Illumine Ventures, LLC

Founder

Whole Foods Market

- Defined the leadership development strategy and roadmap for the organization.
- Enabled Whole Foods Market leader’s growth, happiness and performance through the successful design, implementation, facilitation and sustainability of unified leadership development programs.
- Responsible for all facets of leadership development for Store, Regional, and Global Support leaders.

Global Director of Leadership Development

• Defined the regional learning & development strategy and led cross-functional efforts to build impactful leadership development programs to enable the growth of leaders of all levels.
• Collaborated with global leaders to champion the “Success Profile” tool that will be foundational to all aspects of talent management at Whole Foods Market. Outputs: EC & RVP Success Profiles.
• Led the Unified Leadership Development working group through multiple strategic iterations. Outputs: virtual TL development workshops and defined competencies for four levels of leaders.
• Partnered with senior regional leaders to define regional strategic priorities as they related to talent management. Outputs: high-potential development strategy & programs, “Leading through Change” strategy, “Speed-to-Floor” & “Always-On-Hiring” mechanisms.
• Led cross-regional effort to build the TL Cross-Training program that was adopted company-wide.

Regional Director of Learning & Development

•	Responsible for developing and implementing the vision and strategy for the following programs: Team Educator, In-Store Educator, NM Onboarding Path, Certified Purchaser.
•	Created a comprehensive training and communication strategy to support the transition of the Team Educator program from a role to an official position with its own wage guideline.
•	Led the region’s Envisioning initiative; developing and facilitating an Envisioning Day for each Regional Support team and overseeing the execution of the Metro Envisioning Days.

Regional Learning & Development Associate Director

•	Demonstrated ability to increase store support for training through effective communication of training benefits, relationship building, and proven leadership development results.
•	Developed Restaurant Venue Orientation in collaboration with store and regional leadership. 
•	Created Metro Educator Guidebook to support new Metro Educator onboarding.
•	Served as a mentor to fellow Metro Educators and ISEs to maximize their effectiveness.

Metro Educator

•	Contributed to a successful new store opening through effective training, leadership, and communication with department team members.  Our department nearly tripled our opening sales projections.
•	Improved team performance through strategic merchandising, diligent inventory management, and by motivating our team to stay focused under the rigorous demands of a new store opening.
•	Focused on training team members to deliver an excellent customer service experience through role playing, recognition, and leading by example.
•	Developed a firm understanding of department operations and financials.

Specialty Associate Team Leader

•	Successfully completed leadership development program designed to prepare Team Members for team leadership.
•	Challenged to execute new product strategies to support regional objectives and increase department sales.

Leadership Development Candidate

Compass, Inc.

•	Responsible for leading all field training efforts; including creating the learning roadmap, content, and systems to support the field in achieving sales objectives.   
•	Increased monthly recurring revenue by 126% in one year by revisiting and adjusting the business system training; then followed through by increasing field awareness of both online and weekly training courses.

Director of Field Development

Ok, let's be real. What comes up for you when you hear the words "spiritual awakening?" 

If you're like I was, the idea of spiritual awakening probably seems like a fringe concept. Something for saints or monks, but not for you. 

It's probably not even on your radar, or if it is, it probably feels completely out of reach. 

I get it. That was me. But, what if I told you that awakening is not the "woo-woo" stuff you think it is?

When you take away all the mental labels, awakening is just about understanding that there is another way to live. A way of living connected to your Creator. You can call it God, Source, Consciousness, Universe, or whatever language feels right. It's not about what you call it; it’s about learning to call on it. Making the effort to get still and learn the truth.
 
Why would you want to do this? Well, it's pretty simple. It is the only way to find lasting peace, joy, and fulfillment in your life. 

How do I know? Because I had to learn this the hard way. By the age of 45, I had achieved all my dreams and reached the pinnacle of my success. I had the dream job, the dream partner, and the dream house.  Then, the bottom began to fall out. 

I was experiencing a sort of quiet misery on a regular basis that began to seep into every area of my life. I couldn't escape the feeling that something was still missing. I looked at my life and wondered "Is this all there is?" 

Let me tell you, it's a rude awakening when you have achieved everything you set out to achieve and you still feel unfulfilled.

Instead of accepting that this was just how life my life was going to be, I decided to discover the source of my discontent.

You see, the problem wasn't my life. The problem was how I was approaching my life. 
•	I was approaching my life from the outside in, rather than the inside it.
•	I saw my life as a grind, rather than a gift.
•	I thought my answers were out there, rather than within.

Everything changed when I learned to do the REAL work of my life. I learned to listen to my inner voice, and it guided me to the truth of who I am, and why I'm here. This was my "awakening," and it's how I was able to finally release the quiet misery and experience the joy, peace and fulfillment I had always been seeking.

Awakening is for all of us: the rebels, the skeptics, the never-settlers, the non-conformists, and even the recovering perfectionists. 

I am here to share what I have learned so that we all may awaken to the truth. I am here to help you do the REAL work of your life.

Ready? Go to my website to get started: www.jencarew.com

Jen Carew

Susannah Dawn Consultant and Storyteller

I am a motivational speaker, speaking to organizations, ERGs, and conferences about diversity topics and the importance of living authentically… and how the ability to do so benefits people AND business.

Consider how the world labels people… women... placing us in “boxes” to decide how to relate to us.

Yet the truth is… we are all so much more than what may be contained in any 📦.

As a speaker, I talk about reinvention and moving beyond boxes… about:
📦 boxes others put us in, including diversity and inclusion topics, gender, neurodiversity, and many more
📦 boxes we often put ourselves in, to include imposter syndrome, fear of others learning about / that we are _____ (neurodiversity, disability, and more)

I speak from my own experience, having entered 2022 with a total reinvention to be my true authentic self, and looking at business and life from a vantage point set beyond labels… beyond boxes… beyond those places in which our fears work hard to constrict – confine – us instead of letting us see how we are so much more than a simple box or label.

I’ve been featured on podcasts and LinkedIn live events, discussing the themes of being our authentic selves and moving beyond boxes.

My workshops and training for organizations and conferences help women see how they are so much more than they realize… help them bring their authentic selves into the world, and now include Vision Boards and Power Words (mini vision boards).

Consider: When we enter a workplace as out authentic selves, without fear and a need to hide our true selves, a recent survey* focused on job satisfaction found:
🍀 71% felt more confident
🍀 60% felt more engaged 
🍀 46% feel happier

(*conducted by the Institute for Inclusive Leadership on authenticity in the workplace)

My presentations and workshops transport the audience into the discussion… to feel what it’s like to both be boxed… and the joy and confidence gained upon moving beyond boxes... to ignite awareness about their own situations.

Motivational Speaker

"Search for the Armor of God" (Sep 2023 - vol 1 of the "Armor of God" series)
"Battle for the Armor of God" (Nov 2023 - vol 2 of the "Armor of God" series) - These fantasy novels follow Prince Henry, who is placed in boxes by his father and advisors, always feeling lost as he is never allowed to be his authentic self. It is when he is part of a company in search of the armor that he finds himself on his own quest to find his true self and purpose.
The link to “Search for the Armor of God” on the U.S. Amazon site: https://a.co/d/d7vErvV
The link to “Battle for the Armor of God” on the U.S. Amazon site: https://a.co/d/f9iYevK

"Faith of the Butterfly" (Jan 2024) - My "reinvention memoir" of how I moved beyond the boxes others put me in to shine as my authentic self... available in bookstores and on Amazon.
The link to “Faith of the Butterfly” on the U.S. Amazon site: https://a.co/d/fo1fm8X

"Beyond Boundaries: Thriving in Life's Grey Zone" (Mar 2024) - My chapter, "It's in the Grey Zone We Find the Colors," is one of 27 to explore what the grey zone truly is.

"A Note To My Family: I Am Your Legacy" (Nov 2023) - My chapter, "Journey Through Life as Your Unique – Authentic – Self," was one of 21 chapters by a diverse group of authors providing their own legacy - in their own words - to family and friends... an International Bestseller. 

"My Two Cents on Self-Love" (July 2023) - My chapter, "Returning to the Authentic Me" was one of 30 chapters by different authors in this book, which was a #1 International Bestselling Book.

"Never Give Up" (Aug 2023) - my chapter, "She Has Always Been Here" was one of 22 chapters by women authors in this book, which was a #1 International Bestselling book.

"Rattled Awake" (Aug 2023) - my chapter, "Look Beyond the Box, For We Are So much More," was one of 11 chapters by different authors in this #1 International Bestselling book.

International Author

As a business consultant I bring an outside perspective to help organizations in three key areas:
🖋 help organizations improve their storytelling content to create content bridges for their audience

📈 help organizations develop new revenue streams – many of which don’t require reinventing the wheel – by asking questions about the business from a viewpoint outside their box

💚 Work with HR to speak with ERGs, and work with employees to help them grow and be their authentic selves

Consider: When we enter a workplace as our authentic selves, without fear and a need to hide our true self, a recent survey* focused on job satisfaction found:
🍀 71% felt more confident
🍀 60% felt more engaged 
🍀 46% feel happier
*conducted by the Institute for Inclusive Leadership on authenticity in the workplace

Think about how such satisfaction translates into bottom line success for your business. Speaking with employees and organizations help shed light for each individual to realize what is missing for them to move into the world as their authentic self.

My business strategy and development experience spans numerous fields, including general construction management and design, military planning (US Army officer), energy efficiency program management, modular construction start-up CFO, project planning, and sustainable planning.

Business Consultant

Storytelling appears in all aspects of my work: writer, motivational and diversity speaker, coach, and business consultant. For each area, I bring my holistic authentic self into every project. 

This includes taking an experiential approach to storytelling – to bridge the audience into the story… to create a connection whereby they feel they are a part of the story. 

This is not a “pitch and sell” approach… it’s a story, designed to meet the audience and bring them to a space where they get a feel for organizations and their products and services… whereby they can feel they are part of the story. 

My passion for writing began at an early age and never left. All of my roles required a variety of writing and research requirements:
• Specification and technical writing
• Energy efficiency home energy savings (HES) program monthly reports across five states to cover each individual state program.
• International renewable energy firm press releases and articles.
• Writing business plans, research projects, and legal documents.


My services include:
• Storytelling training and workshops for organizations
• Case Studies, White Papers
• Ghostwriter (everyone has great book ideas)
• Research 
• e-Books
• Press Releases

Storyteller

Tigerhall

Provide specialized knowledge through podcasts about my DEI experiences. These podcasts are part of Tigerhall's subscriber library.
🦋 🦅 🦋

Thinkfluencer

SDB Consultant

Provide written content and project management for various projects, many of which focused on sustainability related topics.

Some of my written content included:
• Articles and press releases for renewable energy projects in emerging markets
• Wrote business plans, legal immigration petition letters (legal writing), and other documents for clients around the globe
• Worked with international schools to identify online education firms and technology
• Green School design to include the concept of schools as a “living lab” – this included both presenting and participating on panels on the international stage regarding green schools and green building design

Some of the projects I managed included:
• Worked with a start-up organization going through the funding phase. My role was CFO, providing business and financial analysis while composing the financial aspects for the business pro forma for a new company in California to design and construct high quality modular buildings.
• Education programs in sustainability and history for international students in Asia where English was a second language
• Data collection for a carbon footprint project that identified the expected cost to reduce the footprint of a $9 million construction project
• Led team to put together an organic agriculture report with recommendations for an NGO looking to assist farmers in Asia

Consultant

(various)

My experience with nonprofit organizations, includes working with and holding management and leadership positions in various nonprofit organizations.

Consultant with Mercy Corps on a project to research and write a report regarding the set-up of organic agriculture NGO programs in developing countries, with a focus on feasibility of assisting organic farming of tea in India and cardamom in Nepal.

Over three years as a Program Manager at PECI, a nonprofit energy efficiency firm where my role was managing a home energy savings program across five states for PacifiCorp (including Rocky Mountain Power and Pacific Power). 

Over a decade with the Portland-Suzhou Sister City Association (PSSCA) where I was a board member, and held leadership roles including one year as Treasurer and two years as Secretary. I was involved with the annual gala event, which was also the organization’s primary fundraiser.

Nonprofit Management Experience

PECI

Working for a Non-Profit Energy Efficiency firm, my focus was to take into consideration the needs of the utility client in designing programs to provide incentives for its customers to reduce energy consumption. This was accomplished through the management of a large portfolio home energy savings program that covered five states.
• Led Home Energy Savings programs for two utilities – a complex set of programs with over 100 energy savings measures across five Western states providing multi-million kWh of savings each year.
• Analyzed program measure activity and kept client informed
• Planned and managed budgets that exceeded $20m for incentives and administration to manage all programs
• Involved with tariff designs (state energy efficiency program design) and revisions in each state
• Produced five (5) separate program "state activity" reports every month
• Insured program was set up to successfully negotiate a change order addition to the contract when one measure began to overheat which led to unforeseen increased program costs
• Managed special projects including a utility program's metrics and compliance process upgrade
• This Utility Program received the 2010 ENERGY STAR Award for Sustained Excellence for its energy efficiency programs

Led a cross-functional team to develop new Program systems that included creating the first compliance report, and the import of program data into a central repository for Program use in monitoring, analyzing, and reporting program activity

Involved with PECI program activity outside of Client programs as required:
• RFPs - Put together RFP budgets, provided budget and savings analysis, and reviewed documents
• Business Development - Worked with key staff to provide initial connection for PECI with contacts in key utilities in new regions, providing an easier entry into a new region for PECI
• Budget and Savings Analysis

Program Manager

Benting Construction Inc.

This role included working with clients and multiple stakeholders to insure each project met both client needs while averaging returns above projections. Most projects were design-build that required working with design professionals, subcontractors, suppliers, and building officials. While the general contracting firm specialized in commercial and industrial construction, other projects included municipal and church construction. 
• Construction management of building designs that included concrete tilt-up construction, pre-engineered metal buildings, concrete masonry unit buildings, and wood construction. 
• P&L Management and budget preparation for projects, with most project average returns surpassing the original projected net income
• Project and contract negotiations with both new and repeat customers to include Fortune 500 firms
• Specification and technical writing for projects in the design-phase of construction
• Business development to find and enter new market opportunities, which included successfully adding public works projects to the company's project portfolio.
• Corporate Secretary, 2000 – 2006

Construction Manager / Corporate Secretary

Oregon Army National Guard

Rotated through numerous leadership positions including (but not limited to):
• Personnel Officer:  Two tours as a battalion-level Personnel Staff Officer (S-1, similar role to HR Director) where duties included tracking personnel evaluations, managing battalion-level functions including changes of command, and tracking battalion personnel readiness for units with 300-400 diverse soldiers. 

• Troop commander:  Commanded a 150-soldier cavalry unit that included four combat platoons plus one mortar section, and maintenance, supply, and mess sections.
     - 	  A major maintenance inspection noted unit maintenance improved “900%” under my leadership

• Platoon Leader:  Platoon Leader for three separate units
     -   Battalion Support Platoon Leader – kept a 450-soldier mechanized battalion supplied during desert field operations
     -   Cavalry Platoon Leader

US Army Military Officer - Cavalry

Reinvention Maven | Storyteller | Helping you see opportunities beyond boxes 📦 | Veteran | Consultant | Speaker | Diversity | Writing stories to create reader experience and sow seeds

Ladies… when we feel unseen… unheard… and unsafe to be our true authentic selves…

📍 We withdraw from actively engaging with others… from contributing with friends and in business
📍 We no longer feel motivated or driven to excel 
📍 We hide our authentic selves in a box, fearful what others might say / do if they learn we’re neurodiverse, overcame addiction, LGBTQ+, and so much more

Consider 👇

According to a recent survey* focused on job satisfaction, when employees can be their authentic selves… without fear of judgment:

🍀 71% felt more confident
🍀 60% felt more engaged
🍀 46% feel happier

(*conducted by the Institute for Inclusive Leadership on authenticity in the workplace)

What does this mean for business?

Failure for employees to be their authentic selves results in their being depreciating assets.


This is where I come in...

An empathic warrior ⚔ woman 👩 who no longer fits the proverbial box – and never did, I work with women and organizations as a motivational speaker 🎤, storyteller 🖋, guide, and business consultant to help women elevate themselves, be empowered, and find their way beyond boxes.

This in turn improves: 
🫶 Self-confidence
🫶 Team work
🫶 Organization revenue 


This happens through my process of: 

🎤 speak on the importance of being our authentic selves, the path of reinvention, and how we are so much more than the 📦 we often feel stuck in;

📈 business consulting to improve the company bottom line by growing employee job satisfaction... seeing opportunities beyond the box; and,

🖋 guide employees to see their story, which can include vision boards... igniting awareness for where they are, and moving forward authentically.


About Me: 
I entered 2022 with a total reinvention to be my authentic self, shifting my view of business and life to a vantage point set beyond labels… beyond boxes 📦… beyond those places in which our fears work hard to confine us instead of letting us see how we are so much more than a simple box.


My services include:
• Keynote speaker on topics to include reinvention, connect with your authentic self, move beyond boxes / labels, and diversity and inclusion
• Seminars and workshops to include vision boards
• Business strategy consultant for employee satisfaction and storytelling
• Guide women to move beyond the boxes holding them back


DM me, or email Susannah.Dawn.Writer@gmail.com to set up a consultation.

It's time to gain traction in life 🌱, spread your wings 🦋, and fly 🦅.


"I'm not what I used to be, yet I am who I've always been."
Susannah Dawn 🦋 🦅 🦋

Reinvention Maven 👩

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Jen Carew

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