There’s a million ways to do anything so the key is to identify the goal and find out your best way of achieving it. I call it the producing mindset.

Jenna talks about her passions!

I grew up in a small town in Minnesota and dreamed of moving to Hollywood to work in film and TV. I made that dream come true over two decades ago and have since lived so many more of my dreams than I ever thought possible from being on TV to speaking to thousands of people to innovating parts of film producing they’ve all lead me to my current passion which is helping companies align on their goals and work to highlight each of their team members strengths in order to successfully accomplish those goals.  

I believe honing a producing mindset can benefit people in every aspect of life. I use it in my business through facilitation but, you can also use it in your daily life.

Jenna’s Leadership Philosophy

There’s a million ways to do anything so the key is to identify the goal and find out your best way of achieving it. I call it the producing mindset.

The Story Behind The Business

I’ve worked in film and TV now for over two decades and I noticed that the most successful projects were the most respectful and collaborative. When I stepped up and really started to own my role as a producer, I started having production meetings where we would talk openly with the leadership team about what the goal of the project was and what each person’s individual goals were. Then we would figure out how we could work to weave the project so that everyone felt accomplished, heard and proud of the work they were doing. It was incredible how much more successful those film and TV projects were overall. I then began working in the media department of a Fortune 500 company and noticed the same thing about the various departments, the ones who understood how to work as a team were more successful. I had facilitated filmmaking workshops in the past and loved doing it so when I saw my co-workers struggling to get things accomplished at a corporate level, I decided my experience collaborating with film and TV projects could be applied to corporations. I got my facilitator certification and began running small meetings (or sprints). It made a huge difference and my love of working with companies was born. 

Impacting Lives

I believe honing a producing mindset can benefit people in every aspect of life. I use it in my business through facilitation but, you can also use it in your daily life. Think of it like this, let’s say:

Your goal is to become a more healthy eater. You also happen to be an emotional eater. You’ve had a really challenging day at work and all you want to do is eat some potato chips and watch TV. You think, OK, “what’s best for the project?” Well, the project in this scenario is you. So, it’s not as simple as, denying yourself the thing that would make you feel better. But, eating an entire bag of potato chips is also not what’s best for you, physically. So, you could decide, “OK, I’ll put some potato chips in a small bowl and I’ll add some carrots to the bowl as well so that I eat less potato chips than I normally would and get a little healthy food in there as well. So, your emotional health is being taken care of and your physical health is as well. 

This is just an example off the top of my head. But, I really do believe practicing the producing mindset is a great way to help you achieve your goals anywhere in your life.  

The Benefits of Jenna’s Work

People come away from working with me with new perspectives and ideas around, not only how to accomplish the goal they’re working on, but also how the individuals on their team work and how to most effectively collaborate with those team members. It’s a truly incredible thing to see.

From challenges to wins

What is the biggest challenge you faced in your business?

Oh gosh. So many. The biggest challenge though, I’d have to say was stepping up. It’s honestly the story I tell in Moments That Matter. I was super challenged by not really understanding my position or how to navigate the “power” of that position to benefit everyone, including myself. Because, doing what’s best for the project always includes you. You are part of the projects you work on and you can’t be stressed and truly be effective at your job. It’s impossible. So, the biggest challenge for me was figuring out how to be proud of or honor the work I was doing while giving everyone else the same respect and credit they were due. It was also figuring out how to do the job to the best of my ability without overworking myself or my team. Really diving in, being truly honest and finding the zone where everyone can perform to the best of their abilities while still getting the job done as quickly as possible.

What are you most proud of regarding your business?

I’m really the most proud when a team can walk away from our time together feeling empowered with a plan they came up with and can truly implement. It was always such a bummer for me when I would sign up for a workshop and was told how to do something but the way the instructor worked was so different from how I work that there was no way that I would be able to do the thing I took the workshop to do. 

That’s why I love and am so proud of what I do and the way I do it, because I really work to focus on the team overall but then hone in on how the individuals on that team operate as well. That way we don’t end up assigning spreadsheets to someone who is a creative thinker or a creative piece of the puzzle to someone who is really great at data entry. 

And, since there’s a million ways to do anything, we are able to really focus in on what the goal really means and not do things that aren’t aligned with the goal and the team dynamic. For example, let’s say we’re talking about marketing and the goal is to reach 1,000 customers in the next month. Our target audience is women age 70+. We aren’t going to want to focus on social media, as an example, because that’s not where they live even though focusing on growing a social media following is what all the experts are talking about. So, I’m really proud of the fact that I get to go into companies and work with teams to help them be the most efficient while also enjoying their work. 

What you need to know about Jenna Edwards

Jenna Edwards is known as someone who kicks butt but with a smile on her face while wearing yellow. She is also known for helping teams to successfully achieve their goals and projects while making sure everyone feels heard and respected.

Her superpower is holding space for people to feel super comfortable with who they are and encouraging them to embrace their true essence without fear of judgment.

the individuals on their team work and how to most effectively collaborate with those team members. It’s a truly incredible thing to see.

Find Jenna Online

• Website: http://www.jennaedwards.com/