Meet Jenna Pulotu | Business Owner & Mother

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jenna Pulotu and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jenna, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I was born and raised here in Mesa AZ. Both of my parents are extremely hard working which I think rubbed off on me. My dad is a police officer and works construction on the side, and my mom worked in higher education and she also had her own successful jewelry business that she did on the side. it’s funny looking back now to all of those years my mom made me help her at different markets, and boutiques selling her jewelry because I absolutely hated it haha but now I’m so glad she would make me sit and work her booth. I always new I wanted to work for myself in some way and it took a lot of trial and error trying to figure out how I can use my creativity in a way that I can also help support my little family. But I thinking having two creative and supportive parents definitely helped influence me into keep trying to figure out what that was.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I always get a funny reaction when a stranger asks what I do and I say I design and sell socks haha I got the idea to start a sock business because I just have always loved socks. And also because after having my baby a year and a half ago and deciding not to go back to my 9-5 job I needed some kind of creative outlet and if it helped bring in a little money to help support my little family even better! Being a small business owner definitely has its ups and downs. Time management is definitely something I struggle with. Making sure I dedicate enough time to my business but also wanting to spend all of that time my my son has been hard for me. But I just take it day by day, if I feel like my son is trying to get my attention more that day, I will put the work aside. But I also know from me having two working parents growing up, it’s good for him to see his mom working and doing something she loves so that he can do it too one day.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Gosh where do I begin?? This is actually a really hard question because there are so many good local restraunts and so many fun things to do it’s hard to go wrong! A few eats on my list are Breakfast Club, Joes Farm Grill, Oreganos, and Firebirds Wood Fired Grill! We would also have to go to the lake or the river to go swimming and take Swig drinks with us!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to shout out my husband who and been so supportive in my little business. He just goes along with anything I want to do and always supports my crazy ideas and Salty Socks would not exist without him!

Instagram: @saltysocks_