Hi! I'm Jennifer Knowles, Growth and Change Expert for Leaders and Teams

► Who I Help
I work with:
-Leaders who feel stuck and need clarity
-Teams facing change and struggling with communication overload
-Organizations seeking leadership development and talent management support
-High achievers desiring coaching to unlock growth, well-being and career advancement

If you've ever asked:
"How do I engage and retain top talent?"
"What's the best way to prepare my team for organizational change?"
"How can I improve leadership skills across my company?"
      - this is where I can help.

My Mission:
►Amplify the talents of your leaders and teams, unleashing human potential for exponential growth

What I Deliver:

► I create custom coaching, training and keynotes that align with organizational goals, blending research-backed insights with practical application. 

Together, we can:
1.  Increase leadership potential
2. Transform corporate culture
3.  Elevate careers to new heights
4.  Transform change into opportunity
5.  Build productive teams
6.  Create happy workplace environments

► Challenges Organizations Face Today
-Rising stress and burnout among employees
-Constant change and uncertainty in business environments
-Retention struggles with top talent
-Engagement gaps leading to lost productivity
-Leaders needing new skills for future-ready workplaces

► Benefits of Working with Dr. Jennifer

Organizations that partner with me see measurable improvements in:
1. Talent Attraction & Retention- Reduce turnover and retain top performers
2. Positive Work Environments- Foster collaboration and well-being
3. Change Readiness- Equip teams to embrace transitions with confidence
4. Stronger Teamwork- Increase trust, clarity and efficiency
5. Strategic Clarity- Provide a clear roadmap for success
6. Productivity & Engagement- Unlock more energy, focus, and results

► Client Outcomes
 "Dr. Jennifer Knowles is a beacon of inspiration in leadership and talent development. Her ability to seamlessly blend research-backed insights with practical applications has consistently led to positive transformations, empowered teams, and elevated leadership capabilities.”

 "We love Dr. Jennifer. She leads with a big heart and has lots of passion for her work. She cares about us and has the gift to take complex ideas and break them down into simple steps."

► Services
1. Leadership coaching (1:1 and group)
2. Change management programs
3. Talent development workshops
4. Keynote speaking on growth, change, and leadership
5. Research-informed organizational development solutions



Jennifer Knowles

I'm thrilled to have been selected to have my own column in Inc. Magazine.

My column is called Second-Act Founders. I'll be writing about what it takes for corporate leaders and founders to walk away from "good enough," pivot, and create meaningful work. 
 
Stay tuned for more! I start in March.

Jennifer Knowles, Ph.D

I help develop effective leaders + high-performing teams | Harvard Executive Leadership Coach | Best-Selling Author | Professor of Business | Tedx Speaker

This morning I completed my 100th HIIT workout at the gym. Which got me thinking…

Slow and steady wins the race. I go twice a week, consistently.

The instructor who took my picture told me that he sees so many people come four times a week, and then quit.

But like in life and work, playing the long game vs the quick sprint tends to win. 

All those days when we put our head down and work, and not see immediate gratification, but know we’re working towards something bigger.

Like working towards that promotion 
Showing up on LinkedIn 
Finishing the next project (for me it’s a book!)

📌What is that one thing that you consistently work towards? 

Have a great day!

No alternative text description for this image

Happy National Sons Day. To every mom raising sons, and to every son reading this, thank you for being you and contributing to this world. 

I never dreamed I'd be a mom of three boys. But it is the most fun, loud, chaotic, and rewarding thing I have ever done. My Three Sons isn't just a TV show title in my house. It's my life. I've heard more poop and fart jokes than anyone should endure, ever! 

And I wouldn't trade it for the world.

A big part of why I work is to create a better future for my boys. 

I want them to grow up knowing that hard work, courage, and a willingness to start over and try something new are part of the game.

📌 To every parent building something bigger than themselves — what do you want your kids to say about the way you lived and worked?

Cheers to you and all the sons in your life!

Quotes Needed for My Inc. Article

I'm writing an article for my new Inc. column about the importance of personal branding for founders.

If this sounds like you and for a chance to be quoted in the article, email me a one to two-sentence (max) quote about the actionable tips to utilize personal branding for founders. I’m especially interested in people who have left corporate/traditional jobs where personal branding was often discouraged, and their experiences with personal branding as they start their own businesses.

My email ➡️ jennifer @ impactfulchange dot com

Please share with anyone who you think may be interested. 

If it's a fit, I'll let you know if I'm using your quote and send you the link once it's published. Thanks!

I coach creators with <2.5k followers how to be LinkedIn pros in <45 days | 264k Impressions & 23k Engagements in L12 mos. | The Real You Podcast Host | Enneagram 6 | Runner, Triathlete, Obstacle Course Racer

I was the quiet kid in the back of the classroom.

I never wanted to be called on.

Never wanted to read out loud.

And I definitely didn’t want to give a presentation.

So when I was 14, in 9th grade, and had to give a speech in front of my entire grade and their parents,

I delivered one of the worst speeches in the history of civilization. No exaggeration. It was, memorable. For the wrong reasons.

That moment stuck with me.

I struggled with being visible, using my voice, and public speaking well into my mid-30s.

I learned how to stay competent. Helpful. Fine. And mostly invisible.

By the time I hit 40, something shifted. I felt called toward something more. Something different.

- I wanted to speak.
- I wanted to start a podcast.
- I wanted to help others who felt the same quiet pull.

But I didn’t know how.


So instead of moving forward, I did what a lot of capable mid-life professionals do, I stayed stuck. And fearful.

For another eight years. Fear didn’t stop me loudly. It stopped me efficiently.

That finally changed in the summer of 2023, when I started posting on LinkedIn.

At first, it was small:

- content
- selfies 
- stories from my past

And something unexpected happened.

People responded. They resonated. They recognized themselves.

That was the beginning of a real transformation.

Since then, I’ve launched three podcasts, a YouTube channel, and developed my keynote, The Fear That Formed Me: a funny, honest talk about fear, visibility, and the self-imposed rules that quietly shape our lives.

I don’t talk about eliminating fear. I talk about what happens when you stop letting it decide.

Today, my work is about helping mid-life professionals do what they’ve been avoiding, not through hype, self-help clichés, or forced journaling, but through clarity, humor, and the relief of realizing they’re not broken.

If you’ve been feeling that quiet nudge toward something you keep putting off, you’re not alone.

And you’re probably closer than you think.


➜ Listen to my podcast here, https://www.theunderlayerpodcast.com/

➜ Book me to speak at: david@davidjyoung.me

David Young, MBA

The first career coach I hired in 2007 didn’t say hello.
 
He didn’t welcome me to his office.
 
He didn’t ask about my goals.
 
He looked at me and said:
 
“When you leave here today, call your boss and tell him you quit.”
 
I laughed.
 
“What?”
 
I’d been in sales for several years at that point.
 
He had just reviewed my assessments. One of them showed a 2% match to the sales profile.
 
He said:
 
“You are not a salesperson. And you never will be. It’s not in your wiring.”

 
Then he said something that stuck with me:
 
“The problem for people like you is that you’re just good enough not to get fired or quit, but not wired to excel.”
 

𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲.
 

If I had been terrible, I would’ve left sooner or been let go.
 
Instead, I stayed, FOR 7 YEARS.
 
That should’ve been the lesson.
 
𝗜𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝗻’𝘁.

 
Years later, I took a new role (a promotion), and I knew within 30 seconds that I had made a mistake.
 
I stayed 18 months.
 

Many years after that, another misaligned role.
 
Knew on DAY 1 it wasn’t right.
 
Stayed 14 months.
 

𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗮𝘆𝘀:
 
• Figure it out.  
• It’s not that bad.  
• Don’t quit too soon.  
• Maybe it gets better.
• I can grind this out.
 

Endurance
Grit
Perseverance
Determination
 
Those are celebrated traits.
 
They’ve helped me in sports.  
In school.  
In life.


But pointed at the wrong thing?
 
They become a CAGE.

 
Disciplined people can survive misalignment for years.
 
And because you can survive it, you convince yourself it’s fine, not THAT bad.
 
Until it isn’t.
 
There’s no award for leaving early, but maybe there should be. Recognize it and move on without regret. 
 

Remember my caricature pointing and telling you, it's OKAY to get outta there!!

Observational humor about work, identity, and the things we all pretend are normal | 🎤 Keynote Speaker | Host of The Underlayer

Why do so many high achievers burn out?
 
And why do they sometimes chase goals they don’t even want?
 
In my latest episode of 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿, Katarina Kiseli and I discuss the hidden psychology behind overachievement.

 
𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗲𝗹𝘁:
 
• Driven but drained  
• Successful but strangely unsatisfied  
• Productive but misaligned

 
This is for you.

 
𝗪𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁:
 
– How social media quietly reshapes your goals  
– The trap of the all-or-nothing mindset  
– Why external validation feels motivating, until it isn’t  
– How burnout often starts with a misaligned “why”
 

💡 And most importantly, how to reset.

 
Katarina is a former FBI analyst, psychologist, and coach who works with high-performing professionals navigating burnout, self-doubt, and identity shifts in midlife.
 
If you’re ambitious but starting to question your goals, this conversation might hit closer than you expect.
 

𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗬𝗧 𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗼. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺.


--> Please like, subscribe, and follow The Underlayer wherever you consume the show to help more people find it.

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The Battle

Jennifer Knowles

David Young, MBA

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The Battle

Jennifer Knowles

David Young, MBA

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Jennifer Knowles's LinkedIn Performance

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Performance ScoreJennifer Knowles's LinkedIn Performance