We recently had the chance to connect with JayLhien Colbert and have shared our conversation below.
JayLhien , we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What is a normal day like for you right now?
On a normal weekday, I usually start my day around 5 AM. I like to get up early so I have time to ease into the morning. I make myself something to eat, get ready, and pack my bag for the day. By 8:30 AM, I’m out the door and heading to work at my university in the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities. I enjoy that part of my day because I get to connect with the people in my office and support students, which ties directly into what I’m studying. I usually finish work somewhere between 2 and 4 PM, and then I’ll grab something to eat from the student union on my way to class.
Right now, I’m in the master’s program for College Student Personnel at Western Illinois University, so my classes are a big focus. After class, I head home to get ready for the gym. I usually go around 7:30 PM and stay until about 9 or 9:30 PM. Once I get back, I make dinner, spend some time on assignments or personal projects, and then wind down so I can reset for the next day. My days are definitely full, but I like having a balance between work, school, fitness, and personal time.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a well-educated, Black, first-generation college student from Chicago who is passionate about supporting my community and creating a positive environment for those around me. What I do spans many areas. I create content, write and edit, study policy, advocate, organize, plan, and run my own business. I am a student, a seamstress, and a business owner. I wear many hats, and I enjoy the challenge of balancing them all.
What makes me most unique is not my skills or titles, but my drive and ambition, and the actions I take to match that drive. I did not grow up with the expectation that I would go to college, earn a master’s, or become the person I am today. That vision came from within me. I knew early on that I wanted more and have worked consistently to make it happen.
Lately, I have been focused on several projects that I am excited to share once they are fully developed. Most of my energy has been on personal growth, reflecting on how far I have come, where I want to go, and who I want to be. I am committed to becoming the best version of myself so I can help others and continue to grow. Every day, I strive to be greater than I was the day before.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
As we grow into adulthood, we make plans, we try to figure out what we like, what we don’t like, and, most importantly, who we are. Looking back on who I used to be, where I came from, and the life I lived, I can honestly say that God has always seen me before I was able to see myself. I used to ask why certain challenges were placed in my path, why my life looked the way it did, and why my journey unfolded the way it did. Now that I am in a place where I feel established, in a sense, I realize that my journey was required. I was required to face challenges so I could grow. I was required to live the experiences I lived. I was required to take that journey to get to where I am today.
When I was in grammar school, I grew up in a difficult neighborhood. I remember one day running home from school, dodging bullets halfway there and the rest of the way unsure if the sounds were real or echoes in my head. Experiences like that shaped me and now fuel my interest in pursuing law school, with hopes of working in criminal law.
Since I was a kid, I have always been creative. I now create content, and people often come to me for ideas that are out of the box or something they would not have thought of themselves. When I was a freshman in college, I remember how it felt to be on campus and feel not lonely, but alone. Now, I am pursuing a degree in College Student Personnel, which equips me with skills to create events and environments that are more inclusive and welcoming.
I say all of this to show that every experience I have been through has shaped who I am and ties directly to what I now rely on and use in my life. Every part of my journey was required.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
If I could say one kind thing to my younger self, it would be, “Be the best you, that you can be.” I feel as though, as kids, many of us at least once in our life have found ourselves trying to fit in, doing what we thought others expected or wanted us to do, being someone we weren’t, or being who we didn’t want to be. I know I have.
Being the best you that you can be requires looking inward. It takes bravery, courage, diligence, and a commitment of time and patience. Discovering who you truly are means quieting all of the external voices around you. It means observing the world without allowing it to define your self-image. Your self-image should come from within first. External observations and influences should serve only to refine and shape your self-image, not to create it.
Being the best you that you can be requires you to do your due diligence in getting to know your true self—the you that you are when you aren’t performing, how you are when you’re alone, the you that you are when you reflect on how you truly feel about things. It requires you to stand firm in who you know you are. Your true preferences won’t always align with those around you or align with the expectations the world may attempt to place upon you, and sometimes you may feel it would be easier to just fit in than to stand out. But being the best you that you can be requires the courage to allow your light to shine as brightly as it can, without dimming it for external validation or for anyone else. in other words, being the best you, that you can be, is about searching for who you are at your core and standing firm in that belief. It is about waking up every day and proactively choosing to be yourself.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What’s a belief you used to hold tightly but now think was naive or wrong?
“Everyone is a good person.”
I used to naively believe that, even when people do bad things, everyone is still inherently good and just makes bad decisions. I now believe that not all people are inherently good. There are good people who can make bad decisions, and there are bad people who can make good decisions.
You might ask, “What is a good person?” I think it comes down to your core morals, values, and, most importantly, your character. Good people have integrity, show empathy, sympathy, and compassion for others, demonstrate loyalty, take responsibility and accountability, strive for equity and justice, and support growth in themselves, those around them, and the world. They act intentionally, with self-awareness and humility, nurturing their moral and ethical foundation. Being a good person is about both the actions you take and the inner thoughts that precede them—the roots and intentionality behind your behavior.
I no longer think that everyone is a good person, but I do believe that everyone has the capacity to be a good person. Right now, some people make mistakes, some act with harm, and some choose good. But who’s to say people can’t change, and who’s to say this opinion won’t evolve with time?
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: When do you feel most at peace?
I feel most at peace when I am surrounded by the warmth of my community. Growing up, I knew that creating and curating my own community would be important to me. I didn’t fully understand how important it would become, but I knew it mattered. Community is one of the most important things in my life. I could have everything, and without my community, it wouldn’t mean nearly as much. I could have nothing, I have had nothing, and still, having community made me feel rich in life. Community is my peace. The thought of having everything I want and more but no one to share it with feels exhausting, lonely, and empty. God will always be a part of my community, so I could never truly be alone, but my innermost being tells me that God did not create me to build a life without also building community.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Len.Manie
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaylhien-colbert-1a444427b
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