanity Women Build Construction Site

Q: How do you empower women in our community?

A: In my professional life, I lead a predominately female team and have a responsibility to nurture and support their careers to help them achieve their aspirations. In my personal life, I really strive to be present when spending time with friends and put down my phone and really listen to them. I also love Yoga and the incredibly empowering Yoga community… Empowering women is also reminding them that they need to take time and care for themselves, invest time in themselves, and engage with strong (mentally and physically) like-minded women. It is true that you are the company you keep!

Q: Who inspires you to be the best woman you can be?

A: My Mom is the gold standard for MOM – present, caring and giving her time both for family and the church community. I also have this unbelievably successful sister who is great at helping me navigate life as an ambitious working mom. She’ll remind me that I didn’t fail if my kids eat mac and cheese for dinner, and no matter how busy you are… you call your sister back 😊. I am incredibly lucky to work for a female founder, Kendra Scott, who leads our brand through modern, real family-centric values: Family, Fashion, Philanthropy. She lives them and encourages our Kendra Scott Family to do the same. It’s a blessing to work somewhere that reminds you daily to be sure all your “life buckets” and getting your attention.

Q: What are ways you are helping the affordable housing crisis here in Austin?

A: I am excited to see how I can further support Austin Habitat for Humanity; it’s an amazing organization. For now, I want to leverage my retail experience and background to help make Restore Retail Stores as successful as possible (which includes spreading the word about Restore!).

Donation drop-off: Our Austin and San Marcos ReStores are open daily to accept your material donations. Donation drop-off hours are Monday – Saturday: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and Sunday: 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Pick-up service: The ReStore provides a free, limited pick-up service for large donations in the Austin and San Marcos areas. For more information, please call 512-472-8788 x 215, or fill out the online request form.

As Kendra says it best, everyone deserves a warm, safe place to call home. We’ve been fortunate to work with Habitat for Humanity over the past 3 years to build homes for women and children, allowing them to focus on the foundation for success and tools for a strong future. We ask our customers to join us in these efforts by shopping our Home and Shelter Charm, where 50% of the proceeds from every purchase of this charm will help organizations that provide home and shelter to those in need.