Where have you called home?
Jac: I was born in Minnesota, raised in New Jersey, right outside of New York City and now call Scottsdale, Arizona home. Growing up 30 minutes from NYC, I was surrounded by diverse culture, arts and marveled at how fashion is an ever-evolving canvas of personal expression. This lever of life has always fascinated me and quickly became a passion of mine!
Laura: I am proud to say that I am a native Arizonan and have spent my entire life in the Phoenix vicinity except for a four-year stint in Tucson, Arizona for college (Go Cats!). While travel takes me to lots of different and diverse places, Phoenix will always be home.
What has influenced you in your life and how has it brought you to where you are today?
Jac: 2017 was a transformative year for me. In 2016, I married my husband after a 10-week engagement. 4 days after we got married, we found out we were having a baby, and welcomed our daughter in early 2017. When I say transformative, I mean it was the hardest year I have had so far, which wasn’t due to lack of sleep of having a baby.
That year was full of a lot of love, but also a ton of self-doubt and fear. I suffered from severe postpartum anxiety, which crippled me the first year of my daughter’s life. I was worried about everything - was she eating enough? Was she sleeping enough? Is she behind in development? Will I ever have my personal freedom again? These questions plagued me and prevented me from enjoying the beautiful time with our family. I was really suffering and needed help.
I began weekly counseling sessions, started daily meditations, journaling, and talking about the way I was feeling with the people who I trusted most in my life. I learned about boundaries, codependency, not shaming myself and what it took to truly take care of myself. Not just face masks and watching movies, but saying no, detaching myself from relationships that no longer served me and enjoying solitude.
These changes took time (and still do!), daily practice, patience, and brought me to where I am today. My goal is to have these tough conversations and share hard times, with the intent of creating a safe space of community and lifting each other up, especially when we are at our lowest.
Laura: 2016 was the largest year of personal and professional growth for me. I was a newly minted divorcee and now “single” mother of a toddler who was giving me a run for my money. I was also desperately climbing a corporate ladder.
It did not take long to realize that I was now in a place in my life where I had the space to figure out who I was, not what others expected me to be. I realized that I had spent most of my life doing things, chasing dreams, being someone else because I was trying to live up to some standard (a standard that was largely self-imposed).
This revelation helped me let go of all those expectations and I flourished in a way that I never had imagined - I became more confident and comfortable in who I was. This confidence helped me be a better mother, professional, friend and just overall person. It also gave me confidence to accept my own lack of perfection. While I still struggle with being comfortable with who I am from time to time, that time in my life has helped me get back to a confident place faster.
I wish for comfortability and confidence in who they are, for all women. I firmly believe that Shine can be that community to support all women on that journey.
How would your family and friends describe you? – We asked our best friend, Amanda, the completion of our Tripod friendship, to weigh in on this question for us. Thank you, Amanda, we love you!
Jac: “Jaclyn is one of the most compassionate people I know. She truly seems the best in others and finds joy celebrating in the successes of those she loves. She makes the world a better place.”
Laura: “Laura is the real deal. She’s pragmatic and witty, so she has a way of quickly cutting through complex problems. The best part is, she does it with sincere care for others.”
What inspires you?
Jac: “The women who I love and admire for their strength and grace did not get that way because shit worked out. They got that way because shit went wrong, and they handled it. They handled it in a thousand different ways on a thousand different days, but they handled it. Those women are my superheroes.”
This quote from one of my most favorite authors, Elizabeth Gilbert (books include Eat, Pray, Love and Big Magic) summarizes my feelings ideally about who inspires me - women inspire me every day. So many women who I am very grateful to have in my life - my mom who put herself through college and graduate school after my parents’ divorce and now owns her own business. My aunt and cousin who have been teachers in elementary school for decades. My mother-in-law, a nurse, who has worked with patients suffering from AIDS, COVID and everything in between.
And then there are the women who I have met and had the privilege of getting to know over the years. Women who have suffered loss and heartache. Ones who have had courage to make tough and risky decisions to better themselves and their families. The women who are curious and consistently seeking knowledge, feedback, and guidance to push themselves and grow. Women who inspire me to keep going no matter what life throws my way.
Laura: Authenticity. It really is that simple. Authentic people - we all know them when we see them. People who are comfortable in their own skin, have their own point of view, and are confident enough in themselves, that they have no problem elevating the presence of others. They inspire me because it’s how I want to live my life.
What do you hope to bring to Shine?
Jac: In 2021, after receiving my Image Stylist Certification from the Fashion Stylist Institute and a desire to do what truly brings me joy, I left my corporate job position to focus on Shine, a Scottsdale-based Image Consulting company. Whether I am getting ready for a presentation or taking my daughter to gymnastics, I love combining the latest trends and classic investment pieces, while mixing in timeless styles with a memorable edge to create my look.
I have personally seen the impact that simple edits to the wardrobe can do. These changes can provide a natural boost in confidence and authentic personal expression, and I have a special place in my heart and mind for helping women put forward the best version of themselves. Whether you are a stay-at-home mom, a high-ranking executive or newly starting out in your career; we are here to help you shine.
Laura: I have built a career in leadership and have dedicated almost 15 years of my life to the development of others in the corporate environment. I would love to expand outside of the professional walls of life and bring that to women more broadly. What you put on your body is only as good as how you feel and think about yourself inside. I firmly believe that I can help women bridge the gaps in their life to be more fulfilled and confident in who they are from the inside out. Sometimes you just need someone on your side, rooting for you for you to shine; we are here to do just that.
What brings you joy and happiness?
Jac: I am most happy and fulfilled when putting outfits together, having meaningful conversations with friends, working out via Peloton and spending quality time with my husband TJ and young daughter Saylor. I love a homemade pasta meal, a high-quality glass of red wine and listening to NPR. When I have downtime, you can find me reading lifestyle blogs, shopping a good sale, and making travel plans to explore new places.
Laura: I could make a laundry list of things and they would all be true! So much brings me happiness. But I will keep it to one thing: Basset hounds. It needs no more explanation than that.
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