Welcome to ProCNKT Weekly

Every Monday we Highlight a small business or entrepreneur in our “Spotlight” section. And Update you as needed on the ProCNKT website.

The Spotlight!

For this week’s issue we’ve chosen to Spotlight….

Jennifer Schenck, from The Connection Exchange

The Connection Exchange and ProCNKT seem to share some of the same mission statement. Which makes Jennifer Schenck and Cara Owings (founders of The Connection Exchange) a great fit for our newsletter.

If you are new to Columbia, or are just starting a business, there’s a good chance that you will have the pleasure of being welcomed by the lovely people of The Connection Exchange.

With a smile and a welcome gift Jennifer Schenck will sit down with you and introduce you to everything Columbia has to offer. Both business wise and residential. But who is this woman? And where did this passion come from?

Jennifer Schenck always thought she’d be a corporate woman, with no initial intrigue towards entrepreneurship. She went to college and got her degree in international marketing. But not long after she graduated, did the realities of corporate life come into stark relief. She wanted freedom and the ability to work in more optimal ways but most importantly for herself. All things that corporate life doesn't allow for. So she started her own company at 23, in the Dallas metro area. Jennilee’s a business making children's boutique items. 

“My mother is a talented seamstress and by the time we opened our shop, she had been sewing baby bedding for years. Everyone loves the special time when a baby is on the way, so our baby and children's boutique was always filled with joy and happiness.”

But starting a business (as all entrepreneurs know) is extremely difficult. And it took its toll.

“There weren't any other business owners to show me the ropes.” 

But Jennifer is an extremely driven person. She wasn't going to let anything get in the way of her success. After the Boutique business Jennifer took some time off to attend to personal matters but would come back to the business world with more passion and strength than before.

When she moved to Mid Missouri with her husband in 2010 a few things stuck out in her mind. Namely, that she was tired of feeling like the new kid on the block. After meeting Cara Owings, another accomplished business woman, a friendship would form that would take the two of them to new heights. With their backgrounds in marketing and entrepreneurship, they saw a hole in the community for face to face welcome services. The Connection Exchange would be the answer. In 2015 the two would create a Member based referrals business, offering a free welcome gift to new residents and businesses. With the support of local entrepreneurs in Columbia, St Louise and Cooper county, The Connection Exchange has grown into an incredible business collecting many awards along the way. Including; the Columbia Chamber of Commerce’s 2018 small business of the year finalist and Columbia's 2019 woman owned business of the year! I think it's safe to say that Cara and Jennifer have something special on their hands. 

I can speak from personal experience. If it wasn’t for The Connection Exchange and the people I've met because of them, ProCNKT wouldn’t be where it is now.

Jennifer is a woman of many talents. From marketing,  web design, professional networking, business operations and a wealth of experience. She is uniquely suited for small business coaching. 

“I want to be someone who can guide people to be entrepreneurs.” 

“I love helping others see the long range vision for their business”

Tips for new business owners?

“ You can always change the color and the name.”

Jennifer’s advice is to all young entrepreneurs (including those she mentors) is not to procrastinate with the details. While the name and branding of your business are important, don’t get lost in all the choices before you get your first client. Let the business unfold. Give it room to breathe.

Don’t mistake busy work for productivity.

If you could give your younger self any advice what would it be?

“I would tell myself to rest. To give myself the peace I needed and to enjoy my accomplishments before rushing off to the next thing.”

In conclusion, the connection exchange and what they stand for is a breath of fresh air in business world. A kind face, a gift and the knowledge of others doing great work, makes those first few steps into the unknown of business, a little less scary. And if your a business owner, join their referral program! You won’t be disappointed.

A huge thank you to Jennifer Schenck. She has been incredibly accommodating both with this newsletter and to ProCNKT here in Columbia MO. Go give her and The Connection Exchange, a follow. And if you are new to the Mid Missouri area and need a friendly face to get you connected, The Connection Exchange has your back!

ProCNKT Updates.

We are proud to announce the the ProCNKT MVP (minimum viable product) is now officially in development! We’ve teamed up with the fantastic team from Vervocity to develop this product and we can’t wait till we can get version 1.0 out to all of you! To learn more about ProCNKT visit ProCNKT.com 

Your support of ProCNKT and our mission is never taken for granted!

Cheers to good business and great people!

-Donagan Anderson, founder of ProCNKT and Editor of ProCNKT Weekly