We had the good fortune of connecting with R. Romona Jackson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi R. Romona, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
My work life balance has shifted as I’ve grown. In my thirties, I was very focused on my career. After I married my family became more of a focus and now, I have developed a good balance between family and work.

Balance to me is an ongoing attempt to avoid extremes. It is achieved through rhythms which allow me to notice when I am leaning more heavily in one area or another. Noticing this imbalance allows me to adjust my life to become more centered.
 

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The nonprofit I founded has a mission to empower and support survivors of domestic abuse. Our focus is on survivors who live in rural and suburban communities. We serve these communities by providing support services for survivors of domestic and their children. This is part of what sets us apart from others.

We are also distinguished from other agencies by the depth of services which we offer. Our objective is to holistically minister to women and their children without forcing them to share our faith. We serve based on what we believe, which is to show love for our neighbors. Our neighbors do not have to believe what we do for us to serve them. This is true regardless of any of their defining characteristics.

I am proud of the fact that we serve this way. Not only does it allow us to make significant impacts in our communities, but it also allows us to form a variety of partnerships with organizations who recognize domestic abuse as a public health issue. Additionally, I am proud of the hundreds of women and children our team has served. Our team, which has grown from one staff person to five staff, nine board members and nine volunteers., routinely provides over one hundred consultations per month.

The growth of the organization overall is also a source of pride. Achieving this growth in the last five years was filled with challenges, disappointments, heartache, and joy. Through it all, I have grown as a leader and as a person. My faith, family, and friends encouraged me to believe the work I was doing was important and valuable.

This was important to remember. Along the way, I also remembered to be grateful for the wins and to not carry the burden of this work alone. Because the work involves so much trauma, it can be easy to see only the darkness. Along the way, I learned to manage my expectations and to be grateful for every victory, no matter how small. I also learned to not try to carry the burdens which come with leading a nonprofit by myself. I have accountability partners and I regularly ask for help from my team and others when I need help.

These are three points I want the world to know about my story. First, having a vocation you love does not mean it will be easy. There will always be new opportunities to grown and learn. So, surround yourself with capable and compassionate people who can share the journey with you. Second, when you are at a loss and have no idea how to proceed, ask for help. And, third, be willing to celebrate and embrace the joy and success of your hard work.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Because our city does not have many interesting things to do, I would take my friend to visit Chattanooga, my hometown. We would drive over to Chattanooga by going through Nashville. In Nashville, we would stop at the outlet mall for lunch and shopping. Later, we would continue on to Chattanooga and enjoy the beautiful mountain views. Upon arriving in Chattanooga, we would check-in at Hotel Indigo, a boutique hotel, and get dinner at Stir. We would end the day with chocolate from the Hot Chocolatier.

The next day we would get a quick breakfast as the Maple Street Bisquit Company then drive to the Incline and ride to the top of Lookout Mountain. We would spend the morning exploring the parks and shops on the mountain. The afternoon o the mountain would also give us the chance to visit Rock City and enjoy the sights in an around the natural cave formations. Returning to the downtown area we would walk around some of the shops in the Westside area near our hotel, before getting dinner at The Feed Co. Table and Tavern. Before closing out the night, we’d have ice cream from Marble Slab down by the river.

Our third day in Chattanooga would start with a brisk walk around downtown. We’d take in the art district, the underground walkways, the Walnut street bridge, the Northshore, and the Market Street bridge, before heading to Milk and Honey for breakfast. After breakfast, we’d walk back to the hotel and prepare to take in the Hunter Museum of art, which overlooks the Tennessee river. For dinner, we eat a food trucks lined up outside an outdoor concert. We would listen to music on the bank of the Tennessee river and afterwards walk back to the hotel.

The fourth day would begin with breakfast at Tupelo Honey. We’d walk there from the hotel and afterwards visit the shops of Warehouse Row. We’d walk back to the hotel and admire the parks and artwork along the way. Our afternoon would be spent at the hotel on their patio listening to music and chatting about our week. The evening would begin with a visit to my mother’s house and inner with family. We would play board games until late in the evening after which my friend and I would drive back to our hotel.

As we neared the end of the week, we would have breakfast at the hotel after another hour walk around downtown, this time exploring the hills and parks of the Northshore. After returning to our room, we would make plans to drive out to the Hamilton Place mall area for shopping and lunch. We would get lunch at P.F. Chang’s then head back downtown for a relaxing evening at the hotel listening to live music in the bar area.

On our last day, we would have breakfast at a City Cafe Diner. We would visit my mother’s house to spend some time with her and to share lunch. Then, we would prepare to return to Collierville. Oon the drive from Chattanooga to Collierville, we would travel through Alabama, rather than through Nashville. We would take in the scenery of the small towns we passed and stoop for lunch at the Tropical Smoothie cafe in Huntsville, Alabama. We would arrive in Collierville later that evening with memories of entertaining moments, good food, fun times with family, and great memories to last a lifetime.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are a few books which have impacted my ability to be successful in various areas of my career and in my life. The most important is the bible. In the bible I find encouragement, grace, hope, love, and truth. Through my reading and study, I have found and do find the courage and strength to face the challenges and the joys of life as an attorney and as the leader of a nonprofit which serves survivors of domestic abuse.

Two other books have been instrumental in my understanding of how to lead well. One is “Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership – Seeking God in the Crucible of Ministry” by Ruth Haley Barton. In this book I found the words to express the difficulty of leading God’s way and the opportunities to grow as I struggle to build relationships in the community, coach direct reports, and make good decisions. Finally, in “Boundaries” by Henry Cloud and John Townsend I realized the need for healthy boundaries in my life and I found in the book the tools to set them.

Working in my vocation, I am faced with hard issues and desperate needs from clients. Remembering the truth of the bible, leading well, and setting healthy boundaries helps me be successful.

Website: https://www.womensadvocacycenter.org

Instagram: www.instagram.com/the_womens_advocacy_center

Facebook: www.facebook.com/womensac

Other: My personal website is https://startingandserving.com/ and my personal LinkedIn account is www.linkedin.com/r-romona-jackson-esq

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