We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jacqueline Smith. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jacqueline below.
Jacqueline , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Any thoughts around creating more inclusive workplaces?
Every Phase Leadership collaborates with mission-driven organizations and individuals, delivering impactful leadership training and actionable plans to fuel leaders’ success. Our approach fosters an inclusive work environment, empowering leaders at all stages by amplifying their confidence and capabilities. The Press to Lead podcast shines a spotlight on hidden community leaders, elevating their voices and inspiring others. It is important that organizations create safe spaces for individuals to share their stories and their experiences. This creates a more inclusive environment and provides an organization with the opportunity to continue to grow and learn from one another. I have worked in environments where I did not feel my voice was always heard, or my skills were not fully utilized. When I was given the opportunity to receive mentorship and leadership opportunities, I developed a confidence that could not be shaken. I was willing to take on more opportunities, collaborate and share my ideas in spaces that were not always the most welcoming. I wanted to create Every Phase Leadership to help organizations and leaders meet their mission, and do it well!
Jacqueline , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My name is Jacqueline Smith and I am based in North Carolina. I have a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science from UNC Chapel Hill, a Masters in Health Administration/Organizational Leadership from Pfeiffer University and a Doctorate in Education from Gardner-Webb University. I have worked in healthcare and higher education, including the Ivy League for 20 years, and and have focused on projects related to leadership, inclusion, and public health issues that impact rural and urban communities. Every Phase Leadership was created as an expansion of my doctoral work. I have worked closely with mission-driven organizations and am passionate about the well-being of individuals that are working to improve the needs of our society. I realized that leaders in organizations are not always able to take care of their professional or personal development, because of the extensive work they are doing in communities, so I decided to bring leadership training and development to them. I have worked in the spaces of the leaders I serve, and I understand the individual and organization’s needs. Every Phase Leadership provides custom retreats, leadership training, courses, individual coaching. The programs are research-based and include an evaluation that is shared with the organization and used to help Every Phase Leadership continuously improve. In addition, we offer resources such as blogs and case studies to help organizations stay connected with industry insights. As far as upcoming initiatives, we are launching the Press to Lead podcast, elevating the voices of women in communities at every phase of leadership to share their stories and their leadership journey. I am also working on a faith-based book on leadership principles for young women aspiring to lead. We are also launching a line of organizational products and stationery to help leaders on their journey and bring beautiful inspiration to their space under the Press to Lead brand. Our first product is the Press to Lead reading journal. Reading and learning from other leaders is a great way to enhance your leadership skills and knowledge. The journal provides a place to document what was learned and track your reading. It’s also important as a lifelong learner, so I have partnered with Bookshop.org as an affiliate to share my own leadership and reading lists on the website.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
After I completed my Doctorate in 2019, I planned to expand my work and launch my business fully, however, I became engaged to my husband Charlie in a month later, but a week after that I lost my brother Gary, to sarcoidosis. Working in healthcare, I understood the challenges of the disease. Our last conversation was him encouraging me to “start my business and do something amazing”. When I think of my clients, I think of him. He was a leader in a corporate organization, a community volunteer, a husband, and so many things, but he had to lead in spite of his health challenges. I wanted to create something that was positive uplifting and encouraging for leaders to ensure they could continue to move forward. This was also a lesson of resilience for me, because I wanted to change direction, but when I realized I needed something like Every Phase Leadership in my leadership journey, I knew that it was necessary and real. With prayer, research and planning I took the steps to offer my consulting services. Through COVID and beyond, I have worked with universities, foundations and smaller non-profits. I began to write down my goals in my journal for Every Phase Leadership and broke them down into smaller actionable steps. I had the opportunity to be an adjunct professor and it was an amazing opportunity to learn what aspiring leaders needed, and how I could help them on their journey. We are also working to launch an Every Phase Leadership for Kids, which will offer resources for kids to help them have healthy and whole lifestyles as they grow into leaders. I have recently partnered with my husband, Charlie Smith a professional illustrator. We launched our first children’s book in May, Charlie’s Veggie Doodles on Amazon.
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
The most effective strategy for me to grow my clientele has been through relationships I already have in the professional space, and word of mouth. I have met so many amazing people and had the opportunity to present, because someone attended a training I conducted in the past. This always boosts my confidence, because it reminds me that my work is impactful and memorable. It also ignites my faith even more, and lets me know that God has not forgotten me and I am walking my purpose of encouraging and supporting other leaders! I also like to create a personal touch for all of my clients, so I send a small thank you gift of a journal when someone signs up with me for training. I hope this small gesture will encourage them to write their goals down. In addition, we have started to grow our social media platform. It is a new venture for us, but we plan to stick with it and grow organically!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.everyphaseleadership.com
- Instagram: everyphaseleadership
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqueline-brown-smith-edd-mha-msl-6794a76
- Other: Charlie’s Veggie Doodles: Instagram: @charliesveggiedoodles TikTok: everyphaseleadership Pinterest: everyphaseleadership
Image Credits
All photos belong are original of Jacqueline Smith – no external credits needed.