Welcome, I'm Jaz!

Learn More About Jaz's Coaching and Mentoring

Sometimes we need imperfect situations to create more “perfect” lives.

Like many of you, I’d felt overwhelmed by life. I’d lost my job, struggled with grief, battled illness and injury, and stumbled through messy relationships. Stress bombarded me wherever I turned. As I made it through each situation, I had gained a surprising insight: I could use my encounters with stress to help others. To help them see they weren’t alone.

I had already explored stress professionally. In my twenty-year career, I’d served as a civilian with the military, a diplomat, a consultant, a facilitator, a teacher, and a mentor. From China to Kenya, Iraq to Europe, I listened to communities and helped them create solutions. As a young adult fantasy author, I conjured up characters facing similar hurdles: fears and setbacks, difficult choices, and personal growth. In my writing and travels, people’s circumstances might vary, but one constant remained: people’s stress shaped their reality.

When the pandemic hit, we discovered this truth firsthand. Stressors became the norm. Isolation and depression infected us mentally as much as the virus did physically-if not more so. The pandemic created a “foreign” culture filled with anxiety and loneliness.

For years, I had been mentoring college students and young professionals starting their careers and looking for personal growth. With covid, the conversations shifted. When would life return to normal? How could they deal with their anxiety and frustration? How would they find jobs? I started speaking with diverse audiences about stress, mental health, and how to manage uncertainty.

Which generation seemed most affected by the pandemic?

You guessed it: Gen Z.

The older generations had lived their milestones: prom, graduation, a 21st birthday, their first careers. You lost the chance. How could you cope? Who could understand your battle with apprehension and anxiety, disappointment and despair?

I realized my experiences could help you in a new way. Together, we can work through changes and uncertainty. I focused Unraveling Stress on Gen Z, but any generation can use the stories, lessons, and weekly actions to better manage stress. I also founded An Independent Flame’s Coaching and Mentoring practice to guide you to understand who you are now and who you want to be.

That’s my story. What’s yours?