Today we’d like to introduce you to Jen Newman.
Hi Jen, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My husband Derek and I moved to Utah from Dallas, TX in 2016, shortly after we were married. Both consultants who could live anywhere, we started to investigate places to live. Born in Salt Lake, Derek suggested we check it out. We immediately fell in love with the mountains (Derek is an avid skier), the opportunities for recreation, the changing seasons and a Delta hub for two air warriors. Six months later, we moved to Daybreak in South Jordan where we have built some great friendships and a true community.
In 2020, I partnered with a good friend and colleague, Doug Parker, to start a consulting firm to serve the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry after 25 years of working inside firms to help them grow their people and businesses. We have been able to triple our business and our team through innovation, client experience, a great network, and a brand that represents our purpose.
We are most proud of our purpose in providing opportunities for our clients to achieve their goals, and to provide a flexible environment for our team members. For our moms who want to be there for those special moments in their kids’ lives and to all our team members to create special memories through travel and time with family and friends.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
BUSINESS: Three months after founding Elevate, COVID hit and we had to pivot our strategy immediately. Instead of panicking (well, we did panic a little), we found that COVID presented us with an opportunity to innovate within our industry.
The first thing we did was start a cohort of C-Suite Leaders along with marketing and business developers across North America to provide a place where participants could confidentially share specific challenges, triumphs, and ideas as well as connecting them to a larger community. Next, we converted our client training programs to virtual and offered a host of complimentary trainings through our cohorts, on our website, and to our industry associations. And we expanded our consulting services to address the issues that came with COVID such as virtual work, culture, teamwork, planning, strategy, accountability, and relationship building, along with taking advantage of the opportunities presented through social media, branding, and differentiation. We exceeded our goals and expanded our team.
PERSONAL: In March 2022, I was back on the road serving my clients when I went to the ER with back pain. After three weeks in the hospital and a lot of testing, they discovered a large mass and decided to surgically remove it. I went into surgery not knowing if I would come out with a colon, a colostomy bag or a terminal diagnosis. It was a terrifying time. I had a skilled surgical team at the University of Utah who was able to remove the mass along with 60% of my colon but without the need for a colostomy bag and with enough margins to negate the need for radiation. Pathology results came in three days after going home that came back malignant and I was officially diagnosed with colon cancer at the age of 49. I was referred to the Huntsman Cancer Center down the street from my house, where I am fortunate to be a patient at one of the best hospitals in the country. I have an incredible team of doctors, nurses and other professionals taking care of me. My oncologist Dr. Solomon and nurse Joan Deering have been tremendous caregivers in medicine and support throughout my chemo journey and stressed that they are my team for life. They take the time to listen and answer all of my concerns and questions every single time!
Through this cancer journey, I took on a new mantra “Instead of why is this happening to me, what is this teaching me”. This outlook has helped me look at the positives in any challenging circumstances – personal and professional. I learned the following:
Embrace Your People: I had to learn to accept help and that allowing people to help is a gift to you and to them. There is power in feeling helpful versus helpless. My marriage has been strengthened and my relationships have deepened. My husband helps me every single day through the big things and little things. He is my constant cheerleader and champion through good times and challenging times. My business partner and team stepped up to take on more work responsibility. My Neighborhood Church family jumped in to support us emotionally and physically. Some of my best friends jumped on planes and came to help. Friends from around the world sent motivational messages of support along with helpful and inspiring gifts. Neighbors, including strangers, brought food, walked our dog, had their kids’ color pictures, and so much more. My incredible clients who put my recovery first and gave me the flexibility that allowed me to still make an impact on their team members and business. I learned what an amazing network of supporters I am blessed with.
Learn to Pivot: If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans. During my first chemotherapy treatment, I stopped breathing and had to be rushed to the ER. My oncologist, Dr. Solomon, changed my treatment plan immediately which required a port, taking my chemo home with me to infuse slowly over 48 hours and a change in my treatment timeline from every three weeks to every other week and going from three to six months. I had to look for the good in it. The new treatment was less severe although longer. After my first round of the new chemo treatment, I thought, ok, now I know what to expect and then, round after round, new side effects emerged. I learned that I can plan but I have to be prepared to pivot. As a travel junkie, I had trips planned that had to be postponed. My husband and I focused on nearby opportunities and took our travel trailer to campsites throughout Utah within a 50-mile radius and discovered the beauty of our backyard. They were an opportunity for rest and for connection which only strengthened our relationship and gave us something to be grateful for.
Give Yourself Grace: It is not easy to feel unlike yourself and accept that it is only temporary. With the work ethic of a baby boomer, I had to learn that it was ok to give myself breaks so I could be my best when I needed to be. I am known in my industry and with friends as the energizer bunny and I am often told it is infectious. It is one of my unique qualities that has become a differentiator in business and life. I have a zeal for life and a passion for what I get to do in my job every day. A struggle I had during my treatment was the lack of energy but my business partner stepped in to encourage me that I may not be the energizer bunny, but I still have more energy than most and to give myself a little grace. Those days when the nausea took it all out of me or I could barely keep my eyes open from side effects, I had to turn the frustration into grace.
Share with Vulnerability: This journey has not been easy. The side effects mount as treatment continues to include severe exhaustion, losing the skin on my fingers and feet along with neuropathy, thinning hair, headaches, dry eyes that create constant burning and watering, decreased immune system, along with daily nausea that intensifies during each treatment cycle. I have shared the ups and downs of my journey with many people through personal sharing, a caring bridge site, and social media – including LinkedIn – typically used for business. I share this to encourage others to get a colonoscopy. I had no idea the recommended age for a colonoscopy changed to 45. Had I known, I may not have had to get to this stage. I often receive messages and photos of friends and colleagues as they are going in for their colonoscopies and how I motivated them to do so based on my vulnerability in sharing my journey. I have also shared how my faith has deepened throughout this journey and is one of the things that has given me peace.
Celebrate: Celebrate the wins – little and big. I learned to celebrate the days I felt well and accomplished something, even something small. And I look forward to celebrating my last chemo treatment on Oct 3 when I will ring the bell! I plan to take that bell on tour because I have not been on this journey alone. And with cancer, you are never done. I will continue to get regular scans and colonoscopies and will celebrate with every positive result. 10 days after my last treatment, I leave for an African Safari vacation for two weeks with 20 friends from around the country and Germany. Originally, a trip to celebrate my 50th birthday, this trip will now celebrate my 50th Cancer Free Birthday.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Elevate Marketing Advisors?
I am a founding Principal and Partner for Elevate Marketing Advisors with my business partner and friend, Doug Parker.
Jen, the consummate business developer, is a connector of people and the creator of ideas. Doug, a brand champion and lover of words, thrives on directness and deadlines. The result is a uniquely balanced partnership … and a constant drive for results!
At Elevate, we push Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) firms to uncover their true differentiators based on purpose, culture, and experience. We’re driven to help people and firms realize their beyond through marketing, business development, and management solutions. We integrate into AEC firms to build and execute strategy and as an award-winning firm, we create brands and campaigns that differentiate, gain attention, and get results.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
Luck has been defined as what happens when preparation meets opportunity.
Along with my business partner Doug Parker, I have spent 20+ years preparing for the day, an opportunity presented in the form of Elevate Marketing Advisors. And when it did, a partnership was created drawn from a shared passion and complimentary experiences in the world of professional services marketing and business development. So, is this luck? We sure think so!
And, through this cancer journey, I took on a new mantra – instead of why is this happening to me, what is this teaching me. This outlook has helped me look at the positives in any challenging circumstances – personal and professional.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.elevatemarketingadvisors.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/elevateaec
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/carpediemvitam
Image Credits
Additional Photos 1-5: Ely Hemmes The Unfound Door, Denver, CO.
