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Leadership Lessons from the Patti LaBelle Concert
On Valentine’s Day, my sisters and I took my mom to see a Patti LaBelle Concert in Austin. First, let me just say it was awesome. Patti, you still got it girl! Get em! But on top of enjoying the show, I also managed to walk away with four leadership lessons (as I tend to look for them in normal life :)). First Lesson. If you are doing something you love that you are great at, you can do it for a long time. Let's start with the fact that Patti is 77 years old. She even said it
Jessica Smith
Jun 115 min read


Leadership Lessons from the Slopes of Park City #techlayoffs
Every year my family and I go on an annual ski trip. This year we went to Park City, Utah at the start of the year. Each year I take group ski lessons to continue learning and improving in the sport. I skied for the first time on a business school trip when I was 26 and it has taken me years to first, not be terrified of the sheer presence and size of the mountain (we didn't have anything similar to that growing up in Mississippi), and second, become a semi-decent skier. I co
Jessica Smith
Jun 116 min read


Leadership Lessons from NYC with Sebastian
Ok friends. This month’s blog post doesn't follow the normal pattern (Narrative plus 3 to 5 lessons), because why should it? Nothing seems “normal" right now anyways. So, I am writing this one completely differently. So, for you to be able to digest it, I suggest you read it the way I wrote it. Go to your favorite music platform (for me its hashtag#amazonmusic). Search Becky G - Shower. Take a deep inhale. Now exhale. Wait 2 seconds. Repeat. And now that you are relaxed, rea
Jessica Smith
Jun 115 min read


Leadership Lessons from Mother's Day
This Mother’s Day season I had a chance to slow down due to recovering from a surgery (I know - I should find non-hospital related ways to rest as well 🙂 I am working on it. 🙂). This slower pace has allowed me to be very present and more observant of what is happening around me. It also has given me time to reflect on the intricate juggle of responsibilities of working moms striving for work/life harmony. In my current state, I cannot drive and spend most of my time at hom
Jessica Smith
Jun 118 min read


Leadership Lessons from “Let’s Dance” the Movie
Recently, I watched a French movie called “Let's Dance.” I am actually not a big movie person, because I do not want to keep thoughts in my head I do not “need.” So I tend to only enjoy movies that are “forgettable” or at least not worth remembering. For example, Romantic Comedies - you know what will happen before even starting the movie. Or Christmas romantic comedies - even more forgettable (the boy and the girl will end married by New Years if not sooner). But this movie
Jessica Smith
Jun 115 min read


Leadership Lessons from the MJ Movie
If you have not seen the MJ movie yet, don’t worry—I’m not going to spoil it for you. But I highly recommend you go see it. Sunday night, my entire family gathered at the Alamo Drafthouse to watch it together—parents, sisters, kids, and a few of the close friends who over the years have basically become adopted members of our family. That tends to happen in our crew. One sister makes a great friend, and before long they’re at Christmas, birthdays, and holidays right alongside
Jessica Smith
Jun 115 min read


Three Things to Get Right Before an AI Agent Talks to Your Candidates
I started Reframing HR to help people leaders lead the AI shift in our profession rather than have it handed to them — practitioner-led education and advisory that treats HR as the strategist driving the technology, not the end user receiving it. One of the ways I do that is by testing HR AI agents for companies, from the inside. I go through the real candidate experience these agents create — applying for the roles, sitting through the video and text interviews, exactly the
Jessica Smith
Jun 103 min read


Leadership Lessons from the Long Road Back: What a Slow, Gritty 10K Taught Me About Commitment, Courage, and Choosing to Continue
On January 3rd, I tore a muscle around my knee while skiing. That one moment erased my entire running season—no January half marathon, no early morning runs to clear my head, no familiar rhythm in my body.
Jessica Smith
Mar 263 min read


Leadership Lessons from the Soccer Field: How a Youth Coach Redefined Effort and Ownership
This year my son, Sebastian, moved up to an Elite team at his soccer club, Lonestar. I know that sounds exciting —“Go Sebastian!” — and yes, I’m incredibly proud of him. But any parent involved in elite club soccer knows the full truth: it's a commitment that stretches far beyond the athlete.
Jessica Smith
Mar 267 min read


Leadership Lessons from the J Lo Concert
Last week, I had the opportunity to moderate a panel at the Black Enterprise Women of Power Summit in Las Vegas—an incredible gathering of smart and powerful female leaders.
Jessica Smith
Mar 265 min read
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