We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jenn Lacy. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jenn below.
Jenn, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
Confidence and self-esteem did not come easy for me. I spent a lot of my adolescent years into my twenties hiding my insecurities behind abrasiveness and a too-tough exterior. For so long I strove for perfection, wanting to be the best at everything I tried and quitting if something didn’t come naturally to me. It wasn’t until my late twenties, my Saturn year if you believe in that kind of thing, that my outlook shifted. It took some big fails and a lot, A LOT, of therapy, but I’ve gotten to a point now where I have a much better understanding of who I am, what I’m not, and what I want to be. I had to confront past traumas and do some reparenting to truly learn where those insecurities arose from, understanding that so much of it grew from self preservation. My confidence and self-esteem today has been cultivated through learning that we’re all just doing our best with the information we have at the moment, so be kind, give others and yourself the grace to fail, learn from your mistakes, and do better next time. From the right perspective, every mistake is truly just a learning opportunity from which you can choose to grow or stay the same.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
Over the past decade, I have been lucky enough to build and cultivate a community, initially through the Bar Method Silver Lake and then through Chrysalis Fitness + Wellness. Unfortunately, like many small businesses, the pandemic shuddered our doors in 2022. While there were so many moments when we wanted to quit, I’m so glad that my business partner and I pushed through to create our own brand and holistic fitness method. Since our physical space closed, I’ve continued to teach our signature Chrysalis Fitness classes virtually and via the occasional pop up class. I’m truly so grateful to connect with the incredible Chrysalis community every week.
Finding a new path after a decade of fitness and small business ownership was simultaneously exhilarating and terrifying. I was suddenly given permission to not think about my business every waking moment (many of which should have been sleeping moments). But what did that mean for me? I knew I didn’t want to go back to my pre-entrepreneur career of marketing but my education and all of my experience was in business. I worked freelance for a year while I tried to carve a path forward and then an incredible opportunity arose – Campaign Manager for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Student Visionaries of the Year program. Now, I work with absolutely incredible high school students, mentoring them to raise money for blood cancer patients and their families. I get to use my decades of business experience to coach them on business pitches, leadership, time management, and communication. I could never have guess that it would be a group of amazing teenagers to turn a once (somewhat) nihilist into a truly hopeful optimist for our future.
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?
The top three qualities that were the most impactful in my journey are: being open to learn, autonomy, and persistence.
When I was younger it bothered me that I was a “jack of all trades, master of none.” I always wanted to be like the other kids I saw who dedicated their time and energy toward one thing and became the best at it, However, now, much later in life I’ve learned that having an openness to learn makes you adaptable and versatile, two characteristics that are, in my opinion, invaluable. And for those who, like me didn’t know the full quote, it is, “A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.”
For the second quality, autonomy, I should disclaimer that finding balance here is key. My path has been anything but a straight line, but one thing that has always stayed the course is being able to count on myself. It’s important to be able to ask for help, learn from those around you, but also to trust in yourself and your gut instinct to make the decision or take the leap. I can sometimes paralyze myself by overthinking, talking myself into circles listening to my inner monologue. If that’s something you also experience, I find that writing out the pros and cons (both logistical and emotional) of the situation you’re facing can help make a mole hill out of a mountain, allowing you to confront it on your own – headfirst.
Lastly, persistence. Of course, it’s important to remember that in certain circumstances (some obvious) that no means no. But in other times, it may mean, “not right now”, “not exactly but what about…”, “yes, but I have too much on my plate right now to give you an answer.” While the rule of 7 is a marketing principle that has been around since the 1930s, the idea that customers need to see your brand at least 7 times before they commit to a decision can be applied to all areas of your career. Remember that, like you, people are busy and oversaturated with information and that not every “ghost” is a no. Don’t be afraid to follow up and if that person says no, that doesn’t mean quit, take a moment to look at your approach, tweak it, and try again with something or someone new.
Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
When I’m feeling overwhelmed I find that it helps to break up the tasks at hand into smaller, more manageable portions. Be realistic when you’re creating a timeline for yourself. I’ve been known to think that I can wash the dishes, vacuum the house, and respond to my emails all in the 15 minutes before I have to leave. But then, when I don’t complete all of those tasks in that unrealistic timeline, I find myself feeling defeated. Instead, allot more time than you initially think you’ll need. In the end, if you complete something with time to spare, great! Take that moment to, I don’t know… do nothing! Hopefully, by allowing a little more time, you’ll feel more present and less frantic. For me that means, stopping the anxiety loop by going outside and taking a few big breaths of fresh air, maybe doing a few jumping jacks to get out the nervous energy, and THEN returning to the task at hand, allowing me feel a little less stressed and overwhelmed.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bio.site/JennLacy
- Instagram: @jc_lacy
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lacy.jenn
- Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/jenn-lacy-1b3a6b4
