TGB - Ep. 22 - "From Tragedy to Triumph" with Jennifer Cline aka Miss DeWalt
54m | Oct 20, 2021"This voice in my head keeps saying "Keep Going, Do NOT give up"...I'm very purpose driven, and I know that I DO have a purpose...and I cannot give up on my life's...on the reason I'm here. And THAT is to change stereotypes and to break through, and to get women in marketing and in advertising for the big tool companies." ~ Jennifer Cline
Jennifer's story is truly one of tragedy to triumph as she overcame, not only heartbreaking loss on a personal level, but sabotage, harassment and workplace bullying, resulting in the loss of her beloved professional career.
Jennifer shares the very personal story of how, 13 years ago, on her young son's birthday, she lost her husband in a horrible car accident, leaving her broken-hearted, with two young children to raise and a 200 year old farmhouse that had been in her husband's family for generations, but was in desperate need of major repairs and renovations. Jennifer says it was her "sink or swim" moment and, despite being advised to tear it down and start over, she committed to restoring the family's beloved farmhouse as a tribute to and in memory of her late husband, honoring the dream they had shared before his untimely death.
Jennifer initially began her professional career as a paralegal and eventually found herself working at the prosecutor's office in a neighboring county as the grand jury coordinator, which she absolutely loved and excelled at. And that was where the problems began. Enter the envious, jealous, not-so-liked, not-so-talented, not-so-beautiful, female boss & her cronies. What Jennifer shares in this interview about her workplace abuse experience has all the makings of a Netflix Miniseries or a Lifetime Movie...and once you listen you will agree that truth is often stranger than fiction. Nepotism, hiring friends unqualified for senior level roles, abuse of power (which kept the true story out of the media), politics at their worse, bizarre sexual harassment, stalking social media & harassing her friends, spying on her in her office, micromanaging, prying her about her romantic life, belittling her in front of her colleagues, attorney's falsifying their identity to try to get confidential information, and eventually covering up recordings and investigations to protect themselves from the fall-out, leaving Jennifer no other option than to run for her life from that toxic workplace. BUT, as a widowed single mother, it also meant leaving her security, livelihood, paycheck, insurance, 401K & medical benefits behind.
This is the reality of workplace abuse going unchecked and the lack of accountability for those who look the other way and allow innocent people & children to suffer.
Jennifer's story is a classic case of women bullying women in the workplace. While they initially encouraged Jennifer to build her personal brand and share her photos, saying it was great PR for the county, they soon became threatened by the success, popularity, support and attention she was getting, and went on a mission to shut her down. She experienced first-hand the "bystander effect" - when people who are your friends at work and do like you, but are terrified to lose their job so they remain silent. We talk about the grieving process over losing jobs we loved, and how similar it is to grieving the loss of a loved one in that you have to go through every stage or you risk getting stuck in a very bad place.
Jennifer also shares what it's like to be a woman in the very male-dominated field of woodworking and how, unfortunately, it is still very much a "good 'old boy's club" mentality in the industry. We laughed at how we both were banned from Reddit on our first day and agreed that most times when a door closes, even if it might sting a bit, often means we're being saved from going down a road we might have regretted later on.
On a lighter note, we talk about our shared love of thrift shopping and Jennifer shares some of her favorite finds - she has an evening gown collection that J-Lo would envy! We talk about why sustainability & re-purposing is so important in how we shop - another reason for my love of finding new homes for my vintage clothing collection.
Jennifer also shares how she grew her social media following to 275,000 followers and how she found her niche, the incredible amount of time & work involved in maintaining social media platforms as an entrepreneur, and the many times she felt like giving up, and how she overcame those challenging days and feelings.
While Jennifer is a huge fan of DeWalt products and wears a lot of black & yellow in her videos - they are still dragging their feet in becoming an official sponsor for this incredible influencer, so if anyone is looking to get their name, brand, product, or line in front of 275,000 people - GO GET THIS GIRL NOW while she's still accessible!
Thank you for listening!
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ABOUT MY GUEST
Jennifer Cline is a self taught woodworker and flag maker who views her craft as her life’s calling. Widowed at the age of 37 and a mother of two young children, she picked up her husband’s tools to make necessary repairs around their 200 year old farmhouse. Eventually, she gained a handy reputation among friends and coworkers, prompting one to ask for a thin blue line flag. That flag led to hundreds more and new opportunities. Jennifer is currently a social media presence and content creator with over 275k followers.
FIND HER HERE:
YouTube Jennifer Cline aka Miss DeWalt
YOUR HOST: Michelle Horlbogen
HER MISSION: To foster civility, respect, and integrity (with a dash of sartorial elegance) in the boardroom and beyond.
HER STORY: Two days after reporting ethical concerns to her employer, Michelle was fired. Six months later, she launched The Gentlewoman Boss website and podcast as a platform to support others facing adversity in the workplace.
Her story caught the attention of and was featured in Thrive Global.
Michelle also has an obsession with vintage clothing and fashion. She sells what doesn’t fit on her website, The Red Velvet Shoe Vintage.
This podcast is the place where her two passions collide.
The Gentlewoman Boss Podcast has received numerous accolades, including being ranked in the top 10% globally by Listen Notes, Top 20 Best Month Reporting Podcasts of 2021 by Welp Magazine, and #36/200 in Top Entrepreneurship Podcasts by Podchaser.
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