Get All Access for $5/mo

A Professional Bridesmaid Shares Her Secrets to Managing Stress and Forging Strong Relationships Bridesmaid for Hire founder Jen Glantz says if you have an idea for something great, the best thing you can do is just start.

By Nina Zipkin

Courtesy of Jen Glantz
How do you turn a viral moment into something with real staying power?

In the summer of 2014, 26-year-old Jen Glantz had been a bridesmaid four times in under a year, with two more invitations in the offing. A friend had joked that she was becoming a professional bridesmaid.

A few days later, feeling burned out and discouraged after getting rejected from an opportunity that she had been excited about, her friend's offhand remark crossed her mind. She thought, why not try a crazy idea?

Related: Reddit Co-Founder Alexis Ohanian Reveals Why You Should Rethink What It Means to Be a Great Mentor

She offered her services on Craiglist as a bridesmaid for hire, with her skills including everything from dancing with drunk relatives to holding up the bride's dress when she had to use the ladies' room.

She posted the ad on a Friday night and by the time the weekend was over, she had gotten 250 responses and the post had gone completely viral. A month later, she was on a plane to Minnesota for her first wedding as a professional bridesmaid. Four years later -- and with no money spent on advertising -- the business is still going strong.

On this episode of How Success Happens, Glantz shares her strategies for building confidence, running multiple side hustles, rising above rejection, taking the leap when opportunities present themselves and creating something that matters to you.

Nina Zipkin

Entrepreneur Staff

Staff Writer. Covers leadership, media, technology and culture.

Nina Zipkin is a staff writer at Entrepreneur.com. She frequently covers leadership, media, tech, startups, culture and workplace trends.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Side Hustle

This 20-Year-Old Student Started a Side Hustle With $400 — and It Earned $150,000 Over the Summer

Jacob Shaidle launched his barbecue cleaning business Shaidle Cleaning in 2021 when he was just 15.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Business News

Meta Says Its New Movie Gen AI Is an Industry First — But a Demo Shows It Isn't Perfect

Movie Gen is too expensive to be released to the public yet, according to Meta's chief product officer.

Growing a Business

The Top 5 AI Tools That Can Revolutionize Your Workflow and Boost Productivity

Discover the top 5 AI tools for marketing and content creation that every marketer needs to know.

Business News

Mark Zuckerberg Is Now the World's Second Richest Person, Behind Elon Musk

Meta's CEO jumped ahead of Jeff Bezos in Bloomberg's rankings this week.