Jennifer JJ Lee | Couture & Fit

A milestone I’m incredibly proud of, and one that was harder than I expected.

I recently had the opportunity to speak at Harvard Business School about building a consumer brand. And while I was so grateful to be in that room, I walked away feeling like I hadn’t quite told my story the way I wanted to.

For years, I’ve been building @esque.by through bespoke tailoring. Countless hours in fitting rooms, listening to women, understanding their bodies, and creating one-of-one garments that are truly personal.

Now, we’re taking everything we’ve learned along the way and translating it into ready-to-wear.

But somewhere between explaining where we’re going and what comes next, I realized I hadn’t spent enough time talking about where we started, and everything it took to get here.

It’s funny how, as founders, we can become so focused on the next milestone that we sometimes forget to acknowledge the years of work behind us.

And perhaps that was my biggest takeaway from Harvard.

I’m still learning how to tell my own story. How to give the journey as much space as the destination. And maybe that’s part of growing as a founder, too.

Thank you, @harvardhbs, for having me, and for reminding me that growth doesn’t always feel comfortable. 🤍

styling: @laurenmatina

#HarvardBusinessSchool #FemaleFounders #Entrepreneurship #FashionEntrepreneur #BrandBuilding