Rising ICON #40: Jamie Millard
What name do you prefer to be called?
Jamie
What are your pronouns?
She/her
Where did you grow up?
Texas
What city are you currently based in?
Plymouth
How do you typically introduce yourself to new people?
It really depends on the context. If it’s a new book club I’ve joined, then maybe I’ll say, “Hi, I’m Jamie! I read over 60 books last year and recently discovered my love for contemporary romances. Here are 20 recommendations….” Or if it’s a school function for one of my kids, maybe something like, “Hey, I’m Jamie. I have three girls, 9, 5, and almost 3. The almost-three-year-old always smells like pancake syrup.” If it’s a networking thing, I’d probably go with, “Hi, I’m Jamie. I care deeply about connection. Whether that’s a connection through storytelling and art or my even deeper passion for building communities that bring people together through times of transition and growth. Currently, I’m working with Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies three days a week developing narrative strategies and creating design systems.”
What’s one thing you wish more people knew about you?
I grew up in a multigenerational home and my grandparents lived with us. Now, my parents live with me and my husband, so my three girls are also growing up living with their grandparents.
Who do you help?
Over and over the conversations and experiences that are most meaningful to me are when I am talking to someone about their messy life. The challenges they are facing or the big transitions they are going through. What they see next for themselves. Hearing how they are growing. I’m also helping my kids grow into who they will become and it's the privilege of a lifetime.
What are you building now?
I spent the ages 22-36 relentlessly building between co-founding Paper Darts Magazine (a literary arts magazine) and growing Pollen Midwest (a connection and storytelling platform for Minneapolis/St. Paul). I left Pollen in December 2022 and I’ve been taking a bit of a sabbatical from building these past 15 months. Right now feels like the first time in my adult life that I’m not actively building… which tells me that the best is yet to come. This rest, recovery, and quiet that I am in right now feels a bit like I’m planting a seed. I’m excited to start watering it and see what will grow. I know it will be rooted in connecting people, supporting leaders during challenges and growth, and sharing stories of transformations.
What were you building ten years ago today?
10 years ago today I was having the time of my life as a co-executive director at Pollen Midwest. I was probably working on a storytelling feature to showcase the journey of a local leader and through sharing their narrative help us better understand each other–and ourselves. Or perhaps I was ideating and planning an event to bring the power of hundreds of leaders together to tackle the thorniest of issues like women leadership, networking, racial justice, art activism, and systemic inequities.
What do you predict of yourself 10 years from now?
I predict that I will be doing meaningful connection work that will support others through their leadership journeys. My work will be aligned with my values, lifestyle, and purpose. I will be surrounded by my incredible support network of family, friends, mentors, mentees, colleagues, and community. I will enjoy my hobbies of reading 1-2 books a week, writing, embroidery, weight lifting, running, and going out for very, very long dinners with my dearest girlfriends.
What’s a fact or statistic you wish everyone knew about your industry?
A 2022 study found that when people were asked how close they felt to others emotionally, only 39% of adults in the U.S. said that they felt very connected to others. In addition to the epidemic of loneliness, I also think often about the crisis of relevancy and confidence that women experience as we age. By the time women reach the age of 51, more than half report feeling invisible.
Who is your mentor and what is the best advice they’ve given you?
I have too many mentors to list, but I’ll share about two. The first is Lars Leafblad. His unyielding belief in me, support, validation, love, and friendship has held steady for almost 15 years. He has a mantra that has gotten us both through difficult times, “onwards and upwards.” I learned the value of generous connection up close from him in my most formative professional years. There’s no better champion to have by your side. He is the cheerleader we all need. The other mentor is Nausheena Hussain. We were both co-building community organizations together at the same time and leaned heavily on each other for inspiration, emotional support, and grace. She taught me the power and insight behind, “I can be what I can see,” — the invaluableness of representation, reflection, and sharing stories to uplift and showcase others.
What piece of content about you or your company are you most proud of?
Pride isn’t the right word for this, but it was the most powerful piece of content I’ve ever been a part of: In Memoriam of Philando Castile
What publication do you hope to appear in next?
This is very made-up, but I’d love for Priya Parker to create a publication about the Art of Hosting and then my love for connection work would appear in her pages surrounded by insights from other superconnectors.
Who would you love to be interviewed by?
Esther Perel, the queen of relationships.
If you had to give a TEDTalk tomorrow, what would the title be?
“Why Moving My Husband and Three Kids In With My Parents Was the Best Thing I Ever Did.”
And yes! We’re all still living together. Every morning I drink my coffee around the kitchen table alongside my parents, we cook dinners together, share in all the kid caretaking, and I get to lovingly listen to them retell the same stories over and over from their youth. :)
What’s the next thing you’re a part of that you want to invite more people to participate in?
Nausheena Hussain and I are starting a book club. She hasn’t agreed to this yet — actually, she adamantly refuses – but we will be launching this series soon and you are all invited.
Where can we follow you online?
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jjmillard
What’s one thing that makes every leader better?
Asking for help.
_______
We’re grateful to each Rising ICON for their transformative work. Thank you, Jamie, for sharing your story!
LAUREL is a media relations partner for bold leadership. We build effective strategies for scale and growth specializing in digital executive presence and go-to-market strategy. To follow along with the Rising ICONS series, nominate a leader or subscribe to our weekly emails below. To accelerate your own rise, get our free guide to visibility Force to ICON: the TLDR.
“Right now feels like the first time in my adult life that I’m not actively building… which tells me that the best is yet to come. ”
Notice: It’s important for our readers to understand the origin of the interview content. The featured ICON contributed responses that were not edited from the original submission. All claims are made solely by the contributor and do not reflect the views of LAUREL or its partners. Thank you for supporting rising leaders. The future is bold.
