Meet Jennifer Morris

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jennifer Morris. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Jennifer, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

I love it when I’m asked this question!. As a clinician, oftentimes I will get clients who struggle to find their sense of being and challenges understanding what it is that they are purposed to do. A client might come to see me with many accolades, accomplishments, awards, and might even be at the top of their game. I always ask them a seemingly simple question. “Define what happiness means to you”? I’ve yet to have a person answer that question without a perplexed response while avoiding the direct question. The reality is many people don’t know what happiness looks like to them. I like to remind people that productivity doesn’t equate to happiness and oftentimes people are staying busy as a distraction to themselves. One of the most difficult conversations you will ever have in life is with yourself. Many like to avoid the conversation because of fear. Fearful of not being the authentic person you portray to be etc. To that, I tell people just because you’re fearful of something doesn’t mean you’re in danger. Have the conversation! A good way to start this is with different types of Shadow work. Shadow work really allows you to come to a realization with the things/feelings that you really don’t want to gain acceptance of yet you know they exist. I like to put it as the things you would like to keep in the closet or keep hidden. It’s essential to do at some point in your life. I like to encourage others to not “pretend” in their purpose. A person may not be truthful with other people but you absolutely have to be truthful with yourself. Essentially, my purpose came when I poured into myself literally mind, body, and soul. I’m intentional and self-aware, and I know what I need the majority of the time. I really took the time to address the things that needed more attention. Overall, our purpose should be fulfilling, intentional, and rewarding. It probably wouldn’t feel as great if we weren’t reaping any benefit of those things. We should want to “live” within our purpose, not just “exist” within it. Most importantly be happy.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

My hand is in many pots so I do quite a few things and I find them all to be equally rewarding. My career as a therapist I would probably do for free and forever. I am a clinical supervisor for an Intensive Day program. I assist with community building and providing mental health services for an underserved population who suffer from SMI ( severely mentally illness ) individuals. Additionally, I have a private practice where I see a range of clients with not so severe challenges. My private practice has just recently formed into a group practice which I am really excited about. From those experiences I saw a greater need and I founded a non-profit in 2020 that provides free mental services & resources to the community. I have been able to have quite a few joint-ventures with other non profits and it has offered me some great opportunities. One of which led me to an opportunity to work within the entertainment industry by providing on-set mental health services for the actors,other talent, and crew. The on-set experience inspired me to get into more of the production side of things. I’ve noticed that many in that industry have many of the same challenges. One of my business partners and I started a production company and we were able to create a few relatable shows that we have been recently shopping to several networks. I have a mental health podcast which is just fun. I don’t consider it work. You just have to take something that you’re good at and just really scale it in different facets. I’m about halfway done with completing my doctoral degree, so I’m excited to see where that takes me as well in that field. Two other things that aren’t related are real estate investing which allow me to tap into a field that at one point I knew very little about. Lastly, I have a virtual call center where agents are able to answer inbound calls for a variety of fortune 500 companies. I have about 35 employees and am always looking to hire more. Since we only have 24 hours in a day. I am really firm on how I am able to manage all of these things. My work life balance is non-negotiable. Of course I would love to give them all 100% but that is unrealistic. I’m not really a spur of the moment type of person. I have a tentative schedule at least 6 months in advance which is helpful. Every last one of these things are exciting to me and if they are no longer exciting then I’ll know it’s time for a change. In life if something doesn’t bring me absolute joy then I don’t want it. This goes for every aspect of my life. Everything I mentioned is special because everything started from scratch with just a simple idea and to see things come to life is one of the biggest rewards. I’ve learned so much! Just by doing my own research trial and error. I could’ve paid someone to do the majority of things in the beginning stages of it, but instead I learned to do them myself. Those learning experiences have made me more optimistic about the outcomes and by pouring so much into everything reminds me to appreciate the process even more.

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?

My integrity is one of my favorite qualities about myself. I genuinely love doing things that are “right”. I always make a conscious effort to be mindful of how other people feel. I always take that into account. I like to believe I’m a considerate person. I’m cheering for everyone in the race not just my favorite. Another quality about myself is that I’m just a simple person. I don’t need a whole lot to be happy. I’m very perceptive but I don’t have to be right. I learned a long time ago that we have to meet people where they are at in that moment, not where we expect them to be. Don’t get me wrong, if something needs to be said I’ll say it, and If I don’t agree with something I’ll address it but for the most part if something upsets my central nervous system in any way I will just disassociate myself from it or them. Lastly, I’ll have to say I’m extremely trustworthy. People confide in me all day to keep their secrets safe and I do just that. Many people who really know me understand that if we are spending any amount of time together that it has to offer some type of intrinsic value. We aren’t just sitting around gossiping. I value all of my relationships rather it be business or personal they have to be essential or it’s not fulfilling to me. Ways to improve is to start acting as the person you would like to become. If you want to be a more honest person, really start being more intentional about being honest. Define what an honest person is to you and become that.

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?

I love any book that Les Brown has written. I also love Brene Brown, no relation by the way. Since I keep a pretty busy schedule audio books are my go to. I rarely play music while I’m in the car. It’s normally an audio book “ The 12 week year” by Brian Moran, “The Power of Purpose” by Les Brown, Rich Bitch by Nicole Lapin, The Power of Vulnerability by Brene Brown, are a few that I probably read once a year. Every time I read them I get a new perspective. I also read the “Secret” annually. I also find many peer-reviewed articles helpful.

Contact Info:

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/public-profile/settings?trk=d_flagship3_profile_self_view_public_profile
• Other: https://www.psychologytoday.com/profile/1017914

  https://www.jenpenvirtualsolutions.com/

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