Items of Interest | Jacki Zehner

What Are Your Top Five?

June 27, 2018 Jacki ZehnerLeave a comment

As published on LinkedIn Influencers on June 21st, 2018.

A few months ago I began working with a life coach. I did this for many reasons, but the main reason was because this month marks a big transition point in my life. Personally, my youngest child just graduated from high school, which is a massive milestone for every parent. Professionally, the organization that I am a co-founder of, Women Moving Millions, is undergoing a change in board leadership, as well as soon to be choosing a new Executive Director who will be leading us through our next stage of growth. With these two things happening at once, it’s inspired me to think about hitting a giant re-set on my life. To do this, I knew I needed help.

One of the first things my coach encouraged me to do was to complete the StrengthsFinder profile. StrengthsFinder was first developed in the 1990s by educational psychologist Donald Clifton, and was first released to the public in 2001. Since then, millions of people have completed their online profiles, whether as an individual or as a team, and StrengthsFinder 2.0, released in 2007, is still consistently one of the top selling non-fiction books on Amazon. How it works is that when you fill out the online profile and assessment, StrengthsFinder identifies patterns in your (or your team’s) thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. From this, your top talents are discerned, and StrengthsFinder uses this information to help you turn your top talents into strengths and tools for success.

This was not the first self assessment I have done; in fact I have done many others in the past, and each time I do one I’m reminded of just how important these tools are to developing self awareness. The more we understand ourselves, the more we can really lean into our talents, and by doing this, we can align what we are more naturally good at with how we spend our time. When we do this, it is more likely that we will find success in our endeavours. Does this mean you can’t do things that are outside your comfort zone? Of course not. But in my experience, you can’t live in that space for too long or the stress of it will wear you down.

So as I move into the next phase of my life, what is front and center for me is to try to align my core strengths with the work that I am doing. I firmly believe that one of the main reasons I have loved my time with Women Moving Millions ( WMM) so much was that there was such an incredible alignment in that organization with my core strengths. It has been an incredible 8 years of being “ALL IN” for WMM and being named a co-founder of the organization alongside Helen LaKelly Hunt meant the world to be. So while I will remain on the board I will have a lot more time to do other things, and I am taking time off to figure it out. My own bridge year of sorts.

So, do yourself a favor: buy the book and do the assessment. When you buy the book you get an activation code to take the online questionnaire at no additional cost and it’s worth every penny. (I have no connection to the authors of this book as an fyi, just a fan!)

So what are my top 5 strengths ? Here they are below. If you have used this tool please share how it has helped you in your life and career.

Strength 1 – BELIEF

It was not surprising at all that this showed up. My life’s work is wrapped around my core values around social justice, including gender equity. Although I previously had a 14 year career on Wall Street, I have now found my purpose in my non-profit work. It would be impossible for me to ever again work for or with an organization where our values are not aligned.

Strength 2 – WOO

Yes. I am that person who starts conversations with people while waiting in line for the bathroom, while checking out groceries at the store, you name it. I love meeting new people.

Strength 3 – Communication

No surprise here. I started my personal blog almost 10 years ago because of a burning desire to write and share. Additionally, I truly love being parts of panels and giving talks.

Strength 4 – Activator

This is one that I more recently learned about myself, and it was only when it popped up as a core strength that I fully processed that this really is true about me. I love new ideas, and I love turning them into action. I have a feeling that the next thing I do might well be starting a company.

Strength 5 – Positivity

People have called me an “energy bunny” on more than a few occasions. Although I have never liked that title, I have come to think that what they are trying to suggest is that I am an endless supply of positive energy. This is true. I am one of those people who not only always seems to see the bright side, but who is the one to pull everyone else onto the open dance floor. I often joke that alternative career might have been as a “party starter”. Not sure it would have paid so well.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1…A List of FAVS for 2016

December 22, 2016December 22, 2016 Jacki ZehnerLeave a comment

As published on LinkedIn Influencers on December 22nd, 2016.

There’s been so many new and amazing things to discover this past year, I thought I’d share some of my favorites before we all disappear into turkey comas once more. Feel free to share your own in each of these categories.

5 – Books of 2016

Feminist Fight Club: An Office Survival Manual (For A Sexist Workplace) by Jessica Bennett – What began as a monthly gathering for women to vent about the sexism they were encountering at work eventually gave birth to the Feminist Fight Club, a no holds barred survival guide/manifesto for working women everywhere. Filled with personal stories, research, statistics, and hard hitting advice, Jessica Bennett’s Feminist Fight Club is a sassy and fun-read.

Gender Lens Investing: Uncovering Opportunities for Growth, Returns, and Impact by Joseph Quinlan and Jackie VanderBrug – Women today are an unparalleled force in the global economy—as successful entrepreneurs, corporate executives and family breadwinners. Yet gender-based violence, the absence of women’s legal rights, and the persistent wage gap stubbornly remain. This paradox creates an unprecedented and underexplored opportunity for investors. This is the first book of its kind to examine, in-depth, the advantages of integrating gender into investment analysis. I have been advocating for years for gender lens investing, and I was thrilled when I heard about this book’s development and publication. I have also known Jackie VanderBrug for years and I am a huge fan. The practical insights included in it can be used to support any issue and/or cause, so please pick up a copy today and move forward in aligning your investment dollars with your values and the causes you hold most dear.

The New Better Off: Reinventing the American Dream by Courtney E. Martin – For the first time in history, the majority of American parents don’t believe that their children will be better off than they were. But what exactly does “better off” mean in an age when people are rejecting the traditional model of “the good life” in ever greater numbers and finding an alternative American dream? Martin has coined this movement the New Better Off, and this book is an incredible compilation of her knowledge, research, and advice on how to navigate this new world.

We Believe You: Survivors of Campus Sexual Assault Speak Out by Annie E. Clark and Andrea L. Pino – Make no mistake, this is a heavy read. But it is essential reading in understanding rape culture, the issue of consent, and how these relate to the epidemic of campus sexual assault currently happening in the United States. I encourage everyone to pick up a copy, but especially parents. Let us learn from these stories so we can help teach our young girls and boys about consent and healthy sexual relationships, and let’s move the dial on sexual assault. These amazing women also founded the non-profit End Rape on Campus which I am a proud supporter of, and if you have not yet seen the documentary film The Hunting Ground, it is now on Netflix.

Where Fairy Tales Go by Annette Ross – 16 years ago, Annette Ross and her husband Bill found their whole life changed forever when a medical error during the delivery of their second child left Annette without the ability to walk. Where Fairy Tales Go is a personal and intimate memoir of the years that followed, and their struggles to rebuild their lives, raise their family of five young girls, and reclaim a fairy tale that was lost. Annette is a personal friend of mine, and her story is as inspiring as it is moving.

4 – Films of 2016

Audrie & Daisy – This hard-hitting documentary film is an urgent real-life drama that examines the ripple effects on families, friends, schools, and communities when two underage young women find that sexual assault crimes against them have been caught on camera. Audrie & Daisy, which made its world premiere at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, takes a hard look at American’s teenagers who are coming of age in this new world of social media bullying, spun wildly out of control. Audrie & Daisy is available to stream on Netflix, but please consider hosting a screening in your local community. Post-screening discussion guides are available online.

Captain Fantastic – If you missed this film in theatres this past summer, and the box office numbers suggest that you probably did, I highly recommend checking out this compelling family drama starring Viggo Mortensen as a father raising his six children off the grid in the Pacific Northwest. Captain Fantastic premiered at the Sundance Film Festival last January, and more than lives up to its name. Truth be told I am a huge Viggo fan.

Step – Set to premiere at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, keep a look out for Step, a documentary film that chronicles a year in the life of the Senior class of the Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women. Baltimore is a city that is fighting to save its youth, and this school is attempting to rectify the struggle that young girls endure to be successful in school despite their home life and the influence of their Baltimore community. This documentary chronicles the trials and triumphs of the Senior girls on the high school’s Step Team as they prepare to be the first in their families to go to college – and the first graduating class of The Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women. Step is more than just a hobby for these girls, is is the outlet that keeps them united and fighting for their goals.

Unrest – Also set to premiere at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, Unrest is the first film from Jennifer Brea, an acclaimed journalist who has spent years chronicling her struggle with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), formerly known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. At the age of 28, Jenn became progressively more ill, losing the ability even to sit in a wheelchair, and when doctors told her it was “all in her head,” she picked up her camera to document the world of millions of patients medicine forgot. Unrest tells the stories of Jen and Omar, newlyweds facing the unexpected, and four other families and their wildly different journeys with ME. Together, they fight to live in spite of the world’s most prevalent orphan disease. I know that this will be an incredibly important film, so please keep a look out for it in the coming year.

3 – Must Watch TED Talks

Suzanne Barakat: Islamophobia Killed My Brother. Let’s End the Hate – I saw this talk in person at TedxWomen this year, and it brought me to tears. Please watch, reflect, and learn from this horrific crime.

Simon Sinek: How Great Leaders Inspire Action – This is an oldie but a goodie. For anyone interested in how great leadership can inspire great things, please watch this classic TED Talk.

Halla Tómasdóttir: It’s Time For Women to Run for Office – Another highlight of TEDxWomen 2016, this talk by Halla Tómasdóttir recounted how she overcame media bias, changed the tone of the political debate, and surprised her entire nation when she ran for president of Iceland — inspiring the next generation of leaders along the way. A must see!

2 – Newsletters to follow

The Broadsheet – A daily newsletter by Kristen Bellstrom with all the news on the world’s most powerful women. One of my daily reads.

Women and Hollywood – A weekly newsletter from the Women and Hollywood blog, founded by Melissa Silverstein, which focuses on gender diversity in the entertainment industry.

1 – Podcast

On Being by Krista Tippet – On Being is a Peabody Award-winning public radio conversation and podcast that opens up the animating questions at the center of human life: What does it mean to be human, and how do we want to live? A friend told me about this amazing platform, and now I can’t wait for my walks with my dogs or for a few found moments in the car so I can listen to yet another recording. The very first one I listened to remains by favorite; an interview Ms. Tippet did with Parker Palmer and Courtney Martin (yes, the author mentioned above) on the subject of rebellion. LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE it!

Happy Holidays everyone!

#ShopYourValues

December 15, 2015 Jacki ZehnerLeave a comment

Published on LinkedIn December 15, 2015

This morning I glanced at my calendar and did a double take. December 15th? How did that happen? Are there seriously only 10 more days until Christmas? Something tells me I’m not the only one who did a double take at the calendar this morning. I’m also guessing that like me, many of you haven’t finished your holiday shopping just yet, and if that’s the case, I have a proposal for you. This year, instead of just mindlessly checking items off of a list, why not make a concerted effort to shop your values? Let me explain.

In the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it can be easy to forget that every time you spend a dollar, that exchange is an exchange of power. Companies understand this well, and they spend billions of dollars every year trying to convince you to give them your purchasing power. Who are the main shoppers? Women. We make 75-85% of all purchasing decisions, which adds up to trillions of dollars that we could be using to support our values. Your dollars can make or break a company, brand, or consumer item, so what if we all started using this power as a way of supporting our values in life? What if we used our spending dollars to hold companies accountable, and as a means of enacting social change? That’s what shopping your values means, and the possibilities are endless.

For me personally, shopping my values means supporting gender equality and lifting up women and girls around the world. When facing a mile long Christmas gift list, this may seem like a daunting challenge to throw into the mix, but in reality, it’s actually very easy to purchase great gifts, while at the same time knowing you are directly supporting families in places that lack robust economic opportunities. When looking for gifts, look no further than Rising International, Plum Alley, Indego Africa, the Akola Project, Made by Survivors, Prosperity Candle, the Nomi Network, Soko, Same Sky, or Shopping for a Change. Each one of these organizations sells incredible handcrafted gifts such as jewellery, clothing, baskets, crafts, tote bags, and silks, all of which have been made by women in impoverished areas all around the world. Many of these organizations also offer the skills training needed for these women to turn their handmade items into artisan businesses, which in turn helps to lift their families out of poverty. My organization, Women Moving Millions, put all of this information together in a guide which you can download here. Best of all, you can do all of your shopping online without having to brave the horror of a mall this close to Christmas.

That being said, if you do want to head to the mall this Christmas, I can help you there as well, because if you want to turn your shopping into an endorsement of gender equality, there’s an app for that. The Buy Up Index is an app that aims to use spending power as a tool to create a more gender equal world. Large companies of all types are rated on their employee policies, women’s leadership, corporate citizenship, and marketing, and these ratings are combined to create a grade the company receives on gender equality. Brands and companies that have so far earned an “A” grade include Coach, Nike, Gap, and Athleta, and in the future, these “A” brands will be invited to offer users of the app exclusive offers, discounts, and products. So if you want your dollars to have impact, simply pull up the app, compare two brands’ scores, and reward the company with a stronger commitment to gender equality with your spending dollars. You can also sign up online for Buy Up’s exclusive shopping list that lets you shop for equality everyday, and then tweet out your online purchases to #shopyourvalues and #BuyUpIndex. It’s that easy.

I wish I could say that I’m one of those people who manage to have all of their Christmas shopping done by Thanksgiving, but that would take a true Christmas miracle. Instead, I’m just going to be grateful that I still have 10 days left and get to work. And for those of you who may be in the same boat as me, don’t worry. There’s thousands of amazing gifts just waiting to be discovered on the websites listed above, and each and every one of them will help women and girls around the world. What a wonderful way to celebrate the holidays.