Today we’d like to introduce you to Jaylyn Palmer
Jaylyn, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’d say my career path is somewhat unconventional; I don’t have a business degree and spent some time without clear direction. I certainly never expected to be in the position that I am – as Chief of Staff helping to strategize and run a business. I started in office management and support roles and then spent a short time running a marketing department. That role quickly made me realize I prefer a holistic approach to business –
being able to dig into each area and really understand how everything fits together – rather than being stuck in one lane. I joined Xevant because I was inspired by our CEO, Brandon Newman’s, people-first philosophy. We immediately bonded over the recognition that when you truly take care of people, success follows. I’ve been with
Xevant for three years now, and I still feel lucky to be here every day. I get to be my true self and use my skills, authenticity, and intuition. And that has changed not just my career path, but the way that I show up in my relationships with my kids and my friends and all the other areas of my life.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I don’t believe life is ever a smooth road for anyone! At Xevant, one of the biggest challenges has been getting specific about who we are as a company and deciding what we want to engage in and what we don’t. We’ve had to make tough decisions about what to prioritize to stay focused on our goals.
Another challenge is managing a team of around 85 people. Because, guess what, each of those 85 people has different personalities and different perspectives. And we must work every day to ensure that we’re communicating effectively – with kindness, respect, and autonomy – so we all stay rowing in the same direction. Despite these challenges, sticking to our core values and taking care of our people keeps us on the path to success.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
To start, I’m proud to be known as the office therapist. I’m always ready for deep conversations, talking about things in life that feel big, sharing wisdom, etc. I love connecting with people and finding new ways to ensure everyone feels valued, respected, and heard. It is such an important part of my job. It took me a long time to recognize just how valuable that piece is to the success of the people and the company.
One of the moments it really clicked for me was earlier in my tenure at Xevant during a conversation with our CEO, Brandon. I was having a moment of imposter syndrome – which I know is relatable to many people. Brandon told me he valued my thought leadership and who I was as a person – being my true, authentic self – that was valuable to the company. And that was a turning point for me. Now, I help nurture our thriving culture by creating systems that support the people who support our business.
I also keep our senior leaders organized and on track. Somebody needs to make sure meetings and events are executed flawlessly, people are in the right place at the right time, etc. That’s also an important part of my day to day.
There are so many things I’m proud of, but what first comes to mind is the culture of accepting individual authenticity we’ve built at Xevant. It’s not perfect, and we still have work to do, both individually and as a company, to ensure we’re consistently communicating and keeping our commitments. Many people at Xevant feel this is the best place they’ve ever worked because they can truly be themselves and have their unique contributions respected and valued. I’m proud of helping to shape this culture. And that includes making sure we hire the right people, and, unfortunately, making tough decisions when someone doesn’t fit with our values. It’s been a rewarding experience seeing Xevant and its people grow and thrive.
In addition to the culture, I’d say another thing that sets Xevant apart is our commitment to reflection and ongoing improvement in an effort to find balance – being able to consistently deliver a great product while also taking care of our people. In many businesses, the focus can become too singular, either all about profit or all about culture. And there can be resistance to change. A mentality of “this is how we do things; this is how we’ve been doing it, and this is how we’ll keep doing it.” Not willing to rock the boat.
Here, we ask ourselves: What is best for our employees? What is best for the market that we’re trying to penetrate? What is best for the revenue that we’re trying to create? We seek feedback from all sides, stay adaptable, and strive to make the best decisions daily to keep doing business the right way.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
The best advice I can give is to figure out who you are. Knowing yourself and what you bring to the table makes life so much simpler and more fulfilling. It’s not just about confidence; it’s about understanding your true self, like learning a language deeply until it becomes second nature. Spend time reflecting, asking those around you what they see in you, and considering what you genuinely want beyond societal expectations. Also, set good boundaries with the people you work with, and be willing – and brave enough – to change course if something isn’t working. Clarity in who you are and what you want will make it easier to navigate your career and life.
Pricing:
- I am super excited about a new partnership we recently announced with a leader in the weight management market called Ivím Health. We’re forming a ground-breaking program called Ivím at Work with Xevant, which gives employers the ability to offer a sustainable medical weight management program to their employees. Overweight and obesity are chronic conditions with far-reaching health and financial implications for the health care system and individual Americans. For many people to reach a healthy weight, they need a more holistic approach that combines important lifestyle changes (like nutrition and exercise) and weight loss medications known as GLP-1s. The current challenge is that these medications are so expensive. So, it is imperative that we remove that cost barrier so more people get the treatment they need to reach a healthy weight and live healthier, happier lives. I’m excited for this new program and this path we’re headed – we’re going to be able to help so many people. And we’re aligned with the overall mission of Xevant, to help reimagine healthcare and help achieve the lowest net healthcare costs.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.xevant.com/
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/company/xevant
