Meet Jenni Prisk

We recently connected with Jenni Prisk and have shared our conversation below.

Jenni , thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
Wikipedia describes resilience as: “…the ability to cope mentally and emotionally with a crisis, or to return to pre-crisis status quickly.”

I had to overcome a mental health crisis in the 1990s which threatened to shut down my business and my life. I received medicinal help but because I’ve always had a strong sense of optimism, that’s also what helped me through as it continues to do today. My maternal grandmother had a tough life, yet she too was always optimistic, and I know she gave me that gift.

Now at 75 years of age, I realize that resilience also comes from learning from and supporting others. I’ve been fortunate to learn from women around the globe (Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, India, New Zealand – my place of birth, and more) who struggle to find their place in business, or non-governmental work and even in their families, yet who present a resilient, positive and optimistic face to the world. They believe in the power of hope. Their resilience has rubbed off on me, so when I’m doubting or down, I think of them and how much greater their hardships are, then pull myself up and see who I can help. There’s always someone whose need is greater than mine.

Thinking of others takes us out of ourselves and puts us in a different place from which we are frequently able to view our own situation with fresh eyes and new intelligence. I try to start each day by sending a message to someone I know who is having a rough time. By focusing on their needs, not mine, there is a shift in mentality and outlook, and consequently resilience builds.

I also try to understand where other people are coming from when their remarks or attitude are confronting. What have they dealt with today? What challenges are they facing? Who has upset their “apple cart?” Stepping into another’s shoes provides a new perspective that can build resilience!

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?
Every day feels exciting because it’s another day above ground! When I reached my seventh decade I recognized that my thinking was changing, my view of the world was, broadening and my sense of adventure heightened.

I opened a Communications business, Prisk Communication, in 1990, in San Diego California, after moving there with my husband in 1983. My focus was on public speaking, leadership and assertiveness training. I’m still working part time and love every minute of it. However, my direction is changing.

In 2021, during Covid, I wrote a self-help memoir -Stand In Your Spotlight – An Ode to Living Fully (available on Amazon) especially for women (however, men can read it too!) It’s filled with recommendations for empowerment, growth, health, and overcoming obstacles.

Now I want to share my keynote presentation – Aging (Dis)gracefully – with everyone, young and old. If our bodies are strong as we age, we can do (almost) anything. We have skills and talents that can be shared. We have wisdom gathered over the years that can be passed on. We’ve had pain that we’ve overcome that can be explained to others to lessen their fears. We are unafraid to speak our minds, share our thoughts, and grace others with our humor and pizzazz!

We are all aging! Yet sometimes this experience is looked on as depressing, or worthless or just marking time. We get only one life, this is not a dress rehearsal, so being able to wake up each day with a strength of purpose gives us energy (and resilience!) I have been fortunate to surround myself with people 30-40 years younger than me. They have brilliant careers and we share the ups and downs of their trajectory. I just directed a play for the first time and can’t wait to direct the next. I’ve started painting after taking some classes, and love this new expressive experience. I spend hours in my garden. I’m a theatre critic which keeps my mind alive through writing. And I mentor several people. None of this is exhausting, it’s exhilarating.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Vision, Integrity and Passion! I use these words when I’m facilitating leadership workshops as they invite everyone to be a VIP!

When starting a business or an enterprise, you must have vision and a Vision. Know where you want to go, how you want to get there, and what you will do when you have arrived (e.g. write another vision?) How are you different from others? What will make your business succeed? What is the void you are filling in your industry? Why would anyone hire you? What are your milestones and guideposts?

Integrity has been depleted of late in our world. Promises are broken, lies are told, people are “taken in” by grandiose ideas and concepts. Yet those who have integrity rise to the top. Honesty and trust are paramount to being successful. A person who does what they say they will do, who doesn’t compromise, and can put clients and others first will win in business. When it’s not about the financials, but about the faithfulness to a vision and outcome, the results are golden.

Passion is energy in its finest form! Passion shows up in our intentions, our practices and our execution. Passion ignites others and moves them forward. Passion is wearing a smile and putting your whole being into success and outcomes. Sometimes passion can go overboard, so it needs a check from time to time, however when you fully believe in something, share that passion with everyone, it’s catching!

What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing in areas where you aren’t as strong so you can be more well-rounded?

We all have our strengths. They help us to achieve our current role or status. But each of us has a blind spot or areas for improvement. Not just for our careers but for our lives. That’s why mentoring and coaching are such important skills.

It’s much easier for others to see our defective areas. We may refuse to acknowledge them, or we just may not know that they exist. When pointed out by a trusted advisor, the results can be revelatory.

Over the many years that I’ve been a coach and trainer, I’ve had the opportunity to watch people grow, adopt new skills, and change. One example was of a senior manager who was excellent at utilizing their job skills and as a consequence was promoted to an executive role. The company believed that with their skill set the division would flourish. But it didn’t. It started going downhill so I was brought in for a conversation. After investigation it turned out that the executive lacked effective communication skills. They were was blunt, critical, and non-inclusive with the team. The morale dropped and people kept finding excuses not to come into work.

Time spent with the executive started to pay off. I had to be very careful with their ego, which was fragile (often the most aggressive people are the most vulnerable) and they were loathe to work with me for a start. But as time progressed and an understanding of the requisite skills was established, they started to change. They became excited to report on successes in the team, changes in attitude and aptitude, and healthier relationships developed internally and externally.

For that executive, becoming more well-rounded paid interpersonal dividends, not only for them but for others, which starts the necessary ripple effect.

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Image Credits
all of these photos were taken by me or my husband. We love to travel!!

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