Alumna featured on Style show

Story by Haley Austin
Photo courtesy of Style Network/Chris Hasten

Not many people can say they are on a television show, but Jourdan Fenster can.

Fenster, a 2012 graduate, earned a degree in public relations from the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. The connections she made as an intern at Cosmopolitan Events in St. Louis, Mo., the summer after her junior year, led Fenster to an interview at Women’s Closet Exchange, the best designer resale shop in St. Louis.

After being connected to Diana McCarthy, co-owner of Women’s Closet Exchange, Fenster landed an interview for a personal assistant position. Fenster’s position meant she would assist McCarthy in her daily tasks. Fenster and McCarthy hit it off instantly during the interview and she was offered the position.

“During the interview, there was talk about the possibility of a television show,” Fenster said.

That possibility turned into a reality when the Style Network and executive producer Rachel Zoe decided to take the Women’s Closet Exchange and turn it into a television show called “Resale Royalty.”

Fenster’s role as McCarthy’s assistant grew into a larger position rather quickly. Fenster is now the director of operations for Women’s Closet Exchange. This allows her to coordinate all social media and plan events for Women’s Closet Exchange.

Fenster does a lot more , though. On top of social media and event planning, Fenster assists McCarthy, orchestrates photo shoots, plans trips, helps McCarthy guide tours, organizes every project they do, creates binders, any and all of those, as Fenster puts them “nerdy” tasks that she loves to do. Fenster is there to make the lives of her bosses easier.

“Organization is key,” Fenster said. “Being the director of operations, there is a lot going on all at once. One of the hard parts of my job is making sure everything is getting done and that all of our projects are moving forward.”

The mutual trust that the women have for one another allows them to work cohesively, making the job that much easier.

“I would be bored if I was sitting at a desk doing the same thing every day,” Fenster said.

The daily tasks, as varied as they are, make going to work fun for Fenster. Each day is exciting.

“I love wearing all of the different hats,” Fenster said.

Having a good relationship with all three of her bosses doesn’t hurt, either.

Fenster’s Drake experience helped her prepare for the real world. Her experiences in the classroom and being a member of extracurricular activities made the transition from student to valued employee that much smoother.

“We’re so fortunate at Drake to get to handle so many responsibilities,” Fenster said. “We get to do so much with the positions we hold that allow us be successful. I truly believe work ethic is born in activities.”

Fenster was a member of the Student Activities Board, the Panhellenic Council, where she represented Alpha Phi and Student Senate. She says that being a part of these organizations helped her realize the importance of being organized.

Fenster also credits Drake for her success in her life after college. Two classes that Fenster says really helped her were Marketing 101 and the PR Capstone.

“Marketing 101, along with the PR Capstone really prepared me for my job now,” Fenster said. “Marketing is such a big part of social media, graphic design … The class really teaches you how the marketing profession works. I wouldn’t be able to do anything without the PR Capstone, campaigns and research. Being able to work with real clients, not hypothetical situations or imaginary companies, taught me how to be professional and how to work diligently to positively represent a brand.”

The opportunities are endless with a Drake degree. Fenster is a recent alum who is doing big things in a small amount of time, thanks to the knowledge she had gained at Drake University.

You can catch Fenster and the rest of the Women’s Closet Exchange employees on “Resale Royalty.” The show premieres at 8 p.m. Central Standard Time on Sunday, May 12 on the Style Network.