Jennifer Bassman
Title: Chief Burnout Officer
Small Business
Education: Southern Methodist University; University of Iowa
Dallas, TX, USA
Biography
Jennifer Bassman is a small business owner, author, speaker, and coach. She has been researching burnout recovery and stress management since 2010.
When her dogs aren't running her life, Jennifer helps other female business owners and entrepreneurs learn how to manage their stress, focus on their strengths, and define success on their own terms.
Jennifer is the author of Unstuck & Unstressed, Stop Being A Doormat, and The Burnout Recovery Method. She is also a certified CliftonStrengths coach and has coached hundreds of business professional through burnout recovery since 2012. Her favorite moments with her clients is when they discover their strengths and begin to focus on what is right instead of what is wrong.
Jennifer, who is originally from Des Moines, Iowa, grew up to be a people pleasing perfectionist who is obsessed with dogs and fresh sweet corn. She started her first business in her 20s without any experience, surviving on Diet Dr Pepper and sheer determination. She is now living in Dallas with her husband and three dogs.
Passion
Dogs - yours, mine... all of them! I love dogs. I have spent many years not only caring for them professionally, but volunteering with rescues and my local animal shelter. I currently have three rescue dogs - four if you count my husband - and they run my life. What I have found with pets is that they are the great equalizer. If anyone is upset or angry, I ask about their pet and their whole demeanor softens in an instant.
Featured Video
I am willing to travel
More than 100 miles
When it comes to payments
I generally get paid for speaking but make exceptions
Topics
Best Story
One of my biggest struggles that I know contributed to my burnout, was being a Yes Person instead of No-Ninja. I was terrified of saying no because I feared disappointment. Part of my burnout recovery was learning not only how to create boundaries, but learn how to say no when it was absolutely necessary. My journey to become a No-Ninja was not a smooth one. In fact, I remember my first challenge of learning to say no: finding the right words. I spent hours in front of my mirror with various scripts trying to get comfortable. When a kind friend offered to be my practice human, she looked at me after my first couple of practice scripts and said, "What did your mother teach you to say when you are offered seconds at a meal, but don't want anymore food?" I quickly said, "No, thank you." My friend said, "Those three magic words are all you ever need. Why are you making it more complicated?" From then on, I been a No Thank You Ninja.
Origin Story
I come from a family of entrepreneurs. My mother was an entrepreneur, as well as, my grandmother and great-grandmother. I didn't start my career intending to be a business-owner, rather I started as a journalist and writer. Over the years, my career has taken some unexpected turns - but I thank my intense curiosity and nose for news for that. After struggling through burnout recovery for more than three years, I wanted to do more with educating women about stress management while owning a business. So, I spent the following years researching burnout recovery and stress management for women and created The Burnout Recovery Method. I enjoy using my humor and dry wit to help other women discover their strengths and power.
Example talks
Embrace Stress Management and A Nap: Strategies for Thriving While Recovering From Burnout
Traditionally, people recovering from burnout and compassion fatigue have felt compelled to quit their jobs or step away from their business. Unless they've won the lottery, this is not possible for most.
It is possible to keep working while recovering from burnout by using smart stress management techniques, managing expectations, and creating boundaries.
This talk dives into a variety of research-based stress management strategies that empower individuals to address the root causes of their burnout and compassion fatigue, allowing them to foster a healthier work-life balance without abandoning their current professional pursuits.
Key takeaways:
o Pinpointing stress triggers: Building an awareness to your stress levels will help you manage your stress with the right tools.
o Implementing effective coping mechanisms: Using practical coping techniques will help you manage stress effectively and build resilience.
o Leveraging support systems: It’s time to stop being a lone ranger. Creating a support network will be one of the most important tools for business success.
o Creating strong boundaries: Learning to say no and drop people pleasing tendencies can help you alleviate your guilt – not create it.
Audience: Female business owners/entrepreneurs, business leaders and managers
Length: 60 minutes
The Funny Side of "Having It All": Balancing the Perfect Chaos with Burnout
Women are twice as likely to burnout as men. Looking around the workplace, social media, and bearing the weight of societal expectations – this isn’t surprising. The quest of “having it all” can be fraught with intense stress, boundary violations, and feelings of failure. It’s time for women to explore the idea playing Responsibility Roulette and developing selective hearing when it comes to having all they actually want.
Key Takeaways:
1. Ambition isn’t a dirty word. Define what “having it all” and success really mean to you.
2. Strong boundaries are the antidote to stress, overwhelm, and people pleasing.
3. It’s important to build a daily routine around stress management that helps amplify your strengths and keeps your goals in mind.
Audience: Female business owners/entrepreneurs and organization leaders.
Length: 60 minutes