Career Roadmap
Jennifer's work combines: Business, Non-Profit Organizations, and Helping People
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Darien High School, Darien, CT
Bachelor's Degree
Double major - International Relations & French
University of Virginia
Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be a Marketing Managers:
Bachelor's Degree: Double major - International Relations & French
Learn more about different paths to this career
Life & Career Milestones
1.
I had no clue what I wanted to do after college and took a job as a paralegal in a law firm having zero interest in law. I was bored to tears.
2.
I then thought I would get into sales and marketing because that’s what my dad did so I sold textbooks for a publishing company and stayed in that industry for 16 years.
3.
While going through a divorce, I decided it was time to start a new life and moved to Aspen, CO.
4.
In Aspen I was Editor-in-Chief of a lifestyle magazine which I loved but paid very little then I became Executive Director of a health and wellness nonprofit for a few years.
5.
Then I had an opportunity to sell centuries-old restored villas in Tuscany and moved to Italy for six years and worked with fascinating clients from all over the world.
6.
I got totally burned out selling real estate and through my personal network got a job in the states with the PGA TOUR without knowing much about golf. It was not a good fit.
7.
My stepfather was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and I got a job fundraising for a nonprofit that opened my heart and made me want to spend the rest of my life helping underserved kids succeed.
8.
Then a friend introduced me to Roadtrip Nation where I am combining the skills I have gained, the network I have built, and my passion for helping kids.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Peers:
Some people have told me I have an overly positive attitude, calling me a "Pollyanna" and saying things like "You're too enthusiastic" and telling me that what I want to do is not realistic.
How I responded:
I just tell people that in my life I always try to see the glass half full and look for the opportunities, not the barriers. Then I tell them the story about the two shoe salesmen who went to a remote island where no one wore shoes. Upon arriving and seeing all of the bare feet around him, the firs one said "This is a disaster, I can't make any sales because no one wears shoes!" The other looked around him in wonder said "This is a salesman's dream come true! Everyone here needs shoes!"
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
It took me decades to overcome my fear of not being good enough at my job. To appreciate my value to my employers, and to ask for what I really deserve in terms of responsibilities and compensation.