Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Elizabeth Jennings. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Elizabeth, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.
In 2014, my life was at a high point. I was married, had two children, and an abundance of family and friends. I worked at a challenging but rewarding job as an occupational therapist. Then in 2015, my life took a drastic turn when I lost my mother, my marriage, my financial stability, and even my health. I would eat and eat as my outlet and started to adopt habits that were not congruent with me. I did not know who I was any longer. So, I fell on my knees and prayed. God answered my prayers, and suddenly I realized that I could not live ‘fake’ anymore.
This discovery led me on a journey towards seeking and discovering wholeness and health in every sense of the word. I took a much-needed sabbatical and worked on my own personal and self-development for a year. Then, I was ready to embark on my professional career from a healed and healthy place. Over the next seven years, I started my business, Remember You Matter, authored books, and created programs, courses, workshops, and events that resonated with my true, honest, and authentic self to help others dealing with grief, trauma, or mental and emotional challenges.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My name is Dr. Elizabeth Jennings, professionally I am an occupational therapist with a doctorate degree and 22 years of experience. I am certified as a mindfulness & integrative wellness life coach who specializes in working with youth and adults, with a focus on trauma, anxiety, and depression. As an occupational therapist, I have spent 19 years working with children with developmental disorders, rehabilitating military veterans, and making a major impact within businesses, organizations, and communities by helping individuals to manage difficult life transitions and overcome obstacles to success with resiliency and confidence. I serve as a consultant, Certified MEASURE Educator, for MEASURE Austin, which takes a data-centric approach to address systemic injustices in all aspects of the community and provides resources to restructure. I am the CEO of Remember You Matter Coaching, Consulting, and Mentoring which provides individual coaching and group workshops for youth ages three and up dealing with adjustment issues, low self-confidence and esteem, suicidal and homicidal thoughts, and behavior difficulties.
Personally, I am a trailblazer, visionary, and creative who is full of passion about motivating and inspiring others to action. I am a single mother of two teenagers, and I know first-hand the pressures of balancing happiness, life, work, health, family, and well-being in an ever-changing world.
In 2018, after binge reading “Jump” by Steve Harvey, I was inspired and took a leap of faith and decided to start my own business and become an entrepreneur. “Jump” discussed the beauty in taking risks, not being afraid of change, and embracing the inner passions and curiosities that we have inside. I chose to pivot from solely focusing on my primary profession as an occupational therapist to pursuing my passion in the field of coaching kids, teens, and adults to remember that their life matters, has value, and to never give up despite the obstacles they may face. The result of my own personal “jump” was the creation of Remember You Matter Coaching, Consulting, and Mentoring. This business was named after my mother who died of stomach cancer in 2015. My mother used to always tell me to “remember you matter” when I struggled with relationship and friendship issues in the past.
Through Remember You Matter LLC. Services, I help individuals find and discover their identity and purpose to live better, more fulfilling, and healthier lives by developing resilience, overcoming obstacles, and choosing to not give up on life or themselves. In addition, Remember You Matter offers additional resources such as a podcast, thirteen books authored by Dr. Jennings, and even online courses.
Through Remember You Matter, I help people who feel like their life is stuck or going in a downward spiral to rebound and discover the tools, strategies, and life plan to turn things around. “I empower clients to know that it’s never too late to try another path, no matter what the circumstances because there are gifts and talents inside of everyone that need to be nurtured in order to grow, change, or transform their life for the better.”
During the pandemic, I launched another impactful project, Boys Matter 2 Men which was started in July 2019 and became a 501c3 nonprofit in 2021. Through Boys Matter 2 Men, boys are paired with mentors, and they engage in group sponsored activities such as Artisan Mechanic Workshop, cooking workshop, indoor and outdoor home upkeep workshop, and woodworking. The program currently involves twenty-two men and sixty-five boys including chapters at local schools. The program supports both the mentors and the boys by teaching them solid principles of communication, respect, etiquette, financial literacy, creative expression, coping skills, and offering a safe space for community on sensitive topics. In addition to supporting boys and men, the program also supports moms and caregivers by providing coaching for moms and caregivers on the importance of their words and eliminating limited beliefs that degrade men based on past experiences.
Boys Matter 2 Men has been well-received by our community and has community partners and neighboring youth organizations who have connected to share resources, events, and support one another. In response to overwhelming support and at the request of the local community, I also recently in 2023 developed a similar program for girls called Women to Girls with the long-term vision of expanding both youth programs for boys and girls beyond my local area to neighboring cities by partnering with churches, schools, and community organizations.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
I suffered for years in a difficult marriage, but my life finally hit rock bottom in 2015 when my mother died from stomach cancer and a week later, I filed for divorce from the man I had known for 12 years old. This was a life-changing year for me, and I was having a tough time. My marriage was rough throughout – I held things together all those years probably because I wanted my mom to be proud of me – but things really surfaced when I lost her. I was also in two car accidents during that same 6-month period. I could barely walk; had to have spinal injections. I was working for a local school district as an occupational therapist. “Being a single mom with two kids and struggling not only emotionally but financially … At one point, I had to work three jobs.” With two children depending on me and no one else to turn to, I could not afford to sit around and feel sorry for myself, so I began to look deep down inside and somehow found the strength and the courage for the first time to admit that I needed help and had to be okay with asking for help. That has been a transformative experience in my life.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
Our voice is a powerful tool. There is power in learning to tap into one’s voice and speak up for what they believe. Growing up, I was very shy, introverted, and felt my voice sounded deep like a man, so I was afraid to speak up and express my thoughts and feelings. This is a lesson and behavior that I had to unlearn by learning the value of my voice and the positive impact that my voice has on helping to encourage, motivate, and inspire people.
So now I instruct people through my brand, business, and organizations, to engage in conversations that are open, honest, and authentic. I teach people the importance of two-way conversations where people listen to one another as they express their thoughts and feelings. There is healing in the ability to engage in conversations that are intentional in places of work, schools, churches, communities, and in homes with families. By encouraging conversations where people are allowed to talk and express their honest feelings and emotions and where they have a safe space to connect and feel like someone is really listening to what they have to say, allows them to feel seen and heard; this really matters.
In addition to open expression, the other person involved in the conversation should listen and respond without judgment so the person expressing themself feels seen and heard. When open and honest communication occurs, and people feel genuinely listened to, then inner healing occurs also. Compromise can occur, people start to feel that their voice matters, and understanding and acceptance is present and evident. This is a big step towards bringing healing to damaged relationships through open and honest two-way communication.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.rememberyoumattercoaching.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rememberyoumattercoaching/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rememberyoumattercoaching
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethjenningsotdcoach/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3hiikyUYWP-f1WzG9Kkzxg
- Other: https://www.amazon.com/Dr.-Elizabeth-Jennings/e/B07N93MGVJ%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share
- Boys Matter 2 Men website https://www.rememberyoumattercoaching.com/boys-matter-to-men
- Boys Matter 2 Men Facebook Group/Community https://www.facebook.com/groups/2599679800051192
- Living Bold Podcast link https://soundcloud.com/user-486943806
- Living Bold Podcast Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/LivingBOLDPodcast
Image Credits
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