Jennipha “Jae” Ricks’s Stories, Lessons & Insights

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Jennipha “Jae” Ricks. Check out our conversation below.

Jennipha “Jae”, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
What makes me lose track of time, and find myself again, is creating, reading, and spending time with the people I love and care about. Those moments remind me of God’s goodness and the beauty of connection. I also lose track of time when I’m brainstorming new ways to be obedient to what God has called me to do which is serving women. When I’m helping them heal, grow, and rediscover who they are in Christ, I step into the flow of purpose. It’s more than work; it’s worship. Whether I’m writing, designing a devotional, mentoring, or simply sitting in conversation with the women I mentor, I feel most grounded and alive. Creating, reading, serving, and loving people deeply all reflect the same truth: I was made for relationship, both with God and others. Every act of creativity, every conversation, every moment spent in purpose or presence becomes a holy reminder of who I am and what I’m here to do.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Jennipha “Jae” Ricks, M.Ed., best-selling author, transformational mentor, and founder of Jae Elle Consulting, LLC and The EmpowerHER Mentor brand. My work is rooted in one mission: to help women heal, grow, and walk boldly in their God-given identity.

Everything I create, from books and devotionals like SHIFT Happens and The EmpowerHER Reset to mentorship programs and workshops, is designed to merge faith, healing, and practical transformation. My approach is trauma-informed and biblically grounded because I believe true healing happens when we invite God into every layer of our story.

What makes my work unique is that it’s not just about inspiration, it’s about application. I help women turn revelation into results. Whether it’s rebuilding confidence after heartbreak, deepening intimacy with God, or stepping into leadership, I guide women from survival to surrender to transformation.

Right now, I’m expanding The EmpowerHER Mentor movement through group mentorship, community events, and my SHIFT Happens ecosystem, books, podcasts, and courses that remind women that healing is holy and becoming is possible.

At the heart of it all, I’m just a woman who said “yes” to God—and now I help other women do the same.

Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
What breaks the bonds between people, in my experience, is often unhealed pain a.k.a trauma. It’s pride dressed up as protection, silence born from fear, or offense that turns into isolation. When we stop listening, stop forgiving, or stop seeing others through grace, the connection starts to unravel. The enemy thrives in disunity, he plants seeds of misunderstanding, comparison, and hurt to divide hearts that were meant to support one another.

But what restores those bonds is truth and love working together. Honesty spoken in humility. Forgiveness that feels hard but frees both hearts. It’s the decision to choose empathy over ego and reconciliation over resentment.

For me, restoration always begins with God. When I let Him heal my own wounds, I become softer, more compassionate, more able to love people where they are instead of where I wish they’d be. His Word reminds me that we are called to be peacemakers, not perfectionists, to “bear with one another and forgive one another” as Christ forgave us (Colossians 3:13).

Broken bonds can be mended when we invite grace into the gap. Love doesn’t erase the hurt, it rebuilds something stronger, rooted in understanding and anchored in God’s mercy.

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
I would tell her, “You don’t have to earn love to be worthy of it.”

You are already enough, before the degrees, the titles, the healing, and the strength. You’ve always been loved, chosen, and seen by God. Every part of you that you thought was too much or not enough was actually preparation for purpose.

I’d tell her to breathe. To stop trying to be perfect and start trusting the process. To know that the things that broke her won’t define her, they’ll refine her. And one day, she’ll use those same scars to help other women heal.

I’d whisper, “You’re not behind. You’re transforming.” And I’d remind her that her softness is not weakness, it’s quiet strength. God’s hand has been on her life all along, even when she couldn’t see it.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What truths are so foundational in your life that you rarely articulate them?
One truth so foundational in my life that I rarely have to say it out loud is this: God is faithful, even when I don’t understand His timing.

That truth anchors everything I do. It’s the quiet conviction beneath every yes, every surrender, and every act of service. I’ve learned that even when life feels unpredictable, His character isn’t. He’s steady when I’m shifting, patient when I’m restless, and sovereign when I can’t see the whole picture.

Another truth that lives deep in me is that healing and holiness can coexist. I don’t have to be fully “fixed” to be fully used by God. My scars don’t disqualify me, they tell the story of His grace. That belief keeps me tender toward others and confident in the calling He’s placed on my life.

And finally, this one shapes my entire mission: Obedience is better than control. I used to think success meant having all the answers. Now I know success is saying yes to God, even when the path is unclear. Those truths are the ground I stand on, quiet, constant, and unshakable.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What do you think people will most misunderstand about your legacy?
I think what people may most misunderstand about my legacy is that it’s not about me, it’s about ministry.

From the outside, people see the books, the mentorship programs, the devotionals, and the movement and assume I must crave the spotlight. But truthfully, I’m more introverted by nature. I don’t do what I do to be seen, I do it to serve. I find peace in quiet spaces, listening for God’s voice before I ever speak to the crowd. The impact people see publicly is born in private moments of prayer, study, and surrender.

Some may interpret my boldness as confidence, when really, it’s obedience. Every word I write and every space I create for women comes from a place of humility and healing. I’m not building a platform; I’m building an altar, one that points back to God’s faithfulness.

If my legacy is misunderstood, let it be this: I didn’t chase attention, I chased alignment. I didn’t move to be known; I moved because I was called. And I pray that long after I’m gone, people won’t just remember my name, they’ll remember the women who found healing, purpose, and freedom because I said yes to God, even as an introvert who preferred the quiet.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Serendipity Social Co. – Ryn Pitts (photographer); https://www.serendipitysocialco.com/

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