I left my Fortune 100 HR career to launch a pumpkin display business. Here's how my cofounder and I scaled it.
Two former Fortune 100 HR professionals, Jen Carmichael and Rebecca Paxton, left their corporate jobs to launch "My Front Porch," a pumpkin display business in Dallas. Driven by a need for flexibility after personal life changes, they successfully scaled the business to over $120,000 in sales in its first year by utilizing social media.
Why it matters
This article provides an inspirational example of entrepreneurship, career change, and successful small business growth, offering insights into leveraging personal circumstances and social media for business success.
Jen Carmichael and Rebecca Paxton, cofounders of My Front Porch. Manoo Sirivelu for BI Rebecca Paxton and Jen Carmichael left corporate jobs to start My Front Porch in Dallas in 2025. My Front Porch serves the city of Dallas with unique pumpkin installations each fall season. The business quickly grew, achieving over $120,000 in sales this year by leveraging social media. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Rebecca Paxton, the 35-year-old cofounder and managing partner of My Front Porch , a Dallas pumpkin-display business. It's been edited for length and clarity. I was working in corporate America at a Fortune 100 company with my cofounder, Jen Carmichael, when we got the idea for My Front Porch. We'd worked together in HR for 10 years, but life changes made us realize we needed more flexibility.
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