If you’re a single lady out there, then I’m sure you’ve heard of the dating app, Bumble (if you haven’t, go ahead and download it now, you confident single gal, you!). I had the lucky opportunity to chat with a huge part of Bumble, Jennifer Stith. Jennifer is not only beautiful and sweet as can be, but also has an impressive background of working her way up to be Business Director to the Jenner and Kardashian families before landing her current spot with the Bumble fam. She took the time out of her busy, tech-y schedule to talk to me about love, loss and bouncing back.
What do you do and why do you do it?
I am the VP of Communications and Brand Development at Bumble. I joined Bumble following a discussion with our CEO, Whitney Wolfe (former cofounder at Tinder), when it was in its early inception- an idea for a product that had no name. She had a very powerful vision and I believed in her ability to see it through and enact real change. I have not had a linear career path and there are so many fields I have wanted to explore following college. I’ve had a diverse background in talent agencies, music, publishing, television, and so on. Technology is something I wanted a better understanding of and the timing felt right.
What’s the best gift you ever got?
The original iPod. I still have it and it STILL works! I remember hating the idea of changing the way I listened to music (I LOVED making mixed CDs), but the iPod truly changed my life.
What’s your advice for all things love, sex and dating?
If you’re conflicted between what your mind is telling you and what your body is telling you, listen to your body. Go with your gut. It’s always right. Also, if you don’t demand respect, odds are you won’t get respect. Demand it always, from the beginning. We all deserve it.
What’s your go to pick me up?
There’s nothing an Arrested Development marathon can’t fix.
Tell us about your first heartbreak…
I was 18 and he cheated…with more than a few people. I was young so of course we had already planned out our lives together and named our future children. It was the most painful experience I had ever felt at that time, but I made a point to not lose trust in all men because of one bad experience. I did not become a stereotypical paranoid girlfriend in my future relationships.
Tell us about a time you Bounced Back better than ever
In 2012, when I decided to move back to Los Angeles from a year spent in New York City working in magazine publishing, I got hired at a social media marketing company via a recruitment agency. Right around a month, I was let go and not given a reason. Nothing like this had ever happened to me before. I was devastated and my self-esteem was lower than ever. As it turns out, it wasn’t personal at all. I later found out that I was let go on my 30th day because if I were to be employed for longer than 30 days the company would have had to pay a fee to the recruitment agency and they were experiencing financial troubles. The following week, my brother sent my resume to a friend of a friend, and the next thing I knew I had a job at Kris Jenner’s production and management company for her family’s vast array of business ventures. That job changed the course of my life and career path. Had I not been fired, I would have never been given the opportunity. The world moves in mysterious ways!
