Nonfiction / Business
Date Published: October 11, 2022
Publisher: Hunter Street Press
Brave Women at Work: Stories of Resilience is a collection of real-life
stories from women just like you who have been resilient in the face of
difficult challenges. Each of the authors’ stories illustrate how you can
face tough odds and still find career success and happiness. Whether it be
health challenges, burnout, broken relationships or confidence issues, each
author shows us how we all have wells of resilience we didn’t even know we
had. Turn to this book as a source of inspiration and hope that you too can
rise above your challenges.
EXCERPT
Each word, each action I took might disappoint or please my supporters or hinder future opportunities for others who will undoubtedly come after me. There seemed to be both a conscious and unconscious, constant monitoring of everything that I said and did, and how I presented myself by others, and by myself.
The pressure of leading in this season was formidable.
About the Author
Jen Pestikas is a type-A super achiever. She always got straight A’s
and was devastated if a B showed up on her report card(s). Jen set the bar
high and strove to check all the boxes in what defined a successful life.
Her super achieving nature shaped her career in the corporate world.
After twenty years in corporate, climbing the ladder in financial services
from a bank teller to a Senior Vice President in a Chicago land financial
institution and doing ‘all the right things’, Jen’s health
plummeted. In 2019, her thrusters burnt out, her body stopped functioning,
and emotionally, she was a shell of her former self with no passion nor
direction.
Jen’s time of healing that followed was an arduous journey and a
gift. A gift she had to give herself, her husband, children, and her life.
She was forced to acknowledge that lives weren’t perfect. She did not
have to check all life’s success boxes, and she did not have to be
super woman. For the first time, Jen finally understood what she wanted. Jen
knew she wanted to give back to women so they could avoid the traps of
overachieving, perfectionism, and not speaking their truth.
Jen has a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Lake Forest Graduate
School of Management, a Bachelor of Arts (BA) from Indiana University and is
coaching certified from the Institute for Professional Excellence in
Coaching (iPEC).
Jen has developed the Brave Women at Work brand, hosts the Brave Women at
Work podcast, and offers coaching services to women who are looking to get
to the next level in their careers. You can listen to the Brave Women at
Work podcast on Apple, Google, Stitcher, and Spotify. Connect with Jen at
www.bravewomenatwork.com or via LinkedIn.
Contributing Authors
Hope Mueller, Yalonda Brown, Shelia Higgs Burkhalter, Kim Ellet, Betsy
Gornet, Georgie Komeiner, and Trisha Tayan
Contact Links
LinkedIN Jennifer Pestikas | LinkedIn
Purchase Link
