About Jennifer

I started working at 14, with my first job in the restaurant industry. Like many others, this industry teaches invaluable core skills essential for both life and work. However, it holds a special place in my heart because of how much I learned. My leadership career began at 23, and by 25, I was a Director of Training and Recruiting. By 27, I stepped into an Area Director role, gaining firsthand experience in high-stakes leadership. That role was incredibly challenging—I had to develop a specific skill set to succeed. While I have no negative memories, navigating senior leadership as a woman came with its own challenges. I had to cultivate a strong presence, condition my mindset, and develop the ability to make tough decisions when no one else would. I had to have difficult conversations—whether addressing a struggling manager or supporting a leader through a problem I couldn’t solve. I was driven by results and productivity, consistently surpassing goals—that’s why I advanced so quickly. But I also had to learn the harder side of leadership: working with people who didn’t think like me—or even like me. I had to master strategy and influence, align leaders across 15+ restaurants, and gain buy-in from my training team. After that, I transitioned to a $4.5B company with 18,000 employees, where I led leadership development initiatives and managed a team of training managers. We designed leadership programs, developed initiatives, wrote policies, and coached salaried employees. We worked tirelessly to prove that our organizational strategy could drive both company success and shareholder value. These past 25 years have shaped my understanding of resilience, growth, and what it truly takes to lead with confidence and purpose.