Her Story
About Jasmine
I serve as the teen advisor for the Top Teens of America in the New York region, which is part of the Top Ladies of Distinction Incorporated, a non-profit, community service-based leadership organization that has been around since 1964. I was a teen in this organization back in the 90s, and then I came back to serve as a supervisor, was the president for 4 years, and now I am the teen advisor. This organization paved the way for me to become an entrepreneur and taught me confidence, resilience, and to serve - to whom much is given, much is required. Youth and women's empowerment are my passions because I feel like if I can lead them younger, then when they get older, we don't have to worry about where they land. I mentor with a group of ladies who help out. We teach resume building, get them prepared for college, offer partial scholarships, and align them with other scholarships they're eligible for. We take them away once a year to their annual leadership conference, which is led by the teens, and every other year they have their annual regional conference. The organization spans from Boston to the Bahamas. The teens have their own everything - their own president, first vice, second vice, treasurer, recording secretary - and we teach them how to navigate that, how to have a quorum, how to take a proper vote, how to have a proper meeting with an agenda. We really set them up for leadership. I'm also a public speaker, which I absolutely love. I've hosted retreats in other countries, and my favorite was a focus retreat in Aruba. I call people to their greatness - that's my God-given talent, that is what I'm here for - and to show people the endless possibilities that they have when we get out of our own way. I went to Howard University and originally studied biology to be a science teacher, but wound up going into business after an advisor asked what I would do for free, and I said hair, since I did everybody's hair in college. She wanted me to learn the business and know how to run my own business. After a difficult experience where I was attacked by a patient while pregnant with my second child, wrongfully terminated, lost my health insurance, and had to navigate numerous complications, I represented myself in a lawsuit and won. That showed me my resilience and taught me to never depend on a job, because the rug was pulled under my seat right when we felt like we were coasting. From that experience, I became a public speaker teaching others how to overcome adversity and that sometimes you just gotta weather that storm, because sometimes we go through what we go through not for us, but so I can help another woman coming through that situation.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Jasmine
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to the resilience and confidence I learned from being a teen in the Top Ladies of Distinction organization back in the 90s. It taught me how to captivate rooms, gave me confidence, and taught me to serve - to whom much is given, much is required. A major turning point was when I was attacked by a patient while pregnant with my second child, wrongfully terminated, and lost my health insurance. I had to navigate so many complications, and at one point my body was so stressed it was absorbing the amniotic fluid around my baby because my body was wanting to survive. I represented myself in the lawsuit after I didn't like the way my lawyer was moving, and I won. That experience showed me my resilience and taught me to never depend on a job, because the rug was pulled under my seat right when my partner and I felt like we were coasting. It showed me that sometimes you just gotta weather that storm, and that sometimes we go through what we go through not for us, but so I can help another woman coming through that situation. Learning that the things that come, come for a reason, and getting out of our own way - that's what has made me successful.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I ever received was from an advisor in college who asked me, 'What would you do for free?' I told her hair, because I did everybody's hair in college. She told me she wanted me to learn the business, but more importantly, she wanted me to know how to run my own business. That advice shifted my entire path from biology and teaching to business, and it helped me understand that I should pursue what I'm passionate about and learn how to build something of my own rather than just working for someone else.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge in my field right now is that we don't have programs like this anymore because of funding that has been cut, or people don't have the time. You have to work two and three jobs just to sustain yourself. What the world was for me as a teenager in the 90s and the early 2000s is completely different from what our kids have to deal with today. That's why I'm very big on leadership and allowing them to navigate, because without these youth development and mentorship programs, young people don't have the same opportunities to build the skills and confidence they need.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me are service, resilience, and empowering others to reach their greatness. I believe that to whom much is given, much is required, so giving back is essential to me. I'm passionate about leading youth when they're younger so we don't have to worry about where they land when they get older. I believe in teaching people about the endless possibilities they have when they get out of their own way, and helping them understand that the things that come, come for a reason. I also value the importance of weathering storms and understanding that sometimes we go through what we go through not for ourselves, but so we can help another woman or another person coming through that same situation. My God-given talent is calling people to their greatness, and that is what I'm here for.
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