#StickYourNeckOutStories - Jessie Jarvis
We’ve been so lucky to be a part of an industry where we’ve met so many strong western women. Stick Your Neck Out Stories is a series showcasing women in the western industry that have really gone for it, taken risks, stuck their neck out, and embody everything Fringe Scarves is all about.
Meet Jessie Jarvis
What led you to becoming a rancher, influencer, businesswoman, and advocate for the western industry?
I grew up on my family’s ranch in Southern Idaho. After leaving for college and chasing a career for a while, I made the decision to move back home, and be the next generation to follow in my family’s ranching heritage. Since ranching, agriculture, and the western way of life are something that I hold so dear, it’s naturally something that I want to share more about, and break down any misconceptions or untruths that people may have.
This year, I launched Of The West, a platform focused on bringing together job seekers, employers, services, and tradespeople--serving all areas of the agriculture and western industries. In the last ten years, I’ve been on both sides of the job seeking and hiring process, and in both the ag and western industry sectors. We’re a niche industry and it’s difficult to find those opportunities when they’re hidden amongst all the other career opportunities in the world. I wanted to create one, single place, where it was easy to find those types of jobs and careers; and, in turn, get those types of positions seen by the right kinds of candidates. From boots on the ground opportunities, to positions up the corporate ladder, and everything in between, Of The West is opening the door and creating new opportunities for hiring and job seeking in the agriculture and western industries.
Why is the western industry important to you?
There are no industries more important to me than the ag + western industries. They have molded me into who I am, and they play a very vital, but somehow very shadowed, role in this world. I feel like it’s my duty to shine a line on what makes ag + western so unique, and so crucial to the world as we know it.
How do you want to be remembered?
I hope to be remembered as someone who was kind, and who always stood for what was right, even when it was hard. In the world we live in, those two qualities seem to be less and less present in society, and I think if that were reversed, the world would be a much better place.
When it comes to parenting, those two most important qualities that Justin and I will instill in our kids, and we both know that we need to walk the same walk, in order to lead by example.
What's Your "Stick Your Neck Out" story?
Starting Of The West is definitely the biggest risk I’ve ever taken. There are plenty of great job sites out there, and I’ll be the first to say that. But I’ll also be the first to say that I believe in the ag and western industries more than I believe in myself, and I will do ANYTHING in my power to ensure that they are here to be enjoyed and appreciated by future generations. These industries can’t continue if they don’t have a workforce behind them—and I want to make that workforce, and the more than 22 million American agriculture and western jobs, easier to find than ever before.
So far, its been the best risk I’ve ever taken, and I can’t wait to see where Of The West goes from here, and all of the people we’ll be able to impact along the way!
How did you find Fringe Scarves?
I was introduced to Jodi Hendrickson, and Fringe Scarves, by my friend Kami Peterson! At the time, we were working together on an event, and she told me how much she thought I would love Fringe Scarves. As much as I love Fringe, the designs, and the mantra behind it, I love Jodi even more. She’s the type of wise, strong, determined woman I aspire to be, and I think she’s a role model to so many western women!
Jessie's Picks
Pawnee
Big Concho
The Fiesta Collection
