Jennifer Sey, Author, Filmmaker, Speaker, Business Executive, Episode 162
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Jennifer Sey is an American author, filmmaker, business executive, and retired artistic gymnast. She was a seven-time member of the U.S. Women's National Team and was the 1986 U.S. Women's All-Around National Champion. Her first memoir, Chalked Up, was released in 2008 and detailed the coaching cruelty inflicted on children in gymnastics. Sey also produced the 2020 Emmy-award-winning documentary film Athlete A, which connected the crimes of Larry Nassar to the broader abuses in the Olympic movement. Sey began working at Levi Strauss & Co. in 1999, rising to Chief Marketing Officer and then Brand President until, in January 2022, she was asked to resign because of her vocal opposition to the extended closure of San Francisco’s public schools. She is a mother of four and now resides in Denver with her family.
I’m so happy to be joined by Jennifer on The Wow Factor this week — she’s with me to share how her unusual childhood as an elite gymnast impacted on her career and leadership style as an adult. She discusses when her interest in making films was sparked and why it is so important to be able to tell a story that resonates with your audience. Jennifer is also candid about the events that led to her stepping down as CMO at Levi Strauss & Co and why it is integral to her philosophy as a leader to be authentic.
“Personal stories can really create understanding and empathy.” - Jennifer Sey
“Great ideas can come from anywhere. You need open debate and dissent and lots of talking to get to the really great ideas.” - Jennifer Sey
“My job is to create the vision and help make good decisions.” - Jennifer Sey
This Week on The Wow Factor:
Why Jennifer walked away from her gymnastics career damaged, broken, and not proud of what she had achieved
Why Jennifer took a job in advertising after graduating from Stanford
Why she decided to move from an ad agency to GAP, and finally to Levis Strauss & Co
The importance of storytelling in the business world and how it helps brands stay relevant
Some of the leadership lessons Jennifer has found useful throughout her career
How Jennifer learned to reject feedback that wasn’t relevant
Jennifer’s leadership goals, including helping her team create meaning in their work
Why Jennifer was determined not to be the type of leader who creates a bottleneck by micromanaging people
What happened in the spring of 2020, when Jennifer was the Chief Marketing Officer at Levis Strauss & Co and how she went from being on track to lead the company to leaving completely
Why it was important to Jennifer to be able to speak openly about leaving Levis Strauss & Co
Why Jennifer felt she had no choice but to speak out about public school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic
How she feels now about Levis and why she’s working on forgiving them for the last two challenging years
What's next for Jennifer, including making a documentary about the impact on kids of the prolonged school closures
Jennifer Sey’s Word of Wisdom:
If you can find a place to be your unique self and bring your unique gifts to bear on the work at hand — that's a place for you as a leader.
Connect with Jennifer Sey:
Twitter: @JenniferSey
Substack: https://jennifersey.substack.com/
Levi's Unbuttoned Website
Connect with The WOW Factor:
