Today we’d like to introduce you to Jenn Rivera.
Hi Jenn, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
My parents’ work ethic and commitment to community had a lot to do with guiding me to where I am today. That drive was instilled in me from a young age.
At thirteen, I was already in several extracurricular activities and sitting on the local youth advisory board of a large nonprofit organization, and by fifteen, I was sitting on a national youth advisory board. When I reached eighteen I was sitting on the national board of directors.
Giving back became second nature and striving to learn more, do more, and be more was a part of that. Those skills translated into my work-life where I developed a passion for problem identification and solving and became a rising star in the corporate world.
While I never envisaged owning my own business, I was committed to elevating any organization I worked for and always being a person who gives back in my community. I built strong relationships inside and outside of work. I learned early from my parents, education and experience that relationship-building and strong communication resulted in better business.
Through a series of strange events including a pandemic, I opened my own business and now I’m bringing my skills to other businesses. I’m fortunate enough to help business leaders crush operational bottlenecks and develop communication strategies with their most important stakeholders.
Most recently, I launched XMZ Society, an educational and professional networking group that champions Gen X-ers, Millennials and Gen Z-ers looking to advance their careers. I hope to empower others as my parents empowered me.
My primary goal is to help businesses and rising stars lead and succeed through strong communication strategies and professional development.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Fortunately, it’s been a pretty smooth road for me. I think I’ve had a lot of the same struggles so many others experience. Rising stars climb the corporate ladder and find themselves burned out. For me, I would have kept working crazy hours or in positions where I ended up carrying more than what I should if my husband, who is a man of few words, had not called me out on how it was affecting our lifestyle.
I can say this, so many of the problems we have as rising stars and leaders can be addressed if we stop and take the time to face those struggles head-on. In the end, I left the corporate world and even small business opportunities to pursue THAT solution. Opening the doors to Ascender Consulting fulfills my desire to help businesses and still give back – but I do it all without the crazy hours and stress.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
At Ascender Consulting, we’re really good at helping business leaders break bottlenecks in operations and communications. We work with established small and medium business leaders to address things like employee productivity, company culture and profitability. We also help them shore up their marketing and communications strategies to create a cohesive and clear brand that converts.
Part of what sets us apart is how sharp we are in learning our clients’ business. We don’t implement cookie cutter solutions because we think we know what they need. It’s much more custom. We also communicate honestly, which means sometimes we have hard conversations, but those are usually super productive conversations that need to happen.
We don’t work with everyone either. We ensure it’s a good fit for both parties – which is why we have such long-standing clients. The best way to know if we are a good fit to help your company is to check out our website and book a discovery call – AscenderConsulting.com
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Like Operations, Marketing and Communication (MarComm) aren’t going anywhere. In fact, there has been more focus on MarComm in the last ten years than ever before.
Social media is taking such a strong position in MarComm and there are so many ways to leverage it at a reasonable cost, that companies – even those without Marketing or Communications departments – have been able to use it for exponential growth in market share and to deepen relationships internally.
However, that comes at a price. I see leadership and department heads overwhelmed by what’s on their plates. There are fewer people doing more of the work and this is causing frustration, burnout, and stress.
In the next five to ten years, I see more small and medium businesses reaching out to get support in making their teams happier and more efficient. I see leaders realizing they cannot do it all, and seeking out the people that can help them reorganize and reset.
Pricing:
- Strategy sessions start at $1,200
- Annual programs start at $38,000
- Monthly consulting starts at $1,000
Contact Info:
- Website: AscenderConsulting.com
- Instagram: @Ascender.Consulting
- Linkedin: @JennAscender
Image Credits
Andrew Tremblay, Apex Photography
