Interview with Jennifer Swanson - Author, YouTuber, Podcaster, Career Coach and Founder of Careers by Jenn

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Can you share with readers a bit about your background? What were the things that drew you to become what you are today - a published author, podcaster, pastor and more?

It seems I have what could be described to be insatiable curiosity and a passion for learning. Because of these qualities, I always seem to want to explore new things, and this has led me to have an interesting career trajectory. 

My initial career choice was to head to community college and study in healthcare and I began working in the hospital as a Health Unit Coordinator (or a Nursing Unit Clerk...it has several names) at the age of 19. This was a very fast-paced, responsible role and while often stressful and interesting, there was no advancement opportunities, and so after about 5 years of doing the job full time, I wondered what it would take to be able to teach the program. 

That led to earning my BC Provincial Instructor's Diploma and a 23 year career teaching in three post secondary institutions. I taught evenings and weekends for a while, and continued to work at the hospital, all while getting married and raising a family. Eventually, new passions arose, and I went back to school to earn an associate certificate in conflict coaching and my Master Practitioner training in Neurolinguistic Programming, so that I could be more skilled at coaching the young students I was mentoring as they began their careers in healthcare. 


One of the courses that I enjoyed teaching was Communications, but I was only given 30 hours for it, and so in 2011, I decided to start a blog about Communication and very quickly learned about podcasting  - and so my Communication Diva Podcast began. During all of this, I had felt the curiosity and the call to deeper learning once again, and began to study theology one course at a time...answering a nudge I had felt for many years. That exploration ended up with me leaving the hospital position I had had for more than two decades, to begin a Master's degree, while working part time at a church and part time still teaching. 

Available on Amazon!
Signed copies through her website!

After seven long years of study at the Vancouver School of Theology, (and a divorce and eventual remarriage), I graduated in 2014 with a Master's Degree in Public and Pastoral Leadership, and was Ordained in 2014 as a Minister of Word, Sacrament and Pastoral Care with the United Church of Canada. I left teaching college in 2015, wrote my book for people in the first three months of a new job, and ever since have been serving part time as a pastor in a lovely church community in Port Moody and have continued with the podcast, coaching and teaching online the rest of the time.

You are ending your Careers by Jenn Podcast of ten years - an amazing run - to turn your focus in a new direction, a video broadcast on Youtube. What led you to make this switch? Will the podcast content stay live for those who would like to explore it?

Yes, as far as podcasts go, I am one of the oldies! I did rebrand the Communication Diva to Careers by Jenn in 2017, and changed directions a bit. Overall, I truly have enjoyed the podcasting adventure and all the people I have been fortunate to interview and share with the world. My listeners have been very loyal and I have even met some of them in person when they have come to Vancouver from other parts of the world, and the community of podcasters is a generous and kind one, so I have met so many wonderful people along the way. 

One of my most exciting opportunities was the chance to interview Alan Alda the week of my 50th birthday (click on image above to listen). We has such a fun conversation and I had to keep pinching myself because I could not believe I got to talk to one of my favourite tv actors about one of my favourite subjects. I will miss the medium and the fun, but I have felt pulled to explore the shorter video format and to learn the editing of video (very creative work). It feels like the right time to shift to something new. I plan to archive the Careers by Jenn podcast so that people can continue to enjoy it for as long as it is still of interest.


When did you launch Careers By Jenn on Youtube? Can you share a little about what your focus will be? 

The audio podcasts have been uploading to my YouTube channel for some time, but I only began creating video content in earnest in August of 2020 It is still very much a learning process. My passion is to help people step into their success, and it is another way for me to teach what I have always been teaching, too.

Currently my plan is to upload two videos a week and I will rotate between four topic areas that will help the viewer to:
  • get the job
  • love their work
  • advance their careers and
  • wellness & success topics.
You've been sharing about all things career for a decade now. How do you continue to find new topics and unique take-aways for your audience?

I am always amazed at what people are interested in knowing or getting better at. There are all sorts of topic areas that people want to learn about and I have been busy researching what is being searched for on a regular basis so that I can try to put out the best content and the most useful information possible. I also read a lot and listen to podcasts myself and find there is inspiration everywhere!

What is the most important thing you hope listeners will learn from your videos? Do you have a favourite must watch episode from those already published?

That yes, you CAN succeed if you put in the effort and are willing to learn. One thing I say over and over again is that "you are your best investment"...and what I mean by that is that the more self-aware a person is, the better human being they can be. Bringing our "best selves" to the table is the biggest gift we can give to the world. And so I hope to help people to figure out how to do that in ways that are compassionate and helpful.



When not working, what are your favourite ways to relax and refresh?

Gardening is one of the things I love to do, and I very much enjoy cooking and baking and preserving food. I also read a lot and enjoy walks, being outside and sitting on my sundeck with steaming cups of tea or coffee. We have four adult kids and our family continues to grow, so there is always something interesting going on with them too.


What are you reading right now? Do you have a favourite quote?

I am reading a fascinating book about placebo called "Suggestible You: The Curious Science of Your Brain's Ability to Deceive, Transform, and Heal" by Erik Vance, and I just finished reading Brené Brown's book called "The Gifts of Imperfection".

There is a poet on Instagram named Nayirrah Waheed and I love this poem: “You will be lost and unlost, over and over again, relax love. You were meant to be this glorious.
Epic. Story.”

When not working, what are your favourite ways to relax and refresh?

Gardening is one of the things I love to do, and I very much enjoy cooking and baking and preserving food. I also read a lot and enjoy walks, being outside and sitting on my sundeck with steaming cups of tea or coffee. We have four adult kids and our family continues to grow, so there is always something interesting going on with them too.

What are you reading right now? Do you have a favourite quote?

I am reading a fascinating book about placebo called "Suggestible You: The Curious Science of Your Brain's Ability to Deceive, Transform, and Heal" by Erik Vance, and I just finished reading Brené Brown's book called "The Gifts of Imperfection".

There is a poet on Instagram named Nayirrah Waheed and I love this poem: “You will be lost and unlost, over and over again, relax love. You were meant to be this glorious.
Epic. Story.”


Anything else you'd like to share in closing?

I am participating as a Mentor in a new app called Huddol Journeys, in which I am offering a 7 day transformational journey on Overwhelm, and I will be offering a free live class called Finding Calm in Chaos. It will be offered online via Eventbrite at 7pm ET Feb 23rd...more info in the coming weeks via https://www.eventbrite.com/o/huddol-journeys-30781186512 

I also offer one to one coaching sessions on career and life topics and get really energized and excited about working with people who are looking to step into their success.

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