Meet Jessica Lyonford

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

Jessica, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

Let me start by saying it took me over 30 years to even begin to understand purpose in its true form. We tend to think it has to be this big, bold, important thing—some grand calling that exists above our everyday interactions and routines. But that’s not what purpose really is. My journey to finding my purpose was actually learning what it truly meant and why it mattered.

My first career choice was a misaligned one. I was good at it, made a lot of money and climbed the ranks quickly, but mentally and emotionally, it wasn’t right for me. The value alignment just wasn’t there and that left me in a really dark, confusing place when I finally accepted that I had gone down the wrong path.

In an effort to start over, I dove deep into the science of happiness and human flourishing. This led me through positive psychology, neuroscience, sociology, spirituality—you name it. What I learned is that we’ve got happiness all wrong. We’re all chasing things we believe will bring happiness but the evidence shows that happiness itself brings about all the things we’re chasing.

Even better, happiness is a skill that we can get better at. Science has provided us a roadmap—what I call The Eight Pillars of Happiness—that outlines what we actually need to practice in order to design a life for flourishing.

Purpose is one of those pillars. And it turns out that my purpose is to help create more happiness in the world. My journey to understanding happiness became my purpose and it was kickstarted by curiosity and optimism (two other of the pillars oh happiness, by the way!).

I now live my purpose in my everyday actions—at home, at work and in my community. I’m constantly asking myself, how I can create more happiness in this moment, in this space, in these relationships.

Creating happiness is my purpose.

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?

I’m Jess Lyonford, the founder of Project More Happy. Our mission is simple but powerful–to make the science of happiness accessible to all.

At Project More Happy we help people, organizations and communities integrate happiness into their everyday lives using actionable strategies based on The Eight Pillars of Happiness. What’s most exciting about this work is that it’s backed by science yet is deeply personal.

We often think happiness is something we stumble upon, but the truth is that it’s a skill—one we can all practice and get better at. Project More Happy is about giving people and organizations the tools and insights to design lives, systems and environments for flourishing.

Project More Happy offers a range of services including personalized happiness coaching, where I work one-on-one with people to help them cultivate joy and resilience in their daily lives. I also host happiness classes—both in-person and online—to teach and practice the science of happiness.

For organizations, I provide leadership workshops and business consulting, helping companies integrate happiness into their culture, which leads to more engaged, productive and innovative teams.

And of course, there’s the Project More Happy Podcast, where I invite changemakers to share their future visions of flourishing and how happiness plays a central role in it.

My big, bold dream for the future is a world where everyone is flourishing. A world where our environments are intentionally designed for that purpose and where leadership is focused on the greater good. I envision the science of happiness being deeply integrated into our schools, our public spaces and workplaces around the world.

I do this work because I want to create a world that is more just, more sustainable and more firmly rooted in our shared humanity. We have the science and research to make it happen. Now we have to do the work—together.

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

Curiosity, creativity and compassion have hands down been the most impactful qualities in my journey. Curiosity has driven me to ask deeper questions and explore the science of happiness, leading me down paths I didn’t expect but desperately needed. Creativity has allowed me to think outside the box, both in my career and in designing systems that help others flourish. And compassion—both for myself and others—has been essential. It’s allowed me to embrace my own imperfections while understanding the struggles others face. We are all in this together.

My advice for developing these qualities is to start with curiosity. Let it guide you, even if it takes you in unexpected directions. Curiosity opens doors you might not even know existed, so keep learning, exploring and pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone.

Know that creativity isn’t just for artists. We all have the capacity to create and that’s what it’s really about. Creativity is problem-solving, reimagining what’s possible and intentionally building the life and world you want. Don’t be afraid to think differently, try new things and express yourself in ways that feel authentic to you.

And finally, compassion—start with yourself. Give yourself the grace to grow, learn and make mistakes. Then extend that compassion to others. It will not only deepen your relationships but also help you stay connected to what matters most. Compassion is what helps us build the kind of world we all want to live in.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

Yes, I’m always looking for opportunities to collaborate! I’m especially interested in partnering with companies that want to invest in their employees and outcomes by intentionally designing for flourishing. I love working with employee resource groups, wellness programs and professional development teams to bring the science of happiness into the workplace and into schools, helping people thrive both personally and professionally.

I’m also always on the lookout for guests to join me on the Project More Happy Podcast. It’s a space where we share bold, inspiring visions of the future and empower listeners with actionable steps to design a world where we can all flourish together. If you have a vision you’d like to share, head over to projectmorehappy.com/podcast to get in touch.

There’s so much room for collaboration around the science of happiness because it impacts everything—from mindset and relationships to community-building and even our broader societal outcomes. We need to make this science accessible and be intentional about the world we’re co-creating. If you’re interested in partnering or collaborating, I’d love to hear from you!

You can connect with me through the Project More Happy website or find me on LinkedIn.

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