Building a Kindness-Led Brand That Scales: Meet Jeni Maus of Found Rental Co

When you talk to Jeni Maus, you immediately feel the heart behind Found Rental Co. What started in 2010 as a tightly curated vintage concept has grown into one of the most respected rental and fabrication teams in the industry, known as much for its design-forward inventory as for its kindness-first culture. These days, Found doesn’t just deliver beautiful pieces; they deliver calm. The kind of presence that makes a complex day feel possible.

Below, Jeni shares what’s changed (and what hasn’t) across nearly 16 years of building Found: how she approaches vendor relationships, why gift-giving is central to her client experience, how custom fabrication keeps their work evolving, and why she believes taking care of employees is the real foundation of a great wedding business.

Seeing the Wedding Day as One Team

Jeni’s approach to vendor collaboration is refreshingly straightforward: this industry works best when nobody treats it like a competition.

On larger jobs, especially those requiring cross-team planning and pre-event coordination, she’s seen firsthand how mutual trust can save a day that’s teetering on the edge.

Her takeaway is simple but powerful: when timelines compress and unexpected issues hit, alignment matters more than titles.

The Found mindset is what many vendors wish every partner brought to the table: show up like you’re on the same roster. Because you are.

Elevating the Client Experience with Lookbooks and Thoughtful Gifting

If you’re looking for a masterclass in long-term client love, Jeni’s answer is clear: consistent, sincere appreciation, delivered in tangible ways.

This year, Found celebrated its 15-year anniversary with a major warehouse celebration that doubled as a relationship-builder: a large-scale party for clients, followed by thoughtful post-event gifting.

But this isn’t a one-off moment. Found also produces seasonal Lookbooks (usually four per year, sometimes more), and pairs each one with a curated gift that keeps the relationship warm beyond the event calendar.

“Gift giving, I would say is my love language.”

Her most recent winter Lookbook package included a tote, a vintage military scarf, and vintage copper bells, items that reinforce Found’s aesthetic, values, and sense of story.

Keeping the Work Fresh Through Clients, Customization, and a “Fabrication Lab”

Jeni is the first to admit she’s always moving forward (buying, designing, shooting), and that her clients are often the ones who bring new life to the inventory through unexpected pairings.

“Our clients just keep incorporating the old with the new and keep it alive with fresh, new looks.”

But one of the biggest evolutions at Found in the last 1–2 years has been the expansion of custom work. Their “fabrication laboratory” has grown in staffing and capability, allowing clients to present even more cohesive storytelling than before.

From custom-painted bars to matching DJ stands, wallpapered surfaces, and coordinated upholstery, Found is leaning all the way into a world where design continuity matters from invitation to installation.

“We’re willing to complete their look however we possibly can.”

The Navy Blue Lesson: Why Specificity Builds Trust

One of Jeni’s most telling examples of client care is also one of the simplest: color clarity.

She shared a past experience where a fabric color looked different online than in real life, a low-stakes but high-learning moment that led to a smarter, more collaborative process.

Found now sends swatch decks more frequently and invites clients deeper into the design decisions, not only to prevent issues, but to help planners and designers communicate more clearly with their own clients.

The benefit isn’t just accuracy, it’s confidence.

“The client’s not surprised when they walk into the event and see it… they know what they’re walking into.”

Kindness as a Brand Filter (and a Client Magnet)

When Jeni talks about attracting aligned clients, she doesn’t point to marketing hacks. She points to culture.

“We just are kind through and through.”

Found aims to be the team that lowers stress the moment they arrive.

“The stress is gone when the Found truck arrives. Their shoulders drop.”

From the first email to the final load-out, Jeni wants clients to feel that the Found team is there to solve, not complicate, and to make things right even when the issue wasn’t theirs to begin with.

“It's deeply rooted in our core that the customer is ALWAYS right.”

Service as the Real Differentiator

While Found is known for carrying pieces that feel distinct and design-forward, Jeni is clear that inventory alone isn’t the brand.

“We don’t want to be the company that has what everybody else has.”

But even more importantly:

“My team is the kindest, hardest working team in the industry, and that is exactly what we want to be known for.”

She hears it repeatedly in post-event feedback: professionalism, generosity, and hustle. The kind of reputation that becomes a referral engine all on its own.

Social Media, Authenticity & the Reality of the Algorithm

Like many long-time founders, Jeni has watched social media evolve from fun, founder-led storytelling into something more complex, and sometimes more exhausting.

For over 13 years, she ran Found’s social herself because she didn’t want to lose the intimacy of her voice. Passing the baton to a full-time team member was necessary, but emotional.

“I didn’t want to lose the authenticity of my voice.”

She’s honest that she hasn’t cracked the algorithm code, but she’s committed to staying consistent with the brand’s personality and values.

“We just try our hardest to stay consistent with who we are, and we have some very exciting new things in the works.”

Advice for New Vendors: Stay in Your Lane

Jeni’s guidance for newer vendors is rooted in self-trust.

She remembers the early days of seeing what others were doing online and feeling tempted to buy inventory that didn’t truly reflect her taste, just to keep pace.

“It made me feel like I was… keeping up with the Joneses.”

Her solution was decisive and long-term: being herself.

“I do what I do. I stay in my lane.”

If something flops, so be it. What matters is that the choice was yours: aligned with your brand, not borrowed from someone else’s.

The Heart of It All: Employees First

One of the most striking moments in Jeni’s interview was her answer to what matters most in this industry.

It wasn’t clients. It wasn’t growth. It wasn’t visibility.

“Taking care of my employees… is the most important thing to me, hands down.”

She sees her team as family and believes that the best client experience is a downstream result of how supported people feel at work.

Her philosophy is simple: when your internal culture is healthy, your external brand becomes trustworthy without trying too hard.

How Style Me Pretty Fits into the Found Story

Jeni has been part of the Little Black Book since early in her journey, around her second year in business, in 2012.

She credits Style Me Pretty’s consistency, editorial support, and vendor care as reasons she’s stayed for the long haul.

“When [Abby, Founder of Style Me Pretty] took it back over from AOL, I was like, I’m a lifer.”

She also values the practical benefits of being featured and tagged, making it easy to amplify great work without having to carry the entire promotional burden alone.

“That just feels like one less thing we have to do.”