Ep 22: Own the Room: Confidence, Grit, and Building a Bold Career

Send us Fan MailWhat does it really take to build a bold life—and keep building when life gets messy?In this episode of Bench to Bold, we sit down with Jennifer Torney, Global Vice President at TAPFIN (a ManpowerGroup company), to talk about the moments that shaped her confidence, career, and leadership style.Jennifer shares how a major family shift during college forced her to grow up fast, how sales taught her to bet on herself, and why her mom’s advice—“People will fire somebody to hire you”—changed the way she walks into every room. We also talk about competitive figure skating, the discipline behind success, modern career advice (including why the trades are booming), and what it’s like raising a daughter in today’s social media world.If you’ve ever had to pivot, rebuild, or take a step back just to move forward—this one will hit.In this episode, we cover:How Jennifer went from college uncertainty to corporate leadershipConfidence lessons that change how you show up in interviewsThe discipline and mindset behind high performanceMom guilt, work travel, and choosing what matters mostParenting and protecting kids in a social-media-first worldCareer advice for young adults: AI, tech skills, and the tradesA real “bench to bold” story about being sued, laid off, and bouncing back🎧 Listen now and share this episode with a woman who needs a confidence reset.Chapter Markers 00:00 – Welcome + meet Jennifer Torney 00:45 – What TAPFIN does (in plain English) 02:00 – The moment Jennifer had to “buck up” in college 03:10 – Why grit + resilience are the real success formula 05:00 – From California to Chicago: taking the leap 05:45 – “People will fire somebody to hire you” (confidence mindset) 07:00 – What Jennifer actually does as a global VP 08:00 – Why she loves solving problems + winning 08:45 – Competitive figure skating + discipline 10:50 – Moving to Charlotte: family, lifestyle, and priorities 14:05 – How she decompresses + staying grounded 16:00 – Parenting an only child + being present in the pre-teen years 17:40 – Social media, personal brand, and the scary part for kids 21:00 – What’s next: career growth, leadership, and mom guilt 24:15 – Advice for young adults: tech/AI + consider the trades 28:45 – Jen’s “bench to bold” moment: sued, laid off, humbled—and rebuilt 31:00 – Closing thoughts + thank you