Joycelyn Greenleaf Jones

I attribute my success to humility, perseverance, and staying committed to my purpose even through the hardest times. My journey has truly humbled me. I went from making six figures to not even half of that when I had to step back in my career because of my baby's surgeries. Trying to get back in the field has made me appreciate the smaller things in life, but that humility was also a gift. It taught me resilience and shaped how I lead today. The experience of navigating my son's three open-heart surgeries when he was just six months old profoundly changed me. I didn't have time to pour into myself because everything went into healing my son and being there for him. That experience strengthened my leadership, sharpened my empathy, and taught me how to advocate, protect, nurture, and lead with compassion. I've learned that influence is not about status, it's about service. When you lead with authenticity, resilience, and purpose, you don't just change organizations, you change communities, families, and futures. I've also been blessed with mentors like Nancy and Savannah who saw my hunger to learn and poured into me even when I didn't have all the experience or education. Those people come a dime a dozen, and I'm very grateful for them. As a woman and a mother, I've learned that we know how to love someone else's life more than our own and still survive and still exist. That's a superpower, and it's shaped everything about how I show up in my work and in my life.

The best career advice I’ve ever received came from my mentors, Nancy and Savannah, who have been instrumental in my growth within HR and recruiting. Their guidance and encouragement helped me build confidence in my abilities, embrace new challenges, and continue advancing in my career.

I would say to any young woman entering the field of people operations or compliance, know that influence isn't defined by a corner office or six-figure title, so don't ever feel like you're less than or that you have to be something you're not. Real influence is about how you show up for people and the impact you leave behind. Just keep believing in yourself and stay the course, no matter how hard it is. Stick with it, and it will all work out. I've learned that persistence, humility, and staying committed to learning can open doors over time. It's also so important to build strong relationships and seek out mentors who can help guide your career development. Look for people who see your hunger to learn and will pour into you, even if you don't have all the experience or education yet. Those people who can meet you where you are and not leave you behind because you don't have enough experience, but who see that you want to learn and see your hunger and pour into you - those people you can't take for granted. They come a dime a dozen, and you have to appreciate them.

I feel like humility can be both a challenge and a gift in this field. I've been humbled in my own career, going from making six figures all the way down to not even half of that when I had to step back because of my baby's surgeries. Trying to get back in the field has truly humbled me and made me appreciate the smaller things in life, but that humility was also a gift. In my field, you're dealing with people on a daily basis and working with high regulatory risk control, so it can be very stressful. I would say the biggest challenge is relationship management, because you're constantly working with different personalities and people, and keeping up with ever-changing organizations that are constantly changing. In a field where it is compliance, things are always changing, and just being able to stay on top of things is critical. You have to navigate increasing regulatory requirements while also maintaining healthy workplace cultures and strong relationships across the organization.

The values most important to me are authenticity, service, and purpose. I truly believe that influence is not about status, it's about service. When you lead with authenticity, resilience, and purpose, you don't just change organizations, you change communities, families, and futures. I define my influence through service, which means mentoring others, advocating for equity, and building bridges between communities and organizations. My leadership philosophy centers on empathy, compassion, and creating environments where people feel valued and supported. The experience with my son's health challenges taught me how to advocate, protect, nurture, and lead with compassion in ways I never imagined. In my personal life, I'm deeply devoted to my family. Being a mother and a wife are central to who I am. I also believe strongly in giving back to the community and supporting those in need, especially women and single mothers, because I've been there myself. I went back to Career Source, the organization that helped me when I was a single mom on assistance, and gave back to them by doing a job fair and hiring a lot of single moms. That full-circle moment of being able to help others who were where I once was means everything to me. As a woman and a creator who contributes to human beings being here on Earth, I know how to love someone else's life more than my own and still survive and exist. That's a superpower, and it drives everything I do.