We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jessica Luh Kim a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jessica, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

At the time I started my business, I didn’t have a grand plan—I just knew something had to change. I was juggling work and home responsibilities and felt like I wasn’t doing that very successfully. Taking a pause felt necessary—not just for my well-being, but to reflect on what really mattered to me.

I had just stepped away from a role where I was responsible for serving over 750 retirement communities. While it was a big decision, I left knowing that the team I helped strengthen would continue doing great work. That chapter confirmed something important for me: I wanted to keep serving and supporting aging service providers and the people at the heart of those communities—especially people living with dementia and their care partners.

That’s when I began laying the foundation for my business, JLK Consulting & Coaching Services. It wasn’t an overnight decision. It began with a few people in my network—and even strangers who found me through the Gallup CliftonStrengths Coaching Directory—reaching out for support. Some wanted help enhancing their workplace culture, others needed coaching around personal and team strengths. I also began traveling internationally to connect with colleagues and lead dementia-focused workshops. Those early experiences gave me momentum and, more importantly, clarity.

They helped me realize that this work was more than just consulting or coaching—it was about helping people and organizations realize their fullest potential and thrive. That realization became the heart of my company’s mission.

Today, JLK Consulting & Coaching Services is a boutique educational, consulting, and community-building organization. We support health care and aging service providers, people living with dementia, and their care partners. We also offer strengths-based coaching and workshops to help individuals and teams better understand how to collaborate, lead, and grow together.

What sets us apart is our intentional focus on lived experience. We work alongside people who live with dementia, experienced care partners, and professionals with deep expertise in aging services, wellness, grief, trauma-informed care, and more. We’re also a women-led company, deeply committed to collaborating with like-minded organizations who share our values.

At the core of everything we do is the belief that people deserve to feel seen, heard, and valued—and that they should have access to the tools, knowledge, and community they need to live well and thrive. That’s what fuels us every day.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Who I Am and How I Got Into This Work From a young age, I knew I wanted to work in aging services and healthcare, a path inspired by my two grandmothers and my father, all of whom worked in the field and showed me how rewarding it could be. Their influence shaped both my education and my professional journey, driving me to build expertise in this space. I’ve been fortunate to learn from some of the most innovative minds in aging services while grounding my work in the lived experiences of those I’ve served.

Over the years, I’ve been deeply involved in uncovering strengths, scaling innovative practices, designing educational programs, and creating supportive work environments for service providers. In addition to this, I’ve made it a priority to collaborate closely with, and learn from, those I was serving—drawing on the lived experiences of individuals and communities to inform my approach. My dedication to the field, combined with the tangible impact of my work, was honoured when I was named a Trailblazer in Changing the Culture of Aging in Canada in 2022. This recognition was both humbling and inspiring, reaffirming my commitment to driving meaningful change in the aging services sector and beyond. It also reinforced my belief in the importance of continuous learning—so that I can continue sharing insights, offering support, and creating a sense of community for others in the field who may need guidance, inspiration, or a place to belong.

The Work We Do at JLK Consulting & Coaching Services
At JLK Consulting &a Coaching Services, we serve three main groups: people living with dementia and their care partners, healthcare and aging service providers, and anyone seeking to understand and leverage their natural talents through strengths-based coaching.

For People Living with Dementia and Their Care Partners
Living with dementia or caring for a loved one through this journey can be both challenging and rewarding. Our company was born out of a family legacy of caregiving and care partnering, which fuels our passion for transforming how we support those touched by dementia. We offer personalized educational workshops, resources, and services that empower individuals with dementia and their families. Our goal is to provide practical strategies that prioritize dignity, comfort, and well-being, helping families navigate the complexities of dementia with confidence.

For Healthcare and Aging Service Providers
We believe that professionals in healthcare and aging services are critical in shaping the future of care. At JLK Consulting & Coaching Services, we’re dedicated to elevating care standards by equipping service providers with the latest strategies, professional development opportunities, and resources they need to succeed. Our work ensures that healthcare professionals are well-supported, which in turn helps them provide high-quality care to individuals, whether they work in community settings, senior living communities, or long-term care facilities.

For Individuals and Teams Interested in Strengths-Based Development
As a Gallup-Certified CliftonStrengths Coach, I help individuals and teams across various sectors discover their natural talents and strengths. Our strengths-based workshops and coaching are designed to build self-awareness and confidence, enabling people to succeed in both their professional and personal lives. Whether for an individual, a team, or an entire organization, we offer practical tools and insights to help people leverage their unique abilities for success.

What Sets Us Apart
What truly sets us apart is our commitment to inclusivity and the power of lived experience. Our team is comprised of diverse individuals that bring varied ages, cultural backgrounds, sexual orientations, strengths, and lived experiences to the table. This not only makes us a more dynamic organization, but it also ensures we can approach challenges from different perspectives, which is essential in the work we do.

Additionally, while we are a small company, our impact reaches far beyond our size. We’ve had the privilege of engaging with clients and colleagues around the world, expanding our influence and making a difference in ways we never imagined. I am incredibly proud of this global reach and the connections we’ve made.

What I’m Most Proud Of
Two things stand out to me as accomplishments I’m most proud of:

Creating Inclusive Communities: We practice what we preach by fostering an inclusive environment within our own team, as well as in the communities we serve. This commitment to diversity enriches the work we do and the services we provide.

Global Impact: Despite being a small, women-led company, we’ve been able to create a big impact internationally. This speaks to the power of the work we do and the demand for meaningful change in aging services and dementia care and support. The opportunity to engage with people and organizations across borders is something I’m both proud of and deeply grateful for.

What I Want People to Know About Us
At JLK Consulting & Coaching Services, our mission is to make sure that everyone we support feels seen, heard, and valued. We work hard to provide the knowledge, resources, and community needed to help individuals and organizations thrive. Whether you’re living with dementia, supporting a family or friend, or working in healthcare or aging services, we’re here to help you unlock your full potential and make a meaningful impact in your world.

We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.

I met my business partner, Mary Beth Wighton, in 2012 while working at the Murray Alzheimer Research Program at the University of Waterloo. At the time, Mary Beth had just been diagnosed with dementia. From the moment we met, we bonded over a shared passion to transform how society and healthcare systems view and support people living with dementia—and their care partners. Since that first meeting, we’ve worked together for over a decade, shaping education, training, services, and policies to improve the quality of life for individuals touched by dementia.

Beyond our shared professional goals, we connected deeply on a personal level, united by our experiences of being excluded or treated differently due to aspects of our identities—whether it was my experience as a racial minority, or Mary Beth’s as a member of the 2SLGBTQI+ community. These “othering” experiences have only strengthened our commitment to advocating for inclusive, welcoming communities where everyone feels valued and that they truly belong.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Our most effective strategy for growing our clientele is building authentic, long-term relationships and being a resource-focused solution provider. We believe in freely sharing valuable information with our clients, even after a project or initiative has concluded, because we’re selective about who we work with and aim to create lasting partnerships.

We intentionally partner with individuals and organizations that align with our values and goals. This alignment allows us to engage in projects that not only fuel our company’s mission but also connect deeply with our personal “whys.”

We are truly grateful for the people we’ve had the privilege to collaborate with and support. By sharing knowledge and offering ongoing support, we’re able to help create safe, nurturing environments where everyone can thrive and live well.

Contact Info:

• Website: Jlk-cc.com
• Linkedin: Jessica Luh Kim (http://linkedin.com/in/jessica-luh-kim); Mary Beth Wigthon (http://linkedin.com/in/mary-beth-wighton-766338208)

Image Credits
Personal photo – Jocelyn Phillips Branding; second photo – self taken