Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jennifer Duggan. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jennifer, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

I am extremely happy as a business owner — but as a career coach, I have a very open perspective on this because I know throughout a career, most people are going to ebb and flow through different stages of being an entreprenauer and/or a full-time employee while they find the right balance for their personal and family situation. I’ve been a career coach that worked for other people; I’ve coached through multiple contracts at the same time; While I worked in Corporate America as an HR Executive, I always coached in those roles AND externally, and I’ve also just owned my business, and that was it for a time. For me, I do what is best depending on my life situation and circumstances, but my business is my baby, and it’s special to me. I’m so grateful to have it and each and every one of my clients!

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 Career Coach — and I’ve been in and around this industry for 15 years. Before I branched out to become an independent coach, I worked at several large healthcare, retail and hospitality brands in HR Leadership positions spanning Talent Acquisition to Employer Relations to Talent Development — and served as an executive coach at each organization. Now, I’m in my own practice doing the same work, but I’m allowed to say everything to my clients that their internal HR team wishes they could say but can’t! I also coach on several platforms, so my client base is truly diverse, and I absolutely love that.

If you’re thinking about working with a Career Coach, I might be a good fit for you if:

• You are looking to make a career transition – to another field or job entirely
• Something interesting happened at work, and you aren’t sure what to do about it
• You are a leader in a tough situation (with your team, your boss, next steps…etc.)
• You are looking for a new job, but haven’t had success finding it, or don’t know where to start
• You need some interview practice
• You want to talk about salary
• You are mid-career, feel stagnant, and aren’t finding joy in your daily work
• You are brand new to the workforce (hello recent grads!), or looking, and feel like you just need some advice
• You are looking for personal or professional development outside of your office

And here is a list of things most of my clients are looking for help with:

Career Inventory Assessments

Resume Review and Critique

Mock Interviewing (Interview Practice)

Salary Negotiation techniques

Job Search Strategy Assistance and Development

Career Transitions (Changing directions or finding a new one!)

Feeling Stuck or Stagnant in your career – and looking to navigate to a place of peace and fulfillment

Developing as a leader through interpersonal skill development and self awareness

Career Coaching is really about the individual — so YOU are at the focus of it. I offer several packages that help meet clients exactly where they are to help them achieve their career goals. This does also mean that you are making an investment in yourself, and while coaches can support you in accomplishing alot, you do have to be ready to make the commitment to doing your part of the work!

Have you ever had to pivot?

At the end of 2022 I quit my executive HR job in Healthcare with no plan. I was completely burned out and had been working in such a toxic environment, that honestly it was starting to negatively impact my mental health. So, thankfully, I had the means to just quit. It took me about 18 full months to recover from that situation, but in that time, I recovered, traveled and most importantly, started Joy of Work. It’s my second major career pivot to date — and along with my training, it’s one of the reasons I’m able to help clients manage their own pivots so beautifully. Your career isn’t over until you say it is, and taking time off isn’t the death sentence people seem to think it is.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I’ve always been a hard worker…to a fault… I would go above and beyond to the point where I was constantly working late and at home every day…and I was rewarded for it. I am certain this was one of the many factors that lead to my own burnout. Now, I still work hard, but there is a stopping point, because I value rest. I had to learn how to relax! This is something I am constantly telling my clients because I know the outcome of not doing so can be absolutely detrimental. While I’m still not perfect at it, and it’s a bad habit that I have to unlearn, I really do strive for balance in my life, and overcommitting is a thing of the past.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.joyofwork.co
• Instagram: @joyofwork.co
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jsimmons2
• Other: Links to Tons of my FREE Career Related Resources:
  https://msha.ke/joyofwork.co

Image Credits

Melissa Spurrier Photo