Episode 87: Jumping and Pivoting into Beautiful Spaces with Jackie Edwards-Flowers

Greetings Glocal Citizens! Earlier this month the world's eyes turned to Tokyo, Japan for the long awaited 2020 Summer Olympics which inspired me to connect with a former Stanford University track and field teammate, five-time Olympian Jacqueline "Jackie" Edwards-Flowers. Representing The Bahamas, she competed in the Long Jump and was ranked as high as 5th in the World. In her 17-year career as a professional track and field athlete Jackie's accomplishments include 2-time NCAA Champion and 5-time All-American while at Stanford. She also competed in a record nine consecutive outdoor World Championships. Following her athletic career, Jackie was a certified personal trainer with the National Academy of Sports Medicine and had a flourishing coaching/personal training business in Los Angeles, California. She worked with a wide range of clients from middle and high school aged kids to adults and professional athletes as a coach, a trainer and a Sport Psychology Consultant. Five years ago, Jackie decided to take on a new challenge and transition into the very competitive field of event planning. She always had a passion for creating beautiful spaces and memorable events but with no formal training in this industry, it was no easy task. However, her years of overcoming obstacles and rising to the occasion, along with her “if it’s hard, let me try it” attitude, helped her to set her sights on her new goal. Her journey began in interior design and has progressed into a career where her feet are firmly planted as the Project and Special Events Coordinator in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at California State University, Northridge where she truly feels that the sky is the limit. Recently, while working from home due to the pandemic, Jackie was spurred to add to her portfolio by creating a full-service home staging business, Gold Medal Home Staging & Design. She launched her company in late October 2020 and has already completed 30 projects. She says that her work at CSUN is her job and her staging business is her joy and that the combination of the two is extremely fulfilling. Where to find Jackie? Gold Medal Home Staging and Design On Wikipedia On Facebook What's Jackie watching? HGTV The Bachelorette The Bachelor The Real Housewives of Atlanta What's Jackie reading? Crushing: God Turns Pressure into Power by T.D. Jakes Other topics of interest: Thomas Robinson Stadium Frank Rutherford Jackie Joyner-Kersee Brooks Johnson Mike Powell Dr. Ross Flowers Thumbtack App Altra Running Shoes *When you click and purchase books using the links above, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for your support!Special Guest: Jacqueline "Jackie" Edwards-Flowers.