I met Jenni Wolfson fifteen years ago at a fellowship gathering. We met to discuss a career transition that she was considering. Jenni is currently the CEO of Chicken and Egg Pictures. Her organization shapes a more equitable and just world with the catalytic power of documentary films by providing funding, mentorship and industry access to a global community of women and gender expansive filmmakers. She resides in Brooklyn, NY and her winding path includes experiences as a Human Rights Officer in Haiti & Rwanda and performing her one woman show. I invite you to learn more about her thoughtful approach to making professional pivots and overcoming self-doubt.
In two-three sentences how would you describe what you do most days/weeks?
Every day is different and as a CEO I get to be involved in every aspect of our work. That’s part of what I love about my job. I build strategic partnerships, support filmmakers and work with the staff and board to implement our strategic plan. Every week consists of some aspect of fundraising, a core function of any nonprofit CEO job. I am in a lot of meetings! And I take advantage of them to listen to what the team needs, to coach people to grow in their roles and have the confidence to aim higher. One of my favorite questions to ask is, “What do you think?”
What did you want to be when you were eight?
Nine!
What did you learn about work that you learned from your family?
Be generous with your knowledge, experience, networks and time. My mum is a sculptor and has volunteered with Scottish artist associations, donated her work, and helped other artists in a myriad of ways. My father also fundraised for causes he believed in, and he was an anesthesiologist by day, paid after-dinner monologuist by night and a golfer on the weekends, and he was forever giving medical, speech writing and golfing advice.
On the not-so-positive side, there was one lesson my father instilled in me early (which I have been working ever since to de-program): “If you can’t be brilliant at something, don’t do it!” Part of my winding path has been getting away from that push towards perfectionism. It hasn’t been an easy message to un-learn. I have to keep learning to not just accept but embrace my shortcomings, and to have more grace for myself. Paradoxically, un-learning perfectionism becomes another perfectionist project — but I accept that I will forever be a work-in-progress and that’s a good thing!
What professional experiences/employers had the greatest impact on you?
One of the things all my jobs seem to have in common is that the role never existed before I stepped into it.
I have been really fortunate to have had multiple jobs that were a real stretch. A lot of people took a chance on me. For example, when I was 27 years old, I went to Rwanda with the United Nations (UN) High Commissioner, and spent three years investigating human rights abuses, working in prisons, and providing support to the judicial system. Each year I rose to more senior leadership positions with increasing responsibility, including making high risk security decisions. It’s impossible to summarize the enormity of this job’s impact on me; it has infused everything I do. It showed me the complexity and contradictions of human rights work, how to work with people from all over the world, and over time made me realize how vital it is that solutions to problems be deeply rooted in the communities most affected by them.
I also learned a lot from Gillian Caldwell, the Executive Director of WITNESS, the human rights and video advocacy non-profit, where I went after I left the UN. During the 18 months we worked together, she modeled courageous conversations, transparency, risk taking, joy and so much more. It was a real gift to have someone to learn from and at the same time who believed in me and propelled me forward in new ways.
All these experiences have influenced who I am as a manager and a leader. For example, I often hire people who seem like out-of-the-box candidates for the job as it's written. I rarely hire someone for how they do the job today, but for who they will become with support, space, and encouragement.
What is something about your career journey that people might not expect?
People were surprised when I left the UN/UNICEF after 12 years. The familiar refrain was, “Oh, so you’re taking off the golden handcuffs.” My work was fascinating, and I could see a clear future path. But I was ready for a new challenge.
Another unexpected piece of my resume is that I wrote and performed a solo play about my life as a human rights activist and humanitarian worker. It’s one of the things I love about living in New York City. You can really keep innovating and re-inventing yourself here, and the attitude is — yes, you can, and you should! So I did, alongside my social justice day job, and performed “RASH” all over the US and in the UK. The experience of being a writer, performer and producer set me on a new career path, because it gave me a visceral experience of the power of storytelling. And it let me see the potential of combining the arts and social justice.
Why did you pivot?
A number of reasons! I’ll just name a couple. One simple reason is that I didn’t want to keep moving from country to country. From the experience with my play, I was also becoming interested in the intersection between storytelling and human rights. When I came across an incredible opportunity for the Deputy Director and Program Director at WITNESS, I decided to take the leap. And they took a leap of faith in me too.
After seven years I pivoted again to Chicken & Egg Pictures, entering the documentary field. They also took a leap of faith in me since I hadn’t been ensconced in the non-fiction world. I’ve been the CEO at Chicken & Egg Pictures for 10 years.
What skills were portable from what you had been doing previously and what was brand new to you?
Once, working with an Executive Coach, I remember lamenting the challenge of being a generalist in a field full of specialists. This has been a recurring theme in my multiple job switches, from human rights investigator to humanitarian worker to writer/actor/producer to video advocacy and finally, documentary film. This coach helped me see the true value of being a generalist, and I now appreciate the flexibility and versatility that comes from having operated in multiple worlds. Having such diverse experiences, including experience engaging with folks from all walks of life, has helped me develop as a leader and as a human being. It’s taught me to show up with questions, rather than just answers.
So that’s a roundabout way of answering your question. I learned many languages along the way, I have gotten to know different fields and learned a variety of skills. This was all very helpful and practical. However, the things that have most served me in my career have been qualities and values, rather than skills and knowledge. Curiosity, passion, hard work, authenticity, courage, creativity, tenacity. When I think about the most high performing staff I have worked with over my career, it’s their passion, qualities and values that make them stand out.
What was the hardest part about making a career pivot?
Losing the benefits and the lifestyle. In both my major career pivots, I accepted lower salaries and had to build back up over the years. Work has never been about compensation for me, but especially when I left the UN, handing in the blue passport and the retirement, education and vacation benefits gave me some pause. I have never regretted the decision (although my son might when he gets to college!). It Isn't so hard to make a pivot if you’re motivated and excited for that change.
It was hard to become a parent at the same time that I was moving into more senior leadership positions. Higher responsibility comes with more complexity, stress, and constant change. And for anyone who has ever managed passionate teams of advocates and activists, well, don’t expect an easy path! So, when you become a parent, there’s an extended period of feeling like no one is getting enough of your time and attention. And for me, personal care can be the first thing to fall by the wayside. So, it’s been a journey of accepting that everyone is getting what they need or what I can give, and that’s good enough! And I still have to work on managing stress and multiple demands on my time.
What were the most important lessons you’ve picked up along the way?
What would you say to others who are doubting their ability to make a change in their career/vocation?
Do what scares you - the things that put you a bit outside your comfort zone will be the most rewarding. I think that putting yourself out of your comfort zone and doing something you love is a great combo for inspiration and growth. So find a mission you are passionate about, work with people you respect, enjoy and can learn from, and be able to envision the impact of your work - those are my essential ingredients to a fulfilling career.
Our work lives are long and if we don’t keep growing and evolving, we can easily stagnate. Being in a job for multiple years is rewarding because you get better at what you do and can have greater impact over time. And when it’s time to change - a new environment, new challenges, new colleagues can be just what you need to keep growing and stay energized. Don’t stay somewhere because it’s comfortable and familiar. Stay because you are still inspired, motivated and have something to give. Be honest with yourself and never be afraid of change. It’s the only constant!
Where did you get the confidence and support to make such a change?
I’m often told I project confidence, but I don’t always have it. I guess I don’t let the inner voice stop me. I’m someone who embraces change and is motivated by things I care about, so those drivers always win the day! And as I mentioned, I have learned that the most rewarding parts of life are the ones where I am outside of my comfort zone. As I built my network over the years, many people along the way have helped as I searched for my next role.
There are two things that have helped me get new jobs that are worth mentioning.
I once got some really helpful advice from an Executive Recruiter Arnie Miller, who became a friend. He listened to my imposter syndrome ramblings as I talked about jobs I found intimidating. He wisely told me that it wasn’t up to me to decide if I could do the job. That was the job of the hiring team! I just had to decide if I wanted the job. He advised me to focus my energy out, not in. Go in ready to talk about what I can do for the organization, not what they can do for me. In other words, he told me to focus on answering the question how can I help as I prepped for the interview.
I believe that motivation helped me get all my jobs — and it’s something I focus on a lot when I’m hiring. How much does the person want to be here, at this organization, doing this particular job? I think motivation is a key component to success and longevity, to being able to trust that when the going gets tough, we will figure things out together and find solutions, and give people the benefit of the doubt. Work is hard, I guess that’s why we call it work! And so, you want folks who will rise to the challenges we will undoubtedly face. And motivation is key. This was the second question Arnie told me to focus on during my interview prep, why am I interested in this job? No one recruiting me has ever wondered if I want the job or not!
What was the hardest thing you had to overcome in your professional life?
Probably the biggest challenge was my work in Rwanda. The UN failed Rwanda during the genocide, and so showing up as a young white woman with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and trying to hold the new government accountable for human rights abuses … I can’t summarize that one!
On a different note, another challenge is being truly open to giving and receiving feedback. I still need to work hard to create constructive spaces to find out what people think of me, especially when the power dynamic that comes with being CEO can hinder people’s desire to really share what they think. In the reverse direction, too, I’m always improving on how I can give meaningful, actionable feedback that can make a difference in someone’s growth and job satisfaction. And organization-wide, we are still working at creating a culture where feedback is seen as a productive opportunity, versus something to negatively fixate upon.
What, if anything, are you hoping happens next in your professional life?
Another great question and I was hoping you would give me the answer Russ! 😀With ten years at Chicken & Egg Pictures, I’m still happy, and still learning. Our field changes rapidly and so I remain challenged, and we are constantly evolving as a non-profit. Just this month, we announced that we are expanding program eligibility to reach women and all gender-expansive documentary filmmakers; it is part of our quest to achieve gender equity in the film industry and beyond.
That said, leadership change is good and healthy for all. So whilst I don’t have a clear timeline yet, I won’t be there forever, and the board and I have built a succession plan as all organizations should. Being at the intersection of the arts and social justice continues to be a strong motivator in my life.
What social media links, if any, might you like to share in the piece?
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniwolfson/
X - https://twitter.com/jenniwolfson
Website - https://chickeneggpics.org/
—Russ Finkelstein [linkedin.com] is the opposite of your High School Guidance Counselor. A career coach, social entrepreneur, and advisor to founders, he is currently the Director of Coaching with the Roddenberry Fellowship and a Coach-in-Residence with StartingBloc Fellowship. He was a founder of the noted careers website Idealist.org and was chosen as a Generation Z & LGBTQ Influencer by LinkedIn.
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