Today we’d like to introduce you to Jacquel Tucker.
Hi Jacquel, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
If someone had told me when I was a little girl growing up in rural Jamaica with my parents and eight siblings that one day I would feed up to 2,000 families monthly in Georgia, USA and serve over ten communities with resources in Jamaica and that it would happen during the worst pandemic, I would have laughed and told them it would be impossible because my family could barely afford our dinner daily or even a tube of toothpaste. But then the “impossible” happened! God had his perfect plan for me.
I’m from the rural community of Higgins Land in Jamaica, just a few miles from Nine Miles where Bob Marley grew up and is buried. As the youngest, I grew up with my eight siblings, my dad Jeremiah Edwards who was a Pastor and my mom Lydia Edwards a Youth Director for seven churches. We grew up poor with no running water, an outhouse, and most times barely able to afford our dinner but we had strong faith and family values.
It was quite an uphill battle to even attend high school due to lack of finances. The tremendous sacrifices my parents made weren’t lost on me so I was determined to do well. I could control studying and learning so I gave it 100% which resulted in me being either first in my class every year. Almost a year after graduating Westwood High School, I became one of 20 students, out of thousands of applicants in Jamaica, awarded a full academic scholarship to attend the University of Maine where I graduated an honor roll student, one of the school’s a Presidential Pin Awardee and a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management & Tourism. This scholarship opportunity changed the trajectory of my life!
My career spans over 25 years in the Hospitality Industry, working various positions from a Supervisor at the Jamaica Tourist Board Office/Tourism Action Plan to a Director of Sales & Marketing at various hotels in the USA. My expertise includes sales, marketing, branding, training, event planning and execution and I have had the awesome opportunity to work in major markets such as New Jersey, New York and Buckhead Atlanta.
In 2016, at the height of my hospitality career, I walked away from the industry to fully walk in my purpose. I successfully launched my non-profit The Jamaica Project USA with my husband Shun Tucker with a mission to transform rural communities and schools in Jamaica and provide resources to underserved communities in Georgia. My mom and his parents (who were former missionaries) were truly our inspiration. Within four short years, our ministry completed one church and eight school improvement projects in Jamaica, provided educational sponsorships for up to 40 students and served thousands of residents. In 2016, I had also launched my hospitality consulting, task force and training company. In 2019 I published my first book, It’s Time for Your Transition available on Amazon and was one of 100 women in the USA featured in the 2020 coffee table book Unselfish Women for my work in impacting communities.
During the pandemic, God grew my small non-profit with resources so we were able to significantly help communities in Georgia and Jamaica. However, my business had a difficult time navigating the pandemic so in June 2020, I pivoted to The J Tucker Group. God has set my Purpose on Fire and I now help kingdom-minded aspiring entrepreneurs and professionals discover, ignite and launch their true kingdom purpose in just 90 days through my coaching program My Purpose on Fire.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not been a smooth road. Even though my family and I grew up happy, growing up in poverty was quite challenging. We struggled with basic necessities and the proper resources especially for school. It was common to borrow books, clothing – you name it. Being the last child, there wasn’t much I owned because it was a lot of hand me downs. But whatever resources it took to succeed, my parents did their best to provide. Growing up this way taught me humility, joy in the smallest things, resourcefulness and resiliency, all of which have served me well to this day.
I always expected to work hard to achieve my goals. There was never any expectation of a handout or entitlement. Cultivating this mindset really prepared me well for my career. I worked hard to be so good that I could not be ignored and the promotions followed. At the time, I did not see many minorities in a Director of Sales & Marketing position in hospitality so I wanted to inspire and motivate others with a similar dream to believe that it can be done and that what God has for you will happen if you trust in him and do your part. He will take care of everything else.
Becoming an entrepreneur is also not a glamorous journey as many would like to think. It’s tough getting started because you are not well known in that space and do not have all the direction, tools and resources you need. My husband Shun Tucker has been an entrepreneur for almost 20 years so has been an amazing mentor. I developed the confidence earlier on from learning so much from him including how to build my own website which I can now do for my clients whenever needed.
All non-profits struggle for resources, especially when you are just starting out. However earlier on, my mother-in-law, Jacquelyn Morrison, taught us to not solely focus on the money needed to purchase the resources but to pray specifically for the resources needed and God would bring the resources to us. Sure enough, that is exactly what started happening! We wholeheartedly believe in Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My company is called The J Tucker Group which provides coaching, branding, and training in sales, customer service and leadership. My signature coaching program is called My Purpose on Fire. I offer one on one as well as group coaching. Through my 90 day program, I help kingdom-minded aspiring entrepreneurs discover, ignite and launch their true kingdom purpose in just 90 days. All my clients have been able to get unstuck, gain clarity and confidence on their calling, establish an unshakeable foundation and set their Purpose on Fire by launching their true kingdom legacy. I take them from discovery to launch including branding. They have confidently launched their business, online course and coaching program or non-profit.
I am the biggest cheerleader for my clients. They want their life to have value and to fully do what they are called to do with joy, passion and fulfillment. I believe that for them and see the big vision for them even when it’s difficult for them too. I carry their hope and excitement until they are ready to take that batton and fully believe their dreams are possible.
I’m most proud of my integrity, genuinely caring about people finding their purpose, joy and peace in life, consistently staying true to who I am and never forgetting where I am from.
I want people to know that you don’t have to stay stuck living a life that is unfulfilling and unrewarding. God made you for so much more! I jump out of bed with My Purpose on Fire every day and whether I’m working in my business or my non-profit, I get excited about how I can impact someone else’s life today. I want that for everyone. Every month I open up some free 45 minute slots on my calendar to help people ignite that fire and get started on that journey to walking in their purpose. They also get to see if My Purpose on Fire coaching program is right for them. It’s appropriately called my Purpose on Fire Ignition Session.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I absolutely love the opportunities that Atlanta holds for growth and development in careers and entrepreneurship, especially for minorities. It’s also a beautiful city with great weather, parks, attractions, places to dine with outdoor patios and spend quality time with family and friends.
I do wish I had an answer for our crazy traffic though. It takes a while to get everywhere. However all the advantages far outweigh the traffic issues.
Contact Info:
- Email: connect@mypurposeonfire.com
- Website: www.mypurposeonfire.com, www.thejamaicaprojectusa.org
- Instagram: @jacqueltucker73
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jacquel.edwards
Image Credits:
PWG Lens Jacquel Tucker
