About Jennifer

As a certified professional coach, CPCC, with my master’s degree in organizational development and leadership, MAODL, I coach and consult with people and organizations to exceed their expectations. I am also available to facilitate and lead team building seminars for professional organizations and businesses.

JJ Leadership CC

2012 – Current

I am a connector.

When I started working full time at the University of Minnesota, teaching strategy and creative development, I realized that most of my students didn’t understand themselves well enough to create a career path that would build on their natural talents. This observation led me to pursue a certification in professional coaching and a masters degree in leadership and organizational development. My goal was to connect with my students and help them discover how to lead themselves.

This opened many doors for my students, my former strategic communications students, and for me. I call it JJ Leadership CC. My professional experience as an advertising leader and a higher-ed faculty member helped me focus on the people I connect with daily, the students and young professionals in advertising and PR. I continue to consult and coach my former students on a regular basis. They are thriving in their professional lives.

Ogilvy, Leo Burnett, Carmichael Lynch, and Olson

1984-2004

I seek out what is possible.

After graduating from The University of Texas at Austin with a degree in advertising from Texas Creative, I started working as an art director at Ogilvy Chicago. My experience eventually gave me a leadership opportunity at Leo Burnett and finally led to a group creative director and senior partner position at Carmichael Lynch in Minneapolis. I am a very fortunate person to have had so many interesting experiences. When I was at Carmichael Lynch I realized that my path was starting to veer from leading creative to identifying opportunities for individuals and agencies. Jon Olson gave me a position as a brand ambassador for his agency that included everything from finding talent to building a foundation for Brand Lab, an advertising/PR incubator for DEI students in the twin cities. This gave me a launchpad that opened possibilities for people and ideas.

The University of Minnesota

2004 – Current

I am an observer.

When I was hired to be a full time faculty member at a Big Ten university, I felt like I won a major award. The position gave me an opportunity to guide young people to find their place in the world and teach them about advertising and PR. Sometimes, advertising or PR was not the optimal place for my students, and I used my coaching skills to help them identify a better path. I won the “Best Faculty Award” from the students at the U in 2009. (It probably helped that I encouraged them to not be too easily satisfied and to stay open to possibilities.) HSJMC has also engaged me as the senior adviser for Backpack, the student advertising and PR agency at the school. My coaching certification has been integral to my success in this position as it requires me to help emerging leaders discover how to lead themselves and real business.