Community Highlights: Meet Jessica Lostetter of Built for Both Collective

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Lostetter.

Hi Jessica, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’ve always been a natural planner and organizer. In my 15 corporate operations and IT career, I’d walk into departments and roles with scattered workflows or other inefficiencies and see the fix immediately. I always had a desire for a life of time- and location-freedom and knew that one day I would leave the corporate world, so I started investing in real estate. Those investments eventually led to an opportunity to start a property management company. From the very beginning of that company, I operated as if I’d be removing myself from the day-to-day operations at some point. And soon after I started it, I had removed myself from most areas of the business so I could focus primarily on business growth. Meanwhile, I also still had my corporate job and a family (2 kids under 2 at the time).

As I was looking around at other high-performing people around me who were wearing multiple hats or trying to build businesses, I realized how many people were struggling. The only advantage I had was the systems and organization I put in place which allowed things in my business, my corporate role, and my home life to run smoothly with less involvement from me. I was able to focus on the areas of my life where I was truly irreplaceable and could make the biggest impact in my business and personal life.

Eventually the desire to leave the corporate world became stronger. And that’s when Built for Both Collective was born. Our mission is to show others that you don’t have to choose between a thriving business and a life you actually want. You can have both.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No, of course not. One of my favorite sayings is: “if it was easy, everyone would do it.” The property management business actually wasn’t really my idea to begin with. I was persuaded to give it a try. So while it might be a great option for many entrepreneurs and it was running smoothly, something about it always felt “off” for me. It didn’t feel aligned to the life I was intentionally trying to design for myself. When I had the idea for Built for Both, it lit me up in a way I hadn’t felt before and I knew I had to pursue it. Walking away from the “stability” of a corporate job and selling a business that I had already invested so much into seemed crazy to some, but I wanted to be all in on something I was passionate about. I had very clear goals for myself and I wanted to be honest about where I wanted my time and energy to go.

We’ve been impressed with Built for Both Collective, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Built for Both Collective is a consulting agency built to help goal-chasing entrepreneurs transform brain clutter into sustainable, efficient systems so you can have more clarity, time, and energy to spend on where you’re truly irreplaceable. Most consulting companies help you problem-solve; coaching companies teach you the skills; other agencies execute the work for you. We do all three. We noticed a gap in the market: there are plenty of DIY systems solutions out there, or “just get this app and it’ll solve everything” narratives. But for a system to actually stick long-term, the people using it need to understand it inside and out and it needs to be efficient, not just organized. We hear this constantly: “I already have a system.” And yet they’re still describing the exact problem a better system would’ve solved. Having *a* system isn’t the goal. Having the *right, efficient* one that fits your business and life is.

That’s why we don’t just hand someone a system and walk away. We start with an audit to get clear on where a business actually needs more efficiency to support its growth. From there, we build the systems, often done-for-you, so the entrepreneur can stay focused on the work only they can do. And unlike most agencies, we don’t disappear the moment it’s built. We stay with our clients for at least four weeks post-build, doing edits as needed and giving them room to stress-test the systems and learn the ins and outs with support still in place.

That same lens — efficiency, not just organization — is how we look at the rest of the entrepreneur’s life, too. A lot of our clients aren’t just trying to fix a messy business. They’re trying to grow one while still being present at home, and that’s a capacity problem as much as a business one. So we apply the same process to their whole life, not just their business: find where the inefficiency is actually costing them time and energy, then build the systems that give it back. That’s the “both” in Built for Both — not two separate fixes, but one lens applied to the whole picture.

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
What I love most is the people. On a personal note, I have a ton of family here which is amazing. But also, through networking and building this business, I’ve met so many incredible entrepreneurs here, and what stands out is how willing everyone is to support local businesses and elevate the people around them.

I also love that we’re “the city in a forest”. Having so much greenery around makes it feel so full of life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ssyf.builtforbothcollective.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicalostetter/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61588679971251
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicalostetter/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BuiltforBoth
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/show/033jxqhGXPTiDZqp3xJq0Z