Today we’d like to introduce you to Jenn Pedde.
Hi Jenn, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I came to San Diego 5 years ago after 15+ years in New York City. I love New York for the people and the culture, but was tired of the terrible commutes, crowded everything, and miserable weather all year long. I convinced my job to let me go remote in 2019 and then 6 months later the pandemic happened and everyone went remote anyway. Once I got to San Diego I joined a remote coworking Meetup group which was the best way to meet the friends I had during and after the lockdowns.
In 2024 I now manage this coworking group. I took it over in June of 2021 with about 400 members, and as of today the group has nearly 1400 members who meet regularly at the Second Nature coffeeshop in PB. A testament to how popular San Diego has become and the rise in flexible work.
I currently work as an adjunct professor at the Syracuse University Newhouse School of Communication for a course on social media, and am the Vice President of Customer Advocacy at PeoplePath, the global leader in corporate alumni program software, working with some of the biggest corporations around the world to help manage their relationships with former employees. I came to PeoplePath after 5 years of being a client where I managed the corporate alumni program at Oliver Wyman, a global consulting firm and their Corporate Social Responsibility program. Prior to that I managed online communities and social media for Oprah Winfrey, and at an ed-tech company called 2U, and spent years in South Korea teaching English. I got my start working at the William Morris Endeavor agency, building national tours for clients such as Jay-Z, Rihanna, TI, 50 Cent, Eminem, The Roots, and so many more.
Now, I enjoy spending my free time making ceramics at the Cool Creations art studio in PB.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Nothing worth having in life is easy, that’s for sure! It doesn’t matter if it’s a startup or a huge corporation, there’s always ups and downs. The constant in life is change, so it’s how you surf those changes that matters. I believe in lifelong learning to always be the best version of myself, and to surround myself with diverse, interesting, and positive people. Community is everything.
When I was in teaching in South Korea in 2009, I ended up losing my contract job as the school wasn’t doing very well, and in the span of two weeks lost that job, my housing, broke up with a boyfriend I was living with, had my passport stolen on a weekend trip to Tokyo, had visa issues that involved missing out on another job, and had my bike stolen. In the end I looked at that as life trying to tell me something – that it was time to go and head back to the US to develop a career. Within months I got my first big break in social media at a small company, which has lead to a truly incredible career in online community building, and allows me to live in San Diego!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
If I’m going to do something, I really want to sink my teeth into it and be the best I can be.
One year ago I started taking pottery classes, and devote at least 50 hours a month to it. Now I’m participating in every workshop I can, listening to podcasts, learning from others, and enjoying every minute of it. I’ve made almost 200 pieces and am getting ready to launch my store this month, which is @ShatteredClay on instagram. I’d eventually like to make this something I become well known for, but can do well into retirement. It’s wonderful to have something not in front of a computer screen that involves being around others and of course, playing in dirt!
Between teaching in a Masters degree program at Syracuse, ceramics, the remote coworking group, and my day job at PeoplePath, I have so much to be proud of. Each day I’m grateful for the opportunities that come my way, but thoroughly enjoy seeing the successes of my students, my clients, and my friends.
I’d like to think that I’m best known for being a supportive friend – always there to help, listen, provide advice if that’s useful/asked for, and creating space for others to be part of a community. We only get one life, and I’m doing my best to make the most of it by seeing the world, meeting great people, and experiencing as much as I can.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
My first bit of advice for anyone in San Diego would be to utilize organizations like Meetup or Eventbrite. When I first moved here joining the coworking group and doing yoga at the Sunset Cliffs or Law Street Beach (which sadly is no longer allowed due to the city council ban on outdoor fitness groups) through the community that YogaJawn or Namasteve built was unbelievably important to my success here, finding friends, and why I stayed. It’s a real shame that this is no longer allowed and I hope more than anything that the city reconsiders its stance.
There are so many opportunities online and in-person to take advantage of. I would say visualize where you want to be, and then go out and do the research to connect with people in whatever thing you want to do! You can’t wait for it to come to you, you have to make things happen. Make a name for yourself by creating, volunteering, and practicing.
Also, and this is so important I find on the west coast — stick to your commitments! If you sign up for something, see it through. More than half the battle sometimes is just showing up. Worst case – it goes poorly and you have a good story to tell, but best case is that it changes your life.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jennpedde.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/jennpedde
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/jennpedde
- Other: www.instagram.com/shatteredclay
Image Credits
All photos are mine
