The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal recognized 52 2020 Women in Business honorees at a virtual event today, including our very own Jen Bellmont. While her MSPBJ profile focuses on how she’s “proving that doing well and doing good can go hand in hand” and “cultivating positive culture, in and out of the office,” we asked for some more details from the people who know her best, her colleagues. Here’s what they had to say:
“I’m so lucky I get to work for and alongside Jen Bellmont. She cares so deeply about other human beings, is one of the smartest business owners I know AND is extremely fun to be around. She’s exactly the type of leader I had no idea actually existed, but one who I had always hoped did.” – Hyedi Nelson
“Jen could teach a course in how to exude grace under pressure. Whether it’s the crunch time of year-end financials, solving a client cooler crisis at the Super Bowl Experience or playing piano (marvelously) for an important event, she remains even-keeled, thoughtful and always sees that the task gets done. In all these situations, she displays poise and a contagious positivity that shows why she truly is one of the best leaders around.” – Sara Grasmon
“Jen is our finance and operations extraordinaire! She is truly our fearless leader in all things numbers-oriented, which is all the more impressive given her deep communications expertise. She’s the backbone of Bellmont Partners and I feel very lucky to work with her every day!” – Johanna Holub
“How do you sum up Jen’s amazing existence in one sentence? You can’t. She sees and understands the humanness in people better than anyone…which is why she makes such an incredible business leader, communicator, strategist and boss – one that every single employee knows undoubtedly is in their corner.” – Michelle Griffith
“Jen Bellmont serves as such a fantastic role model for me and our entire team at Bellmont Partners. She’s calm under pressure, smart as whip and shows such compassion for us – not just as employees but as human beings. (Plus, she’s has some hilarious one-liners that just crack me up.) I’m so proud to work with her and also call her my friend.” – Megan Anderson
“Jen is one of the most empathetic, patient and supportive people I’ve ever known. On both a personal and professional level, she’s been a consistent cheerleader for my successes and a pivotal part of helping navigate challenges.” – Briana Gruenewald
“What I admire the most about Jen is the way in which she always presents herself in a calm and very thoughtful manner—even under high levels of pressure and stress. I’ve worked with Jen on several fast-paced and very unpredictable projects over the past 4.5 years at Bellmont Partners and even when the situation seems impossible, Jen models a positive, can-do attitude that is not only a good example for the team, but also motivates and empowers us to get creative, find solutions and go above and beyond to serve our clients and the agency. She’s never hesitant to jump in and help in any way that she can. A great example of this is at one event where the team was having issues with a key element needed to make the event a success. After hours of trouble-shooting, Jen sent the exhausted team home and stayed at the event site ALL NIGHT until it was fixed. Leading by example and showing that she is willing to do what it takes to first and foremost, support her team, but also to ensure that we’ve done absolutely everything we can for our clients. She’s a tremendous leader and we are all very lucky to have the privilege to work with her each and every day.” – Breanna Welke
“Jen Bellmont is one of the kindest women you will ever meet. She is truly a real life “wonder woman,” running a successful PR firm along with being an amazing wife, mother, friend, mentor, daughter, and did I mention a volunteer giving back to the community with her involvement in numerous local nonprofits? She is an incredible role model to her daughters and her team. I am blessed to have her as a longtime friend and colleague! Congrats Jen, even though you hate the recognition, you deserve every ounce of it!” – Maureen Cahill
“Jen is an amazing business leader, team player and colleague. She balances her leadership responsibilities with the warmth and kindness. A rare professional in this crazy world, we are all lucky to work with her!” – Michelle LeGros
“Jen has been an incredible mentor to me since day one at Bellmont Partners. Her empathetic approach and drive for cultivating fulfilling and creative work are qualities that make me grateful to call her both a trusted adviser and friend.” – Sydney Schoeberle
“Jen is never too busy to slow down and show compassion. Her attitude and actions always reinforce to me that she truly values people over anything else — and that’s just one of many reasons why she’s such an inspiring leader!” – Kalli Plump
“Jen is a true mentor who leads by example in everything she does, and while she has so many positive traits as a leader, it’s always her ability to bring kindness and positivity to every situation that impresses me the most. It’s been an honor to work with and learn from her over the years.” – Bridget Monroe
“Jen is a true role model of every positive characteristic we want our team to embody – not only is she an excellent communicator, leader and connector, but she is a role model as an invested friend, mom and community member. I don’t know how she does it all, but she is a super woman, and I am so glad to work under her and learn from her as she helps set the culture for our team.” – Megan Derkey
“Jen leads with a think-globally, live-empathetically and work-strategically style. Her down-to-earth sensibility makes her a sought-after and trusted collaborator. I’m so very grateful I’ve been able to count on Jen for insight, ideas and mentorship throughout my career.” – Brienna Schuette
“When I joined the Bellmont Partners team, I had very little PR experience. But Jen welcomed me in and has been such a gracious teacher. She is always ready to lend a hand or some wisdom and I’m so grateful for that!” – Julie Goulette
“525,600 minutes
525,600 moments so dear
525,600 minutes
How do you measure, measure a year?
“Taking a page (of sheet music) from Jen’s favorite Broadway show, Rent, the song “Seasons of Love” proceeds to talk about measuring a year in daylights, sunsets, midnights, cups of coffee, inches, miles, laughter, strife, etc. But how do you measure a career? I’ve had the privilege of working alongside and knowing Jen as a dear friend for 24 years (or roughly 12.6 million minutes), and with Jen, it’s immeasurable. The infinite support, empathy and altruism she has for her family, her team, her clients, the community and world make her the highly trusted and recognized business leader and partner she is. And Jen is hands down the sharpest problem-solver and a genius with numbers and business decisions. I admire her strength, thoughtfulness and calm demeanor, no matter what complex task or issue she’s facing. She does the hard work and research to analyze and figure it out, all while getting feedback from those around her to help shape the outcome. Jen is one of my favorite people and I look forward to billions more minutes of working, laughing and continuing to grow and serve our team, clients and community together!” – Shelli Lissick
“What they said. It’s no surprise that all of us at Bellmont Partners agree that Jen is an innovative and expert business strategist, PR practitioner and operational whiz, but it’s especially gratifying to hear our team shine the spotlight on her empathetic, people-focused leadership approach and all the phenomenal things that make her…her. Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition!” – Brian Bellmont