Jenna Libman's genuine nature powers her business. What started as a hobby, the University of North Georgia (UNG) alumna turned into a successful enterprise.
Libman started Driven to Style, her Instagram-based, secondhand clothing business, in 2015 while in high school. She also sold the gently used and new clothing on Poshmark, eBay, Mercari, and Instagram. Libman, who earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in marketing with a digital marketing concentration in spring 2020, collected her inventory through shopping at thrift stores and secondhand shops.
She said the secret to her business acumen was simple.
"People can relate to me. I'm a real person," Libman said. "I wouldn't sell something I'm not comfortable wearing."
Libman earned the UNG Student Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Award in October 2019 as part of UNG's Women Entrepreneurship Week.
Libman is also the founder and CEO of Daffodil Marketing, which she launched in 2020.
"UNG set me up with the digital marketing skills and techniques needed to be successful in the real world," Libman said.
Mariangela Vecchiarini-Piazza, assistant professor in the Mike Cottrell College of Business, taught Libman classes as part of the student's entrepreneurship minor.
"Jenna was motivated to succeed. She had the right mindset and put enthusiasm in everything she does," Vecchiarini-Piazza said. "Being in school and running a business at the same time can be challenging, but Jenna was very driven and organized and was able to excel in both things."
Libman said she always loved the psychology of business marketing. The entrepreneurship minor was especially helpful as one of her classes required a 10-minute pitch about her business.
"When she was in my entrepreneurship class, I had a chance to appreciate her creativity, but also her work ethic and the great energy she brought into her team," Vecchiarini-Piazza said. "I think that by taking our entrepreneurship classes she further explored her strengths and became more aware of her entrepreneurial potential thanks to the practical and experiential approach characterizing our program."
Libman grew her leadership as social media chair for Delta Zeta, her sorority. From her fellow business students, she learned to be more outgoing. She said her determination served her well as an entrepreneur and a student.
"I'm willing to fight for how I believe something should be done," Libman said.
