By Valerie Jennings
Most people still believe the biggest myth in entrepreneurship: that funding determines who succeeds.
After 22 years of running my agency without investors, I can tell you the real story looks very different.
I built this business the long way through intuition, discipline and the kind of persistence that only shows up when no one else is clapping. I scaled through industry shifts, economic downturns, the rise of social media, privacy changes and now the biggest disruption yet with AI. And I did it on my terms as the sole owner from day one.
It wasn’t glamorous. It wasn’t overnight. And it definitely wasn’t easy.
But it was real.
What I’m most proud of isn’t the awards or the press or the recognition along the way. It’s that this agency supported me, my family, my team and hundreds of clients without outside capital. It’s that we never cut corners. We never overpromised. We never chased shortcuts or trends that compromise trust.
We built this slow and steady with performance and integrity.
Where It Really Began: University of Northern Iowa
Long before I ever signed my first client, UNI shaped the foundation for everything that came after.
I studied Political Communication, Journalism and International Affairs, a combination that taught me how to think globally, communicate clearly and analyze the world with curiosity rather than fear. UNI was where I learned to ask better questions, to write with precision and to understand how media, politics and public opinion work together.
It was also where I first realized I could build something of my own.
My journalism professor Anelia Dimitrova saw something in me before I could articulate it. She pushed me to freelance while I was still in college, promoted me to her assistant and treated me not as a student but as a developing professional. She gave me a chance before I understood the magnitude of that opportunity.
I didn’t know it at the time, but the seeds of entrepreneurship were planted in those years at UNI.
• Discipline
• Curiosity
• Work ethic
• A belief that my voice mattered
Those lessons carried me into the world long before I ever opened my agency’s doors.
What Has Fueled the Last Two Decades
Reliability
Showing up when it’s hard. Communicating clearly. Being the person clients know they can count on no matter what the market looks like.
Consistency
Doing the work long after the excitement fades. Reinventing with every shift in the industry while keeping the standards that built the foundation.
Intuition
Seeing solutions before others recognize the pattern. Navigating uncertainty with clarity. Trusting the instinct that says “There is a smarter way through this.”
Artistry + Strategy
Balancing creativity with sharp execution. Leading with a moral compass and business acumen that stays intact even when the landscape changes overnight.
These are not buzzwords. They are the things that kept this business alive during the uncertain years and the things that helped us rise again in the era of AI-driven marketing while staying true to who we are.
Growing With the Industry
The agency I started in 2003 looks nothing like the one we run today.
Now JSMM builds AI-powered systems, digital ad structures and superteam workflows. We combine data, creativity and innovation in ways that didn’t exist two years ago, let alone two decades ago.
And the results reflect that evolution. Revenue growth, recognition from Inc. Cynopsis and Ragan, and performance wins across every vertical we serve.
But the awards matter less than what they represent:
You can evolve without losing yourself.
You can scale without investors.
You can win as your truest version of a leader.
How Our Team Has Evolved
What began as a small Midwest-based group is now a remote and diverse team across time zones and backgrounds. Not because remote work was trendy but because flexibility brought in sharper thinkers, better creators and people who could deliver extraordinary work while living lives that mattered to them.
It also brought in clients who aligned with our values not just our services.
That has always been the point. Build the kind of company people feel proud to be part of.
Supporting Women Along the Way
Being a woman-owned business is not just a certification. It is a responsibility.
I’ve spent years mentoring and creating room for women who want to build something of their own. I believe in sharing opportunities not guarding them. I believe in community not competition. And I believe the next generation of founders deserves to grow without thinking they need outside approval or outside capital to begin.
Advice to Young Entrepreneurs Especially Those Starting Where I Did
If you’re reading this from a classroom at UNI or from Cedar Falls wondering what your future might look like here is what I wish someone had told me:
Be bold. Be strong. Stay grounded in your values.
The world will shake you, bend you and break you. At times you will want to quit. Other times you will celebrate. But balance and harmony not speed lead to inner success. And inner success is what builds financial success.
Chasing money and achievement will take you far. Understanding yourself will take you farther.
We start partially formed. We grow by breaking and rebuilding. We become who we’re meant to be by falling, learning and rising again.
Your goals and your career are only one part of your purpose. The rest is who you meet, how you serve and what you contribute.
Blink and it will all go fast.
Walk your path boldly but gently.
Let it teach you.
Let it shape you.
Let it surprise you.
Let it heal you.
You can only be as successful as you are peaceful.
You can only be as financially strong as you are wise.
And wisdom has a price. You must be willing to fall so you can rise stronger.
Looking Ahead
Entrepreneurship will always come with pressure, new tools, new platforms and high expectations. But after more than two decades the truth remains simple:
You build a business by showing up. By staying steady. By choosing character over shortcuts. By doing the work when no one is watching.
If you are building something of your own especially without investors I hope this serves as a reminder:
You are not behind. You are not doing it wrong. You are building something real.