Jenn is a Brand and My Reputation Proceeds Me!

My boss threw me a curve-ball question during my job interview five years ago. "What are three adjectives that your friends would use to describe you?"

Well, I certainly couldn’t tell her that I had a pattern of staying out until 3 am on work nights. And I dared not mention that I drank Patron (http://www.patrontequila.com/) like it was "my last supper."

The description “party-natured” wasn’t going to cut it.

“Driven. Industrious. Witty,” were my final answers.

Five years later, she added three more descriptive words to the "Jenn list." They are: Ingenuity. Tenacious. Compassion.

I have always been my own brand. My reputation precedes me.

My brand: I am tenacious and driven to be as successful as the people with whom I surround myself. I am a self-made woman earning a bachelor's degree in [what] and work full time as [what]. I aspire to be [what].

But balance is incredibly important to me - and remaining witty and fun-loving are equally as important. Hard work doesn't stop me from having a great time with friends and enjoying the "occasional" shot of tequila.

I made a personal promise!

I’ve always told myself I will hold my own success and absorb anything necessary. This has been a personal promise -- molding and shaping “Jenn” into a self-made person is an endeavor that will never cease.

My best friend is a political reporter at the "New York Post" and a dear friend who is an award winning journalist in the entertainment and media industry (Ravi Yande: http://www.raviyande.com/),

My ex is a senior IT leader at one of the world's wealthiest banks and helped to develop the first patent ever filed for by his employer. This patent helped his employer grow richer in the 100-trillion-dollar global derivatives market.

I am impressed by his accomplishments - and also that he saw me hold true to my "trademark" brand. There would be no history between us if he didn't recognize my brand.

As a successful and respectable people, would my friends ever succomb to being with someone who didn't bring them some type of value?

A philosophical moment: Doesn't this hold true for anyone?

So with that said, there are 3 things that separate my brand from competitors

• Sacrifice: I have an Associates degree (though am working tirelessly toward my Bachelor's) and have a great [type] position. I am not complaining about my salary, either.
  
  I am surrounded by successful friends and that has given me an even stronger drive for professional triumph. I decided to put my career [as what] on a hiatus [how long ago] and go back to school full-time at Kean University (http://www.keanuniversity.edu/).
  
  When I was making my decision [how long ago], there was nothing holding me back [describe this]. If I didn’t do it, who knows what fabulous opportunties I may miss later in life?

• Initiative / drive: I have the “do-what-it-takes-to-get-the-job-done” attitude. That means accepting challenges and taking the reigns whenever possible. I absolutely relish proving that I can handle whatever I’m confronted with. [For example of when this has happened]
  
• Communication: Whether it is communicating with different tiers of management or informally with peers, I know that strong communications is one of my fortes. Listening is a core part of communications -- and certainly, being able to make practical decisions based on the matter at hand.

These are three differentiators that I am proud to add to the "Jenn list." With these differentiators and the influences from the circle that I am in, I will be everything that I am capable of being [which is what] and deliver on the promise that they see in me.

And as an added bonus, my "party-natured" side will be able to spend my summers in the Hamptons. …jenn olivencia

(as edited by Perri Richman with a photo of Minka Kelly because I wasn't sure that you would want your Facebook photo on the class blog)