Hi, I’m Jackie.

Born in Brooklyn and raised in Long Island, I’m a New Yorker at heart (although I do live in NJ today!). The youngest of three girls, I grew up in a loving home with everything I could ever need. I took a lot for granted; something I didn’t realize until much later in life.

I loved being a student and learning new things. My first introduction to Psychology was my senior year of High School and within a few weeks into the class I declared this my college major. I graduated from Lehigh University in 2008 with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Spanish.

After college, I spent ten months in Israel learning Hebrew, volunteering, and interning. This experience showed me the importance of community service and having a connection to something greater than myself.

The first year after returning from Israel was spent in temp jobs as I sought out my career. I landed my first real job as a Recruiting Coordinator at Bloomberg L.P. where I ended up spending five years in Human Resources. I gained skills in Recruiting, Leadership Development, Coaching, Talent Development, Facilitation, and Instructional Design.  But most importantly, my time at Bloomberg taught me how to succeed in the workplace. I was groomed in dedication, perseverance, the importance of taking risks and stretching myself.  

In 2015 I joined LinkedIn as a Customer Success Manager having decided that I wanted to explore a client-facing role. The role was a natural fit, combining my Recruiting skills with my Learning & Development background, and I loved working with clients. Plus, it was for a company whose vision, mission, culture & values I aligned with. After three years as a Customer Success Manager, I moved into People Management. After managing teams at LinkedIn for 3.5 years, I moved into a Director role at Degreed, Inc - an upskilling platform for lifelong learners.

While I was focusing on my career, I was also experiencing life in other ways. I spent my twenties thinking I knew who I was but never putting in the work to really find out.  When my seven-year relationship ended in divorce, it forced me to look within and re-discover myself. To say it simply, I woke up. I became aware of my passions, my insecurities and fears, my motivations, and my goals. Through therapy, coaching, reading, personality assessments, habits, and self-development tools, I started to feel what it was like to be my best self and to be truly happy and fulfilled.

Today, I am a full-time Life Coach and Corporate Facilitator, with a goal of bringing personal development to the workplace. I believe that when individuals are empowered to become the best versions of themselves, they become better professionals and teammates, and companies have a role to play in this transformation. I went through a coaching certification program in 2018 and have been working with clients since. Coaching is truly my passion. I love those “a-ha!” moments that my clients get when they discover a new insight about themselves. I love the inspiration felt at the end of a session. And I love seeing my clients transform over our time together. In addition to coaching, I create and deliver workshops for groups.  I use my coaching skills to create an open and safe space where people feel comfortable sharing. The topics of my workshops are ones that I not only feel strongly about in terms of importance in the workplace but are tried and true in making a difference. I like to say, the only thing better about learning is learning with others. 

In 2019, my former colleague Leah Smart and I started “In the Arena,” a podcast at LinkedIn where we aimed to make professionals better humans. We believed that if people came into work each day and were operating as their best selves, businesses would thrive. Through authentic conversation with one another – as well as interviews with authors, researchers, and business leaders – we aimed to share wisdom with those looking to “be in the arena” - aka stepping outside of their comfort zone. After leaving LinkedIn in 2021, Leah became the sole host of “In the Arena” and it continues to be a thriving podcast today.

In 2023, I became an Accredited Enneagram Practitioner through Integrative Enneagram Solutions. The Enneagram (iEQ9) is a scientifically validated framework that helps us understand our underlying motivations. It’s a map for personal transformation and one of the greatest tools I’ve experienced for growth. Today, I use the Enneagram with both individuals and teams to help increase self-awareness, unlock potential and inspire change.

And lastly, I am a wife, daughter, sister, aunt, friend, and colleague. The people in my life are what make my life. And one of the greatest things about being your best self is that you get to be there for others…with a strong foundation, open arms, and a loving heart.