We recently connected with Jennie Spillane and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Jennie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

The biggest risk I ever took was to quit my secure corporate job, sell everything I owned and moved to the most remote chain of islands in the world (Hawaii). I know poor me I moved to paradise, but you’d be surprised at how challenging this move actually was. I was at my former job for 8 years and I loved it, but I reached a ceiling. I grew up in a small town in Colorado, so I was land locked most of my life and I was deathly afraid of the ocean because of my little exposure to it. So, once it was decided that I was no longer growing at my job as a marketing manager of a ski resort in Colorado, I decided to face my biggest fear – the ocean. I lined up a place to live, a job and had my car shipped to the island. As I was embarking on this adventure, I stayed with my mom for a few days before I got on a plane to go to Hawaii. The day of my flight, I woke up at 5:30am to a flashlight and a gun in my face. I went to reach for my phone and was strictly told not to touch it. I was escorted out of the bedroom by one female and two male police officers. I asked what was going on, but was instructed to sit in the living room with my mom and my brother and not to move as officers watched over us. We were not even allowed to use the bathroom alone. I was confused, scared and concerned I was going to mis out on my new life. I finally learned that there was a false threat put out on my mom’s boyfriend. Once we were finally set free, my brother drove me to the airport as fast as possible and I thankfully made my flight with seconds to spare.

When I landed in Maui, I learned that my car got lost somewhere in freight, so it didn’t arrive for 6 weeks after they finally located it and got it to the island. I also learned that the job I lined up was a scam and they wanted to pay me pennies. Lastly, the home I secured — it turned out that I did not get along with my housemate. So, I took my dog who traveled with me and landed in a temporary hotel. However, finding transportation to get to the hotel was quite difficult as it just so happens that the day after my arrival on the island, there was a major hurricane. Power lines and phone lines were down. I had no place to go, no job and it was just my dog and I trying to find our way in a major storm. Once I finally got cell service, I called my dad as I was standing in the middle of a street that was bare of driving cars due to the storm. I told him what was going on and he of course responded with “you can always come home, but you’ll know what to do.” Those words changed my life forever. I decided to stay and stick things out. I eventually found my way and fell madly in love with the ocean. I became crew on a large sailing catamaran and reached a personal best of free diving down 100′ to the ocean floor. I can now say that I am a surfer, sailor, free diver and lover of the sea.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I have studied psychology for over 20 years which has contributed to my success in marketing and creative/graphic design. Learning about humans, communication and how our minds operate has been instrumental in connecting on a deeper level in many facets. I initially began S-Turns as a marketing and creative agency. S-Turns was one of my favorite places to surf in Maui and it was also known for being “sharky.” Sharks are detrimental to our environment and ecosystem. S-Tuns Creative stemmed from standing behind environmental stewardship. I initially worked with businesses who promoted sustainability — “S-Turns, taking a turn towards sustainability” was my slogan. However, as my relationships progressed with clients, I learned how important it was to me to help others. I began studying psychology deeper and neuroscience to learn how we tick. This ultimately led to me zoning in on some of my own superpowers which is self-awareness and the ability to listen and guide others in a direction of personal growth, which is where the branch of S-Turns Coaching stemmed from. I have been a mindset and leadership & resilience coach for over a year now and am seeing successes come in many forms. From helping others and watching them share their learnings to growing within myself as well. I have witnessed change in my family members, our pets and people I don’t even know. The most rewarding feeling about being a coach is being a part of someone’s transformation and watching them fly!

I work with individuals who may feel stuck in certain areas and help them see where they can make changes in effort to grow and achieve their dreams. I work with high-performing leaders as I have a long standing corporate background and am able to help them see opportunities in ways to step into their power. I help them uncover their superpowers and show them how to bring that to the table. I guide anyone who seeks to become a leader, no matter if that is in their family, friend group, a large corporation, a yoga studio or a community event. Learning how to become a leader from within shines light on each individual to honor their true authenticity.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I have had to pivot many times in both life and career. I graduated college with the assumption that I would make it big in the marketing world. Then I learned how important work/life balance was, so I stuck with marketing but also did it in an industry that I was passionate about (the ski industry). That was fun for a while, but as I outgrew it, that’s when I made the “sell everything, uproot and move to an island” move. I had to completely start from scratch at this point and it’s incredible how I overcome all the obstacles that were dropped on me. When I decided to create my own business, it took about 7 years before I was able to quit working full time and take the leap. This I would consider another pivot. When I started my business, I expected it to take off immediately, but it did not. I put a lot of extra hours in, trying to build and grow my business. I eventually faded into less commitment to my business because it was not taking off and only taking extra projects when they came to me. Then finally one day, I woke up again and realized that the corporate world was not for me so it was time to commit to a grind again. I started may days at 4am so I could exercise and work on my business before going to work. When I would come home from my job, I would dig right back into my business and I worked every weekend trying to build it. Eventually, I started gaining committed and solid clients which replaced my income and I was able to leave the corporate world behind. Owning a business has it’s “hard”, but I’d choose the entrepreneurship “hard” any day over the corporate world “hard.” Having to pivot isn’t a bad thing, it just shows you the truth and where you need to dig a little deeper to discover what’s truly meant for you.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Networking and building a client base has been the most impactful on my reputation. Every client I work with so far has committed to working with me longer because of the success they have seen. They have shared their story with others and have given me the credibility I have worked so hard to earn. It’s important to me to serve my clients at the highest level possible. I am available to them day and night and communicate with some of them every day. I have developed a love for my clients and am building a large family out of the connections I have made with them. I have offered free sessions with those who don’t have financial stability just to give them a snippet of guidance.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.s-turns.com/
• Instagram: @s.turnscreative
• Facebook: Jennie Spillane

Image Credits

The only photo that needs credit goes to the photo of me with my dog – her name is Kelseylynn Walker