Business Innovators Radio - Dr. Jennifer Jones Bryant – Leadership Coach – Mark Stephen Pooler And Dr. Rhonda M. Wood

Episode Date: February 14, 2025

Dr. Jennifer Jones Bryant is a dynamic leadership coach, author, and speaker dedicated to empowering professionals to reach their full potential. As the founder of Reaching From Within, An Empowerment Journey LLC, she specializes in coaching mid-career women (ages 45–55) to elevate their leadership impact. With extensive experience in federal government and corporate sectors, Dr. Bryant brings strategic insights to leadership development, career growth, and personal transformation.She is also the visionary behind the Step Into Leadership Greatness Foundation Inc., established in honor of her mother. The foundation provides scholarships to first-generation students pursuing business management and leadership studies.Dr. Bryant is the creator of the Step Into Leadership Greatness Anthology series and a Forbes contributor on leadership. Her mission is to help others break barriers, amplify their influence, and achieve professional and personal success.Learn more at www.ReachingWithinEmpowerment.com.Source: https://businessinnovatorsradio.com/dr-jennifer-jones-bryant-leadership-coach-mark-stephen-pooler-and-dr-rhonda-m-wood

Welcome to Business Innovators Radio, featuring industry influencers and trendsetters, sharing proven strategies to help you build a better life right now. Welcome to Brilliant Business TV, conversations with leading experts in business. I am your host, Mark Stephen Pula. We have a wonderful guest today on the show today, Dr. Jennifer Jones Bryant, and leadership is a really, really important. important skills. So we've got lots of interesting topics to talk about with Dr. Jennifer today. We are streaming live on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube. We're also on the E360 TV network. We're also on business innovators radio network. We're also on USA Global Radio and television network and we're also on MSP Newsglobal.com. I'm joined today with my wonderful co-host Dr. Rhonda M. Wood. How is everything with you today, Dr. Rhonda, another incredible

guests we have on. Oh, hi. Mark, everything is amazing. So I am still here in the United States, Dr. Rhonda Wood coming to you from the United States. But this time I am live from New Orleans. I'm in New Orleans for the Super Bowl. But I did not want to miss the opportunity to one, co-host with you, Also, to be able to be a part of this incredible conversation with the phenomenal Dr. Jennifer Jones-Bryant. We really are in for a treat today. I can't wait to jump into this discussion. I really, really can't wait either. It's great to have you as a co-host and supporting me on this journey as well.

Let's bring in our incredible guest, Dr. Jennifer Jones, Bryant. Jennifer, welcome to Brilliant's Business TV. Thank you. Thank you for having me. I am humbled for the invitation and I can't wait for us to chat. The pleasure is all ours. Dr. Jennifer, let's get straight into our first question. Your leadership journey has been deeply personal and professional. What inspired you to create reaching from within an empowerment journey, LLC, and how do you? Does it help meet career women stepping to leadership greatness? Thank you for that question. There are so many reasons and actions that have taken place and examples in my life that

serves as example. But one that comes to mine, which was very pivotal, was one time I was acting in a role, in a leadership role for over a year. and I stayed in that role and I was notified by the leader of the organization that I did not get the role. And I was devastated because that was a long time to serve in an acting capacity. I worked 10, 12 hours a day, sacrificed time with my family and really did not get a reason. But she said it had something to do with my leadership and it had to do. do with my attitude. Now, you may say, how did I handle that, Mark? And Dr. Rhonda, I didn't handle it well.

I was very emotional. I was trying to get a permanent position as a director. I did not handle it well. I went off on her in that moment, the head of the organization. Yes, I did. I did not filter myself. I let her have it. And then I stormed out of her office into her. tears while the team was watching my response to something that was being said to me because they didn't know. I left the office and I didn't stop there. I went home. I was still fuming and I went home and I proceeded to write her an email to continue the angrieness that I had inside and I wanted to share it. Not that I keep it to myself. I actually pressed sin and I sent it to her and everything. And so, needless to say, that's just a snippet of that. And I, that probably took me back a

whole entire year. Like, that set me back. And I didn't have a mentor at that time. And the other piece, too, what is ironic is that the person who they selected for the role didn't take it. And so the leader had asked me if I would step back in the acting capacity while they advertised, knowing that they still weren't going to select me. That was a hard pill to swallow. I had two children to raise. My income was the main breadwinner in the family. So I took it on the chin, and I wasn't too happy.

The person who they finally selected to put in the role, he said, I know nothing about this job. I'm going to learn from you. And I said to him, well, I'm going to learn leadership from you. So this was a pivotal moment to humble myself and to have a growth mindset. And so to, you know, put a pen on it, Mark, I knew, and it wasn't until retrospect that I needed to help others who face similar situations. You may ask what happened. I spent probably about six months under this other.

guys leadership, he and I were really close. When the new leader of the organization came in and the other woman retired, and by the way, we did make amends. Let me make sure I say that. We made amends and she told me I would be successful. But the new leader that came in when I met him, he said, I said, I said, I know you've probably got an introduction on all of the leaders in the organization and you probably got an introduction about me. What I will say, say is I will not say anything negative about anyone. What I ask of you is to see my results and my impact. And I said, I truly want this position. I'm going to vocalize that, but just watch me. Six months later, he called me in his office and he's like, I'm not going to advertise this role.

You got it. I don't know why you didn't get it the first time. So there was a moment of growth, lots of growth that needed to happen. There was so many lessons about my failure. in those moments. And I true back to that. And I've just been on this mission to help those mid-career who are trying to get to that director level or above. So that's my story, that background. I love your story. I think you handled it pretty well there, Dr. Jennifer, sending the email not holding back saying what you think. I think more people should be like that. Speak your mind. I would recommend not to do that, right? That you put it different. Maybe the words use would have been different.

Yes, what's your language, definitely. Dr. Ronda, over to you. Yes, well, thank you, Jennifer, for sharing that story. You know, I do believe there are a lot of people who are trying to get to that upper level of leadership and management who have gone through something similar. myself included you know you think you are working towards that goal you feel like you're assuing only to sit back and see it being given to somebody else it is crushing especially as a woman or a person of color and sometimes i'm like well i wonder if that had anything to to do with me not feeling qualified or being qualified.

So thank you so much for that story. I think there's a lot of people who can relate to that, which brings me to my next, the next question, which is about your foundation. So the Step Into Leadership Greatness Foundation, it honors your mother's legacy. So how has her story shaped your approach to leadership and empowerment?

Thanks for that question, Dr. Rhonda. And yes, I launched Stepped into Leadership Greatness Foundation, Inc. last year in honor of my mom who's no longer here. And she's been gone over a decade now. Her legacy is about her strength and perseverance. And she raised my brother and myself on her own when I was five. because my dad had, my biological dad had passed away from a terrible construction accident. And so on her own, she raised us with a fifth grade education. And she, I know I had to help her a lot.

There were times when it was a huge struggle, my only sibling, my brother at the time, who's no longer here, he was incarcerated during that time too. And so I had to help her later on as I, around 17. And she also got diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar. So it was a huge, huge struggle for her, but she had an incredible high level of emotional intelligence. And so she imparted in me to keep going. And what I saw from the lessons in spite of her challenges, she still kept going.

And so a lot of folks did not know what I was going through in my senior year of high school and the struggles that I had. And there were people who invested in me. And then I began sharing my story. And there were others who were willing to help me. And so if there is a way that I can help others, myself and my board are able to help other young students who are first generation college students like myself in leadership and business, whether it's for books or whatever the case may be, my mom would be so proud, right? Because although, like I said, she had a fifth grade education, she had her own struggles,

she knew how important education. She always instilled the importance of education in me. I love that. And I think you show him so much strength, Dr. Jennifer, and resilience. And some of those things you have been through, those are challenges, not only business-reliance, like personal challenges what take a lot of strength and a real strong woman to even overcome some of those challenges. So you should have been on our last campaign, don't you think, Dr. Ronda,

because you are definitely a top woman in business. You definitely should have been named one of the top women in business, very inspiring. You've recently launched Stepping to Leadership Greatness, Volume 3 anthology. What key themes or insights from this book can help leaders become force multipliers in their organizations? So you're absolutely right. Step into Leadership Greatness, Volume 3 just recently was launched and published and I'm excited to, as the authors are continuing their tour, and we're having a launch party on February 20. If I don't

to forget that, February 20th, along with that bestseller. But the focus of that book is helping leaders realize that their why need to be bigger than their ego. And what did I mean by that? I mean, what are you doing to help others succeed in their leadership journey? As I mentioned before, there may be branch managers. There may be executives or entrepreneurs that are out there. And they're trying to, they're doing great. But what are they doing for us? others. Martin Luther King said life's most persistent question is, what are you doing for others? Persistent and urgent question is, what are you doing for others? And so I live by that every single day. How are you reaching back to multiply your impact? And part of that is if you're able

in, and this is something like when I was in the corporate world leading a business resource group with 24,000 women, I couldn't do it alone. But what I could do is provide them with the resources, strategies, and tools to amplify their impact. And so this book has 14 authors who are telling their personal story. Mark, I've been on this mission to also humanize leadership. And Dr. Ron is a part of this book. They're telling their personal stories.

They're providing strategies and tips. And then it's the educator in me that also includes. questions at the end for people to reach deep within themselves to say, how can I amplify my own leadership style? Do I have blind spots that need to be addressed? And this book will help, because this book is not going to be able to touch everybody. Like, I can't touch everybody, but the book can touch everybody. And it's going to go in places where I have not been. And I'm excited about that scalability and amplifications. Congratulations and it's nice to see that Dr. Ronda's involved as well and I just think leadership is such a great skill to have.

Self leadership is really important as well because a lot of people can't even lead themselves. So I think self-leadership is really important and leading others as well. But you've got to be good at self-leadership before you can lead others as well. and I think we need great leaders in the world. There's so, so many, and I think we've improved so much over time as well. But we're still room for better leadership out there, especially in like workplace situations and things like that. You hear of some horror stories and things like that.

I think leadership is really, really important. So I love the work you're doing. Over to you, Dr. Runda. Thank you so much, Jennifer. This has been amazing so far. And, you know, I'm really excited to be a part of volume three of step into leadership greatness. But the thing that I think is so cool is the 14 authors who are from all different facets of life, all different backgrounds, different parts of, you know, the country, all having different experiences. But we're all stepping into this one common theme of leadership, right?

and just the amazing stories that come from that. And so, yes, I believe it's going to make an incredible impact, even on a global scale, because leadership isn't, you know, it's not, it's global. It's, you know, leadership is necessary. Good leadership is necessary everywhere. So that leads me to my next question, which is in today's interconnected world, What qualities, Jennifer, do leaders need to succeed on a global stage, right? And how can they effectively lead diverse, multicultural teams?

I'm so glad you asked that question because we can't step away from diverse diversity, no matter how we look at it, right? Because the world is made up of different perspectives, right, and different people, no matter what nationality you are. And so with that being said, I think Mark also mentioned about how leadership transcends all over, right, no matter who you are. And so some key traits to have or competencies to have

is we talked about this a little bit about the self-awareness and being able to know who you are and spending that time figuring out What does that look like? It may require you do a leadership 360, right? You take a survey and you figure out what are people saying about you? Because some people may not tell you directly, but they will say a lot in a survey. So it may require some of that to take place.

But the other piece is influence. We can't do anything without the power of influence. How are you showing up to be able to leverage your skill sets? And the other piece, there's so many pieces, but these are the things that help me and others who I led to be successful, who I've observed, is having empathy and compassion for others. And that is incredibly important because leadership and people, because people are always in a middle. I have a leadership philosophy. People are at the beginning, middle, end of every process and decision. once you invest in them, they would go above and beyond the mission. And part of that is getting to know your people, knowing when things are not okay,

knowing when things are okay, but spending the time to figure out how do I work with this individual, how do I pull out those strengths from that individual by getting to know them? I love it. I think empathy and compassion are definitely, definitely things that people need in their skills. all set and again a bit like leadership some people are lacking empathy and compassion especially in workplaces and people in higher roles and and that's not me just saying it it is a it is that a lot of workplaces they need more empathy they need more compassion and and i just think it's incredible the work you're doing for professionals looking to elevate their careers what are

three essential leadership skills they should develop to stand out and succeed. Yeah, that was part of what I was saying in terms of my response to the last question, right? In terms of your self-awareness, influence, and compassion and empathy. Those are some key skill sets that folks can use. And then the other piece, too, there's a. a book that I always recommend to people. Believe it or not, it's not my book, right? But there's this book by Marshall Ghostmail that is, what got you here won't get you there. And that a lot of times where people stay stuck at the manager level and it's hard for them to get to the director

because they're still focusing on being that independent contributor and doing the work as opposed to being a visionary and being more strategic. And so that means putting aside some of what they do daily to focus on the bigger picture work. And that's usually what keeps people stuck. And so I work with a lot of folks on, okay, how do we tell your story a little bit differently in terms of what you do? In terms of leading teens, leading people, as opposed to, you know, leading individual contributions. I love it. Over to you, Dr. Runder.

Awesome. Thank you so much, Jennifer. And so I understand that you were recently accepted into the Forbes Coaching Council for your leadership expertise, which let me tell you, that is no small feat. That is a big deal. And so in addition to that,

I know that you are, yes, absolutely. I mean, huge honor. So as a Forbes contributor, Jennifer, you write about leadership trends. And so what are some of the biggest challenges facing today's leaders and how can they navigate them effectively? So this is what I will say is that this is very timely, right? So the trends that are going on now are a couple of things, right? There are two challenges in which that is being faced with today's leaders.

That includes the diversity, equity and inclusion challenge, as well as government employees questioning their value, right? Whether or not they will have a job. As a leader of people, navigating folks through the change, number one is making sure that you are remaining calm as a leader. And ways of being calm is one thing to say it, but it's another thing to activate it. And so part of my practices is when I get up in the morning, I am looking at my calm app. I am meditating. I am praying. I'm looking at my Bible verse. I'm calling out my three gratitudes for the day. I'm making sure that I do something daily where I'm touching all five senses. It might sound silly, but it's the truth. It helps. It helps. And I take deep

breaths. It does something good for your nervous system to actually take deep breaths, even if it's three or five breaths. And then reading whatever the material, because sometimes you get stuff posted on social media, you need to fact check it as a leader. Fact check it, read it, see it for applicability, go get with other leaders to see how they're handling it. Start your own community of best practices where you're getting with other leaders to find out how they are actually putting standard operating procedures in place to address the various challenges. Those are just a couple of things.

But the calmness, because people pick up on your energy. And if you are like hair on fire, upset and you're leading a team, they're going to mirror that behavior. So just make sure you're checking in with yourself. I agree, actually, Dr. Jennifer. I think the routine part is so important. When I wake up, I do meditation prayer. I also do breath work on an afternoon where that's breathing exercises to regulate the nervous system. And you said some people might think it's silly. I think it's really important having those little routines through the day to keep you in a good mindset and keep them. body all regulated as well. I think that's really, really important. Did you want to add anything to that,

Dr. Ronda? No, I think Jennifer, I mean, she's, you know, she hits it right on the head. She is definitely the leadership guru. I've actually learned a lot just from this conversation in terms of just my own leadership, personal and professional leadership. And I think one of the things that stands out the most is that sometimes we are called to be leaders. Sometimes we're leading, even if we don't realize we're leading. People are watching us, observing us, and as she mentioned, you know, mirroring our reactions. So making sure that we are conducting ourselves in a way that is above reproach because people are looking to us to see, okay, what is appropriate and what is the right way?

And so just making sure that that's always, you know, as we say on the up and up. Absolutely. I love it. And you know I say all the time, Rhonda, we're interviewing every day. I have that quote. I put that out that you're interviewing every day. You don't know who's watching. Right.

Brilliant. Definitely. Dr. Jennifer, I know you're offering something on your website and if people want to connect with you, who should connect with you, who's best. to get in touch with you? Who do you want to connect with and share more details on that?

Absolutely. Our entire conversation is centered around those leaders. And I work with mid-career women. Usually my focus group focus area is 45 to 55 years old. And guess what? I work with others as well. But that's usually my mid-career folks who are trying to make it to that director level or higher.

and I service, like I said, people say, oh, do you service men? Absolutely. So go to my website, reaching within empowerment.com. I have a leader's toolkit there, absolutely free. And I think it's about 19 pages. They can check that out. And I also have a values handbook there too. So people can check into that as well.

people don't realize how much your values play a huge role in your leadership style. And that's a whole different conversation on a different day. But I have those goodies on my website. I would encourage everyone to grab those goodies. Go to reaching withinempowerment.com. That's reaching withinempowerment.com. Dr. Ronda, thank you for coming on as my co-host today. we've got lots and more shows coming up as well, which is really incredible.

Dr. Jennifer, thank you so much for being my guest today. I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed having a conversation with you. Thank you for having me. This was fabulous. I'm always grateful to talk to my friends across the pond. That's what I like to call y'all, my friends across the pond. It's been a pleasure. And again, thank you, Dr. Ronda.

I love the energy you bring to the show as well. My pleasure, Mark. Thank you so much for this opportunity. I love it. You're so welcome. Thank you everyone for joining us. For brilliant. Thanks for listening to Business Innovators Radio. To hear all episodes featuring leading industry influencers and trendsetters visit us online at businessinnovators.com today.