How To Live Life On Your Own Terms - Jessica Dennehy - Pivot & Slay

SPEAKER_00 0:04

This is the Beyond the Story Podcast, a show that goes way beyond the story. And now, Sebastian Frost. Jessica, welcome to the show.

SPEAKER_02 0:25

Thank you so much for having me.

SPEAKER_00 0:27

Thanks for taking some time out of your day to hang out with me. I know you're a busy lady, so uh I feel privileged. And I will kick things off by saying this is way overdue.

SPEAKER_02 0:37

Yeah, I agree.

SPEAKER_00 0:38

Like way overdue, but I blame me. But anyway, we're here. I'm excited about it. So uh I love to tell people's story, not just, hey, what's your story? There's a lot of stories out there. There's a lot of everybody's got a story, everybody's got, but I like to go a little bit beyond the story to the beginning where like post-high school, post-college, where the story really started to develop uh and and be created. I know that you have um a great story. I've heard portions and bits and pieces of it. Um, that's why I wanted to get you on the show so that I can know uh what I don't know uh about that. So let's back up a little bit, help our listeners better understand where the beginning of the story happened. I know you worked on Wall Street, I know you went to law school, um, but where did this, where did the first inclination of, hey, here's what I want to do with life begin? And then we'll start to unpack it from there.

SPEAKER_02 1:24

Wow, we're going far back.

SPEAKER_00 1:26

We're going way back.

SPEAKER_02 1:27

Let's press rewind, yo. Uh, when I was like 10, 11, and 12-ish, I wanted to be first a novelist and an author. And then I was like, well, that's not gonna make me any money. So I'm gonna be a lawyer because I love to debate things with people.

SPEAKER_00 1:48

I think arguing.

SPEAKER_02 1:51

It's not arguing because I'm not invested in their side of it. It's not like I want to you to agree with me. I want to understand something from a different perspective. And I feel like that helps me grow as a person. So I don't say, I guess you could say it's arguing, sure, but like it's not arguing because I want to be right, it's arguing because I want to grow. That's just how I've always thought. And I thought, oh, all right, well, if I'm good at this, if I'm good at like debating things with people and kind of figuring out what the other side looks like, what how could I use that and monetize it? And to me, litigation came to mind because yes, you have to take a side when you're a litigator, but in order to really develop your case and like cross-examine someone properly or close, use a closing argument, you have to understand and anticipate what the other side is going to bring to the table. So I was like, Oh, I could totally do this. I think that I'd be really good at it. And so I from like 11 or 12 on, 11 or 12 on, I really worked to go to law school. That was like the number one thing I wanted.

SPEAKER_00 3:02

At 11 years old.

SPEAKER_02 3:04

Yeah, at 11 years old. Yeah. So I did that. And the rest of my career at school was really for that purpose, like get into the best college I can, so I could get into the best law school that I can. And excuse me, I had some hiccups along the way, but eventually I got to Wall Street, which is what I wanted to do because at the time, the New York Stock Exchange, they rarely hired at a law school, but they had just started and they put you to the fire like right away. So as soon as I got hired, I was able to like go directly into litigation, which is not something that many first-year lawyers get to do.

SPEAKER_00 3:46

So how how does the law and in the stock exchange, how do those all how do they match up? I mean, I know that they obviously work together. I just want to understand how it all works together and you know why they bring in attorneys and what you were doing specifically.

SPEAKER_02 3:59

Oh, yeah. Okay. So basically what they do is they regulate their own customers. So if you want to be an exchange listed firm, you need to pay the exchange to be listed. So they pay the New York Stock Exchange, the firm gets listed, like firms like Merrill Lynch, Goldman Sachs, right? Like Chase, um, JP Morgan. So they pay the exchange to be listed on the exchange, and then they get to trade on that exchange their, you know, their stocks and ownership. So that's a self-regulated industry. Basically, what happened was the SEC, which most people know, prosecutes brokers and firms criminally. But the courts would be inundated if there were civil litigation and criminal litigation all going on in the legal system. So what they did is they gave the exchanges their own power to self-regulate for civil suit purposes. So we regulate for in English, we take away people's licenses, suspend people's licenses, and fine them when either the actual broker or the firm violates any rules.

SPEAKER_00 5:09

That's kind of exciting and work to do, not exciting for the person being well.

SPEAKER_02 5:26

I mean, I was 25 or 42. I graduated law school and I got right on Wall Street, and it was like so much activity and so many people, and everyone was young and it was like a vibrant. And I just remember like walking down the street and being like, oh my God, there's so much energy here, and I'm all about energy. So I'm like, this is great. I love it. And I loved that job for so very long. Like I just enjoyed it because it's creative. I got to, you know, argue different sides like I had wanted to, and I got to be in court. It was cool, like walking in because it's a man's dom a men dominated industry. So I was one of the only women lawyers. I was prosecuting mostly guys who came straight out of high school and were making millions and millions of dollars. Boiler room style. Yeah, yeah, totally. And um, it was fun. It was a lot of fun.

SPEAKER_00 6:21

So that was my next question because you this story I uh associate a lot when I hear stories and similarities. But my friend uh Marie Forlio worked on Wall Street before she got her started. I don't know if you're familiar with Marie and Al, but she's gone on to do incredible things for uh her personal brand and and what she's built an absolute empire. But she did work on Wall Street um, you know, way back when. And it was such a um male-dominated environment that it was it was an uncomfortable, almost uncomfortable environment to work in. And she got to the point where she, I think she I don't know if she shaved her head, but she cut all of her hair off in an effort to like fit into the culture of like male dominance in that workspace on there and eventually grew to hate the position and and then went on to do incredible things for her for her own brand on there. But what what was your experience? Because you know, that was um how how long did you do it for? And what was you know, kind of what was that experience? I can only imagine then. I mean, now we're living in a completely different world, but um yeah, that's my question.

SPEAKER_02 7:19

So I loved it. I mean, I worked there for 10 years, 10 years. And so my experience might differ slightly from your friend because I wasn't at a broker dealer, I wasn't on the floor, which is a crazy place to be. I was, you know, at the New York Sach Exchange in the legal department. And so it wasn't that department was half and half of like 50% male, 50% female, but I was still the youngest female in there by a long shot. Um so my experience with the guys, and I'm gonna say guys because I did, I don't think I ever had a case against a woman. Um, not to say there aren't, but it's just my personal experience. So that the guys that I was dealing with from the floor, they don't like to be, they don't like to be in the room with a woman who's powerful. And I did not want to conform. I don't know if you've noticed that about me in the short time that you've known me, but I don't like to be tamed or attempted to be tamed. I'm like a free spirit and I'm gonna do what I want. And so I was just me. And I think one of the major things that happened to me is that I was able to embrace the masculine energy that drives me to be really successful in life, but also harness that feminine side of myself and not lose it and not yield that to any of the people that I was working with. I just kind of use it as my superpower. Like you think women are weak? Great. I hope you underestimate me as I wiped the floor with you after this courtroom appearance. And that's kind of how I dealt with it.

SPEAKER_00 8:56

It's kind of hot. Uh so uh oh my god.

SPEAKER_02 9:02

Okay, well, that was an unintended yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:04

Oh, is that I mean, it's just kind of like I mean, I'm a little scared. It's just yeah, it's fantastic. Yeah, so um so 10 years, and then what happened after that? What what what was next for you? You got married, had a couple kids?

SPEAKER_02 9:16

Yeah, that happened uh halfway through, I would say.

SPEAKER_00 9:20

Okay, so still like still on Wall Street.

SPEAKER_02 9:22

Did the I was still on Wall Street, yeah. When I got married, I got married maybe two or three years into me being on Wall Street and had a baby a couple years after that. So I started my family while I was there, both children I had when I was in on Wall Street. But what happened to me, and I think this happens to a lot of like really driven people, is I like to keep learning. And so I kind of hit a wall there where the only way to go up was to do something I didn't really want to do. Um, it didn't seem exciting to me. It was like, I don't know, the managerial position above me in the in that role was not for me. It just wasn't enough. I wanted some more excitement, I wanted to learn more. I kind of felt stunted and I didn't really know what to do though. That was the problem, was like, well, my whole life, as I mentioned, right, from like 11 until that moment was to become a lawyer. So, like, that's all I knew. And I didn't really, I underestimated myself by thinking that was all I could accomplish. But luckily, luckily for me at the time, my husband was unemployed and he came up, he was like, Listen, I don't want to work for anybody. Like, I can't do this. I gotta like, I gotta do something for myself. And he had this really great idea that was a need in the marketplace in that moment to open up a brand of luxury barbershops. And I thought he was crazy, and we neither of us know anything about that. So I was like, Well, I'll I'll finance it and just keep working on Wall Street and we'll see what happens, right? Like, not really thinking it would take on this massive life of its own, which is what happened. The business became like so successful, and I really started to see him really love his life. Like he was just like so happy to be his own boss and so happy to have all this freedom, and so happy to be learning and doing something different. And I kind of got the entrepreneurial bug in me and made me realize how miserable I was on Wall Street. And so finally we hit a point in that business where it I we didn't really need my job anymore. And so he was like, just quit and let's just grow this thing. And I was like, oh my God, I'm so scared right now. I have a cushy job on Wall Street, it's prestigious. I have a million-dollar pension. I have, you know, a 401k that's matched, like all the things that people say that we should want. I built my life going through the motions people say that I should go through, and now I'm gonna leave it all behind and start a business. I mean, we had started the business, but like to be both all in 100% was like very scary. So, but I did it because my priorities had changed and my freedom became something that was really important to me, not just because I had kids and I wanted to be a great mom, but I also didn't feel aligned with Wall Street anymore. Like they were giving me cases I didn't feel good about, the landscape was changing, they were regulating things I didn't necessarily agree with. And I was forced to do the work anyway because I worked for someone else. So this opportunity to be more aligned with myself was really interesting and sexy to me. And so I leaned into that, and um, that was when I got my first taste of business ownership.

SPEAKER_00 12:31

And then how many? So, how many locations did you guys open?

SPEAKER_02 12:35

So we went all in on that one, and then when we opened up the second one, we got divorced.

SPEAKER_00 12:42

So hold on a second. Was that because of like business-related stuff, or was it just a conglomerate of everything? Being business owners together and being married? I've never been asked that question before. Well, first time for everything.

SPEAKER_02 12:56

Yeah, I like this question. So nothing's all one thing, you know, marriages end for many reasons. And for me, I was really miserable at the end of my tenure, and I kind of resented him for not being miserable with me. Like he was happy opening up this shop and being an entrepreneur. And at that time, I didn't have that mindset yet. And so I got kind of cranky about it. Like, you're so happy and free, and I feel so caged and miserable. But it was, I didn't know what I wanted. Like I knew I wasn't happy, but I didn't know what would make me happy. And so it was frustrating to see him be so happy, right? So, like, and this isn't this is Monday morning quarterback. I didn't know any of this in the moment. At the moment, I was just like, bah, we're unhappy, and like I don't want to go out on dates. And like he was, you know, nail like clawing at me and I was clawing.

SPEAKER_00 13:47

Fucking touch me.

SPEAKER_02 13:48

Like all the things that normally happen, you know, especially when the kids are little. Sure. Like I lost, I lost myself. I lost myself in being a mom. I was so guilty because I worked on Wall Street for so many hours a week, and then I would miss all this stuff with the kids. And when I came home, I just wanted to be with them. I didn't care about anything else. I didn't want to go out on dates and didn't want to like, I didn't put the work in in my marriage at that point. Um, because I was so guilt ridden that I wasn't being the parent I wanted to be. And so I was just like a disaster at that time. Like I really didn't know like what would make me happy. I didn't know who I was anymore. Like I had lost myself in being a lawyer, then I lost myself in being a mom. And now I'm like, well, who am I? Like, where'd Jessica go? Because like she used to be this fun time and like this animated person, and she just like lost. And so that made me sad. And then he was happy and we just fell apart. And it wasn't the business, like, actually, we still own the business together now. It's thriving. We've opened three locations, we sold one off, and we're opening more. And we're great business partners because we're opposite. Wow.

SPEAKER_00 14:56

But that's pretty rare that that happens because normally it's, you know, somebody buys somebody else out because you know, well, I'll never stop hating you. How are we going to do business together? So the very fact that now, would you say that the reason that things, and I'm sure it wasn't a smooth transition by any stretch of the imagination, but would you say it made it a little easier? Because he was like, This is amazing. My business is amazing. And you were trying to figure yourself out. And when you guys split, it was kind of an opportunity for everybody to do their own thing. Was that kind of how the whole business thing came together for you guys to say, hey, let's just stick this out, even though the marriage didn't work?

SPEAKER_02 15:30

I don't know. I don't know. I don't know that it was like a well thought out plan in that way regard. It kind of just like it happened the way it was supposed to, I guess. Like I we our plan was to for me to leave so that I could be more present with the family and him included. And then also there were two of us on deck for the shops. Um, but it we weren't really in it that long before we everything started falling apart. So I think at that point, because we were in so much turmoil personally, it was seemed overwhelming for one of us to be alone in the business. And so we just did it together because together we kind of formed a decent human being. Whereas, like, because we were both like half there. Does that make sense?

SPEAKER_00 16:14

Yeah, it does. It does. Just how do you remove the emotion? That that's my point.

SPEAKER_02 16:18

Yeah. And like what I think what ended up happening is we had like mutually assured destruction. So, like, if you messed up in the business or I messed up, then we both lost. So now we have this like way to get together and become a team. And I think it ended up like saving our relationship in a lot of ways because we had to get it together. Like, we couldn't let all of our staff see us completely fall apart, right? Especially when we're about to, we were in this new space, building it out together while getting divorced. Like it was pretty crazy how it happened.

SPEAKER_00 16:53

Some bandwidth right there. I mean, it was a lot. We're digging real deep today, ladies and gentlemen. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 16:59

It was a lot, but I think on my personal development, I can't speak for him, but for me, I learned a lot about myself in that time. I learned how to be an entrepreneur, how to let go of the control, the control freak in me, how to go with the flow more, how to learn lessons instead of fearing failure. I learned about who I am and what I want and what makes me happy. And I got to be me. I got to wear what I want to work. I'd have to wear a suit. I got to dye my hair pink, I got to just be free. And I felt for the first, even though I had no idea what I was doing at first, and it was very hard because I was wrangling barbers who are all male, you know, not used to a women's presence at a barbershop. It was like a lot going on, but I learned to be me. And without that, I wouldn't be who I am right now.

SPEAKER_00 17:47

Those barbershops are fucking badass. I don't have any hair, but I want to grow some just so I could go get a cut over there. Yeah, no, they really, I mean, you guys have done a fantastic job. There's uh there's a chain down here called the spot in Miami, and they got locations all over Miami down here. It's like a hundred bucks to get your head shaved. It's ridiculous, but they'll get you drunk.

SPEAKER_01 18:07

Um drunk in a head shave. Yeah. Sounds like a disaster.

SPEAKER_00 18:12

Well, they do the whole hot towel and the whole, you know, let's pour you a drink and shave your head. But um, I bought myself a clipper, a pair of clippers and gave up on barbershops.

SPEAKER_02 18:21

But I think that's a good call for your hairstyle.

SPEAKER_00 18:24

It it totally is. It I I could grow my hair out, Jess. I really could, but the receding hairline is real, and denial is not just a river in Egypt. So um I don't want to look like my dad.

SPEAKER_02 18:36

So I mean no bald on purpose. Nothing.

SPEAKER_00 18:40

I like it.

SPEAKER_02 18:41

You took control.

SPEAKER_00 18:42

Well, I'm I think bald and beautiful is what the category I like to it's like to hover over on there. So, all right, so so barbershops, and then you got into and then this this whole idea of creating your own personal brand and what you're currently doing right now and apex and all that. So, how did all of that come together? How'd you find out about apex? How'd you get in the mix? When did it all begin?

SPEAKER_02 19:02

That's funny, yeah. So, like I what happened was the barbershop's not my baby in concept. My the barbershop is my ex-husband's. That was his, he crafted that and still to this day runs the vision. Like, that's his job. And he's great at it because it's very personal to him, but it was never like my personal love, right? So during the pandemic, our shops were shut down, and I was just like, what am I gonna do? Like, my gut is like just go to action, like start starting something and see what happens. That's like who I am right now. So I was like, I'm just gonna start helping people get through the shutdowns and the reopening. And I used my Instagram account to do that, and so I just started talking about things I know, like law and like yoga helped me mentally. So I started talking about that, and like it just became this compilation of me helping other small business owners. And I was like, man, this makes me really happy. Like, there's so many small business owners here, and they're all so cool, they're all so gritty, and I'm digging this. So I just started doing that, and I didn't really have a game plan, to be honest, but like I had no job at the moment. So I was like, this is great, it's taking up time, it's making me happy, right? And along the way, someone introduced me to a member of Apex, and he really is the one that pushed me to like, he was like, You have a great story, you should write a book. I'm like, ah, a book? Like, who wants to read that? I wrote the book, became a number one bestselling author. So there was like my other childhood dream coming to fruition. It wasn't a novel, but it was still a book. So I think it's a win. And he was like, you know, this consulting thing like could take off. And I'm like, Really? Think so? And that's how I conceptualized Pivot and Slay, which is my consulting company that helps small business owners find freedom. Because the one thing I love about business ownership is that I have freedom to make as much money as I want on a timeline that matches my lifestyle. I get to go and enjoy my life on vacation when I want. I can work from anywhere. You know, I control my life so much more now. And I only have to work with people I like. It's such a utopia. And I don't know why other small business owners are not doing this. They're in like the hustle all the time, and I just want to help them get out. And so that's how I found my passion for helping other business owners. And now I'm like speaking on stage about that and I'm growing my company based on that premise. And it's just the most fun I've had in years because it's just so authentically me. And I feel like I'm living my life my way for the first time in my life, and it's great.

SPEAKER_00 21:41

Me too. So congrats on that. I totally, completely resonate with you on where that's at. I am 100% in my lane and in complete as much as much as I can be control of my life. I do what I want, I go what I want. I'm a 43 year old empty nester. No one needs me home for dinner. No one's So I get a phone call and hop on a plane this afternoon. Uh it's pretty liberating. And uh it also re-anchors that um the the the feeling and and the confidence that we need as entrepreneurs uh to know that we're doing work that matters, but most importantly doing work that we absolutely love uh to do. So I'm so glad that you've been able to find that path. Not everybody finds that. I know a lot of people are trying to figure all of that out, but you know, there is no straight line. I I don't know a lot, but I do know there is no straight line when it comes to success. And then of course, you know, defining whatever success uh, you know, is is to you. So um you talked a little bit about I know you do yoga because I wake up every morning to see your yoga pictures or videos and whatnot. And I'm like, I I don't know if I could do that pose or not, but um, I can do a warrior.

SPEAKER_02 22:45

I can do a warrior a couple years ago. I couldn't do the pose.

SPEAKER_00 22:48

So anything's possible. I could do the warrior, I could do one hell of a head headstand. I'll have to show you in Dallas. I'll just break the middle of the headstand. I'd love to see that. Um, so but uh and when we when we talk about healing, I've been on the healing path for the past I'd say probably seven or eight years now, and um the path found me. Um Sebastian wasn't working, so we had to figure out a better version of Sebastian, and that came out of Sebastian learning how to love himself and also go and heal any past traumatic experiences that I had that I had had. And and then most importantly, on the top of that list was taking full accountability for my life and realizing that every single thing that happens in my life is my fucking fault, nobody else's. And there was a lot of freedom on the other side of that. What has been your experience on your personal journey of healing and becoming the best version of yourself?

SPEAKER_02 23:36

Well, I'm still not the best version. I'm just the best version, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:40

Don't argue with me, lady.

SPEAKER_02 23:41

Just the best version. Yeah, I'm I'm getting better every day. But my healing journey really started after my divorce, and yoga was a huge part of that. But because I couldn't sit still. So, like, really, the journey I've been on, I think is maybe opposite of a lot of what a lot of entrepreneurs feel. So I feel like when I work with them, they're usually trying to get into more of a routine and they're trying to like get dialed into a rhythm. I was over rhythmed. I was like a control freak, like super uh regimented person. And I'm leaning into the flow. So I'm much more carefree and flowy now, and more like whatever's gonna happen is gonna happen. I'm just gonna do the best that I can and I'm gonna keep moving forward and make the mistakes and be imperfect and more embracing myself and not being afraid to be like, yeah, I fucked that up. That was really hard for me. Like I would go through life as a perfectionist because I didn't want to come off as imperfect or, you know, and I think a lot of that did stem from me being in a male-dominated industry for so long because I felt like I was always trying to prove myself and be like, I could do what you do, and I can do it just as good. And I had this like, you know, bone to pick with it. And now I'm just like, all right, so what? Like, and I messed up and what? And I just own it and I move on. And it's so liberating because people that want to take you down, they want to go for the jugular with your mistakes. And if you're just like, yeah, that happened, I made a mistake. It's so disarming to them.

SPEAKER_00 25:21

Yeah, it is.

SPEAKER_02 25:22

They don't know what to do, and you feel so powerful because you're like, you can't take me down. Because there's nothing you can say that I haven't already thought about or tried to judge myself about. Like, I've been through the whole mental motion of it. So, like, I'm gonna just own it, and that's the end of it. And that I think for my healing journey has been the most impactful thing is like you either learn a lesson or you succeed. So you might as well just keep going, make the mistakes, and be okay with it. And I think that's liberating.

SPEAKER_00 25:54

Yeah, love it. What are you scared of?

SPEAKER_02 25:58

Mostly things that have to do with my kids. Like, I don't want to mess them up. I want them to be safe and smart. And I'm terrified of the day that they don't need me as much as they need me now, you know, because that means I have to trust that I did a good job raising them. And as a parent, I think you're always wondering if you could do a little bit better, you know. For me, it's hard because I rate on like on my own. My ex-husband lives far away, and there's no one to tap out like when I need help, like when I'm having a bad day. It's not like I could be like, hey, can you take the reins today? I can't deal with this. It's like it's too bad, so sad. You're gonna have to parent anyway. And in those moments, I'm always like, man, I wish I could have done. I wish I could have said it differently. I wish I could have, whatever, you know. So I think that's my fear.

SPEAKER_00 26:49

I totally get that. And uh, and you know, I've heard that before. I I didn't have that um because I raised my daughter on my own. So I was counting the days until 18. In fact, she went off to college at 18 and I said, Don't come back. I'm serious. Uh, and I meant that in a very loving way because it's time to, you know, you're gonna get there and you're gonna spread your wings. That's what's time to do that. We're not gonna go back on any safety nets on there. And she's doing great. She's 21 and graduates in the in the uh in the uh fall, not the fall, the spring, uh, next year, uh, got a degree in psychology to unpack why her parents are so absolutely crazy. Uh so that's kind of interesting to that that found out, but that that worked out the way it did. But going back to the times that I was raising her, and my goodness, you know, I always joke, I'm like, here's how the parenting went in in my household. I yelled, she cried, and here we are, folks, we got a party. Um, because you know, the the ability to parent at a very young age, I had her at 20, was not the easiest task by any stretch of the imagination. But as I grew into it, and she's an incredible kid, and we had a great, great relationship, and my family's been incredibly supportive and helping me uh turn her into a contributing member of society. But the most freedom that I experienced as a parent was when that I was able to there was two experiences. The first one was when I was able to apologize for whatever it was. And I was able to show her that I mess up too and I'm an imperfect human. I think for a lot of times, especially with past generations, it's like we would put our parents on this pedestal as if they never did anything wrong and we were the only imperfect ones. It was just a process of of becoming. But the the the second the second opportunity I had to to really unpack this with her was to, you know, just to tell her that I'm just making this shit up every single day. I have no idea what I'm doing. And kids are like, whoa, it's like, and it doesn't automatically click, but in retrospect, she'll look back now and say, you know what? And I asked her because I remember when she was a teenager, it was like she would scream and not scream and yell, we're not doing any of that, but she would tell me, you know, I would never date a guy like you. And I'm like, oh, okay. Now she's older and and uh and and a little bit more mature and wiser, definitely, because I said on a scale of one to 10, how did I do? She said 12. I go, Wow, good.

SPEAKER_02 29:07

So I'll Yeah, I have I have that open communication with my girls too, and they get it. Like they they definitely I fall on the sort of law with them. I'm like, listen, I'm just I'm just trying to make it through the day. Yeah. Sorry, guys.

SPEAKER_00 29:19

There's so much, there's so much freedom there and so much growth. You're an incredible mom, and I don't know your girls, but I've watched your life unfold uh via social media, I get all the highlight reels and everything, but I see how committed you are to those girls and that they are at the top of the priority list for your life and that everything else kind of trickles down uh from there. So I just wanted to commend you on that.

SPEAKER_02 29:38

I appreciate that. Thank you so much. And I want other people to hear that because for so long I thought I had to choose like how could I build a career and be a great mom? And I just want other women to know that you can have it all. I mean, not just women, it's parents, but like I think mostly the women feel like it's one or the other, pick a lane. And for so long I thought I was just gonna pick the career lane. And now I have both like an amazing thriving career and amazing daughters. And I just want to show everybody like you can do it. You can, and you should.

SPEAKER_00 30:11

I'm glad you clarified not just women, because I felt wildly attacked.

SPEAKER_02 30:15

So I know I saw your face.

SPEAKER_00 30:16

I'm glad you cleaned that up real quick. Nice save, Jess. Nice save. Well, um, yeah, I feel like you and I could go on for another hour, but um the show's usually about 30 minutes long. So we're gonna taper things off here in just a couple minutes. But what are some final thoughts you can share with our listeners?

SPEAKER_02 30:32

I think that you just have to stay committed to who you are and and really embrace that authenticity that you have in you. Because no matter what you do, if you own a business or you don't, living a life that's authentic and real is the best thing you can do for your own happiness. And the most people who are miserable are miserable because they don't like themselves. So find a way to pour into you and start liking the person that you are because you're amazing.

SPEAKER_00 30:57

That's great advice and great final thoughts. I have a final question. So let's hypothetically say that you and I uh are at an event. Maybe we're speaking at the same event together and we're at the there's an after party at the hotel bar, and I quickly spot a karaoke bar in the hotel, and I look at you and I go, Jess, let's do it. And you go, let's do it. What duet would you and I sing?

SPEAKER_01 31:16

Love Shack.

SPEAKER_00 31:18

Yeah, let's go, Tin Root Rusted. I just pulled that up on Spotify the other day. That's wild that you say that. Cosmic thing. I mean, it's almost one of my deserted island uh albums after uh Counting Crows, August and Everything After.

SPEAKER_02 31:33

That's a good one, real good one.

SPEAKER_00 31:35

B52s, gosh, what a great cover, too! So bright and vibrant.

SPEAKER_02 31:39

I'm not saying I would do great job, but I'll do it.

SPEAKER_00 31:41

Oh no, I listen, they wouldn't mention uh great job, it's just about it's karaoke, baby. Let's go.

SPEAKER_02 31:46

I mean, you saw the whole thread about me doing Nick Nicki Minaj karaoke.

SPEAKER_00 31:50

That was outstanding.

SPEAKER_02 31:51

More I know that whole song by heart. So I can tell to this.

SPEAKER_00 31:56

More wig, please. More wig. So well, uh, if you're listening to right now, you want to connect with Jessica. I'm gonna put all of her information in the description of this podcast episode, which is also known as the show notes sometimes, but you may not know what that is. So make sure that you connect with Jessica. She's an absolutely incredible human being. It's my absolute pleasure uh to be connected with her and call her a friend. In fact, the time we're recording this episode, I get a chance to actually breathe the same air as her this week because we'll both be in Dallas uh with our mastermind group Apex. I'm looking forward to that. Jessica, uh, keep winning and keep doing everything that you're doing in life. You're doing it right. And um I believe in what you're doing. I see you. Uh, and again, it's just a privilege to be connected with such a great human like yourself.

SPEAKER_01 32:33

Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_00 32:35

Until next time, friends. Thanks so much for tuning into this episode of the Beyond the Story Podcast. Be sure to appreciate it. If you haven't done so already, make sure you're subscribed to the show. This way you'll get updates as new episodes become available. If you feel so inclined, please leave us a review. Be sure to appreciate it. Signing off from the podcast, launchlab.com studios. We'll talk to you next time.