Today we’d like to introduce you to Jerrica Cook.
Hi Jerrica, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
From as far back as I can remember, I have always had a knack for improving things. I was just wired that way.
Throughout my career (regardless of the industry or role), I have always tried to infuse that talent into my work by asking myself what’s not working well in this space and what can I do to improve it.
As my career progressed in Corporate America, working with some of the most notable Fortune 500 companies (Fidelity Investments, Nike, Wal-Mart Corporate, Thyssenkrupp Elevator, FedEx, etc), I just knew the value I brought to the table was more than what I was being compensated to do.
I remember when I started working for FedEx. I was required to attend a 3-day training class for the position for which I would be responsible for supporting. After about 30 minutes into the class, I zoned out and started making a list of the items I was going to prepare for dinner that night.
It was so much information and the level of detail was far more than I could even comprehend being new to the organization and the department.
After the training class has ended, my new manager requested my feedback on the class. She was so open-minded and one of the best managers that I have worked for in my 30+ years in Corporate America. I asked her if I could be honest and after receiving the nod of approval, I began to share feedback about how the class could be improved.
From that moment, our team revamped and redesigned the entire course material, and the website streamlined and simplified the entire learning process. We received so much positive feedback and more so, employees that depended on that information to effectively do their jobs could consume it according to where they were in their learning journey.
In June 2016, I started JCook & Associates – a business focusing on helping companies improve the overall effectiveness and efficiency of their operations. I knew this was my passion but the fear of leaving stability, benefits and my comfort zone kept me from devoting the time and energy I needed to build it out.
After years of pouring into other brands, I felt it was time I committed that same level of energy and hard work to my own company, so in April 2021, I left my Manager position in Corporate America to pursue this dream full-time and it has proven to be one of the best decisions of my life!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Smooth road? No, (I say this with a smile though). Corporate America was no smooth road for someone that looks like me (an educated African American woman).
This venture was no different, but I’ve always trusted God’s timing.
The fact that I had built my brand during my time in Corporate America – meaning developing and nourishing good relationships, delivering quality products time and time again and the most important part was being there for others and helping them accomplish their dreams and goals while still working on my own – has served me well.
People never forget those things – and when I ventured out on my own, people showed up for me in a big way and lit my path.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My work is super exciting!
I get to interact with various companies around the world and learn about the challenges they are facing, then work with my exceptional team of experts (Engineers, Project Managers, Implementation/Transformation Specialists, Learning & Development teams, etc.) to figure out how to solve it. That’s our specialty- improving the flow of a company’s operations (regardless of how big or small) and putting that money back into their bottom line.
The thing I am most proud of is being able to deliver critical, game-changing solutions. These are things that often save companies/businesses and restore hope in sometimes what seems like a hopeless situation.
For some, the value my team delivers is the driving force to keep the doors open, especially with those small business owners. It definitely warms my heart knowing that the thing(s) that we’re keeping that business owner up at night is no longer an issue. It makes me feel like I have given them their lives back.
The one thing that sets me apart from everyone else is definitely my level of emotional intelligence. It’s critical and extremely necessary for any leader of any business to possess it and I was intentional in building my brand on it. All of my consultants bring value and they know it because I tell them.
I am so confident in all the various point of view and having a team that doesn’t think like me but are better than me. I keep them motivated and encouraged and they keep me on top of my game – and it shows in the level of quality work we deliver!
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
In the next 5-10 years, I want our team to grow but I want to remain small.
I think all of the personal touches you get from collaborating and sharing ideas are so important and I think it’s the secret sauce of JCook & Associates (and I don’t want to lose that).
So who knows what the future holds, but I’m excited to find out!
Contact Info:
- Email: Jcook@jcookassociates.com
- Website: www.jcookassociates.com
- Instagram: @JCookandassociates
Image Credits
Reneka Swims Photography
