Jodi Orgill Brown, MS, CFRE, makes the world a better place, one interaction at a time. As a keynote speaker and author, she works daily to become anti-fragile and make every interaction count. Her worst experience, a life-threatening brain tumour, turned into a great blessing, and her memoir, “The Sun Still Shines,” is a multiple award-winning book and an Amazon Prime Reading Pick.
If you could give your past self some advice, what would you tell yourself?
“This, too, shall pass.” No matter where you are in life, it is temporary. Whether you are in the depths of hell or the mountain top, the moment won’t last. The joy of achieving dissipates, but so do the feelings of frustration, depression, or loneliness. Move forward, one step at a time, climb your way out of hell and work to summit the next mountain.
What will last are the relationships you invest in, the habits you form, and the person you become from the journey.
What is your favourite thing about what you do in your career and why?
As a keynote speaker, I speak to thousands of audience members, hopefully even changing a few lives. But what I love most is when my message really connects, and a participant is suddenly empowered to change their life story. A similar look crosses the faces of each individual when they have an epiphany — and I am in awe every time. When a person trusts you with their never-before-told story, it cements you with an instant bond and often results in an ongoing friendship.
Do you have a mantra or phrase you live by? What is it?
I am a believer in affirmations, phrases we tell ourselves to become that person. Here is a snippet of my personal affirmations:
I am powerfully influential. I am patient, loving, and giving, and I share wisely to guide, elevate, and help my family and those around me. I create positive and memorable experiences through every interpersonal interaction. I treat even the most difficult experiences as catalysts for personal growth and blessings. My life is a miracle, and I testify that God is a God of miracles.
What keeps you motivated on a daily basis?
My life motivation comes from two places: 1) My relationship with God and 2) My family.
God has preserved my life on my occasions, but more importantly, He gives purpose to my life, sufferings, pain, and joy. As part of my covenantal relationship with Him, I give my all to my fellow sojourners in life’s journey. I strive to lift, inspire, strengthen, help, and bring hope to those within my reach. This is the foundation of my motivation and the basis of my daily activities and to-dos. If an activity doesn’t elevate me or others somehow, it is not worth my time.
My family gets more of my off-days than anyone else, but they are still the biggest “why” for what I do. I learn and become better from them (and often tell their stories in my presentations). My parents, husband, and children believe me to be better than I really am, so I am constantly motivated to become the person they already believe me to be.
While this may sound inspiring, I am oh-so-human, too. And a social media report would tell you that I am a sucker for a feel-good underdog story, surprising performances, unexpected beauty, and conquer-the-world achievements. Luckily, I know that no matter how many times I click on “just one more” inspirational video, creating real-life experiences is what matters and motivates me most.
