Everyone Needs a Jenny

By Lucy M. Pritchett

“Let me get that for you.”

What overworked, overscheduled, and overwhelmed woman (or man) hasn’t longed to hear those words? This is why Genevieve Foxworth decided to name her personal concierge business just that.



Fourteen years ago, after a series of unfulfilling jobs, Jenny began taking on tasks that helped people out — jobs such as washing dishes and cleaning up after a dinner party, or house sitting, or dog walking. As her calendar began to fill with requests for help, she discovered she had a business going: Let Me Get That For You.

She added other errands/chores to her portfolio: grocery shopping, transportation to doctor’s appointments; being on hand to meet the plumber or electrician; pickups and deliveries; serving as a personal companion for an elderly client; and long-distance transport of any sort — car, family pet, and on one occasion, children.

“I once flew with a client’s children to the Bahamas. I got off the plane, made sure the client and the children connected, got back on the same plane with the same flight crew, and flew back home,” Jenny says.

“I have delivered cars to Florida for ‘snowbird’ clients. Three times I have driven to California to deliver a car or family pet to clients who had moved there. I have one client who travels for business, and I go along with him and act as a chauffeur and a companion for his mother while he works.”

A lot of what she does is very fulfilling, Jenny says. “The trick, of course, is to manage my schedule, keeping in mind my energy and stamina, but also earning a living and keeping clients satisfied.”

To that end she uses her bullet journal to keep track of her responsibilities, relaxes with her knitting or quilting projects, and gains a perspective of the wide world with Instagram.

Leuchtturm1917 A5 dotted journal

Photos by Patti Hartog 

I was introduced to this hardcover journal on bulletjournal.com (“the analog system for the digital age”). I added two pen loops — because I want to have both a pen and a pencil with me. The journal has 249 numbered pages and an envelope for receipts or other loose papers. At the beginning of every year, I create and draw in my own weekly calendar. I use the journal to keep track of my appointments and my daily, monthly, and long range “To Do” lists. I have a spread for income, expenses, and mileage. Every year I buy a different color. This year it was lime green, and I have already bought next year’s, which is royal blue.

Gutermann cotton thread and Japanese Tulip brand milliners needles

I sublimated a lot of childhood anxiety into handwork. To this day, I find the process of craft to be immensely restorative. I knit, crochet, quilt, and embroider. Right now I am most interested in making bed-sized quilts from repurposed materials using traditional methods — hand piecing, quilting, and finishing. I have made five such quilts and each one takes about 18 months to complete. I carry my sewing kit in my bag almost every day. For me, the tinier the needle and the more minute the work, the happier I am.

Instagram

This Instagram photo shows Jenny working as a dog walker for friends.  

I hate Facebook. It is a constant stream of opinions and doesn’t always highlight our best selves. I even had my husband Mark change my password so I can’t get into my account. I find that the people I know and follow on Instagram are posting their happiest occasions and celebrations. I follow local artists along with Idlewild Butterfly Farm and the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft. But some of my favorites are global contributors such as @dailyoverview that offers satellite photos of sites and cities around the world; the International Space Station @ISS and @NASA. These sites give me a lovely sense of perspective.