We were lucky to catch up with Jenna Ricciardi recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Jenna thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

I grew up thinking my home was pretty normal. 2 married parents. My mom stayed at home and as we got older she went back to work. My dad worked very hard to make sure we wanted for nothing & they both set us up for success in life. We had family dinner every night. We talked about prioritizing education, about career paths, about as women to make sure we had our own money and can take care of ourselves. What they got right was being there, being present, showing up for every moment big & small. They had important conversations with us, and it was really drilled into us to be ambitious, and to make things happen in our life. My dad had thought I would be an excellent lawyer (of course as a first born type a daughter I would have been), he also suggested I would excel in Public Relations. They paid attention to the qualities that were in me that would fit in different careers. Their presence, their involvement & their values shaped who I am today.

Jenna, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I grew up in Brooklyn, spent my whole life there. Now I bounce back & forth between suburban & city life. My bachelors degree is in TV & Radio, my Masters Degree is in Counseling & I work now for myself as a full-time content creator for over 8 years. This evolved as I became a Mom, fully immersing myself in motherhood & raising my girls. My content reflects my life, & I never boxed myself into one thing (I was told to) because thats just not me. Years ago my focus was on all of the places fun for kids, & all things related to my babies when they were much younger. Now it is evolved as I was able to put some focus back on myself, getting myself healthy, prioritizing wellness & self-care. My content will always be completely connected to the things happening in my life.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me it’s having the space to expand and evolve. It is the opportunity that has been created for my family, & also. my friends . I have been including them when possible in all of the opportunities that have come my way . I also have been able to balance sharing parts of my life, with keeping a lot private, especially when its related to my daughters, Being able to build a brand, a company & grow, while staying true to myself has been great. The overall most rewarding thing is being able to share everything with my daughters, show them balance as a mom and a business owner, and show them what is possible.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

Without a doubt, in my line of work, it’s for people to understand and support what you do. When I first started over 8 years ago, no one understood what my “job” was going to be, how it was going to support my family, or what on earth this was. That itself took time for people to get, that this was not going to be some “cute” little hobby. I totally understood because no one in my world family or friends, has any type of career like mine, so it’s natural they would not get how it all works. You can show you care by asking questions, by learning. by showing interest. The other thing is I think people need to understand more about what support looks like. In social media, every like, comment, share, is how you show support. I see support from some friends, not from others. Some would absolutely brag on you, because they see how hard you work and all the hours you are doing, others do not. I definitely feel like I know people who are not happy for others, like people you feel you cant share good news with, because instead of being happy for you, they would feel like you are bragging, and thats sad, it makes you feel like your closest friends aren’t truly happy for what you are creating. Show support, thats what I would want people to know.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jennaricciardi.com
• Instagram: thejennaricciardi
• Facebook: thejennaricciardi
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejennaricciardi/
• Other: tiktok @thejennaricciardi