Jennifer is a writer and leadership coach with a background in midwifery and business.
Guiding others to reach their potential has been a consistent theme throughout my professional life, from my first jobs as a teenage ski instructor and sailing instructor, to my career as a Registered Midwife in BC and Manitoba, to the seventeen years I spent working in my family’s business, a national organization which recruits and manages homestay placements for international students.
My experience in high-stress environments throughout my career has informed my interest in wellness; I am trained in crisis intervention and compassion fatigue. When I began to recognize in myself the symptoms of burnout that I had been teaching to others, I set in motion a years-long succession strategy for the leadership of our company which culminated in my transition to Chair of our Board of Directors in late 2022.
The natural next step was to lean into the parts of all my roles that I have loved most. My purpose throughout my varied careers has been to expand possibilities, nurture transformation and resilience, and be a force for good. I believe that challenges are opportunities in disguise, and that sometimes we need a little help to unlock our own potential and understand and utilize our gifts. To bring forward this purpose while nurturing my own well-being, I am now focused on writing, teaching, and coaching.
I am an ICF-certified Associate Certified Coach, Certified Organizational Coach through UBC, and I’m pursuing my MFA at King’s College Dalhousie. I also hold a Bachelor of Science in Anatomy with a minor in Women’s Studies from McGill and an MBA in leadership from RRU. I served on the Board of Directors for the Victoria Car Share Co-Op from 2010 to 2015, and have been serving as a Board member for the Family Business Association of Vancouver Island since 2016.
I practice mindfulness and yoga, love to spend time on Vancouver Island’s beautiful hiking trails, and run for fun. I also have my private pilot’s license, because I love to fly and I once imagined my life as a flying midwife, serving remote communities in northern Canada. I’m the proud mother of two grown children, and live with my husband on the unceded traditional territory of the Lkwungen (Lekwungen) peoples, known today as the Songhees, Esquimalt, and W̱SÁNEĆ First Nations in Victoria, BC.