Me

Jennifer V. Pearl – Detailed Biography

Born in New York City in 1967, Jennifer graduated Rye Country Day school and then the University of Vermont (UVM).

At UVM she studied Political Science but her interests turned out to be less political and more gustatory. In her junior year she switched majors to Small Business Management and helped her friend Richard French prepare the business plan for the first Bagel Works store. This experience coincided with the business and accounting courses she was taking, information from which she applied directly to the project. That summer (1988) she was one of the four founding partners who opened and managed the first Bagel Works store in Manchester VT.

After graduating from UVM she returned to Bagel Works to develop the administrative office and systematize operations for retail expansion. In 12 years the company grew to 10 stores throughout New England., sales of $4.2 million and 150 staff members. A commissary/manufacturing facility was built to serve the stores and to provide for wholesale operations.

Over 12 years, her roles included finance, marketing, operation systems, human resources, management information systems and community relations. She took a keen interest in seeing that the business grew in a socially and environmentally conscious manner.

In 1996 she designed and built a home in Southern Vermont. As the general contractor she enjoyed being involved in all aspects of the building process. This proved to be a life altering process.

At the end of 1999 seeking a life change, Jennifer left her day to day role with Bagel Works while maintaining a position on the Board of Directors. She began to immerse herself in yoga and traveled to Asia where she spent time in India, Thailand and Vietnam. In 2001 Jennifer undertook a year long Iyengar teacher training program and began to teach in her local community.

In 2002 Jennifer moved to New Orleans to seek warmer climes and be a part of a City she had been visiting for over a decade. She began teaching Yoga at the New Orleans Athletic Club and quickly found a welcoming community both personally and professionally.

While the yoga was fulfilling she still missed the “right side” activities of business management. In order to find this balance she obtained her real estate license and began to learn the in’s and out’s of contract negotiation. Most of her business has focused on the residential side but she has enjoyed keeping her hand in a few commercial transactions. She is now working with the brokerage firm Urban Vision Properties. This young company is based in the vibrant section of town called Mid-City, and she delights in showing buyers what makes New Orleans so special.

The yoga practice began to expand into Pilates where she enjoys working with clients on a one to one basis and in small mat classes. In Pilates she has been able to help clients of all demographics strengthen their deep abdominal muscles for increased balance, muscle length and overall body conditioning.

In 2010 she designed and built a ‘green’ home that features an advanced building structure with structural insulated panels, solar generation for electricity and hot water, reclaimed flooring and a host of other environmentally conscious elements.

The combination of real estate and Pilates has allowed her to meet an incredibly diverse group of people and their have been many parallels where her Pilates clients have become real estate clients and vice versa. She looks forward to learning new skills in Pilates and in helping people make New Orleans their home.