Merritt Russ ’01 and Jasmine Lensing are both former corporate leaders who spent nearly two decades in the business world — Lensing a culinary scientist and Russ in corporate sales. Now both full-time Hockaday moms they’ve turned their attention to building a business that celebrates people, seasons and homes.
Porches for Purpose is an upscale, concierge-style holiday decorating business that creates custom seasonal displays for porches, storefronts and driveways. This fall, they’re donating a portion of their proceeds to Mind the Gap, a mental health initiative that supports new mothers.
Living in the same neighborhood with children who are friends, the two women quickly noticed a shared passion: decorating.
“Merritt would go all out for Halloween and Christmas,” Lensing said. “She’d hit every holiday out of the park.”
Their kids loved it, their neighbors loved it, and soon, their friends were asking if they could decorate their houses too.
But for the two moms, it wasn’t just about cute decorations. It was about creating a feeling.
“We love the idea of bringing people home and what it feels like to be welcomed into a warm house,” Russ said. “Not everyone has the time or capacity to make that happen, but we do, and we love it.”
After years in fast-paced jobs, both Lensing and Russ found the transition to full-time parenting challenging. They brainstormed how they could navigate raising their children with their desire to find a career beyond corporate America. So, they got to work together.
The two partners considered what they could do for their community. Realizing that they had both the passion and the creative means to share the art of decoration, Lensing and Russ decided that this was something they could really do.
With their savvy corporate skills, they started brainstorming: How could they combine their skills in hospitality and service? What could they do that was fun, meaningful and flexible?
“We didn’t want to go back to corporate America,” Russ said. “We wanted to own our time and give back to something meaningful.”
They began thinking about their connection as friends, how they’d bonded over motherhood, leaving corporate jobs and raising three kids each.
“That’s when we married our ideas,” Lensing said. “We wanted to make this for all the moms.”
This is where Mind the Gap came in, an organization both Lensing and Russ believed in. They wanted Porches for Purpose to support the moms who don’t have the time, resources or flexibility to create a homely, welcoming display. Their business plan has been in the works for over a year now, and they are excited to finally kickstart it in the coming weeks.
Lensing and Russ have worked tirelessly to launch their website, promote their business on social media and network with local businesses and clients. They are resourcing their pumpkins from farms in the Texas Panhandle, an activity that has required lots of research.
As an agricultural business, they don’t yet have to worry about holding inventory. This will change with their future plans to expand their holiday capacity. Their girls, Annie and Poppy, are fully involved too, helping with marketing, handing out flyers and of course, the decorating.
“Our daughters love the more macabre Halloween stuff,” Russ said. “They love it and really cannot wait to help out with the installations.”
What really sets Porches for Purpose apart isn’t just the decorating—it’s the mission behind it. Mind the Gap, a project of Postpartum Support International (PSI), refers to the “silent mental health crisis” among women who are navigating pregnancy and the experience afterward. It supports the often overlooked community of women who struggle with perinatal mental health and the physiological, emotional and physical changes.
Both business partners had unique experiences throughout their motherhood journey and have spent lots of time exploring conversations with their friends and community members.
“We wanted to call attention to that community of women with whom we both share in common,” Lensing said.
While they’ve both had impressive careers, what excites them now is something different: using their talents to spread joy, create beauty and give back. Russ and Lensing are finding a new purpose in creating things for other people.
“It’s enjoyable to us, we get to work together as friends and put our minds to work,” Russ said. “We are happy to be doing something meaningful for the greater community.”
