Jackie
“I think as women, we sometimes tend to be overly polite and want to ensure we never say the wrong things to avoid conflict. Ask yourself, ‘Why is it that I am apologizing? Do I really have anything to be sorry for?’ You might just notice that you don’t at all.”
Jackie is extremely driven, self-aware, and adventurous. When she sets her mind to something, she goes after it — whether it’s completing a project or finding the best vegan ice cream in town. Her independent nature, care for others, and polite Canadian side make her a great leader and friend. Meet Jackie. This is her story.
K: Please introduce yourself!
J: I was born and raised in Toronto, Canada but moved to Seattle, Washington in the summer of 2018 after graduation. I’m currently a user experience (UX) designer at Amazon.
For a long time, I struggled to understand what it was that I wanted to do with my life. Being the Type-A person that I am, I have always needed to have a plan for my life and if anything got in the way of that, I would turn into a ball of stress. Maybe it’s the chaos that is COVID-19, but for the first time, I’m fine with not knowing what the next day, month, or year holds for me. With that I’ve learned to be more present and enjoy what’s happening now rather than panicking over what the future looks like for me. I am now taking the time to reflect on what makes me happy, and hopefully one day I can take my passions and interests and turn that into a job.
Outside of work I enjoy cooking food for my friends and family, and exploring the PNW with my partner and my dog, Cooper.
K: What is your favorite thing about yourself?
J: I am very self-aware, and therefore, I have always been very in-tune with not only my own feelings but how I might be making the people around me feel. Being self-aware has helped me to better understand myself and improve the way I interact with those around me.
K: Tell us a story. Have you had an experience that’s defined you or made you stronger?
J: I remember when I first started working at Amazon, I was overwhelmed by the bold personalities in the office. Being fresh out of university and being thrown into a fast paced, high stress work environment, I was having a difficult time finding my voice. I remember I would often get feedback from my peers telling me that I was too quiet, people would even call me out in a meeting and say I was too shy. It made me feel incredibly self-conscious, and I felt like if I wanted to succeed in this field of work, I need to be loud. But I knew that wasn’t me and that wasn’t the kind of person I wanted to be. Why would I say something just for the sake of saying something?
As time progressed, I did start to get more confident in my job and now I do find myself being more vocal around my peers. Going through that experience made me realize that leaders have different ways of being leaders. Just because you might not be the loudest person in a room doesn’t mean you’re not smart or your opinion doesn’t matter. I gained a lot of empathy through that experience. Now, when I work with new hires on my team, I always make sure I do my best to make them feel comfortable and understanding of their communication style, whatever it may be. I want to be a bold and confident leader, but that doesn’t mean I have to sacrifice being kind and empathetic to those around me.
K: What is one piece of advice you’d give to your younger self?
J: Say sorry less, and definitely don’t apologize for doing the things that make you happy. I don’t know if it’s the Canadian in me or I was just raised to be overly polite but growing up I had a tendency to apologize for everything I did. I noticed myself doing this a lot when I first joined the workforce, apologizing for making small mistakes or when I had a differing opinion. I think as women, we sometimes tend to be overly polite and want to ensure we never say the wrong things to avoid conflict. Ask yourself, “Why is it that I am apologizing? Do I really have anything to be sorry for?” You might just notice that you don’t at all.
K: Who is one woman that inspires you? What would you say to her if she were here now?
J: My older sister Alison constantly surprises me, as she has always been someone who marches to the beat of her own drum. Right out of university, Alison got a job at a large accounting firm. Our family was incredibly proud of her and we really never found ourselves asking her if she was happy because we assumed she had to be. However, ever since we were kids, Alison has always had a passion for food and even dreamed of having her own bakery one day; to me, those were only ideas and dreams of hers, not something that would be a reality. About 3 years into being an accountant, she decided to take a sabbatical and go to the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) in New York City for a 3-month bread baking course. I had never seen my big sister so happy before.
After the baking course, she quit her job at the accounting firm and has pursued baking as a career. Alison always reminds me that there are a million reasons not to do something, but I should never talk myself out of going after what makes me happy.
My sister and I currently live on opposite ends of the continent and since I’ve moved away, it’s been hard not having her around. If she were here right now, I’d tell her how I would not be the person I am now without her, and I am truly lucky to have her as a role model. Also, please make me a loaf of bread, thanks.