Jessica Best didn’t always envision herself in the world of email marketing. In fact, when she first stepped onto the University of Missouri’s campus, she thought she was going to be an elementary school teacher.

“I came from a family of teachers,” she shared. “I originally sought a degree in education. I ended up shopping around different majors but ultimately settled on the Mizzou School of Journalism. It lured me in, and I got a degree in strategic communications.”

That decision set her on a 15-year path in the marketing industry, working in-house at two different agencies before making a bold move—starting her own business.

Two years ago, Jessica launched BetterAve, a strategic consulting business focused on email marketing. While the shift from full-time agency work to entrepreneurship can be daunting, for Jessica, it was an opportunity to bet on herself.

“The opportunity to work for myself was an opportunity to count on myself and rely on myself,” she said. “I knew that I did this specific, really nerdy thing I do in marketing called strategic consulting. So I thought I would just take a shot at making that my whole job.”

With years of experience under her belt, Jessica not only mastered email marketing but also developed a deep understanding of business operations. Unlike many freelancers who struggle with the business side of things, she had a unique advantage.

“A lot of people freelance because they’re very good at the thing. They may be a great writer or great designer, but they’ve not done a lot on the business side of things. I feel like that’s where I can inspire other women in business about where to start and what questions to ask.”

Jessica acknowledges that her journey has been shaped by both her upbringing and the support of a strong female-led business community in Kansas City.

“I don’t really see a lot of hurdles for myself,” she admitted. “Whether it’s because I’m 42 instead of 62, or because I’m a female. I think I was really lucky to grow up in a family that had always reserved money for my education and that had always taught me that I could do whatever I wanted to do. So I grew up with a sense that there was nothing standing in my way.”

That confidence, paired with Kansas City’s thriving network of female freelancers, helped her transition smoothly into self-employment.

“I think the female freelancer, especially in the marketing space in Kansas City, is a strong community. I benefitted by feeding off of the energy of other women business owners.”

Now, she hopes to inspire other women to embrace leadership and entrepreneurship.

“I hope that I inspire other women to be their own business and to think of themselves as leaders or producers. Sometimes there may be just a little bit of a tendency for women to do a really good job supporting a team vision.”

Beyond running BetterAve, Jessica has carved out a space for herself as a keynote speaker and educator, another unexpected yet rewarding part of her career.

“I have taken to speaking as a part of my job,” she said. “A lot of the speaking opportunities that I do are paid. I have been trying to get this particular speaking engagement in Chicago for a number of years. This year I got it and get to speak at a conference for restaurants in May.”

With BetterAve growing and her speaking engagements expanding, Jessica Best is proving that entrepreneurship is not just about expertise, it’s about believing in your value, taking risks, and empowering others to do the same.

Check out her website here: https://better-ave.com/