Lead with Empathy, Adapt with Purpose with Jenn Rinfret

Jenn Rinfret has lived a lot of lives. She was a runway model in Milan at 17, a single mom rebuilding from scratch, a survivor of a serious car accident, and the founder of a business that helped seniors navigate technology with dignity. Today she is the Commercial Lead for Americas at Seer 365 in the Microsoft channel — and through every chapter, empathy has been her north star.

In this episode, Jenn and Kate dig into what it really means to lead with empathy in leadership and in life, the difference between a gamble and a calculated risk, and why the seniors Jenn worked with taught her more about showing up for people than any leadership course ever could. This is a conversation about resilience, reinvention, and what keeps you going when life just keeps coming.

Key Takeaways:

1. Stepping outside your comfort zone is where the best things begin — the discomfort is the point, not the problem.
2. Empathy is not a soft skill. It is a leadership strategy, and it shows up in how you take the time to understand the why behind someone's behavior before reacting.
3. There is a difference between a gamble and a calculated risk. Knowing the difference changes how you make decisions and how you move forward.
4. The seniors Jenn worked with — spies, war survivors, people carrying extraordinary stories — are a reminder that wisdom is everywhere if you slow down enough to notice it.
5. Reinvention is not a one-time event. It is something you choose over and over again, and it gets a little easier every time you do it.

👉🏻Contact information for Jenn Renfret

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennrinfret/

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Welcome back to Coffee Talk, the place where real conversations happen and you always leave feeling a little more connected. I'm your host, Kate Coffee Bacon, and for this episode, I get to do one of my favorite things, and that is to put a dear friend in the guest seat. Jen Renfrit and I met three years ago through the Microsoft Channel, and this conversation has been a long time coming. Jen has lived a lot of different lives. A runway model in Milan at 17, a single mom rebuilding from scratch, survivor of a serious car accident, and the founder of a business that helps seniors navigate technology with dignity. Through all of it, Jen has consistently led with empathy and with kindness. In this episode, we get into what empathy really looks like in leadership and in life. The difference between a gamble and a calculated risk, and what the seniors she worked with taught her about slowing down and paying attention to the people that are right in front of you. This one is going to stay with you. So let's get into it. Jen, welcome to Coffee Talk. I am so glad you're here. Well, thank you. If you could, for the listeners that might not know who you are, quickly introduce yourself.

SPEAKER_02 1:23

Sure. Uh I'm Jen Renfret. We am currently working with Sear 365 and the Microsoft Channel and the commercial lead for Americas. And I live in Montreal, Canada.

SPEAKER_00 1:34

Before we dive into your story, your dad had a saying that I've thought about since one of our first conversations. Can you share it?

SPEAKER_02 1:45

Whenever I would ask my dad, how are you today, dad? My dad would always come back and say, Jen, I woke up on the right side of the grass. It's a fantastic day.

SPEAKER_00 1:56

I love that. And knowing a little bit more about your story, I know that he said that through all seasons and trials of his life and different things that he was going through. And I think you first told me that about a year ago. And knowing the things that he was going through at the time, that really resonated in a very big way with me. And I thought, if there is another human that's going through the kinds of things that he is that wakes up with that positivity and that outlook on life, so can I. So yeah. Yeah. So let's rewind and go back because I think where you started tells us a lot about where you are now. You started modeling at 14. That's I'm sure no surprise to anyone. And then at 17, you were in Milan. What was that like for you as a teenager?

SPEAKER_02 2:46

A couple different things. Terrifying, exciting, and fascinating. I mean, it's not every day that some uh, you know, young teenager gets to see that industry behind the scenes. Uh, but absolutely terrifying. It was, I think I told you the story how my parents were away uh on South Africa on a business trip for, you know, a month. And I went in to see my agent, and a lady had flown over from Milano, another agency. It's very typical. They'll go and visit and then pluck models and bring them to different areas in the world. And she met me and wanted to take me home that day. And I'm like, well, can't really do that. And so from there, I packed up my stuff. I got a hold of my parents in South Africa, and to this day, I still can't believe, being a mother myself, that they actually allowed me to do this.

SPEAKER_01 3:40

Right.

SPEAKER_02 3:41

I packed up my stuff and flew to Milano. And uh from there, that was uh a real game-changing moment. I really learned some skills that I have taken with me throughout my whole entire life. And it really was uh an incredible foundation. For sure. For sure. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:01

What were some of the things that you were thinking and going through? I mean, you were 17 years old. What we've talked about this before, and my jaw hits the floor every time I hear that because at 17 years old, you know, I'm just trying to figure out like what I'm gonna wear to school the next day and what I want to be when I grow up, right? Like I'm not trying to navigate a new city, a career, different personalities, expectations of of what other people may think you want to be. And at 17, with such a, you know, the the life experience meter is is low there. What was that like for you?

SPEAKER_02 4:37

Terrifying. I'm not gonna lie, it was absolutely terrifying, but it taught me that when you and a common theme for me throughout my life is when you are pushed out of your comfort zone, really amazing things can begin to happen. And for me, um, it you know, when I landed, they gave me an address, they picked me up, gave me an address, and said, in the morning, you need to be at the agency. Here's the address. I'm like, okay. So I get my map out, and this was pre-Google Maps. So I've got my map, and Milano's not the uh grid kind of city that we're used to. So I made it there, and I thought, okay, whew, you know, got that done. And then they proceeded to give me a list of about eight locations I needed to visit that day, and they're called Ghosies. So you have your portfolio and you go and visit all the different photographers and magazines and companies, and they, you know, look at your portfolio and see, you know, you you're essentially interviewing for jobs. And so I quickly learned, you know, at the beginning, I wasn't good with the subway system or the trolleys. So I was taking taxis and I quickly learned, you know, sit in the back with a map because otherwise you're gonna get a tour of the city. And the one thing that really resonated with me was, you know, they're rejecting you. I can take rejection really well. I'm not scared anymore of someone saying, no, you know, you you can't do that or we don't want that. Because I think you can probably imagine at 17, they are rejecting you for a job because of the way you look.

SPEAKER_01 6:17

And you can't, right? And I can't change that. Like, that is the ultimate rejection. And at 17. So now, like if I'm selling, I'm like, well, if you don't want it, so like I'm not the product.

SPEAKER_02 6:30

So it makes it a little easier. So it gave me a lot of confidence and it helped me, you know, separate from that. But it was just, it was a very, very competitive market. You know, the girls are very competitive. You can be going for jobs and there's 200 people going for the same one. It has its CD side. Um, so you have to navigate that as well. So, in all reality, I got a hard knocks lesson on Street Smart.

unknown 6:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:55

At a very early age. At a very young age. I had to learn very quickly. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 7:02

Listen, if we are ever on a trip somewhere and there's somewhere to navigate, you are in charge of navigation because I can't get from my house to the grocery store without some issues.

SPEAKER_01 7:15

Well, as I mentioned before, I'm actually really not a good navigator. Great, great. Blindly blind. Exactly. I wouldn't trust me, but it's all good, yes.

SPEAKER_00 7:26

Okay, so then obviously you've transitioned out of modeling. Tell us about that. What happened with that transition and what was next for you?

SPEAKER_02 7:36

Well, at the age of 21, I was exhausted. Lived a whole fast-paced life. I mean, it was a very fast-paced life. So I uh went back home. I moved out west to Western um Canada and got married, had a daughter, so I took the very traditional route. Um, and then from there, uh I ended up uh getting divorced and had to retool myself. So I was that was a very challenging time of my life. I was in the process, I thought, okay, what am I gonna do? Uh I was waitressing during the day. And then at night, I thought, I'm gonna get into this technology thing, seems to be where it's at. So I literally was sitting at home teaching myself uh how to use a computer. I could literally build my own computer. Uh, I really dug in deep, didn't get a lot of sleep, but very, very much self-taught all on technology. I did have uh a brother who was also in the technology on the sales side, or at that time, I think I was working for HP on to Microsoft. But I was on a road path that I wanted to be a graphic design artist. And unfortunately, during that time, I got into a very, very bad car accident, which I ended up wearing a neck brace for four years, had a lot of rehabilitation. And coming out of that, being a graphic design artist and sitting at a computer all day was just not in the cards anymore. And I also really, you know, I my daughter was at such a wonderful age and so engaged in her sports and everything. I needed to have flexibility to be able to not lose out on those years. I wanted a balance, but I also needed to be more self-employed and in control because I was still transitioning from having all of these injuries, which I still struggle with today. So I ended up during that time because I had acquired all this computer knowledge. My parents started pinging me and saying, Hey, how do you do this on the computer? And, you know, I can't make this happen. So I started helping them. And then their friends started calling me uh and asking, Hey, can you help me with this? So that led me to believe, hmm, you know, I think there's a business here. I looked at going and going to university for an entrepreneurship program, but in the curriculum, it was create your own business as an example test. And then, you know, you kind of carry that through the program. And I thought, well, you know what? I'm just gonna, I needed the money as well. So I said, I'm just gonna do the business myself and rely on really reaching out and building a network with other women entrepreneurs. I had a great support system, other business leaders, mentorship. I'm not a classroom girl. I never have been way too hyper. I want to be in there and I like the practical um or practicality. I didn't like the theory so much. So I ended up creating a business called Computer Tutor for Seniors. And from there, I would at nighttime create all the lessons to help them. And then during the day, I would spend time with them and going into their home and helping them with their technology so they could stay connected and be safe about it and to really allow them to age in dignity and not be lost because things were so shifting. If you think about all the things that we do, whether we pay bills or anything, it's all online. It was moving the the um companies and businesses were moving so quickly to that, but they were missing out on the fact that not everyone was adapting the technology as much as they were wanting to implement it. So that's where I came from.

SPEAKER_00 11:22

So I want to push pause for a second because I I really feel like, you know, as we look back on our timelines, right? We've lived it. So we know these big moments that happen. And like Jen, we're not talking about tiny pivots. We're talking about major life changes and choices that you are going through up until this point. And all of these changes, I want to recognize that you're doing it with so much resilience, with so much determination, with grit. And anyone that knows you, whether just casually knows you or calls you a friend, knows how kind you are. So I I want, I'm gonna get emotional. I want to take a second and say, through all the things that you have been through, you've not let time or um or circumstance change the kindness in you or the heart of you. And I I I want to show appreciation for that because you have been through a lot. So, like I said, sometimes on our timeline, like we know our story, but when you start telling other people your story, like there's so much there to sit with and and digest. I mean, you started about, you know, 17 years old in this in this career that is tough. You said it, it it's cutthroat, it's competitive. You left that for a marriage that ended to taking charge of your life and taking taking care of your daughter to a tragic accident that you still suffer from now. But all of it, you you just keep going with so much grace and and so much resilience and learning a new skill so that you can continue on. And in the end, giving back so much, you know, you're helping other people come along with with technology changes. So I just wanted to give a a breath of of air in your story and say, wow, you truly are inspirational in if not there's so much that's inspirational there, but in the kindness that has stayed with you and you haven't let anything that's happened tarnish that. So thank you. Anyway, my friend, I just wanted to say it. Okay, so you are in uh a senior tutoring business now that was born out of friends asking for help. I love that so much because you didn't set out to build a business. You like I said, you set out to help people. And that distinction matters so much to you. I know. Tell me more about those early clients.

SPEAKER_02 13:56

You know, that time in my year was in my life was such a beautiful time. There were challenges, you know. I was a single mom, I was building a business. I ended up moving, like growing that business because as I was doing it, others wanted to do what I was doing. So I ended up building out a franchise. I went through and did the whole two rounds of investments, built out an application. So it was grit and hard work. And being an entrepreneur, when they say it's a roller coaster, let me tell you it really is. And you wear multiple hats. Um, but I like controlled chaos. I think that I I thrive in that. When when it's not when it's calm, I get a little freaked out when I think there's something wrong. I'm like, hmm, this is a little too relaxed.

SPEAKER_00 14:45

Normal right now. Something is about to happen.

SPEAKER_01 14:48

Something's gonna happen.

unknown 14:49

Something's gonna happen.

SPEAKER_02 14:51

So yeah, I think, you know, working with seniors was such a pleasure. And I really hope that if anything, the listeners will walk away and look at seniors differently. I think we are so fast-paced in our lives that we get angry that they're slow drivers or they're taking too long or they can't figure something out at the cash register. And we all need to take a breath and a breather because you know what? We're all gonna be that age. And they have so much history. They are a wealth of information, they are such incredible storybooks, and you don't know their stories unless you actually interact and you work closely with them. So during my time, I worked with um a lady who was an ex um MI6. So if you think about it, the the seniors that I were working, that I was helping, a lot of them had immigrated from England and from Europe. So they really experienced the war. So there was a whole other aspect learning about them living in bomb shelters, spies. There was one gentleman that was a prisoner with Russians and had spent one night he had to lie on top of a bunch of prisoners that were not alive. We're talking about very tragic situations that puts life in perspective. If, you know, they didn't make your coffee correctly. Well, you know what? That's not that's not a bad, a bad first world problem to have. So they they taught me so much in that you you have to enjoy every moment and you have to live your life, right? That's where for me, empathy really comes into play. To lead with empathy, that is very, very important to me. Because what it taught me, and I came across a lot of seniors that there was one lady in particular who the person who referred me to her, no one in that store wanted to deal with her. They said that, you know, she was so incredibly difficult. We don't like her. So I said, okay, well, I'll go and see her. And you know, everybody has story. So when you see someone and perhaps they're not rosy posy and they're not particularly friendly and they're a bit prickly, there might be a reason why, whether they're having a bad day, whether they're struggling, whether they're feeling insecure. You know, I'm dealing with at that time seniors who were very overwhelmed, very skeptical of technology. They were frightened. And so it turns out she was a lovely lady. I had so much fun with her, and she was just very nervous. She also was dealing with a husband who was struggling at home, who was terminally ill. She was had a son that lived overseas, so she was very much on her own. And so, you know, we we look at people and just automatically just brush them off, but it really taught me that you really need to take a look at who you're speaking with, who you're with, and understand that they're a human just like you. They have issues just like you. Can't tell me that you don't have issues or backgrounds or baggage or triggers. And it's just very important that we treat each other with respect and with empathy because that's where beautiful relationships and beautiful things happen.

SPEAKER_00 18:23

So yeah, I I absolutely couldn't agree with you more. You know, you were talking about the value in these stories of, you know, our of older people. My in-laws are now in a beautiful retirement facility. And every single time I talk to my father-in-law, he has some, and I'll say the word outrageous, because these stories are just incredible story of one of his neighbors. So these are people that are living together and living community together and and sharing their stories and strengthening each other. And there's so much power in community and knowing stories. So I actually want to go and like have tea with him twice a week so that I can just hear some of the stories of his neighbors and people that have kind of gone before because there's so much wealth and experience, and you can ask those crazy questions too, like, you know, I'm in this situation in my career, in my, you know, in my parenthood or whatever. What did you do? What was your experience? And there's a whole life, a whole lifeline to to draw from there.

SPEAKER_02 19:30

I think that people, whether you're going into a retirement home or, you know, I I like to no matter what I'm doing, whether I'm in Microsoft conferences, I'm really keen to just get to know the person first. I really just want to genuinely know who the person is. I think we need to also take time. We have incredible people in our lives. You know, I was getting, we were getting my dad to start writing out memoirs and getting him to talk and recording him. There's so many wonderful tools out there now, technology-wise. It's incredible. And what blew me away was just even my dad's story in growing up in England. And yes, he was, he lived in a bomb shelter. His after school activities was literally picking up shrapnel and off the streets. And they would have a contest in the morning as to who brought the most shrapnel and they would win a prize. It you know, so getting to understand all those stories and then going through their their professional life, we don't we're so stuck in getting to a place that we don't take the time to actually sit where we should be, and that's in the now, and really taking the time because before you know it, it's gone, right? So I just think that we have a great opportunity to just ensure that we learn from our elders and that we really do live in the now and take the time. My dad always would say this to me, um, and especially near the end of his life. He said, Jen, it doesn't matter what you have at the end of the day. It's all about friends and family, and it's all about the journey. You gotta have a good ride. You get one ride and just enjoy the ride. It's about the journey. It's not about what you have, it's not about what you end up with at the end. And to me, that really, really sticks with me. And I think about that every single day because I think it's very, very powerful, and it's a very powerful reminder for us all in just this fast-paced world that we live in, and we're always going and going. Do we have to remember that?

SPEAKER_00 21:40

Yeah. Looking at you, right? You've had a lot of chapters that most people don't know about you. Um, thank you for sharing those on Copy Talk. There's so much to be learned from you and from your story. Through all of that, what kept you going? I'm stubborn. I'll admit.

SPEAKER_02 22:00

I think you know, I just really I have a lot of drive and I know that it all works out in the end. It'll always get better. So yeah, I think for me, what keeps me going is knowing that uh we have one shot at this and we gotta make the bet most of it. I think, you know, I have come across some really tough times, you know, scraping two pennies together, complete pain and agony. I think going through recovery from my car accident taught me, you know, two steps forward, one step back. But always, you know, it's gonna get better. It's not gonna be like this forever. I think that if you really want something and you if you really want something out of life, you gotta really work hard for it. You know, work hard, play hard. I I do play hard, I'll admit that. But I think that if everything is given to you or everything is easy, you don't really appreciate those wins. And for me, you know, you had asked me earlier, um, in an earlier conversation, you know, if someone could have told you something back in 25 that you could know now, having known back then, which we know now. And my answer would be aside from if they knew what the winning lottery numbers were, that makes things so much easier. Right. I actually don't want to know because I think that although I can look up and look back on certain parts of my life and go, oh, that was a really difficult time, but without that time, I wouldn't be who I am today, right? We learn from all of our mistakes, we learn and grow through all of that. I don't want to change any of that. So, you know, what keeps me going is the fact that wow, like how lucky are we? You know, I'm healthy, I'm living in a beautiful part of the world. There's so many people out there far worse off than me. And I just want to make the best of it. Life is way too short, honestly.

SPEAKER_00 23:54

It really is. You know, if I had some piece of wisdom to impart on 25-year-old Kate, it just would be that everything's gonna be okay. That truly you're you're gonna be okay. It all works out. Exactly. You know, great, and then it's awful, and then it's great again, and then it's awful, and it all just works out. And you live and you learn and um and you you just keep going. That's such an oversimplification, but it's so true, and it it does just all just just work out.

SPEAKER_02 24:23

But you say it's an oversimplification, but if you look at all of the different I live by a handful of sayings, they're very simple, but they're so incredibly powerful. You know, treat people how you would be like to be treated. Careful how you know you treat people on the way up. You never know when you might meet them on the way down. But there's just those simple, don't judge a book by its cover, all of those. The simplicity is very powerful.

SPEAKER_00 24:51

You've done a good bit of mentoring, like true mentoring. You've told me about the women's leadership circle, um, golf charity for kids and technology. How did you come into those roles of mentors?

SPEAKER_02 25:04

So, the Forum of Women Women Entrepreneurs uh that I spent several years as a mentor as well as connected with a university of British Columbia to help that incubation program. That really transpired because when I started and I was growing out my franchise, it allowed for me to tap into that network. They were wonderful to me, and it's all about paying forward. And so as I got more on my feet, I realized, hey, you know what? I can help these people. So I would sign up and be a mentor to an entrepreneur, a young woman who is starting a business, and I'd spend the the year with them to help them and just have monthly calls. And again, just working through what are your key problems that your challenges that you're faced with, and let's work out what it would look like to be able to change that and work through it for the next month and then you know keep building on that knowledge. So I was there as uh exactly what I had received, which was super powerful. I also would go on panels where they would, it's like speed dating, but speed entrepreneur challenges, and so they'll come up and they'll tell you, I'm I have this challenge. And so you kind of have to on the on the seat of your pants kind of talk through, well, you know, have you thought of this? Or, you know, and ask them different questions to get them to think about things in a different light. So a lot of mentoring. I did a lot of mentoring over several years, and for me that was very important. I think that we need to be able to support one another and it's not uh take, take, take. We need to give back. We need to give more than we take, for sure.

SPEAKER_00 26:45

So I want to ask you a couple of questions that I think our listeners are going to want to hear you answer because I know your answer is going to be very real. Okay. You've built teams, you have grown companies, you've worked across multiple in multiple spaces, tech services. What separates people who adapt from the ones who don't?

SPEAKER_02 27:08

People who adapt have longevity in their careers, but they also so when people adapt, right, there's a whole uncomfortable feeling around that, right? Because you're having to go out of your comfort zone to adapt to to something new. And again, when you take that risk, but it's a calculated risk, but when you take that risk, you are opening yourself up to something new that you would never have had an opportunity. And you never know where that's going to lead you to. So for people who don't like to adapt and want to stay with the status quo, my heart goes out to them. And I hope that they can find the strength to be able to give themselves a little push. Or if you see someone in, you know, in your circle that needs a little nudge, it's really important because I feel that they're missing out. They're really missing out on the potential of themselves and all of the potential doors that they're gonna open. But adaptability is very, very important, especially in the world that we live in now and the space that we're working in right now. My gosh, if you're not adapting, you know, good luck.

SPEAKER_00 28:17

You know, uh my conversation with Kevin Armstrong last week was all around this completely. And um, if you haven't, if you're listening and haven't tuned into that episode, please do. Um Kevin gives gives some real-world things that you can be doing right now to kind of turn on that adaptability switch and some ways that you can ignite that in yourself. So absolutely, you have to adapt and evolve and move forward um to stay relevant, especially right now. I mean, it is every day I wake up to to change. Um, you have, you've used the word empathy. Um, I think that empathy is a word that gets thrown around a lot in leadership circles right now. What does it actually look like in practice? Like on a Tuesday afternoon when things are really hard, what does empathy look like?

SPEAKER_02 29:12

I think, you know, when you empathy, I guess for me, it's grounded in me and everything and how I approach things. And don't get me wrong, I get pissed off sometimes and frustrated. But I think, you know, in real-world situations, if you're coming up and say you're working with a challenging person and maybe they're not adapting as the way you wish, or they're not seeing, you know, the resistance um to change or being open to other ideas. My first inclination is to try and figure out why. Now we don't spend enough time on the why, and is there something else that I don't know about them? Plus, also it goes back to adaptability. And I learned this a lot because I taught hundreds of different seniors. When you walk into their home, it's like you're a chameleon because you're trying to get them to adapt to the technology. So you kind of adapt to the way they learn, the adapt to their personalities. You know, you really do um uh relate it to as you are a chameleon. And I think when it comes to empathy, it's the same. You need to be able to take a step back and try and understand why they are acting that way. What and and we're too quick to say, no, I want it this way. We're too quick to, hey, I want you to do this, or I want you to buy this, or it it it just it doesn't work that way. We're all human. We need to build relationships. It is business is relationships, bottom line. I agree. People I hear the term, oh, you know, you have to lead with empathy, but they don't show it at all. There's a difference, and that to me is very frustrating. I get discouraged when I see that because I think that we, you know, even when, and I you laugh, but you know, when we're at a conference and I'll see, you know, someone maybe seems a little disgruntled or someone's not liking that person and they're frustrated. You think, oh, well, you know what? Don't be like that. Just be kind because you know what, they have kids, they have a family, they're a human outside of work as well. And I think we forget about all of that. I think there's not enough kindness in the world.

SPEAKER_00 31:24

Well, you lead that charge, my friend. You really do. Thank you. Yeah, and I I do think like going back to our stories and understanding who we really are, you know, away from that, away from our name tag, you know, away from that badge. We are people, we leave our creature comforts to step into this work world and and do the things we do. Yeah, so understanding those stories.

SPEAKER_02 31:47

I think another another way I would answer it as well is that when you really get down to who a person is, what makes them tick, and that is where you can then help them get to where they need to be. And you can't do that any other way but taking the time and showing empathy to understand where they're at and who they are.

unknown 32:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 32:10

You talked about working with seniors and how society in general undervalues their wisdom. Talk a little bit more about that. Why do you think that is? And what did they teach you?

SPEAKER_02 32:24

I think because we live in a world where it's all about youth and staying young and not getting old, and we are in such a fast-paced, we don't slow down ourselves. So it's, you know, we've got to acquire this, we've got to do this. Um, and I think that we disregard and look at seniors that, ah, they don't know anything. You know, we're living in a world of technology and the evolution, right? So we're very much surrounded by all of that. And so when we look at um a senior, either see, uh, what do they know? You know, they're back in the stone ages, they don't have anything to give back, or they're a complete convenient inconvenience because they're too slow, you know, at the till or they're driving too slow, or where we need to go back before we used to really spend a lot more time with our elders. I mean, they used to age with us in place. Now we've kind of all gone and moved to different areas around the country or the world per se, where that wasn't really the case hundreds of years ago. So things have shifted. But I think that we tend to in society are just so caught up in the race that we forget to take a pause, look around. And I just I I I feel that we're really missing the boat on not tapping into seniors. History repeats itself, and they have just fascinating lives that we can learn from and that they can share. Uh, that we're it's a whole pool of phenomenal information and learnings that are often overlooked. And it breaks my heart because they've given so much to society and they deserve that respect and to feel, you know, maintain their dignity as they get older for sure. It's very, very passionate about that. It's uh it's something that I get very upset if I see that disrespect or disregard. It probably hurts me more than, you know, the average person just because of my background. But I just would, you know, sometimes just want to shake people and say, look around, have that conversation. You know, when you're out and about and you're sitting waiting and there's a senior there, a lot of the time they're very lonely. They may not have very many, their circle might not be, you know, they might not be on that retirement home, the cruise ship on land. They might actually be living on their own. And I think that we need to be able to stop. I challenge your listeners to make an effort the next time that they see a senior to actually go up and say hello or make a comment, you know, like nice shirt or how are you doing today? You know, you have no idea the impact that it has on them for the rest of their day.

SPEAKER_00 35:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 35:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 35:11

We have talked about so much. We've talked about, I mean, there's so much to unpack here from your resilience in your own uh personal and and professional journey. You have reinvented yourself multiple times. You've done it all with so much kindness, as I said, and so much empathy. We've talked about slowing down, paying attention. We, gosh, we've talked about being adaptable. We've talked about getting out of your comfort zone and doing something different and doing something new. You just gave us a challenge that might be outside of our comfort zone to start a conversation with um with someone that may be sitting on their own. I think the next time I go into a coffee shop, if there is a senior sitting there by themselves, I'm gonna plop my little self down and start a conversation. And when I do, I'll tell you that I did it. So you control me to it.

SPEAKER_01 36:11

There may be some introvert seniors out there now that are gonna be all mad, like, oh my god, why are these people coming up to me now?

SPEAKER_00 36:18

You're like, same, girl, same. This is uncomfortable for me. But you know what? That that's a great question. You talked about getting out of your comfort zone and and the uncomfortability that that comes with that. And that is part of adaptability and and changing a little bit, maybe that 1% change, getting out of your own way to make a difference and make a change. And that practically boots on the ground can be what that looks like. Jen, I just want to say something to you as I wrap this up. I think your dad would be really proud of you. The way you carry his philosophy, the way you live it, the way you share it, the way you show up for people, that is a ripple effect in action. So thank you for being here. Thank you for sharing so much of your story today. If someone's listening and and wants to find you, where can we find you?

SPEAKER_02 37:12

They can find me on LinkedIn, and that's probably the easiest way for them to find me, I would say. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 37:18

To everyone that is listening right now, I hope you heard yourself in some part of Jen's story today. That's the whole point of Coffee Talk. We're all figuring it out, and we do it better when we do it together. If this episode meant something to you, share it with someone who needs it. That's how we build community, one conversation at a time. I'm Kate Coffee Bacon, and this has been Coffee Talk. Go do something brave this week. See you next time. Thank you for joining us today on Coffee Talk. A special thanks to my guests for sharing their story and to you, the listener, for being a part of this conversation. If you enjoyed today's episode, be sure to subscribe so you never miss a Monday morning chat. Until next time, I'm Kate Coffee Bacon, and this has been Coffee Talk.