From fast food jobs to law firms, MLM ventures to remote coaching, I reveal my journey to success pursuing various dreams while navigating faith, failure, and finding my niche. Through pivots, certifications, and spiritual clarity, I discovered my purpose to empower others in business with heart, strategy, and resilience, while shaping stronger, more people-focused leadership inside organizations.
Ended
1. The Problem in the Market for the Target Reader
Today’s professionals, especially aspiring entrepreneurs, corporate climbers, and mid-career pivoters are overwhelmed. They’re sold on the dream of purpose-driven work and business ownership, but find themselves stuck in a loop of burnout, imposter syndrome, unclear offerings, and wasted investments in the wrong programs or coaches. According to a 2023 Gallup report, over 60% of workers feel emotionally detached from their jobs, and 44% of business owners admit to “faking confidence” while trying to figure things out behind the scenes. The noise in the marketplace makes it even harder to filter what actually works from what's just marketed well. Many are multi-passionate, but lack a clear framework to niche down, build traction, and grow something sustainable without losing their identity, faith, or sanity.
2. The Solution This Book Offers
This book offers real-life, unfiltered insight into how to move from confusion to clarity and finally grow a business and a life that reflects your values, gifts, and calling. It shows readers how to stop chasing every opportunity and start creating their own lane through strategic pivots and tested frameworks, drawn from lived experience, not theory. Through relatable storytelling and reflection, readers will learn:
3. Why I'm the One to Write It
With 14 years of experience across legal consulting, business development, process improvement, and corporate training, I’ve walked the very path this book describes. I’ve worked in fast food joints and top-tier law firms, coached entrepreneurs and executives, and helped organizations cut costs by streamlining operations, all while raising a family and building my own consulting firm. I hold certifications in Project Management, Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, and Entrepreneurship, and have taught hundreds of business owners how to turn scattered ideas into income-producing ventures. More importantly, I’ve lived through the pivots, the losses, and the silent battles of starting over and finding purpose through it all. This book isn’t theory, it’s a blueprint grounded in experience, clarity, and a deep belief that your story, your skills, and your vision matter.
This book is written for mid-career professionals, side-hustle entrepreneurs, and career “pivots-in-progress” who crave alignment between purpose and profit.
Terence Ray of RGM Consultants
Jene' has been a like a Godsend! She has the uncanny knack for engaging (even) the most seasoned, veteran professionals to understand, verbalize and call up their hidden untapped talents, which ultimately serve to catapult their business on a previously unimagined trajectory. RGM Consultants is indebted to Jene' for its newfound success and the investment is well worth it.
Anand Tiwari, Founder of Support Xpert
Jene has awesome analytical skills, quick to identify gaps, plan trainings and executing all the required steps without giving any trouble to employees to achieve max possible business improvements. Never thought she can be so much useful and cooperative. I don't hesitate to reach her whenever any suggestions needed and she has been always helpful.
Jazmine & Deleon Jamison of Anointed Journey PNCC
Our overall experience was great. We got all of our questions answered and the work was done expeditiously and accurately. We were very blessed by the commitment to get everything done and the outcome. Jene' pushed us to another level, while being an accountability partner to us because we had to do exactly what was asked in a timely manner, Everything was right in order for is to get the desired outcome from the situation. Thanks, Jene, you were informative and very helpful.
Gabrielle Dixon of Dixons Rentals & Management LLC
Jene' was very professional and knowledgeable. She was able to help me step-by-step to get my business process started. She continues to push my business to its fullest potential and I definitely recommend her if you want to rebuild, fix or brand your business.
Victoria Davis of Loc'd Up with Micki
Oh I love the work Jene' is doing for me. I appreciate the time and effort she put in to make sure I'm doing what I need to do for my business. She keeps me on track with business deadlines I make for myself. I love how she researches my industry to help me better understand things. She always has an answer for any question you may have. Some people say they will get back with you for an answer to your question and never get back to you, but Jene' actually gets back with you with good information and the answer to your question. Jene' comes 10/10 highly recommended.
My name is Jené Lee (Liddell), and I’m the founder of Resilience Consultancy. I hold a BA in Criminology and Law Studies from Marquette University, have done extensive studies in Business Law at Loyola University, Chicago, and earned certifications in Entrepreneurship, Project Management, and Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. With over 14 years of business process management experience across industries: from collections and banking to law, real estate, media, and nonprofits, I’ve helped organizations streamline operations, identify process inefficiencies, and implement solutions that support growth.
I founded Resilience Consultancy after spending two decades in Corporate America, where I led teams that saved over 50,000 hours in productivity and helped Fortune 500 companies recover six-figure losses—simply by improving internal processes. Through that experience, I realized real profit isn’t just in new sales—it’s in optimizing the people and systems already in place. That’s why I developed my proprietary S.T.A.K. and A.S.S.E.T.S. frameworks, which help companies reclaim hidden profit by empowering their workforce to increase productivity and reduce waste.
At Resilience Consultancy, we customize solutions to fit each company’s unique structure and goals. Our mission is to help leaders gain awareness of internal profit leaks and take proactive steps to reverse losses without layoffs or drastic measures. I believe strongly in the power of people and process to drive sustainable, measurable profit—and I’m passionate about helping organizations break free from outdated practices and thrive.
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Chapter 1- Dream to Sing
There’s this photo of me as a baby, probably around nine months old, sitting in the backseat of my uncle’s car, with these giant headphones covering half my little head. Every time I see that picture, I smile, because I know that was the moment I fell in love with music. That’s where my first dream began. Like most little girls, I sang Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey hits in the shower, full of emotion and excitement. Yet, when the moment came to sing in front of actual people, nope, I was way too shy for that.
Then, came middle school, and something in me said, “Just try.” So, I joined the gospel choir in 7th and 8th grade, and made a small, but brave first step. One day during gospel choir, we had a class talent show, and my friends and I decided to perform the song from the Waiting to Exhale movie, “Count on Me.” I still remember it like it was yesterday, singing my small solo part of the song in front of the whole class. Not letting my nerves get the best of me this time, I did it scared. Once it was over, I felt this sudden rush of relief. Thinking to myself, I finally stepped out of my comfort zone, just for a little while. It was a proud moment for me.
That night, I told my closest relative, full of hope and excitement, “I want to be a singer when I grow up.” Then, just like that, the dream bubble popped when she gently replied, “You may be too shy for that.” That one sentence made my heart drop. I felt so heartbroken. Everything else after that I second-guessed and my belief in myself started to dwindle. Such humble beginnings.
Fast Forward
In college, I joined the Marquette Gospel Choir, and at one of our concerts, I actually led a song. Later on, at my current church, I sang in the choir, led songs, and eventually became a praise team leader. Not too bad for someone who used to be super shy. Somewhere along the way, I got over my fear of being in front of people and gradually grew into what I’d call an ambivert, comfortable in my quiet, but not afraid to step forward when needed.
Takeaway
What’s funny about all of those singing experiences, leading a song or being on a praise team is that I never asked for those roles. I wasn’t pushing to be front and center. I just did my part, stayed consistent, showed up prepared, and apparently held a note well enough for people to take notice. That’s when the “volun-told” moments started happening. (You know, when someone tells you to do something instead of you actually volunteering?) Honestly, I don’t regret any of it. Those opportunities pushed me out of my shell and gave me more courage.
If you’re reading this, then you’re already taking your first step toward discovering your own greatness. You are a star, not because of how many people are watching, but because of what’s already shining inside of you. You don’t need a televised stage to shine, you just need the right stage. I’m here to help you figure out exactly where that is, so you can lead from a place of passion and purpose.
Your Turn
Has anyone ever volun-told you to do something whether in your family, at church, or in the community? Maybe they asked you to organize an event, lead a team, or step into a role you didn’t feel quite ready for. Chances are, they saw something in you that you hadn’t even discovered yet. Take a moment and write down what those tasks or roles were. Were they leadership-related? Did you end up planning an event with no prior experience? Guess what, that’s project management in action, and it’s a real, marketable skill!
Start paying attention to what people around you often say you’re good at. It might be something you’ve brushed off or never thought twice about. If you’re not sure, ask a few people you trust, it can be so revealing. This kind of reflection is the very first step toward gaining clarity. It’s how you start aligning your natural gifts with your greater purpose by identifying, appreciating, and analyzing the skills you already have.
I’m so excited for you as you begin this journey from passion to purpose. You’re not starting from scratch, you’re starting from experience.
Chapter 2: A Fleeting Physician’s Dream
So, yes, dreams definitely overlap! I’m not even going to lie about it. When I was in elementary school, I wanted to be a doctor as well. I was fascinated by the idea of helping people get better, always the one trying to patch someone up after a scraped knee or a stubbed toe. The idea of healing was my thing. One of my favorite shows was Mystery Diagnosis that I watched with my mom. We were both glued to the tv in awe at how doctors pieced together symptoms over time to figure out what was really going on with a patient. It was like solving a real-life puzzle to better health, and I thought, “I want to do that!”
Yet, there was just one tiny problem, my family used to watch those doctor surgery shows while eating dinner and that completely grossed me out. All that cutting and open organs, disgusting, I could barely finish my food without feeling queasy. When I finally mustered up the courage to tell my mom I wanted to be a doctor, she looked at me and said, “Girl, you can barely take a shot, let alone do surgery.” And you know what? She was right. At the tender age of 12, I still cried getting shots. These days, I just close my eyes and look the other way—but even now, it’s not my favorite thing!
So, that dream? Officially canceled, but the heart behind it, the desire to help people, ease their pain, and solve complex problems stuck with me. Sometimes, our childhood dreams aren’t really about the job title. They’re about the gifts we all naturally carry.
Fast Forward
For the past 14 years, I’ve been diagnosing companies, pinpointing their pain points, uncovering why they’re leaking profit, and helping them stop the financial bleeding before they bleed out into bankruptcy. My passion has always been to help businesses succeed. Just like with people, sometimes one small symptom reveals a much bigger issue. In business, a single customer complaint might be the red flag that the entire process is broken.
That’s how I see it, I treat businesses like patients. I walk in, observe what’s going wrong, listen to the symptoms, and then diagnose the real problem. Usually, it’s a process issue that turned into a people issue. However, once I get a clear picture of the problem, I prescribe the cure, which just so happens to be my consulting expertise. Who would’ve thought that my childhood desire to fix boo-boos would grow into a profitable business?
Side Note
My mom has always played a big part in shaping this mindset. She always encouraged me, but she kept it real with me too. When I’d have my head in the clouds, dreaming big dreams, she would lovingly bring me back to earth. I’m a visionary by nature, but my mom taught me that dreaming isn’t enough, you need a plan. Her words stuck with me: plan your dream, don’t just imagine it. That lesson turned me into a visionary with a strategic plan. I live by the belief that if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. That’s why writing things down has been such a game-changer for me. The Bible says, “Write the vision, and make it plain,” and that’s exactly what I’ve done. Every time I put my dreams on paper and map out the steps, I gain more clarity, especially in business.
So, as you read through this book and answer the questions in the Your Turn part of each chapter, I hope that you will find that same clarity. Your dreams matter, but clarity turns them into something real and tangible. Funny, this is coming from the same person, me, who sells intangible intellectual property in my consulting. Although, my consulting results and this book are tangible and speak for themselves.
Your Turn
Take a moment to think about that short-lived dream you once had and why you chose it in the first place. What kind of shows did you watch that sparked your interest? What pulled you in and made you say, “That’s what I want to do.” Write it all down. This little exercise might reveal some hidden talents you’ve tucked away for too long, simply because the dream didn’t pan out. Here’s the truth: just because the dream was short-lived doesn’t mean the gift behind it disappeared. That same talent still lives inside you and it’s just waiting to be rediscovered by you. The world needs what you carry, because no one else can bring it the way you do. So, don’t shrink back just because an old dream fizzled out. It’s okay to pivot. You can always dream a new dream, one that’s bigger, wiser, and even more in tune with who you are today. Let your light shine. There’s still so much ahead for you.
Pro-Tip
Take a moment to think about every piece of software, hardware, program, machinery, or tool you’ve ever used on the job. Whether it was something you used every day or just picked up along the way, write them all down. Don’t overlook anything; it all counts. These tools are part of your skillset, and they’ll come in handy as you continue this journey of honing your strengths and aligning them with your passion. The goal is to build a business that feels purposeful and true to you and recognizing what you already know how to do is a big step in that direction.
Chapter 3: Arguing My Way to Law School Dream
By the time I was 15, mastering the art of negotiation was second nature. Arguing my way into getting what I wanted and making others feel like they were getting what they wanted, too, felt like a superpower. Looking back, it’s funny how easily I convinced people to settle for less and walk away feeling like they’d won. That sounds a little ruthless now, but at the time, it felt like strategy. In high school, debating was second nature. Give me a persuasive or argumentative essay, and I’d light up, it was like solving a puzzle with words. Naturally, by 16, I declared to the world (and myself) that I was going to be a lawyer. I thought I had it all figured out. Taking English and Philosophy in college was my roadmap to becoming the best attorney ever, or so I believed.
Shows like Law & Order helped me sharpen my thinking. I watched them religiously, absorbing every plot twist and courtroom rebuttal. They fueled my already budding legal brain and helped me think through arguments from every angle, even the ones that didn’t make sense until someone was bold enough to say them out loud. In my mind, I was preparing for the bar exam before I even finished high school. This one thing kept tripping me up: I was still painfully shy. I was so shy, I didn’t even try out for the debate team because I argued plenty just not in front of crowds. It was mostly with my brother, a few close friends, and the occasional silent argument I’d win in my head after disagreeing with my mom. I had the words, the logic, the presence, just not the voice to deliver it yet and that part took time.
What I eventually learned
Leadership doesn’t always come wrapped in a loud voice or a spotlight. Sometimes it begins in quiet moments, rehearsing what you’ll say later, imagining how to make your point land just right. Real leadership starts when you trust that your voice matters, even if it shakes. When you’re shy, developing your voice feels like building a muscle you didn’t know was there. Yet, every time you speak up, even in a whisper, you get stronger. That’s how leaders are born, not always in the front row, but often in the background, observing, processing, and preparing for their moment.
Your Turn
Have you ever felt like your voice was too small to make an impact? Do you remember a time you wanted to speak up but held back? What did you want to speak about? Write it down below. This is one small step toward not only developing your voice, but finding your passion. Sometimes, it’s not about being the loudest in the room, it’s about being heard when it counts.
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on June 27, 2025, 9:09 p.m.
I so excited to read this book!
on July 15, 2025, 11:26 p.m.
Yes, it will be a good one.