I’m Jacklyn. I’m a Sagittarius and my favorite color is glitter.

I shamelessly stole this “user guide” idea from Will Sansbury who stole it from Julie Zhou. This “user guide” is intended to help you understand how I think and what motivates me so that we can work together more effectively. It’s not exhaustive, and it may even seem contradictory at times (as Whitman wrote, “I contain multitudes”), so please ask me if you’re curious about anything.

How I View Success

There are a few ways I measure success for myself:

  • Make a positive impact on the lives of those around me
  • When I achieve my goals as well as the company’s objectives
  • Holding space for others to share their thoughts and feel heard
  • Helping those around me achieve their personal and professional goals

Someone who is good at their job is driven, passionate, and accountable; they aren’t afraid to make mistakes and they know when to ask for guidance.

My Strengths

  • I build strong relationships with people quickly that help hold teams together and make the team greater than the sum of its parts.
  • I love learning new things and improving upon my own processes.
  • I take ownership of what I say and do. I say what I mean and mean what I say. Blue cheese is the worst cheese. It’s basically mold.
  • Spotting patterns and categorizing is one of my strongest skills (unfortunately not so much in my house). I thoroughly enjoy finding inefficiencies and changing to achieve maximum productivity.
  • I have a talent for being able to see past what people believe their problem is to what the actual problem is.

My Growth Areas

  • I am weakest at being able to be both in the details of a project and seeing the bigger picture – zooming in and out in the same meeting is difficult for me.
  • When I go too long without feedback on my wins and losses, I start to mentally shut down.
  • I’m easily frustrated when I don’t pick up a new skill on the first try.
  • I desperately need to get better at generating ideas – I am 100% the synthesizer (and sometimes that comes across pessimistic and hole pokey).

How I Communicate

  • I love talking to people and getting to know others, so you’ll see me responding quickly in chat (I’m a little slower via email) and starting conversations about non-work topics often.
  • I listen carefully when people talk to me, which means I can be slow to respond while considering my response and sometimes sound like a stream of consciousness. I can become easily distracted when speaking, particularly if I see my dogs do something silly or if I see something out of the window in my office.

What Gains My Trust

  • Having the courage to show up (for meetings, for peers, for friends) when you can’t control the outcome.
  • When people have crucial conversations with me and help me understand their line of thinking.
  • Uplifting others, caring for others, creating an equitable work environment.
  • Asking for help before it’s too late.

My Weakens My Trust

  • Showing up late and unprepared for meetings.
  • Not respecting boundaries.
  • Gossiping behind someone’s back instead of offering constructive suggestions to their face.
  • Avoiding responsibilities and letting things slide because someone else will pick up the slack.
  • Staying silent for fear of saying or doing something wrong; choosing comfort over having difficult conversations.

Things I Do That May Annoy You

  • I am a highly empathetic person and because of that, some people might think I’m prying or over-involved in their lives. I’m not trying to be either, I’m just looking for ways to connect on a deeper level.
  • I have a tendency to silently reorganize tasks which can confuse others. Just ask me to explain my thinking and I’ll be happy to do so.
  • I’m an enthusiastic person and sometimes my excitement or praise may come off superficial or insincere. I assure you it is genuine. I enjoy being your cheerleader, despite never having been one while in grade school.
  • It’s easy for me to become frustrated when I feel that others don’t work as hard as I do. – I have high expectations of myself and sometimes need reminding that it isn’t fair to have the same high expectations of for everyone. I encourage you to point this out if you experience it with me.
  • If I don’t write it down, it didn’t happen. I struggle to remember details when I don’t have it written down, but I can remember every single lyric to every 90s pop song I’ve ever heard.
  • I work at a faster-than-average pace; I’m attentive to details and both quick and accurate in handling them. That said, I’m too impatient to enjoy working with details as repetitive routine.

Giving Feedback

Brené Brown’s Dare to Lead includes a guideline for readiness to give feedback while living into your own values. The list is below and I strive to live by it on the reg.

I’m ready to give feedback:

  • When I’m ready to sit next to you rather than across from you.
  • When I’m willing to put the problem in front of us rather than between us (or sliding it toward you).
  • When I’m ready to listen, ask questions, and accept that I may not fully understand the issue.
  • When I’m ready to acknowledge what you do well instead of just picking apart your mistakes.
  • When I recognize your strengths and how you can use them to address your challenges.
  • When I can hold you accountable without shaming or blaming.
  • When I’m open to owning my part.
  • When I can genuinely thank someone for their efforts rather than just criticizing them for their failings.

Receiving Feedback

Feedback is a gift. Some of it I will cherish and carry with me for the rest of my life. Some of it may get regifted or tossed in the trash. I think everyone can agree that receiving feedback is difficult, especially when you’re not prepared for it. I am open and willing to receive feedback, I’m confident enough to know that I don’t have to act on every single detail, and I’m brave enough to speak up when I’ve hit my limit (doesn’t mean I’m cutting you off, it just means I’m overloaded and we’ll pick it up at another time).

If you haven’t read Dare to Lead, I highly recommend you pick it up immediately!

About Me IRL

  • I recently moved from Kirkwood, a quirky neighborhood in Atlanta to the ‘burbs in Smyrna.
  • I married my rock star husband, Dave, in 2016. We met in Philly when I saw his band play at the legendary Dobbs on South Street.
  • Dave and I have a curly haired daughter, Dottie, who shows up on camera from time to time; a fresh baby girl, Julianne, who we mostly refer to as Pickle; and two puppies, C.J. and Josh (named after characters on The West Wing).
  • Most of my adult life I spent in the ballroom as a competitive International Latin Dancer (ChaCha, Samba, Rumba, Jive, Paso Doble). I’ve taken the last few years off, but recently started getting back into it.
  • Several people have asked me if this is my real hair color. It is. I quit dying my hair a few years ago and it is one of the bravest things I’ve ever done. I’ve had what I lovingly refer to as my “skunk streak” since I was 15. Silver hair runs through both sides of my family.
  • My karaoke songs include: Will Smith’s “Miami” and “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It,” Billy Joels’ “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” and Third Eye Blind’s “Semi-Charmed Life.” I am 150% tone deaf.
  • Gryffindor.