Jean Jolliffe Yancey

The couple settled in Denver in 1962, where Yancey managed the Denver Dry Goods’ bridal department. In 1964, she launched her first entrepreneurial venture, The Bridal Loft in Cherry Creek North, which she ran for 10 years. Yancey started the Goldstone Fashion Merchandising School in 1970, and Jean Yancey Associates (JYA) in 1973. JYA was a consulting practice, which specialized in women’s business issues. It provided training, consulting and education for entrepreneurs.

Yancey became an accomplished speaker. She dispensed advice with a blend of practical wisdom and modern-day optimism with a focus on the bottom line. In salary negotiations, she advised clients to be aggressive but prepared with at least five things to back a promotion request. From the Rocky Mountain News: Yancey was known in Colorado business circles as a mentor and confidante to female entrepreneurs. She was frequently recognized for her commitment to women’s causes during her nearly 30-year consulting career. Yancey was the first honorary member of the National Association of Women Business Owners. In 1982 she received the National Advocate for Women in Small Business Award from President Ronald Reagan.

In a 1994 interview with the Rocky Mountain News, she advised aspiring female entrepreneurs to always do their research and “listen to their intuition. Intuition is not a New Age tool or mystic thing,” Yancey said. “Our intuition is the result of every encounter, experience, what we’ve done and seen, even the books we’ve read. It’s something to depend on. And it’s a universal gift.”