We recently connected with Jasmine Prince and have shared our conversation below.
Jasmine, so great to have you with us today. There are so many topics we want to ask you about, but perhaps the one we can start with is burnout. How have you overcome or avoided burnout?
My therapist gave me homework one weekend to do absolutely nothing and to be as unproductve as possible. I started asking questions like “when does the weekend technically start and end” and “how are we defining productivity” and that’s when I knew that my orientations towards productivity and rest were out of balance. That weekend was hard and when Monday rolled around I felt really guilty. It was the guilt that made me realize that I wasn’t doing a good job of resting to simply rest and that I was closer to being burnt out than I realized before that weekend.
Now I have days & weekends built in to my calendar that are reserved as “don’t do” days where I focus on doing nothing OR doing only things that bring me joy. I tell myself on these days that the goal is to be unproductive and unashamed. i think that permission has helped me to take those days seriously and to check in with myself on what I need in those days and after to keep myself grounded.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am the founder & Principle Leadership Strategist of Magnolia & Penn Consulting, LLC (M&P). The vision of M&P is to empower the next generation of leaders to engineer their lives with intentionality, freedom, and conviction so that their collective success leaves long-lasting impact on their communities and the world.
In practice, that vision is brought to life through one on one coaching to partner with emerging leaders in finding clarity on their identity, purpose, and journey and curriculum development & trainings that are focused on developing teams with a focus on community, belonging, and collaborative learning.
I’ve spent a decade on college campuses supporting students, who are a part of this next generation of leaders, and I’ve seen what happens when the lightbulbs go off in their heads and they get clear about who they are and where they’re going. The ability to do that at scale, partner with these leaders, and to equip organizations to better support these emerging leaders is what motivates me to keep going.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
3 that come to mind most readily are curiosity, mentorship, and vulnerability. Stepping into the world of entrepreneurship made me feel like a fish out of water which is a hard feelin to cope with when you’re used to feeling confident in your knowledge, skills, and ability. Giving myself permission to stay curious about who I wanted to be in the market, who I was serving, and the impact allowed me to try, fail, and try again until I found the things that truly set my heart on fire. I came into entrepreneurship thinking I knew and learning quickly that I didn’t and had so much to learn so be willing and open to the different ways that I could learn helped me.
Mentorship and community more broadly has propelled me exponentially. On the days when I wanted to quit and was so unsure of myself, my mentors and others in my community not only encouraged me-they reminded me of what I had already accomplished and created space for me to learn from their journeys and to ask tough questions of them. Without that community, I’m not sure that M&P would still exist, honestly.
Vulnerability has helped me to tell the truth to others and most importantly to myself. The moments of vulnerability helped to guide me to the biggest moments of clarity too because those moments were often the most honest.
When I think about how folks who are early in their journey can cultivate these skills, I think first to the idea of simply giving yourself permission to do it-be curious, be in community, & be vulnerable-which is also easier said than done. I also think about getting clear on what you really need to continue moving towards your goal and asking questions and asking for support or guidance. If you’re not clear on where you’re headed it’s hard to lean into any of these things.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
I’m always excited to consider partnerships and collaborations that are mutually aligned and beneficial. I’m currently looking for folks to partner with in developing & facilitating leadership curriculum/trainings for college students and early career professionals.
I’m also interested in partnering with event/conference organizers who are looking for keynote speakers related to leadership, belonging, mindset, etc.
The easiest way to connect with me is via email at [email protected]
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.magnoliapenn.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/magnoliapennco/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasm1neprince
Image Credits
Photo 1 (blue pants)- Chris Rowan
Photo 2: Amani Nichae (Honey Sage Photography)
Photo 3-6: Willie Price II (Black Cobra Media)
photo 7 (headshot with red): Zimaud Harley (Kizuna Studio)
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
