Meet Jess Hewitt

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jess Hewitt a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jess, thank you so much for joining us today. There are so many topics we could discuss, but perhaps one of the most relevant is empathy because it’s at the core of great leadership and so we’d love to hear about how you developed your empathy?

I can’t pinpoint the exact moment in my life where I realized each decision, connection, and path chosen was further developing my deep desire for equity. I can now see it has been empathy driving my actions for a long time. Even in my younger years I tended to develop connections with others often considered ‘outliers’, or what education labels, ‘at risk youth.’ I remember seeing other children being teased, and thinking how unfair it was that they were treated differently because of their personality, clothing, preferences, looks, or any other reason children choose to point out a lack of ‘sameness’ in others. But it wasn’t just a feeling of wanting to soothe a hurtful injustice that drove these connections to others, I also wanted to heal their pain by expressing the value they held to the world. In a world that often places a higher value on ‘sameness’, I sought, and continue to seek, opportunities to express value in the varied strengths others bring to those around them.
This passion to connect with and cheer for others has led me to incredible opportunities working with and supporting individuals from marginalized groups. These groups offer amazing strengths that may go overlooked because often it is only their struggle and differences that are seen.
It is because of these experiences that I have planted myself in Social Emotional Learning (SEL) through the creation of my Non-Profit, The Yet Mindset. As the name implies, it is my belief that by viewing our communities through an SEL lens we create spaces open to continued learning about ourselves, others, and our world with an understanding that we are always growing. A ‘Yet’ mindset is one that recognizes that our world is a beautiful clashing of lived experiences, perspectives and biases, and when we keep ourselves open to the varied experiences, perspectives and biases of others, we can grow deeper connections rooted in personal growth and understanding.
Empathy has molded my entire journey through education, motherhood, and beyond. Everyone has a story. Every story is important. And every story expresses the courage, strength, and genius of humanity.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

My nonprofit, The Yet Mindset, was an idea planted by one of my professors during my masters program. At the time I was leading family classes in my community. These classes focused on building family connections and highlighting individual strengths through play, nature and mindfulness. Through the years I had many parents reach out with concerns about their ability to support their child through the different (and sometimes challenging) developmental stages. Through these conversations I began to realize I had a passion for educating adults about how children learn, their emotional needs, and our place in their development.
This desire to educate others expanded to include SEL-focused professional development and mindfulness workshops that I create and present to local schools and private organizations. Each curriculum I write is intentional in its focus on SEL, strength building, and the science of our emotional health. Through my years in education, my masters program and my certification as an SEL Facilitator, I have learned that educating individuals on how our emotions are connected to our learning and our daily interactions helps them to understand the importance of SEL competencies and mindfulness practices. Placing importance in these areas is how we help create change and understanding.
With our expansion of services we are also thrilled to offer an SEL-focused art curriculum, intentionally and beautifully crafted by the amazingly talented Colleen Vandenberg.

Here’s a behind the scenes look at how the process goes:
-An organization reaches out to us about services
-A personal meeting is scheduled to ask clarifying questions and determine the specific needs of their organization
-Our team collaborates to share ideas, outline a plan, and create curriculum
-Cue a mindfully SEL-focused workshop, presentation, meeting etc.
-Follow up with the organization and celebrate with our new friends 🙂

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

This is a difficult, but great question! My first response includes curiosity, empathy, and adaptability. But I think there are others that are so, so important as well. Perhaps in my explanation I can make some connections as to how these qualities overlap with others that I feel impacted my journey too.
I listed curiosity first because this is the trait that has propelled me forward in education. It is curiosity that encourages me to continually seek out learning opportunities about connection, understanding, and communication. It is curiosity that stills my body and quiets my mind in the presence of the awe we find in nature. It is curiosity that fills me with excitement and joy in my interactions with others. And it is curiosity that draws my brain to see things from a different perspective.

Empathy is an important quality because it is what gives us the ability to recognize that our reality is just one perspective of what the world looks like. There is an immense power in being open to the possibility that your own perspective isn’t the same as someone else’s. And this power is what allows us to build deep connections with others.

When I think about adaptability I also think about growth mindset, resilience and courage. (I feel like I slightly cheated the system of choosing only 3 qualities with that response) But let me weave this web of qualities together for you.
Being adaptable can be seen as rolling with the punches, right? Well this would require the courage to try new things that require the ability to adapt, as well as the resilience to continue moving forward when things change. And part of the definition of a growth mindset includes the ability to embrace challenges, learn from our failures and keep moving forward. That sounds like rolling with the punches to me!

So my advice to others, no matter what leg of the journey you are on, no matter how overgrown the path ahead may seem, recognize the tether that binds us all together, human to human and human to nature. Let this connection keep you curious about all you see and do, allow the vibrations you feel to travel right to your heart, and understand that falling down only allows you a different perspective of your path, not an end to it.

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?

Because I have always been curious about human nature and how we come to be the person we are, this is a question I have contemplated many times.
At the most basic level, what they did was love me. But when I peel back the layers of why that love made such an impact, I find the pieces that made me.
My mom has shown a fierce love. She cares at a level that is so deep it can only be endless. She spent her life applying armor everyday to ensure the difficulties she faced wouldn’t break her. And they didn’t. In her adulthood she wore that armor to ensure her children would never face those same difficulties. And we didn’t. Even now, with her children and grandchildren becoming adults, her love doesn’t waver, it doesn’t end. Amazingly it continues to grow with each great grandchild she welcomes.
My dad showed me how to live life with my arms wide open to everyone I encounter. He will listen to any story without judgement but provide a kind and necessary honesty that you know is as sincere as it is wise. It is this openness that allows him such an easy laugh that draws others to share his energy and joy. It is from watching his eagerness and acceptance in interactions with others that I learned how to strike up a conversation that is equal parts listening and speaking.
What was the most impactful thing my parents did for me? They loved me, each in their own way. And this love is what supported me through times of difficulties, it is what created the foundation for my relationship with my wonderful husband, it crafted the first tools I would have when I began motherhood, and it will serve me in each leg of my journey.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.theyetmindset.org/
• Instagram: the.yet.mindset

Image Credits

The Yet Mindset