My mom encouraged me to put my $50,000 savings on the line. It turned into a company I sold for $22 million.

Jaclyn Johnson bought her company two years after selling it.

Courtesy of Jaclyn Johnson

• Jaclyn Johnson is the founder of Create & Cultivate, which was acquired for $22 million.
• Exiting had always been her goal, but she bought the company back after two years.
• She felt a strong kinship with the community she had created.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Jaclyn Johnson, founder and chief creative officer at Create & Cultivate. It has been edited for length and clarity.