Founder of FD Market, Jacquelyn Bassett says building her own business has granted her the freedom to work on her own terms and do something that is truly meaningful to her. “Founding my own business allowed me to cultivate the healthy and collaborative workplace environment I always dreamed of,” she says.
Bassett says she never had plans of attending college. “I felt as though school squashed my creativity and working a 9–5 felt suffocating,” she explains. Bassett did not know what kind of business she wanted to build and took a gap year after college spending time exploring national parks. “I began living more sustainably to protect the planet that I love to explore. I quickly realized that there was a huge lack in sustainable resources in the Lehigh Valley,” she says. “So, I created the shopping experience I had been looking for myself. I combined my passion for our planet and my desire to be in control of my own future, and FD Market was born.”
She launched the business just before the start of the global pandemic, something she says taught her many lessons—the biggest one being adaptability as an entrepreneur. “I have also learned to accept and even love risk,” says Bassett. “It's something that we are taught to avoid, but nothing truly incredible ever comes from playing it safe.”
Something Bassett is really proud of is not cutting corners on her way to building a truly ethical and sustainable business. “It would be so much easier and cheaper,” she says. “I refuse to sacrifice on the things that mean the most to me. I am really proud of how we have been able to keep people and planet first in everything we do.”
Her advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is to ignore the negativity disguised as advice. “Everyone loves to discredit young people. In my opinion, they are using their own insecurity and fear to try and scare you out of doing what they wish they were brave enough to,” she shares. “I had so many people tell me that there was no chance I could be successful without a college degree. I'm really glad I didn't let them scare me into settling for a future I wasn't passionate about.”
FD Market recently launched a wholesale portion of the business, providing other retailers with sustainable and ethical products. Bassett hopes to scale this in order to get more responsibly made local products into shops that share the brand's values. “I am also hoping to start a resource for others looking to open a refill store. It's a newer concept and there was no one to coach me through starting this,” she says. “Being able to consult with someone who had been where I was would have been invaluable, so I am hoping that I can be that for others.”
Published as "Voices of the Valley" in the December 2022 edition of Lehigh Valley Style magazine.
