We were lucky to catch up with Jenn Fredericks recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Jenn thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you share a story about the kindest thing someone has done for you and why it mattered so much or was so meaningful to you?

I’m on my fourth kidney!
The kindest thing that anyone – actually that TWO people – has ever done for me was donating their spare.

When I was a teen I was diagnosed with membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis and needed dialysis while potential living, related donors were worked up to see if they could donate to me. After six months of dialysis (for three hours, three times a week), my Dad was my first kidney donor! I was able to go back to a “normal” teenage life and for 18 years the kidney served me faithfully.

In 2012, my health deteriorated and the search was on again. I had my first transplanted kidney removed due to a renal cell carcinoma and lived without ANY working kidneys at all. Dialysis kept me alive for several months. I was in the middle of a three hour dialysis treatment when my brother-in-law (my husband’s fraternal twin brother) called and asked, “Are we doing this?” We were a match and several months later I received another gift of life which is serving me well to this day!

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?

I’m a two-time kidney transplant recipient who’s been navigating my chronic illness journey for three decades and also guiding my daughter through her life-threatening, chronic illness treatment for the past eight years. I’ve been told I’m a beacon of resilience and hope for others – although to me, it’s just my normal life.

After my daughter’s diagnosis with a low grade brain tumor I found it difficult to manage the uncertainty, overwhelm and anxiety. It’s one thing to manage your own challenges but to see someone you love so much start on the same path of chronic illness at such a young age is an entirely different story. I sought professional help and found some relief and support…until I was laid off from my corporate marketing job and I realized that I wasn’t doing quite as well as I’d thought.

One time in high school – all the way back in the ’90’s – someone told me I’d be a good life coach. I didn’t even know what that was yet the idea popped back in my head. I remembered a past colleague who had transitioned to coaching so I set up a coffee chat and three months later I was in a coaching certification course. I thought I did it for my career but in reality it was for me…to heal me.

I contracted with an awesome coaching company and focused on general personal and professional development for seven years and then finally knew it was time to go out on my own. I started Jenn Fredericks | Prosilience Coach in January of 2024.

As a Prosilience Coach and a Personal Resilience Practitioner, my passion is guiding chronic illness patients and their caregivers from fear, depletion and uncertainty to living with more comfort, confidence, calm and contentment by building their Prosilience (proactive resilience).

I offer 1:1 coaching, group coaching, workshop facilitation, interactive talks and keynote speeches. I really enjoy guesting on podcasts, blogging and being a guest writer for other blogs as well.

My lived experience and deep understanding of the demanding, unique challenges that patients and caregivers face sets me apart in the coaching world as does my training, especially the training I’ve completed with the Resilience Alliance. The evidence based framework of Prosilience empowers the people I work with to move from uncertainty, fear and depletion to experiencing more ease and contentment in life, fostering a greater sense of well-being during this marathon of chronic illness.

I’m most proud that I offer a space of respite and comfort for patients and caregivers while giving them a sense of hope. I’ve been where they are and know there’s a way to truly enjoy the life they’re working so hard to heal. It’s my honor to walk alongside them with true care, understanding, enthusiasm, compassionate humor and wise and gentle guidance.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

I think what’s most helpful for succeeding in the coaching field is to be unapologetically yourself. Me being my authentic self gives others the permission to do the same so we can connect and communicate on a much deeper, trusting level. Me being me all of the time attracts only those who will be best served by my work.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

I’m drawn to resources that as soon as I encounter them I know “what I see is what I get.” There’s that authenticity piece again. I really enjoy reading emails and blogs by Mark Silver with Heart of Business and I followed Tad Hargrave with Marketing for Hippies for quite a while. Currently I’m reading “The Power of Full Engagement” by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz and re-reading “The Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruis and “Close to the Bone: Life Threatening Illness as a Soul Journey” by Jean Shinoda Bolen, M.D.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.prosiliencecoach.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jfredwi/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennfredericks/
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/@ProsilienceCoach (This is rather new and I have a playlist of the podcasts I’ve guested on: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD_fqp5OCB-XC-YTgiYJbtMpBaR1iVQBl&si=Shw6i-NOpc9lfZ8U)