Mindy Seiffert - Grief & Joy Founder

My Career Doesn’t Make Sense—and That’s Exactly How I Got Here

Some people might look at my career and say it doesn’t make any sense.

They wouldn’t be wrong.

My path hasn’t been linear or carefully planned. It’s been shaped by opportunity, curiosity, motherhood, entrepreneurship, grief, joy, and a deep desire to create something meaningful. Looking back now, I can finally see how every chapter—no matter how disconnected it once felt—led me here, to Grief & Joy.

This is the story of how a lifetime of lived experience turned into a brand rooted in humor, honesty, and embracing life exactly as it is.

Where It All Began

I grew up in a small town in Iowa—Oelwein—sometimes (infamously) referred to as the meth capital of the world. Strange claim, but true. I share that not for shock value, but to say this: some of us chose a different path.

I left my hometown and attended the University of Iowa, earning a BA in Sociology in 3.5 years. That degree led me into the juvenile probation world—a role I respected deeply and one that taught me a lot about people, systems, and resilience.

Still, I knew it wasn’t the end of my story.

That realization pushed me back to the University of Iowa for my MBA and into the business world at a fast-growing entrepreneurial company in Cedar Rapids—McLeodUSA Publishing (now Yellowbook). It was here that I first experienced the energy, chaos, and excitement of a growing company.

I should also share something that still means a lot to me: I am the only person in my immediate family to earn both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree. That mattered—then and now.

Falling for Entrepreneurship

Looking back, that move into an entrepreneurial company was a defining moment. I learned how businesses actually run—mergers and acquisitions, leadership, growth, and what it takes to build something quickly and imperfectly.

Then life changed again.

While in that role, I became pregnant with our twin boys, Hunter and Dylan. My pregnancy was anything but easy. I ended up on bed rest, delivered prematurely, and ran out of FMLA time. The decision became clear: I stayed home with the boys for the next year while finishing my MBA.

That season reshaped everything I thought I knew about work, identity, and balance.

Where Marketing (and Joy) Entered the Picture

Eventually, I found another entrepreneurial opportunity—this time at Frontier Co-op, a company with onsite daycare. That alone felt revolutionary.

At Frontier, I served as Senior Brand Manager for Aura Cacia, a natural and organic aromatherapy brand. This was where I truly fell in love with marketing and consumer products.

Highlights from that chapter included:

• International travel

• Product development

• Profit and loss responsibility (essentially running a small business)

• Qualitative and quantitative research

• Learning the power of the internet for storytelling and marketing—yes, I was blogging about international sourcing trips before it was cool

• Working in what I still believe is one of the nicest industries around, complete with very high hugging rates

But as my boys grew older, they began to tell me something that broke my heart: they didn’t like it when I was gone.

So I made a difficult decision. I took a significant pay cut and moved into a role at an entrepreneurial HR consulting company, where I helped leaders grow and small businesses improve how they operated.

I didn’t know it at the time, but this was also the beginning of my own entrepreneurial journey.

Oh to Be Young—and Say Yes to Everything

Looking back now, I can’t quite believe what I thought was reasonable.

I was working 32–40 hours a week at Open Gates Group—and simultaneously decided it would be a great idea to start several of my own businesses. None of it was carefully planned. It was opportunistic, energizing, and a little bit wild.

That entrepreneurial streak truly began on a bike ride.

I passed a beautiful, old historic building with a “For Lease” sign. I’ve always loved old buildings, so I stopped in. When the owner asked what my business was, I said I didn’t have one. When he asked what I wanted the space for, I said I wasn’t sure.

I took one look inside and fell in love.

That day, I went home, wrote a business plan, and decided to open Shores Event Center. From there, several businesses followed, along with multiple business partners.

It was exciting. It was exhausting. And eventually, it was too much.

Choosing Stability (Or So I Thought)

As the boys got older and life grew busier, I decided it was time for more stability and less chaos. Through my network, I landed a role in Change Management and Communication at Rockwell Collins.

At the time, it felt like a solid choice: strong reputation, great benefits, good pay.

Within months, the company merged—and for the next seven years, my world became one of constant change, reorganization, and growth as part of what is now the largest Aerospace & Defense, RTX, company in the world.

I credit my entrepreneurial background for helping me survive—and even thrive—in that environment.

Today, I lead the Service Management Office within the Cybersecurity Strategy & Transformation organization at RTX. Once again, my work centers on helping teams improve how they operate and become the best versions of themselves.

And yet, something is missing.

What is Missing

Despite enjoying the work and the people, I found myself longing for:

• The excitement and creativity of entrepreneurship

• Creating products that bring people joy—and humor

• Greater personal flexibility for aging parents, menopause, travel, and life outside of work

I realized I wasn’t done building things.

Why Grief & Joy Exists

All of this led me to finally launch Grief & Joy.

This brand exists to honor everything I’ve lived and learned: that grief and joy often sit side by side, that humor can be healing, and that this season of life is meant to be enjoyed—not endured.

Grief & Joy allows me to return to entrepreneurship with intention, creativity, and a lot more fun. It’s my way of betting on myself as I move toward semi-retirement and a life that feels more aligned.

Life is too short not to.

Let’s Stay Connected

If this story resonates with you, I’d love to stay connected. It’s the relationships, shared experiences, and laughter that make this journey worthwhile.

You can reach us via:

• Email

• Facebook

• Instagram

• Pinterest

Thank you for being here—and for being part of the Grief & Joy story.