Meet Jess
Tough conversations can happen and change can stick.
Ever heard you can’t have your cake and eat it too? WRONG.
You know this because you have EATEN. CAKE. You had it and you ate it. Yum!
And some folks might say you can’t name your elephants in the room and tame them. But that is exactly what Jess Pettitt does. She names and tames the elephants that are holding your people back from making real and lasting change.
She also eats cake…
…And Leaves No Crumbs.
You have been warned. Jess Pettitt combines irreverent humor, storytelling, current events, and keen insights from historical patterns so that we can break through our
- fear of failure,
- paralysis of analysis,
- and knee-jerk reactionary practices
to do “the best we can with what we have some of the time.”
Let’s Do This! Set up a call today!
Let’s Do This! Set up a call today!
After a Jess Pettitt keynote or training, participants report that they are
- having the challenging conversations they had been avoiding,
- working together better,
- taking responsibility for who they are and how they show up,
- and standing up and taking action.
Jess humorously shares her own struggles to help audiences understand that we are all good enough “to try to try to do something” to eradicate our excuses and create a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment.
In less time, under budget, and with existing resources you can do this because you are good enough now. And that means…
Cake for everyone!
Like birthday cake, you are supposed to cut slices and give them to everyone else first. Perhaps this is a Texan thing, but if we treated others like they were invited to our birthday party, I wouldn’t have job security—but I would have cake.
— Jess Pettitt
See What Others Are Saying About Jess
“Jessica Pettitt is the most authentic, intuitive, and dynamic speaker and facilitator! She has a gift for understanding her audience, earning their trust quickly with warmth and humor—then holding up a mirror, acting as a kind, funny and firm guide to understanding what we see in the mirror and what to do with that understanding. I have seen Jessica do this with college educators and administrators, and nursing professional development specialists; the field of healthcare in particular needs her message about awareness, communication, and doing the best with what we can, some of the time, now more than ever, and she delivers it with zany, ingenious and genuine care.”
Caitlin Nye
Clinical Assistant Professor
Upstate Medical University College of Nursing
“I am a cohort member of a learning team, and Jessica recently delivered a provocative, easy-to-understand, and oh-so-funny presentation. While I am a DEIB&J consultant, I am also a lifetime learner. I so appreciated the presentation and engaging material Jessica shared. She is a one-of-a-kind, out-of-the-box presenter, and I am thrilled our paths have crossed. I look forward to working with her shortly. Best to book her now for your team or next engagement. She is hot!!!”
Kristina Smith, CDP, CCF
Certified Diversity & Inclusion Facilitator
“Jess was the MC for our 2022 leadership conference and keynote speaker. She made it through 3 days with our team and accepted the challenge of keeping us all on track, no doubt a huge task. Her funny wit kept everyone engaged and wanting more. Myrtle Beach will not be the same!! Or at least until next year when we will all meet again. Looking forward to receiving a copy of her book. If you are looking for a great speaker, look no further!!!”
Luv Berkley
Director of Nursing, Monroe Health and Rehabilitation
“Want to learn to communicate more effectively and be entertained at the the same time? Jess is your person. She’s smart, engaging, funny, self-deprecating and full of energy. Zoom is no match for Jess’s energy. Most importantly you’ll get great advice that you can actually use. My personal favorite: approach communications with curiosity and generosity.”
Tammy Ammon
Sr. Director of Thought Leadership and Market Research, Acxiom
A Total Pro and an Expert Emcee
For nearly 20 years, Jess has educated, supported, and challenged diverse audiences to guide them to success.
As a professional speaker, Jess’s expertise earned her the Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation from the National Speakers Association, a designation held by fewer than 800 people worldwide. As a facilitator, she provides the frameworks for open, welcoming, and productive conversations.
Jess offers motivational keynotes, in-depth workshops, or deeper-dive group interactions. She can also frame an entire conference as emcee, working closely with your meeting professional. Cussing filters are optional, but today’s current events and hot topics are not!
Combining humor with adult learning with highly engaging content, participants walk away focused and confident in their role to make change now.
Her social justice and diversity curricula, as well as her publications, books, and resources, are used nationwide by organizations like the Department of National Intelligence, PayPal, American Counseling Association, Southwest Airlines, PowerTools for NonProfits, Saber Healthcare Group, and many more.
Jess’s background uniquely qualifies her to educate employers on how to build welcoming, productive, and innovative teams. The ability to communicate, listen, learn, take responsibility, and acquire and retain talent and resources will lead to (and maintain) a more inclusive—and dare we say fun!—workplace environment. This has a direct impact on your bottom line now.
