Some people think that the key to success lies within their daily routines. Do you agree with this, and if so, what is your daily routine?
I think there is a lot of truth with that, but my life doesn’t lend itself to routine. The one thing I do without fail is get up and work out. I do it to get my brain moving, for the happiness, and to shake out the cobwebs. That is the thing that I do without fail. I write on paper, use my notebook. I take the guesswork out of food. I’ll have the same thing every day for an extended period. I’ll have yogurt with walnuts and berries and then a salad with some protein for lunch. Some things are routinized, but really, every day is different.
Looking back at your teenage years, did you have any entrepreneurial interests?
I always found a way to make my own money. When I was really little, I made ice cream with a hand crank and I would go out onto the street and sell it. I had a babysitting business from when I was really young, around 10, all the way into high school, when I babysat all the time. In high school, I also taught 3, 4, and 5-year-old ballet classes for my teacher. I worked at the local Men’s Store, but I was awful at that. I definitely had a way of thinking outside the box for jobs, hunting them down, and doing them.
Is there a specific time of day when you feel most productive?
I feel productive in the morning, but I feel MOST productive on a plane, by myself.
Do you think there is one character trait/skill that is important to have in order to become a successful entrepreneur in today’s world?
You have to be pretty disciplined not to be distracted by your phone, notifications, and emails. Everything is one big swirl! I think that is the hardest thing for me— it is so easy to draw my attention to something else. You guys do it all the time for school! You’re more up to speed; you have more immediate practice. The discipline of mind, as well, to focus on what IS getting done and keep things inbound so that they are doable. You can have these really huge, grand ideas, but what’s your small IMMEDIATE goal? And what are you doing there?
Has being a woman in the business world affected you positively or negatively, and how so?
I think a woman’s skillset— the way we build relationships and connections— lends itself to business. My favorite thing about business is that it is another place to build a community that you like and care about and you can dive into.
What is one major goal that you wish to achieve by 2030?
Well, I set out starting Once Upon a Farm (in 2017), eyeing a meaningful partnership between Once Upon a Farm and Save the Children, with whom I’ve worked for 15 years. I really think business is pushing philanthropy more than ever before. If you are starting a business, I think it is so important to not just choose philanthropy randomly but (consider) what is behind what you are doing. What are you personally hoping to achieve in the world? What good are you hoping to lift up? Are you knowledgeable about it enough, and passionate enough, that you can bring this community of people who have all kinds of divergent hopes and dreams along that path with you, so you can have the same goal for good? Because that is a very binding goal. And, so, by 2030— we already have that partnership. That has happened, and I am thrilled about that. We are still a relatively small company, and I hope that we continue to build and grow, and build our incredible trust with young moms and the devotion we have from kids and grow up with them. And I hope that we stay relevant for youngsters and babies enough that Once Upon a Farm can really be a company that Save the Children can rely on, and we can help them keep doing the good work.
Who is your biggest influence, and why?
Business-wise, I would say my biggest influence is Nicole King. Nicole was my publicist’s assistant when I was just starting out and had a movie coming out: Pearl Harbor. I had just a tiny role, but somebody said, “You should have a publicist.” I could only afford one for a couple of months, and Nicole was the assistant on the team. In those three months, she and I became close. That publicist whom I adored left her job, and Nicole moved into that role. The next year, I got Alias, and we have worked together for 24 years this month. She switched to being a manager years ago, and now she has her own management company. I have reveled in watching her build her own company. She thinks about it so holistically and with such an entrepreneurial spirit, and it is so different from anything else out there. Just growing up alongside her is the biggest influence. Your girlfriends are your everything and that just becomes more and more true.
If you could pick one female entrepreneur, who would you say is your biggest inspiration?
I really like the way that Ina Garten lives her life because she’s true to herself. She’s a brilliant woman; she was working in nuclear policy in the White House and she left to take over a specialty food store in the Hamptons called Barefoot Contessa. Any door that opened in front of her, she walked through. She didn’t know what she was doing but she trusted the people around her, she trusted herself, and she just kept walking through them. She does it in a way that she could probably be a katrilliionaire— she could have even more going on, she could have this line (of products) and that line, she could be on tv every single day— and instead she is just like nope my life still matters to me and I want to live it this way. She’s got it in balance.
What has been the most formative advice you have received and why?
It’s really all the basics, isn’t it? Drink water, go to sleep, workout— you know? You are a person first and nothing else really matters if you aren’t taking care of yourself and having some sort of fun.
What has been the most impressive/memorable question anyone has ever asked you?
I would say any high school senior who has the guts to reach out cold and just ask me to answer your questions. That’s pretty great! I’ll take you, Lily.
Where you are in life right now— SATs, numbers, scores, letters, classes— all of that means so much, but bravery will prevail and just being willing to put your shoulder into something.
If you have siblings, are they also entrepreneurs?
My little sister (Susannah) is an accountant and she runs a big office in our hometown in West Virginia. My big sister (Melissa) is in marketing.
Do you think the drive to become an entrepreneur is born with or is learned?
I think both can be true. I did not have a drive to do anything that I am doing right now in my life, as a kid. I wanted to write children’s books and be a school librarian. I had a big drive to do that. Even if your drive is for something that may seem silly— it’s your drive when getting there, your tenacity and your willingness to stick it out, to learn what you need to learn, to do what you need to do. That is transferable and applicable to other things in life. Your story is not written yet. Just because you are not great at X/Y/Z right now has no bearing on you doing something directly related to that later in life. It may feel like you guys are writing your life story, but you’re not. You’re just preparing for the next chapter, and that is preparing for the next chapter and the next chapter. So it’s all so open to you and you get to reinvent yourself every step of the way! All you just have to do is go one step at a time.
CONTACT INFORMATION & SOCIAL MEDIA Award-winning actress - Co-founder & Chief Brand Officer of Once Upon a Farm - Trustee and Ambassador of Save the Children Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer.garner/ and https://www.instagram.com/onceuponafarm/ and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferannegarner/ and https://www.linkedin.com/company/once-upon-a-farm/ and https://www.linkedin.com/company/save-the-children-us/ and https://www.instagram.com/savethechildren/ Website: https://onceuponafarmorganics.com/ and https://www.savethechildren.org/us/about-us/leadership-and-trustees/jennifer-garner Twitter: https://twitter.com/i/flow/login?redirect_after_login=%2Fofficialjgarner