In this episode of In The Room, On Purpose, Alyssa sits down with leadership strategist and founder of Primrose Leadership Solutions, Jennifer, for a conversation on self-trust, whole human leadership, solo adoption, and what it means to contribute in the room you worked so hard to enter. From selling rocks on the side of a gravel road as a child to leading inside Fortune 50 companies and eventually building her own coaching and leadership development firm, Jennifer shares the through-line that shaped her life: confidence, curiosity, and the willingness to keep playing. Together, Alyssa and Jennifer unpack leadership without ego, motherhood through solo adoption, learning to stop “borrowing trouble,” and why women need to stop shrinking once they finally get a seat at the table. This conversation is reflective, funny, deeply honest, and full of practical wisdom for women building careers, businesses, families, and identities on their own terms. Key TakeawaysWhy confidence is something you can practice and build over timeThe difference between controlling outcomes and trusting your future selfHow whole human leadership creates stronger teams and healthier workplacesWhat Jennifer learned through the solo adoption process and becoming a motherWhy your value in the room comes from contribution—not just earning the seatChapter Timeline00:00 — “Hold My Beer”: Jennifer’s energy and confidence from day one 02:30 — Selling rocks, childhood confidence, and being your own hype person 06:45 — “Keep Playing” and leaving corporate America 10:30 — Entrepreneurship, leadership consulting, and learning through experience 15:00 — Internal champions, navigating resistance, and leading through conflict 20:30 — Trying on leadership before stepping fully into management 23:00 — Whole human leadership and emotional honesty at work 29:30 — Control, ego work, and trusting your future self 31:45 — Jennifer’s journey into solo adoption and motherhood 36:00 — Adoption realities, identity, and difficult conversations 42:30 — Women in leadership, communication styles, and speaking in bullets 46:00 — Control vs influence and redefining success through entrepreneurship 48:30 — Being the only woman in the room and knowing why you belong there 52:00 — Female friendships, accountability, and building while being seen 54:45 — Pilates, burnout recovery, and slowing down 57:30 — Build It or Leave It 1:02:00 — Final reflections on confidence, purpose, and being “the damn table”
