We were lucky to catch up with Jenny Smith recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jenny, thanks for joining us today. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?

One day, I was sitting in front of the computer attending a training about cultural adaptation. Suddenly, I was struck by the parallels between living cross-culturally and transitioning to life with a disability.

My journey with disability began when I was sixteen years old after I sustained a C6-7 spinal cord injury that left me paralyzed from the chest down and without the use of my hands. I had entered the world of disability without training on how to survive.

I turned off the camera in the middle of the training. My heart hurt for the thousands of people who navigate the new world of disability without support. Who is helping people with disabilities transition to a new way of life?

For over a decade I worked with people who live and work overseas in a cross-cultural context. They must learn a new language and culture. They experience the loss of friends and family members and may lose connection to beloved traditions. They must learn a new system of government, healthcare, and transportation. I helped my nondisabled coworkers name these challenges, grieve their losses, and thrive in their new surroundings.

Those of us with disabilities also must learn a new language, one full of medical terminology. Many people lose close relationships with friends and family. Traditions are lost. Each day can feel overwhelming. Life is difficult, requires more energy, and everything we do takes longer. It takes time to understand government assistance, healthcare, and transportation. We need to learn how to thrive in our new surroundings.

Why hadn’t I seen the parallels before?

The cross-cultural workers I supported had months of training and preparation before they moved. We intentionally scheduled time to talk about their emotional and spiritual health in their new location.

But a disability occurs without notice. We have no training or preparation to make this transition.

In that brief moment, I realized I could adapt the models of cross-cultural transition and debriefing to support people with disabilities.

Since that day several years ago, I began to write material. In February 2023, I took a leap of faith and began to facilitate online groups using these models. The workbook The Journey: Discovering Emotional and Spiritual Health after Disability
will be released on February 28, 2024.

That one moment—and acting upon it—created a resource to support people struggling with the emotional impact of disability.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

When I was 16 years old, I sustained a C6-7 spinal cord injury, leaving me paralyzed from the chest down. After completing my master’s degree in counseling psychology, I distributed wheelchairs for eight years in developing countries. For over 13 years, I supported cross-cultural workers as they served overseas.

Now I use my training to support and encourage people in their emotional, physical, and spiritual health as they adapt to life with a disability. I provide education, practical solutions, resources, and hope so people can live full and productive lives on my website JennySmithRollsOn.com. I speak to a wide variety of audiences about spinal cord injuries, traveling with a disability, and living the impossible.

In my book Live the Impossible, I tell my story of living with a spinal cord injury and share my message that we can all live the impossible even when life doesn’t go as planned.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

For about 5 years in my previous position, I was ready for a change. I wasn’t unhappy; I loved the people I worked with and supported. But in my gut, I knew it wasn’t time yet. After that defining moment when I realized I could use my educational and professional background in a different capacity—supporting people with disabilities—I knew I’d found “it.” In the evenings after work, I adapted the models of cross-cultural transition to the world of disability. And I waited some more. Finally, in November of 2022, I started to talk with people I trusted about changing roles. I wanted the wisdom and experience of others around me to decide how to move forward. By moving slowly and having the input of others, my transition into a new organization and position went very smoothly.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I’m not sure if perfectionism is an innate trait or something that is learned. I think it’s a combination of both—a bit like the old question, “What came first, the chicken or the egg?” In my case, I grew up doing competitive gymnastics, which taught me valuable lessons in time management, resilience, and hard work. However, I also developed perfectionistic tendencies that affected my grades, work, and how others perceived me. Only after a long process of letting go of unrealistic standards can I say that I’m a “recovering perfectionist.”

Contact Info:

• Website: JennySmithRollsOn.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenny.smith.rolls.on/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JennySmithRollsOn/
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/jenny-smith-rolls-on
• Youtube: youtube.com/JennySmithRollsOn