Changing Lives, Creating Impact: Jourdan Hathaway's Formula for Sustained Leadership Success

Today, on Notable Leaders' Radio, I speak with Jourdan Hathaway, Chief Business Officer of the General Assembly. She emphasizes how resilience, courage, and the willingness to ask for help have been key in her transition from a childhood of poverty to a successful executive leader.  In today's episode, we discuss: Reflect on the childhood influences that shaped you and your future aspirations. Jourdan shares how her experience growing up in extreme poverty shaped her early dream of working in advertising, inspired by the TV show "Bewitched." That dream became a guiding star through hardship. Create your own learning path to fill critical gaps. When promoted to a leadership role outside her area of expertise, Jourdan built Project FLAT: Financial Literacy Advancement Training to master finance through journaling, mentorship, and resilience quickly. Cultivate resilience as a core leadership skill. Jourdan's story illustrates how bouncing back from setbacks and persisting despite obstacles is essential for long-term success and impact. Define leadership through vulnerability and empathy. Jourdan explains how her acronym DRIVEN (determined, resilient, impactful, vulnerable, empathetic, nimble) reflects her belief that true leadership includes asking for help and lifting others up. RESOURCES: Guest Bio Jourdan Hathaway is Chief Business Officer at General Assembly, a global leader in talent development and upskilling. She oversees marketing, sales enablement, client delivery, admissions, student experience, career services, alumni relations, and partnerships. Jourdan's journey spans agency marketing to edtech, blending operational excellence with a passion for building inclusive, future-ready organizations. She is recognized for strategic leadership, business growth, and talent transformation, and serves as a mentor and member of the Exceptional Women Alliance.   Website/Social Links www.GA.co https://www.linkedin.com/in/jourdan-hathaway Belinda's Bio: Belinda is a sought-after Leadership Advisor, Coach, Consultant, and Keynote speaker and a leading authority in guiding global executives, professionals, and small business owners to become today's highly respected leaders. As the Founder of BelindaPruyne.com, Belinda works with organizations such as IBM, Booz Allen Hamilton, BBDO, The BAM Connection, Hilton, Leidos, Yale School of Medicine, Landis, Portland Trail Blazers, and the Discovery Channel. Most recently, she redesigned two global internal advertising agencies for Cella, a leader in creative staffing and consulting. She is a founding C-suite and executive management coach for Chief, the fastest-growing executive women's network. Since 2020, Belinda has conducted over 120 interviews with top-level executives and business leaders, who share their personal journeys to success, revealing the truth about what it took to achieve their success on her Notable Leaders Radio podcast. She gained a wealth of expertise in the client services industry as Executive Vice President and Global Director of Creative Management at Grey Advertising, managing over 500 people worldwide. With over 20+ years of leadership development experience, she brings industry-wide recognition to the executives and companies she works with. Whether a startup, turnaround, acquisition, or global corporation, executives and companies continue to turn to Pruyne for strategic and impactful solutions in a rapidly shifting economy and marketplace. Website: Belindapruyne.com Email Address: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/belindapruyne  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NotableLeadersNetwork.BelindaPruyne/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/belindapruyne?lang=en  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/belindapruyne/  Surround yourself with experienced mentors. From public speaking training to business skills, Jourdan emphasizes that growing into leadership is a journey supported by those who have already walked the path.