Jennifer Sander has spent her entire career being shaped by women who showed up for her before she even knew she needed them. It started at a small embroidery and wide-format shop called Embroider It, where three women became mentors, friends, and something close to family — one altered her wedding dress; another was like a second mom. When those women eventually offered to sell Jennifer the business, it was a vote of confidence she never forgot, even though she said no. She was 22. She wasn’t ready. And she made peace with that a long time ago.

Today, Jennifer is the graphic designer at the heart of Heartland Coca-Cola Bottling Company’s in-plant print shop — a team of three women who handle everything from shelf talkers and pole signs to corrugated displays, wide-format banners, and full truck wraps. She once pulled over on a St. Louis street just to photograph one of her trucks driving by. She also runs an Etsy embroidery shop on the side, because two creative outlets are better than one. In this episode, Jennifer talks about owning every phase of a print project, treating every mistake as data instead of failure, and why her advice to any woman starting out in this industry is simple: find your community sooner. You are not doing this alone.

1:00 — Welcome & Jennifer’s role at Heartland Coca-Cola Bottling Company
1:45 — Inside the in-plant: shelf talkers, corrugated, wide format, and Chiefs/Cardinals displays
2:45 — It started with a high school graphic design class
3:15 — College, Embroider It LLC, and the three women who changed everything
4:30 — When they offered to sell her the business — and why she said no
5:30 — Four years in the mortgage industry (yes, really)
6:00 — Coming back to print and landing at Heartland Coca-Cola
8:00 — Why women mentors hit differently
11:00 — What keeps her motivated: the technical puzzle and knowing her self-worth
12:30 — The Sprite truck wrap campaign — custom for every city
14:00 — Pulling over to photograph your own work driving down the street
15:00 — A career almost entirely shaped by women (and what that made possible)
17:30 — Stop trying to balance. Start trying to harmonize.
19:30 — Do men even get asked this question?
22:00 — Advice to her younger self: mistakes are data, and find your community