Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Walton.
Hi Jennifer, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I have spent the last 10 years of my career hustling for one brand at a time. Working hard to climb the corporate ladder, reach the Executive level, and unlock many of life’s “achievements”.
I still couldn’t find peace.
I spent those years, head down, head up, running, jumping, and still feeling like I wasn’t enough.
Little did I know, I was building a mental portfolio of how to run a business, how to take foundational marketing and strategy acumen and apply that to build a brand agnostic of industry. I was learning so much, just not giving myself credit for it.
Here’s what I’ve done:
💡 I’ve led teams as small as two and as big as 12 – with leaders of others under me.
💡 I’ve had access to internal and external creative agencies and then I’ve had to become the agency.
💡 I’ve participated in sales pitches to win $B in assets under management, this was after I created the brand architecture and messaging platform for the business.
💡 I led the marketing strategy and execution of the largest campaign in the last 5 years, announcing a new innovation, for the regional transit authority of the 14th largest city in the country.
💡 I built a propensity-to-buy model for an insurance business to develop a targeted campaign to introduce a line extension to existing customers. This was before Salesforce Journey Builder and inbound marketing was marketing household names.
❤️ I did this while supporting my husband as his legal career went from Local to National and now Global.
❤️ I did this while giving birth to two amazing daughters and my vision became clearer than ever.
❤️ I did this while enduring a global pandemic and social unrest, fighting to keep my family safe.
The thing is… I didn’t do it ALONE. As a leader who has built genuine relationships with every associate or team I’ve worked with, I’ve never had a problem setting a vision, driving strategy, getting buy-in, and executing with excellence.
The same husband I’ve supported as he’s soared, took over parenting duties when my role in Financial Services required my full attention during the pandemic.
My children inspire me to live out *my* dreams to be an example that it can be done.
This pandemic we’re all suffering through allowed me to put empathy and compassion in ACTION, beyond just words and I’ve stood up for myself and others to make a difference.
For the first time, I can honestly say I am proud of myself, I see my value, and I have a lot to offer.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Once a mentor told me “Direction is more important than speed,” and at the time I found it difficult to appreciate that lesson given my millennial tendency to desire instant gratification along with nothing but perfect scores on the way to the top, she was right.
After years of working in Corporate America during the pandemic and social unrest, I had my first #GreatResignation. I wanted more impact in my work and for my community and I shifted from the highly lucrative private sector to a servant leadership position in the public sector.
It was the most difficult year of my career and almost my life. I struggled to find support and safety in this new role, and within six months I knew I had to leave. The pandemic was raging, companies were reeling from high turnover, and I had only been in my current position a short time, recruiters were overwhelmed. The companies that were interested in me were losing the culture battle within their organizations and I did not want to be the person running into a burning building.
I made the decision to place a low-risk, high-return bet on myself and launched my own business in March of 2022. I spent my first week purchasing my own personal laptop, securing various commercial insurance products, and teaching myself entrepreneurship on the fly. It was terrifying!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
As the Chief Brand Officer and Co-founder of Sky Nile Consulting, I bring over a decade of Marketing and Branding strategy to clients looking to rethink, reposition, or build their brand from scratch.
We also assist organizations looking to develop DEI practices to modernize, engage, retain, and upskill their workforces. Sky Nile Consulting offers the following services to clients looking to transform their leadership, teams, and businesses through a lens of empathy and compassion that produces business results:
• Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Anti-racism training & coaching
• Cultural Competency Development
• Marketing and Brand Strategy
• Interim Executive leadership support
• Customer Journey Mapping & persona building
• Content Marketing & Thought Leadership
What do you think about happiness?
Sunshine, the sound of waves, my children laughing, touching the earth and growing food, my husband’s quiet and calming presence, dancing to Beyonce… these are the things that make me so happy. I’m a connector and doing things that connect me to special people or significant moments truly inspires me and makes me happy. There’s nothing quite like the process of planting a tiny seed, then nurturing the plant that sprouts from it, to finally enjoying the literal fruits of your labor. It brings me so much joy to be able to do all of these things with my family, my friends, and my own inner peace.
I work so much even though I said I would slow down, but I work hard so that the time spent doing these things that make me happy would be that much sweeter. I will slow down soon!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.skynileconsulting.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/jgrunsthecity
Image Credits
Jehan and Ryan Jones Photography
