Meghan Jarrell

The Enneagram Institute describes a “Type Eight” - also known as The Challenger - as self-confident, strong, assertive, protective, resourceful, straight-talking, and decisive; one who uses their strength to improve others' lives. Meghan Jarrell is a Type Eight. 

I first worked with Meghan in 2016 on a fundraiser for the Austin Humane Society. She was the event coordinator and I represented the major sponsor and host of the annual event. I knew right away that Meghan was a force to be reckoned with; it was clear that she was in charge! 

In charge, yes, but never “bossy.” Meghan says this is because she has had “too many bosses and not enough leaders,” and believes that a leader should delegate with kindness. One such leader in Meghan’s life was one of the front office managers, Jeremy Baldwin, of the Omni Hotel in Austin. “When I worked for the Omni, my manager was a people person and a friend, but he was still the boss,” she says.

Meghan also considers her mom, Cynthia, and step-dad, Norm, role models. “Through their marriage, personal lives, and businesses, they have been great examples of kindness, compassion and generosity,” she says, “all of which are qualities of good leaders.” 

Growing up in Friendswood, Texas (a suburb of Houston), Meghan was a leader in her church youth group before heading off to Texas State University, where she was co-coordinator of the University’s “Paws Preview” (student orientation) program. “That was great leadership training,” says Meghan. After graduation and a mission year in South Africa, Meghan found herself working and volunteering in Austin, where she was the Event Coordinator for the Austin Children’s Shelter annual gala. “This is where I got my first taste of event planning and fundraising.” She went on to coordinate and lead 40 student tour guides for St. Edward’s University as their Visit Experience Coordinator, and from there, landed at the Austin Humane Society. 

 All of these experiences and more led Meghan to believe that good leaders are known for their perseverance. And Meghan knows all too well how to persevere. In 2016, she took a leap of faith and moved 200 miles North to Fort Worth to start her own event management and consulting company, Moxxie Concepts. Although she has more often been a team of one through these startup years, Meghan likes to bring people on board* to “teach and empower them to show love to others through the events we plan.” Meghan’s goal as a leader, she says, is to “stay gracious and kind, and give others a voice at the table.”

One of the voices at the Moxxie table is Marie Adams, Meghan’s long-time friend and frequent event “co-captain.” Meghan and Marie met years ago when Marie was running an event for a high-performance driving company at Circuit of the Americas in Austin. Meghan was also at COTA that day, selling car raffle tickets as part of the Humane Society’s fundraising efforts. The two hit it off and have been helping each other with events ever since.

Marie, now National Project Manager for the National Auto Sport Association, credits Meghan for much of her own success. “You think of Meghan as a leader the moment you meet her,” she says. “She is outgoing, full of energy, creative and always looking for a way to help someone else be successful.” As a go-getter, Meghan is not one to sit around and wait for life to happen. Marie says, “If Meghan wants a job or thinks she can help with an event, she speaks up. Letting things just ‘fall into her lap’ is not her style. She actively networks and is always looking for the next thing to challenge her as an event planner and business owner.”

Best of Fort Worth

Being an entrepreneur is not easy and everything Meghan has done to successfully fulfill her dreams has been inspiring to Marie. She explains, “Meghan started her business from ground zero in a place where she knew no one and where there are more event planners than you can imagine. To win Best of Fort Worth 2020 as a one-woman show is a huge deal.” However, Marie believes that the most inspiring thing about Meghan is that “even though she is already great at what she does, she doesn’t let a day go by that she isn't trying to improve herself as a business owner and a leader.” That said, Meghan took advantage of the slower year (due to COVID-19) to study and test for her CSEP certification. She is excited that for the next five years, she will be known as Meghan Jarrell, Certified Special Event Professional.

In just a few short years, Meghan has grown Moxxie Concepts into a successful company, managing many events in both the Fort Worth and Austin areas. She still hires Marie for about 5-10 events a year. However, when COVID-19 hit, Meghan had to transition her approach to events. In her typical “Type Eight” style, she took the bull by the horns - she does live and work in Fort Worth, Texas, after all - and has successfully managed a number of virtual events in recent months. She says, “I have loved the challenge of transitioning in-person events to completely virtual or hybrid events, while meeting the clients’ original goals, and providing added value.”

*One of the people Meghan brought on board and taught about event management is my co-blogger, Katie, who went on to work in events for Omni Hotels.

Claire Coder

Although I’ve never met her in person, I feel like I’ve known Claire Coder for years. In 2013, I read an article in my hometown newspaper, the Toledo Blade, about a local high school student who had started her own company. That young woman was Claire. 

A self-described lifelong entrepreneur, Claire says she started her first business - a lemonade stand - at seven years old. It was a few years later, as a teenager, that Claire launched her first official company - the one I read about in the newspaper. “There’s A Badge For That” created custom buttons and badges for any group or occasion. I admit, I ordered quite a few fun buttons, badges, and purse-size mirrors as gifts!

Then, Claire went on to launch “Aunt Flow,” a social enterprise based in Columbus, Ohio, whose mission is to ensure that everyone has access to menstrual products. She explains “I got my period at an event (and didn’t have) the supplies I needed. I thought to myself, ‘toilet paper is offered for free, why aren’t tampons and pads?’. At that moment, bloody underwear and all, I knew that I wanted to be on a mission to ensure everyone has access to quality menstrual products.” Claire dropped out of college the next day and the rest, as they say, is history. 

Today, as the Founder and CEO of Aunt Flow, Claire’s goal is “to be able to inspire others to take their own action in order to enact positive change.” Leading by example, Aunt Flow “took the action to remove (the words) ‘feminine hygiene’ from all its branding and replaced them with ‘menstrual products’ in order to be more inclusive ... The only way to make real radical change is to include everyone in the conversation,” Claire says. In addition, Aunt Flow has taken action to source 100% organic cotton and create biodegradable packaging.

On Aunt Flow

Claire says Aunt Flow is a leader in the menstrual product industry because, “We are known not only for our dedication to providing quality products to menstruators in need, but also for consistently striving to start the conversation around menstruation.” She explains that “The more awareness and access that society has to quality menstrual products and education, the less shame (about getting one’s period in public) there will be. Education ... is crucial, (so) we strive to educate everyone on periods and the importance of having products readily available.” 

Aunt Flow again took action in March of this year when - in response to the COVID-19 pandemic - the company shifted its resources to include the manufacture and supply of FDA-approved face masks and other PPE (personal protective equipment), as well as hand sanitizer and cleaning products; thus launching the Work Flow arm of the business.

On Leadership

Claire looks to one of Aunt Flow’s first clients as a model leader. “Charles Hudson of Precursor Ventures has been an incredible example of leadership (with his) unique way of encouraging CEOs to solve problems. He asks questions before giving feedback and he really leans into the problem before giving advice. This is a profound form of leadership because he empowers people (like me) to come up with their own solutions.”

As to her own leadership philosophy, Claire quotes writer Josh Braun: “Don't take the shot, coach the player.” More specifically, she believes that “In the business world, leadership is the ability to motivate, teach, and support members of your team in a way that allows you - as the CEO - to be able to take a step back.” And Claire walks the talk, according to her Executive Assistant, Josie. “Claire has been phenomenal about giving me the space to lean into my role. Instead of micromanaging, she demonstrates trust and patience when it comes to assigning tasks, and in the event of a mistake, offers encouragement and guidance instead of blowing a gasket or taking the task on herself. She really takes the time to nurture and teach.”

In order to inspire others, Claire believes that “You have to have a lot of faith in the people you surround yourself with, and building that level of trust requires taking a step back from time to time.” She says one of the hardest things for her has been “identifying the skills that I am lacking and feeling comfortable hiring (someone to fill) that role.” One of her biggest successes, she says, is having built a team that allowed her to take a seven-day vacation just three years into the business. “I am thankful to be able to walk away for a week and know that the business will flow forward.”

On a Personal Note

Claire has been featured in TeenVogue and Forbes magazines, and starred in TLC’s Girl Starter Season 1. Her resume also includes a long list of awards, including: Forbes 30Under30, Thiel Fellow, Tory Burch Fellow, Top 40 TECH.Co StartUps to watch at SXSW, and more. She has designed a bag for Vera Bradley that sold out in 24 hours and has her own line of GIFs. When not working, Claire says she spends time “jamming out to Macklemore and pretending I know how to run Google ads.”

Photos by Nick Fancher.