We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jennifer Jackson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jennifer below.
Hi Jennifer, really appreciate you joining us to talk about a really relevant, albeit unfortunate topic – layoffs and getting fired. Can you talk to us about your experience and how you overcame being let go?
I have a pretty strong work ethic where getting laid off or let go from a job was something that I never saw myself dealing with. I was fired from one job while I was in college and it was at a retail auto parts store. Granted, my career was never sought out in that particular field, but I was still in disbelief that I was let go from a job. To be very honest, I did see it coming. They let me go since I “walked out” when I wasn’t supposed to. However, I was very vocal about my reasoning. I stood up for myself in a situation where it was much needed and as a result, they let me go – coincidentally, it happened on September 11, 2001, right during the attacks. How ironic, huh? Even though I was a little disappointed in their decision, following my termination meeting, I headed off to my college campus to meet with my professor who gave me awesome feedback on my assigned projects and advice on how to prevail in the business world.
My professor’s advice and words of encouragement kept me focused on the bigger picture which, prepared me for my next endeavor where I had to voluntarily quit from working another job years later. During this time, I have already graduated with my undergraduate degree and was a recent graduate with my Master’s. I worked at a prestigious university the name alone would carry weight on my resume. Working there was pure hell. Unfortunately, my colleagues engaged in a lot of unfair treatment, including trying to set me up for termination which ultimately lead to my resignation from my position.
Before I decided to resign, I had little knowledge that this was coming and right before the chaos, I signed a lease on a luxury apartment in the city – as a celebration of completing grad school. After my second month of moving into my apartment, I had to conclude to walk away from my position at the university. I tried applying for other positions at the university, but I was black-balled. I did not have another job lined up, but I did have enough money saved up to hold me over for a few months. The money I had saved was geared towards my relocation to Atlanta. Since leaving the university, I was taking a risk bigger than I imagined.
Some days were easy and a lot of days were hard, mentally. A part of me wanted to terminate my lease and move to Atlanta, but I wasn’t fully ready yet. Even though I was working full-time in the corporate sector, I was a part-time makeup artist. Right around the height of prom season, I solicited my work as much as I could for bookings. Thankfully, I was able to sustain myself financially, but it came with a lot of sacrifices. It also humbled me because I had to learn how to navigate through life from an entrepreneur’s lens.
Even though I took the risk by quitting my job, I did it for myself. I will never allow anyone to treat me in any matter where I have to compromise my peace and sanity. From my job at the auto parts store to the university, no matter where you are, never let anyone mistreat you. I stood up for myself in both situations and I still have absolutely no regrets about the decisions that I made. I am living in my purpose and I am proud of myself for taking these risks and having faith that made me into the person I am today.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
My name is Jennifer Jackson, and I am a professional makeup artist, published photographer, and the owner of Jennifer J. Artistry, based in Atlanta, Georgia. I am a natural-born creative who has a passion for beauty, content design, photography, and healthy living. As a native of Cleveland, Ohio, I’ve always dreamed of moving to another city while achieving my dreams of expressing my God-given creativity to its fullest potential.
As a self-taught makeup artist, I have been an avid lover of makeup and practicing in my artistry for over fifteen years. Before my relocation to Atlanta, I was trained as a professional makeup artist, perfecting my craft in bridal and in-studio makeup, including airbrushing, proper application and color correction, and custom blended skin-enhancing with foundation, concealer, and powder. My objective as your makeup artist is to provide a professional, yet quality service of makeup artistry that you deserve. My signature look will have to feel stunning, sophisticated, and glamorous Plus, heads will turn once you enter the room!
I am also a published photographer with a passion for capturing all things beauty. While studying Graphic Design during college and with over fifteen years of makeup artistry experience, my passion for mixing beauty and art as a visual storyteller is inevitable. My photography business under Jennifer J. Artistry loves to shoot beauty and lifestyle portraiture for phenomenal business owners.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The first one, I would say is to be knowledgeable in speaking and networking. You never know who you would run into and the impact they will have on your business. Secondly, have faith – life, and entrepreneurship are not easy and you will endure plenty of tests. If it wasn’t for my strong faith, I would not have survived after quitting my job at the university the way that I did. Lastly, never stop learning. That speaks for itself.
Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?
There are three books that played an important role in my development – Atomic Habits by James Clear is so life-changing. Think and Grow Rich – A Black Choice by Dennis Kimbro and Napoleon Hill is amazing and now I am currently reading The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jenniferjartistry.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/jenniferjartistry.com
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/jenniferjartistry
