Her Story
About Jessica
Jessica Shivers serves as Director of the Closing Institute, where she teaches psychology and neuroscience-based communication to help clinicians and teams improve patient conversations and practice efficiency.
With 18 years in the dental field, she began as a licensed dental hygienist trained in local anesthesia and later earned a bachelor's in business supervision and management along with an MBA and Six Sigma Green Belt from the University of Florida. She previously built a national clinical team for a global company before transitioning to her current role, where she also manages learning platforms, strategic partnerships, and speaks nationally on effective communication.
Shivers attributes her drive to her father's experience as a quadriplegic, which deepened her understanding of the patient perspective in medicine, and she is motivated by spiritual values to act with heart and ethics. She is an Advisory member on the Board of Hygiene at Florida Southwestern State College and continues her study’s at Harvards Neuroscience program in the Department of Continued Education.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Jessica
01What do you attribute your success to?
My success comes from leading with heart, understanding human behavior, and staying grounded in purpose. Watching my father become a quadriplegic gave me a deep appreciation for the patient perspective, and my faith reminds me that every interaction is an opportunity to serve. When people feel seen, heard, and understood, trust follows, and that’s where real impact begins.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
One of the best pieces of advice I received was to never compromise your values to fit someone else’s expectations. Stay true to your purpose, keep doing the work, and trust that consistency always wins in the long run.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Understand the big picture, but don’t try to control every step of the journey. Create a vision for where you want to go, then trust the process. Lead with good intentions, maintain a growth mindset, stay open to new opportunities, and just keep moving forward. Sometimes the best progress comes from simply taking the next right step. “Just keep swimming”
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
My biggest challenge is balancing speed with execution, especially with AI. I’m naturally driven to move quickly, but I’ve learned the best results come from slowing down, understanding the variables, and building with intention.
Living with dyslexia has also taught me that everyone is overcoming something, even if you can’t see it. That perspective fuels my greatest opportunity: helping people challenge their own limitations, discover their strengths, and realize their potential.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values that matter most to me are empathy, integrity, curiosity, and purpose. I believe there’s a difference between perception and perspective, and I value taking the time to truly understand what someone is communicating before forming an opinion.
I trust both data and intuition, lead with heart, and strive to make decisions that are ethical and aligned with my purpose. Above all, I want to be a catalyst for growth, helping people see new possibilities, discover their strengths, and become the best version of themselves.
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