Jenni Prisk shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Jenni, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
When I have time, I love to paint. Mostly the heads and shoulders of feisty or dynamic women. Sometimes they are from a photo I’ve taken, sometimes they are of women I admire. As I paint, I lose complete track of time because of the concentration required to get the face just right. During the work, I find myself thinking about the woman’s life and journey. Her eyes, the windows to her soul, must reflect her power and presence. For most of my life I have been involved with women’s empowerment and this new pastime gives me an opportunity to help women to be seen.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
For 35 years, I have operated a communications business, Prisk Communication. Officially, I’m retired, however, I’m still fortunate to provide coaching and training for companies and organizations in leadership, public speaking and assertive communication. A personal thrill is to see someone who’s been struggling to lead or effectively communicate grasp hold of the skills and apply them successfully. I’m especially happy when a woman finds her leadership spotlight and is able to step into it with confidence, clarity and connection. I’ve been told over the years that much of my success comes from the holistic approach I take to my work. Instead of just focusing on the transfer of skills, I focus on the whole person. I learn their background, career trajectory, roadblocks and their perspective of themselves from the outside in. This means I don’t provide cookie-cutter training, but personalized, appropriate expertise. And of course, my New Zealand accent has always stood me in good stead!
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
My relationship with my grandmother. Nana died in my arms when I was 19 years old, but for those years, she was a constant presence. Her stories and recollections about the battles she had to fight while raising four children with very little income always made me feel that I could handle anything put in front of me. Nana had always wanted to travel and was absolutely thrilled when I planned my big OE (Overseas Experience) before she died. She knew that my years in other countries would change my view not only of the world, but of myself, and my place in it. With her thoughts and positivity in my head, I could look at myself in a new light and put my hand to new experiences and opportunities. Among many other skills, she taught me about cultural collaborations (one of her good friends was a renowned NZ wahine Māori) the importance of sport, and expression of self (she used to sing to ‘old people’!) At 76, Nana still guides me when I have questions or challenges. And now I look a lot like her too!
When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
My father was an abuser and I was one of his victims. This haunted and harried me through my growing years, making me feel very inadequate, unnecessary and powerless. My husband restored much of my self-confidence, the rest as I have said, came from my grandmother. But anyone who has been abused knows that the very inner core of the self is damaged and that while life goes on and looks OK from the outside to others, it can be painful to find the light.
I delivered a speech at a conference near my US hometown of San Diego several years ago and I told the audience about my father. I felt the release of fear and pain as I shared the words that made me the victor, not the vanquished. A woman in the audience came to me afterwards and told me that I should write a book. She is a publisher and offered to support me through the writing and publication. So, in 2021, during COVID and while living in NZ, I wrote and published ‘Stand In Your Spotlight – An Ode to Living Fully’ (available on Amazon) which changed my life and I believe also the lives of many readers. Purging myself of the pain, seeing it in words, knowing I was not at fault, and permitting myself to empower others, gave me my full power.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What’s a cultural value you protect at all costs?
Māoritanga in Aotearoa New Zealand. Our small country is going through trying times as the current government attempts to disregard Te Tiriti o Waitangi (The Treaty of Waitangi) that established our country in 1840, providing fair division of land and benefits to the Māori people who settled there long before white people arrived.
My grandmother’s teachings about her Māori friend and the high school I attended in Christchurch that founded a Māori club, imbued deeply in me a love of our indigenous people, their culture, their music and their connections to the whenua (land.)
I’m now blessed to call several, powerful wahine Māori my friends. They teach me what I need to learn about the unfairness and ill-treatment their ancestors experienced, and that they too are now enduring.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
This is a beautiful, but challenging question! However, I chose it for several reasons. I don’t have children, therefore there are no legacies to hand down through a family. When my husband and I die, there won’t be a family tree, only the memories we make.
I do have my book which I hope is read for many years to come, however, I would like to think that friends and colleagues would remember me as someone who cared. Life is very short and nowadays with our world in chaos, we need to care for our neighbors, our community and our planet. I’d also like to think that they saw my passion for all that I believe in…peace for all, eradication of poverty, the power of communication, and equality for women. Perhaps they will remember that I made them laugh! I love the theatre and have been on stage several times, usually in a comic role and there’s nothing lovelier than hearing an audience laugh together. It binds them, and humanity, for a few short moments. And I’ve often been told that my energy ignites passions in others so I hope they remember that too!
Contact Info:
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniprisk/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenni.prisk/ https://www.facebook.com/ScenebyJenniPrisk/
- Other: Stand in Your Spotlight: https://www.amazon.com/STAND-YOUR-SPOTLIGHT-Living-Fully-ebook/dp/B09MSWTKKQ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=U7YLSLWCG3IF&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.76q28c1rlqquGLn2COIaGwleEi_pC1ZBEwA_1Yo0Ymk.-S1QswPCUiVqf4l3GzDRGYC5autnG1GZp4NLrto02Bw&dib_tag=se&keywords=stand+in+your+spotlight+book&qid=1751839158&sprefix=stand+in+your+spotlight+boo%2Caps%2C170&sr=8-1
Image Credits
Northland (NZ) Photography
Jenni Prisk
