We were lucky to catch up with Jenna Ricciardi recently and have shared our conversation below.
Jenna, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
From a young age I feel like it was ingrained in me from my parents to be strong & believe that I could truly make things happen for myself. I always felt like I was confident & did things to make myself happy vs making other people happy. I picked out clothes for me vs what others would like, found my own style, stayed with friends that I felt good around vs ones that made me self-conscious or were not trustworthy.
Confidence has to come from you as well as your self-esteem. Your friends, family & significant other cannot do it for you – you truly have to have it from within yourself. I had moments of course like anyone else growing up where I felt insecure, but the older I got/continue to get, that is all gone. I wake up every day knowing I am giving my all to my family, my career & my friends. I feel good about the choices I make, and who I spent time with.
There is a huge difference in being cocky and being confident and having good self-esteem. I do not think I am better or deserve more than anyone else, but I know what I am worth & what I am capable of in life. The biggest compliment my older daughter gave me, was she told me that she sees me as so confident, and that when I wake up in the morning, I do not doubt myself. The fact that she views me as strong & confident really made my heart swell. That is all I want for my babies too.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am a Brooklyn born & raised girl now in suburban NJ (but in the city as much as I can be) wife, daughter, sister & mother of 2 beautiful girls (plus my pup Hendrix). I got my Bachelors Degree in TV & Radio, my Masters Degree is in Counseling with focus on School as well as Mental Health Counseling. I worked counseling kids until I became a Mom. I then switched gears into becoming a Content Creator. My brand/channels represent our real life, our travels, our adventures, things we love, & Millennial Mom life.
I am in the process of launching my podcast, Lets Talk About It, With Jenna. I am hoping it will be ready early 2024. I am grateful for all of the opportunities I have had and been able to share with family & friends because of the work I do. I take none of it for granted. I know that no one in my inner circle really understands what I do, & I don’t talk about it in huge detail, but I love when I can share some of it with my loved ones.
My professional goals for the future are launching my podcast, contributing to magazines & tv shows – you never know what can happen!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Confidence – I am a confident gal (a Leo/Cancer mix who is absolutely more Leo). I believe being confident helped me reach for the stars. I never felt I needed to be held back in any way from achieving goals I had for myself. I am a make it happen girl, if I want it, I will make it happen. Confidence and good self-esteem is the key for success. REAL confidence from the inside, knowing that you deserve it.
Outgoing – I believe since I am so outgoing, it has absolutely helped me professionally. I can talk to anyone, and I am always polite, engaged & respectful. Not being scared of introducing myself & making connections absolutely has made a big difference for me.
Organized – Sometimes I am a scatter brain but I thrive on organization. I have a calendar that is the key to my survival, notes, lists, reminders – this helps me stay sane. I follow up, I circle back, I get the work done & try to keep to a schedule. Chaos makes me anxious and organization helps me stay on track.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
My parents told my sister & I from a young age that we needed an education and to be able to support ourselves – not rely on a husband. My dad is actually pretty traditional, but he always pushed us to make our own way and success. They were able to make sure we both got great educations & set us up for success in life. They believed we could, so we did. My mom was and is and will always be my person, my go-to, my peace, my rock. She was there through every hard moment and time in my life. My dad always ingrained in us school, work hard, strong work ethic, & make sure you can take care of yourself.
Contact Info:
- Website: jennaricciardi.com
- Instagram: thejennaricciardi
- Facebook: thejennaricciardi
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejennaricciardi/
