Today we’d like to introduce you to Jacquel Tucker.
Hi Jacquel, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I took a massive leap of faith. In 2016 I walked away from my 6 figures plus bonus executive position in the hospitality industry and stepped into my true purpose which is launching my nonprofit and my consulting, coaching and training business. Growing up in a rural community in the beautiful island of Jamaica, I was the youngest of 8 siblings for my dad who was a pastor, farmer and taxi driver and my mom who was a youth director and chairman of the local school board. It sounds like we were a well-to-do family, but we were far from it because those titles did not come with much money, and they had me and my siblings to care for. We cooked on a wood fire, there was no indoor plumbing and there were days we could barely afford our dinner. Right after high school, I was awarded the incredible opportunity for a full academic scholarship to study Hotel, Restaurant Management and Tourism at the University of Maine which changed my life.
So, getting to the point where I had a successful career with financial security and suddenly walking away from it all may seem crazy to many, but it was actually the best decision I ever made. I will not make it out to be a glamorous journey as there have been sacrifices, many learning and growth experiences. I will say through that it has been the most fulfilling and rewarding thing I have ever done in my life, and I have never been happier. I have more freedom and flexibility than I’ve ever had to make an even greater impact in the world. If anyone had told me that one day the girl who could barely afford her dinner would feed up to 2,000 families each month in Georgia and provide resources for over 10 communities in Jamaica during the worse pandemic, I would have said no way! But here I am – a living testimony that God has me here for this purpose and anything is possible through him. It’s so surreal that I am now also helping other leaders and career professionals ignite and maximize their true purpose, passion and potential so they can live their best life.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
We all know life has its valleys and mountain top moments but even more so when you are an entrepreneur. Add a nonprofit into the equation and it makes the road even more challenging to navigate. There is the struggle with time – there is never enough in the day for all that needs to be done and making sure there is the right balance between running your business and running your nonprofit, especially because both entities tremendously impact lives in their own way. There is the struggle with finances as a new entrepreneur does not have the comfort and security of a steady paycheck like in the corporate world. You are the key revenue generator and, in most cases, the key talent, so your business is only successful when you are in it working. It’s can also be challenging when you start out because you are building your brand, reputation and connections from scratch. The awesome news is it gets better when you start automating, streamlining processes, diversifying, collaborating and outsourcing some of the basic daily support needed. When you have a nonprofit, your eyes are really open to the opportunities for massive change such as combating food insecurity and lack of other critical resources including educational resources that are key to development, etc. The need seems overwhelming at times and there never seems to be enough money, tangible resources, and volunteers available to get the job done. But when you start with what you have, with where you are, and with who you know, God comes alongside you and does the heavy lifting. Suddenly you look around and resources are being provided, things are getting done, change is happening, hope is being restored – one student, one community and one country at a time.
As you know, we’re big fans of The J Tucker Group, My Purpose on Fire & The Jamaica Project USA. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I am the Principal of the J Tucker Group LLC which focuses on Coaching, Branding and Training. Under my LLC I also have my signature coaching program and online course “My Purpose on Fire” Academy. I help kingdom minded leaders and career professionals ignite and maximize their true purpose, passion and potential, establish and solidify their personal and business brand, and successfully launch their business or nonprofit that they have had on their heart for years…even decades! My nonprofit The Jamaica Project USA is a 501 (c) (3) ministry on a mission to transform rural communities and schools in Jamaica and to provide necessary resources to lower income families in Georgia, USA.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
If you ever want to know who you are going to become as an adult, just take a look at how you were when you were a child! Nowadays when people ask me how I do so much all at once with my business and nonprofit, I typically laugh because I was always doing it. I say this in all humility when I share that I was always at the top of my class, I was an athlete doing track and field and a member of the Westwood High School netball team. I remember being in high school and writing 3 short stories that would circulate throughout the school – all about romance of course which is why I’m now such a Hallmark girl! I still love to write, and plan on publishing two books this year. In 2019 I published my first book It’s Time for Your Transition (available on Amazon) about transitioning from the corporate world into entrepreneurship. Most people don’t know this about me – because I’m not on TikTok doing it – but growing up I loved dancing! I was a dancer and choreographer from a very young age all the way through high school – reggae, calypso, pop, R&B, hip hop – you name it I was dancing to it professionally at local and school events. This made sense growing up in Jamaica because we have such a rich diverse culture, and our national motto is “Out of Many One People”. Despite all of these traits I had, I was still a very quiet child to the point of being what some people would call shy. But to that, I would say some of that was attributed to listening and discerning people and situations and finding my rightful place in it or if that was a situation in which I even wanted to be in or comment on. Later on in my life this really came into play in my leadership roles as it made me an intuitive leader who was always solutions driven, resilient, and embraced and adapted well to change.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mypurposeonfire.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/jacqueltucker73
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/jacquel.edwards
- Other: www.thejtuckergroup.com
Image Credits
PWG Lens
