For years, I have thought about the mundaneness of a 9-5 job. Sitting at a desk, in a cubicle and I thought to myself, is this all there is? Am I truly making a difference inside these four walls? The answer was a resounding "no". So, as a 38 year old single Mom of 2, I left the comfy corporate world to embrace the unknown world of solopreneurship. The goal: To help make the world a better place, to help as many people, families and communities as possible.
I have had thoughts such as, why can't we create a "Facebook" for benefits? If Mark Zuckerberg can develop something so innovative, it forever changes the way we interact with one another, what is stopping us from creating something that is intrinsically good for all mankind? That helps empower EVERYone to live longer, healthier, happier, more fulfilling lives? How could we leave the world a better place for EVERYone, making a lasting impact for future generations?
Why can't we create something that is so wildly attractive and meaningful to so many people that it changes the way we view employee benefits now and forever, that it changes the way we view insurance, the way we view the world? What is stopping us? How can we get out of our own way?
I started in employee benefits 17 years ago, when my daughter was just a baby. I am thankful Michelle took a chance on me and then Blake, Kelly, Charlene, Troy, Dave, Tom and so many more. From there, I worked my way up in account management to become the only female on the Voluntary Benefit Sales Team. It was such an honor, a hard fought accomplishment that I cherish to this day.
To quote Kamala Harris, "You may be the first to do many things, but make sure you are not the last". When I left, the team was sitting at 50% women and 50% men, that change transpiring in a little under four years since I joined the team.
So why leave? Why now?
Because, somehow along the way I got caught up in the minutia of it all. I got caught up in the titles, in wearing busy as a trophy, the stress impacted my mental health, my overall well-being and ultimately my family. I had lost the ability to be the best version of myself. I hardly recognized the person I saw staring back at me in the mirror.
When I saw the look on my kid's faces after "losing it" after another long stressful day, I decided that I could not do this anymore. My health, my overall well-being and my family had suffered long enough. Don't get me wrong, it was incredibly hard to walk away from what is often called "the golden handcuffs" but all the money, status and trips in the world were not worth what it was doing to those most important to me.
To say I am a better version of myself for leaving, would be a drastic understatement.
I am learning to slow down, take better care of myself mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. I am learning to be truly present with my children and to prioritize work/life balance, even though work very much bleeds into my personal life as Ascending 360 embodies who I am as a person; we still need boundaries. At the end of the day, I often ask myself "what is it all for"? What can I take with me when I leave this earth?
So friends, I find myself pondering my legacy quite a bit and what my legacy was prior to starting this journey as a founder and solopreneur.
That I sold as many Voluntary Benefits as possible? Many of which were forgotten about the moment the employee hit "submit" at the end of their open enrollment. Many of which had historically low utilization and the process to submit a claim was incredibly cumbersome, almost impossible in some cases. So in the end, who was and is truly benefiting from these coverage's? Quite often, not the person the benefit was intended for.
Do you think about your legacy? What is the lasting impact you are leaving on the world? It does not have to be something elusive and unattainable, it could simply be that you want to be the best Mother/Father/Husband/Wife/Partner.. the best version of you.
If you have not thought about your legacy, perhaps the time is now. How would you like to leave a lasting impact on the world, a better "tomorrow" for your children, for future generations?
That is part of the reasoning behind our name, Ascending.. as we Ascend upwards, we view the world from a different perspective, from a holistic view, from a whole 360 degree perspective. I, for one, would like to leave the world a better place than I found it.
I plan to, no I will significantly improve well-being in this country. I plan to help blue zones and longevity principles spread like wildfire in this country.
One quote I will never forget is from Mother Teresa who when asked about the poorest country in the world replied instantly, "America". When asked for further explanation she explained that the definition of poor does not always mean wealth.
That really got to me. We have SO much wealth in this country yet Mother Teresa thought of us as the poorest country in the world.
The life expectancy in America is the lowest among our peer nations yet we spend by far the most amount of money on healthcare. How could that be? Why do we (too often) wait until someone is sick to address their health and overall well-being? How about we back up 10 steps and focus more on the preventative, proactive measures. Let us work together to provide tools for everyone to make healthier choices; to live the healthiest life possible, whatever that means to them in their unique lifestyle.
Ascending 360 is a representation of who I am, at the core, leading with love, empathy and compassion. At Ascending 360, we set up charitable giving accounts for every employer we work with. We aim to do what is right for the greater good. We lead with a people first approach, while creating a culture of care. We fully embody JOY in all we do. We place the emphasis of employee benefits back on the employee rather than on others making millions off of employee paid premiums, while the employee forgets they even have the coverage to begin with.
At Ascending 360, we focus on WHOLE (the entire) person health. We provide a holistic outside the box strategy for employers to empower employees and their families to live healthy, happy, joy filled, meaningful lives. At Ascending 360, we help employers think outside the four walls of their organization and expand their vision into the communities where their employees work, serve and live in.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEI&B) and Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) are at the foundation of Ascending 360; we can't just help others without understanding the needs in the world around us. The needs of under-served communities as well as understanding the impact we as humans have on the environment and sustainability. We are not just a women and minority owned business, we do not just walk the talk but we embody DEI&B in our every day lives, it is at the core of who we are.
Thank you for taking the time to read my first blog post. Cheers to many more to come and cheers to helping make the world a better place, together! Choose JOY today and always friends! Namaste <3
Jess
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