IBA SUCCESS MAGAZINE Volume 6 Campaign 1 | Page 22
COVER STORY
Recently, one of my close friends and I talked about my motivations. What types of
things make me tick and get me out of bed each day? Since she’s a writer I thought it
might be fun to have her interview me. Our time together turned into an introspection
of the life and times of Jennifer Yon, so I welcome you to enjoy a snapshot of me and
how I became the Jennifer Yon you know today.
growth
the
MINDSET
meet a lot of people in my line
of work and those who are most
successful have a few common
characteristics. One of those
characteristics is called the Growth
Mindset. Specifically, the Growth
Mindset is the understanding that personal
qualities and abilities change. The people
who possess this quality innately are
typically star athletes, executive directors,
company presidents...basically people
who aim high and are never fully satisfied
with being mediocre. Jennifer Yon has
exhibited this characteristic from our first
meeting, and I wanted to capture some of
Jennifer’s growth mindset for her readers,
so here goes.
Jennifer Yon
20
IBA Success Magazine
n
VOL 6, Issue 1
Almost twenty years ago, I met a young
lady with more wisdom than any twenty-
year-old should have. As our friendship
grew, I learned life hadn’t always been kind
to her. Her life experiences, while difficult,
weren’t worn on her sleeve though. She
expected only the best from herself and
gave fully to the job at hand. Whenever
she’d share a life experience with me,
sometimes I was so startled that I wondered
how she didn’t let it hinder her. She never
saw herself as a victim in any way and
wouldn’t let you do so either. At the time,
I was a new divorcée who wallowed in my
self-pity. I knew that eventually I’d need to
gather myself but I couldn't help the “woe
is me” feeling at first. Not long after our
first intense conversation, Jennifer says to
me, “You know you’re going to need to
stop feeling sorry for yourself. It doesn’t
help. And it stops you from moving on with
your life. Don’t do that to yourself or your
child.” I felt entitled to my grief. I held onto
it like a shield from the world. It barred
me from relationships and consumed my
conversations. And here she was trying to
take it from me! Although she’s 10 years
younger, Jennifer had heard all she could
stand of my ex-husband and all of the
things he’d done wrong. “What do you
intend to do to change your situation,”
she’d ask. “How do you hope to grow?” I
remembered her looking around my small
one-bedroom apartment saying that she
expected me to get more out of life. Not
immediately, but eventually I took the
advice and moved on and I am forever
grateful for the kick in the pants from my
friend. It was then that I began to take a
closer look at her life.
How did one so young become so tough
and gifted? Remember, people with a
growth mindset don’t usually know what
By Danna Jackson-Carroll