EST. SPOTLIGHT: PACKED PARTY
Images via Packed Party
Girls just wanna have fun, right? Well Jordan Jones at Packed Party is proving that to be true. A transplant from Texas, this free spirit moved to California seeking adventure and embarking on a new job. But in making the move to the golden state, Jordan found herself without her friends, with little to no social calendar and ultimately fired from her job for pursing an idea she was passionate about, Packed Party.
It was just under one year ago she decided to throw caution to wind, took a true leap of faith and started Packed Party. As a teenager Jordan had experienced mean girls in high school, but never allowed that to get her down. She would commonly throw a ‘party for one’ and now in her early adult years, alone in San Francisco, that party for one had found its way back to her. Feeling down on herself and throwing what we are all guilty of having every once in awhile, a pity party, Jordan got a bright idea. Wouldn’t it be great to send a packaged party to friends when life’s moments get them down, or up!
Sure she may have been in the land of entrepreneurs and start-ups mere miles from the Silicon Valley, but she was just a regular Texan girl chasing a California dream.
After convincing her family to invest in her idea she grew her company from packing parties in her garage to a warehouse shipping internationally. She took a little idea and grew it into something great. Believing in her creativity and feeling established in her sense of self, suddenly Jordan was building a business and surviving on her own.
The ideas for parties are endless, although Jordan is selective about the product she uses and the themes of packages. Carefully selecting and sourcing product to offer unique packages, these parties are in demand. The Miss you Bitch party is restocking for the sixth time!
It’s your party and you’ll cry if you want to? That’s fine, there’s a party for that! Paying homage to how it all began, Packed Party offers a Pity Party for that friend who is singing the blues, or in this case navy. Why navy? The answer is simple, it’s feminine and goes with just about anything! And as Packed Party grows they work to develop packages you can send to all you friends, including guys. And guys love Navy!
We had a chance to talk with Jordan about all things Packed Party and how she purses her own golden state of mind. Here's what she had to say:
Leaving your job to pursue this venture must have been a scary decision. When did you know taking the leap of faith was right?
I think it’s hard to know a good time to ever really take the leap to pursue what you love full-time. There’s always going to be major risk involved and I was in the process of weighing out the risk when I was sort of pushed out of my job in Silicon Valley for actually working on Packed Party.
Today I get it of course, and know it was the best thing that ever happened to me, but at the time I was a little mortified. I had never so much as been sent to the hall in elementary school for getting in trouble, so it came as a bit of a shock to me when they said I had to choose between working there or running Packed Party. As it turns out though, as embarrassing and scary as it was being let go of for pursuing my dream, they made the best decision for me and the whole experience gave me the major push I needed to pursue Packed Party full-time. Immediately after I created our blog, added new packages to our line, and gave that extra time I was giving to someone else’s dream to my own.
What keeps you inspired?
Living in San Francisco makes it easy to be inspired to be totally honest. I try to go on a walk every single day at some point and take a different path. The colors on the houses around the neighborhood, hearing the buzz around the city, and hearing people’s stories of starting businesses pushes me. I read a lot of magazines, blogs, and am on sites like Pinterest daily. I feel like I really resonate with stories like Sophia Amoruso’s Girl Boss, I read it in two days and felt so personally connected to how she started, all the sacrifices she made, having her mom help her, and saying “we” when it was just her in the beginning…guilty as charged here for doing it too.
What advice would you give to your 16-year-old self?
I think I’d tell myself chin up, it’s only getting better from here, high school is just a small snippet of your life. Oh, and also, you’re never going to use the math you’re worrying over right now! Numbers aren’t my strong suit.
What brought you to California?
Truthfully? I just loved it here. I had only visited California a few times, and San Francisco one time before deciding I had to move here. My parents, of course were in shock when I told them it was what I was going to do, but they agreed and said if you have a job you can give it a shot. Sure enough I found a job at a startup doing events, and was on my way with a U-Haul behind my car a few short months later leaving all my closest friends and family behind in Dallas. I didn’t leave because I didn’t like Dallas, I just felt like there was something more for me waiting in San Francisco, and little did I know that it was Packed Party.
Favorite Sunday Brunch Spot?
Is it cliché to say my favorite meal is brunch? Probably. But I love Zazie’s here in the city, it’s in Cole Valley, and the people that own it are so nice, they recognize me every time I come in (or at least pretend to!). I love southern hospitality and homemade food, so this place combines both.
Favorite type of party to have?
In life? Probably a dinner party. I don’t have them much here in San Francisco because my space is a touch tiny (I call it the Polly Pocket apartment), but definitely a dinner party! Having people over and planning everything from the flowers to the music and place settings is something I learned from my mom and share a love with her over.
What is your current party playlist?
I love music, I always have! I listen to a lot of rap. Kidding. I like a mix of everything though! Mat Kearney is always a go-to for me; his music just feels like home sort of no matter what I’m doing I can throw it on. Listen to “Closer To Love” by him and try not to tap your toe. I’m also really into Broods right now, they’re so young and their music is amazing!
What do you love most about your job?
That’s a really difficult question. There’s nothing I don’t love about it, so I should probably start by saying that. Packed Party doesn’t feel like work because it is truly the most fun thing I’ve ever done. Every day is something different and I love that about it because I’m such a creative person it’s hard for me to do the same thing over and over again. I love laying out the photo shoots, writing the blog, meeting so many new people, and being introduced to new and unique products. I created my dream job for myself, so I can’t say there’s anything I don’t love about it.
We love everything Packed Party stands for and what Jordan Jones is working to achieve. This honorary California Gal is proving you can chase your dreams, take a leap of faith and be established in your own sense of self. So when you are down, Packed Party gives you a reason to celebrate! Interested in a party for one? Consider Packed Party or send one to a friend in need of their message. Their mission is simple: when a packed party finds its way to your doorstep, it inspires a smile.
SCROLL TO SHOP THE POST
Contributed by estCA staff, Megan Araujo
