We’re looking forward to introducing you to Jenn Whitmer. Check out our conversation below.
Good morning Jenn, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learned about your customers?
That so many leaders think they’re the only ones struggling. I sit across from incredibly capable, competent people who second-guess themselves because they assume everyone else has it figured out. One leader at a global energy company once said to me, “I thought I was the only one who felt like a fraud at this level,” and the relief on her face when she realized she wasn’t alone was priceless. Here’s the deal: None of us has it all figured out! We all wrestle with complex people, tough circumstances, and the pressure of corporate cultures that often leave little room for humanity. What surprises me is how much freedom leaders feel when they realize, “Oh—it’s not just me.” That moment of shared humanity is where confidence (and higher performance) starts to find its footing, and joy increases.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My journey helping people have joy at work began when I got fired. Yep—right there on the same couch where I’d received glowing accolades and a prestigious national award for our organization just eight months before, I received the gut punch of a culture turned toxic. After the whiplash and crying on my own couch at home for a while (while my husband, Michael, kept the ice cream coming and our four kids wondered if Mom was going to stay on the couch forever), I got curious: How did a thriving culture devolve into such a mess?
Through research, grad school, and working with leaders, I discovered that leadership and culture impact our everyday lives. Since then, I help leaders create workplaces where people actually want to show up—where curiosity, connection, and yes, joy, drive both performance and well-being.
I do that through speaking, executive coaching, and my upcoming book, Joyosity: How to Cultivate Intense Happiness in Work & Life (Even When Things Are What They Are). I cut through the buzzwords and blend evidence, humor, and straight talk so leaders leave with tools they can actually use even before their next meeting.
Right now, I’m especially excited about bringing Joyosity™ to stages, organizations, and readers. There’s so much difficulty happening, and joy is an act of rebellion, resistance, and resilience. Joy isn’t the reward at the end of success. It’s the reason you make it.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
Ego disconnects you from others (and yourself, really). When you operate from ego, which is your personality in protection mode, you default to scarcity, defensiveness, and self-preservation. That shuts down trust and connection. It destroys relationships and devastates organizations.
What restores the connection between people begins with learning to explore and manage your inner world so you’re not ruled by it, and then engaging with others in ways that foster community and collaboration. When we show up with curiosity instead of fear, the space for genuine connection opens back up.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
Being “too much.” Too loud. Too smart. Too curious. For years, I believed the story that it was my problem—that I needed to be smaller all around, physically and metaphorically.
Don’t ask the next question, or people will label you difficult.
Don’t laugh too much, or people will think you’re foolish.
Don’t take up too much space, or people will decide you’re too intense.
It took years to realize I was contorting myself to make other people feel comfortable. And I was hurting everyone in the process—most of all myself! What I thought was “too much” was actually my strength—the energy, insight, curiosity, and joy that help me connect with people and spark change.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?
Once, I went to a Broadway Rave with someone who only knew me from speaking events and social media. We were sitting at a table with drinks before the party really started, and she suddenly stopped mid-conversation.
“I just can’t believe it,” she said.
I whipped my head around, thinking someone had walked in. “What? What happened?”
She laughed: “You. You’re exactly the same person I hear on your podcast as you are sitting right here with me.”
It was the biggest compliment. I truly believe the only way to have real joy is to be who you are wherever you go. That doesn’t mean everything in my life is public, but it does mean what you see is fully aligned with who I am.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
Joy isn’t cotton candy that dissolves on the tongue. Real joy has roots—and roots form in the dark.
Joy has dirt on its face, because it requires digging through confusion and pain to uncover the goodness that’s there.
Joy has grit and determination in its eyes, because it dares to find what is possible without denying what is difficult.
Joy has laughter in its mouth, because joy has the audacity to believe the future belongs to those who pursue it.
Hustle and hacks won’t save us. Joy is what will save us.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jennwhitmer.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenn_whitmer/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennwhitmer/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennwhitmerspeaks/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@jenn_whitmer
- Other: https://jennwhitmer.com/joyosity-podcast
https://www.amazon.com/author/jenn_whitmer
Image Credits
Main photo: Jeff Brown
Pink jacket and huge mug: Jeff Brown
Flowered top and gold pants: Brianne Bland
White top and blue skirt: Brianne Bland
