Blog: Welcome to the Club!

by Jacquie Rives, WOTC Community Leader & Program Director with The Channel Company

I have heard the phrase, “Welcome to the Club” quite a few times leading up to the “Big Day”.  
I have been thinking a lot about my life and the experiences that have shaped me. It’s a story of expectations, love, heartbreak, change, failures, triumphs, and joy but when I get to this very moment, I smile. 
 
When they say life goes by so quickly, they aren’t kidding - but I have learned we can slow it down by being present in the moment. 
 
I joined the Army after a semester of college because I did not feel like I knew what I wanted to be “when I grew up”. As I got ready to leave for boot camp, I remember my grandmother saying, “Jacquie, are you sure you know what you are doing” and me smiling and saying, “Yes, Oma!”. I laugh now because I didn’t have a clue what was in store for me.  
 
The Army was my first exposure to the power of community and what it means to be a leader. In fact, you cannot earn your sergeant stripes without going to a four-week immersive leadership training in a new place with a new and unfamiliar community of people. I learned that I can in fact do hard things. I trekked a Georgia swamp up to my chest navigating tree limbs and struggling to balance as the roots below attempted to trip me. With my M16 rifle held high to keep it safe and my rucksack on my back, I kept the voices of fear and anxiety that I would meet an unfriendly creature of this habitat quietly at bay (or at least trying!). I conquered my fears of midnight in the dark and murky woods, mastering my ability to get from point A to point B with my team in the land navigation exercise and performed my watch guard responsibilities protecting my squad as they rested.   

It’s funny that before these were stories and now, I see them as lessons preparing me for what was yet to come.  
 
I got married, became a mother of two amazing daughters, and fell in love with a boxer named Cali. We have lived in many wonderful places where we have discovered new people and friendships along the way. We have never lived close to our families so finding community where we are is grounding and important to me.  
 
I went back to school twice, to get my bachelor’s in IT and an MBA. I discovered my love for all things processes, organization, operations, and teamwork. As my career went on, I had the opportunity to work in Science, Technology, and Engineering (Math and I do not get along!). I became an entrepreneur taking a creative passion for photography turning it into a business for seven years so I could be more present for my young daughters.  

I decided to return to the corporate world, once my daughters were involved in cross-country & track as I was missing those meets on the weekends. This led to a world of doubt on who would hire me being out of the game for seven years instead of seeing the truth of what I have accomplished in those seven years running a successful business being responsible for the sales, marketing, accounting, operations, and leadership. 
 
As my daughters started to think about what they wanted to major in, I advised them to try and find what they are passionate about and do that. I always felt like I had somehow failed myself because I chose technology because it was new, and it was paying well versus something I was passionate about.  
 
So as I sit in my thoughts of half a century of life, I smile because… 
I didn’t need to have it all figured out.  
I failed, learned, succeeded, changed, grew, and celebrated.  
All of those choices, experiences, opportunities, and risks that felt very disconnected were in fact the very things that prepared me for where I find myself today.  
 
One of my favorite quotes…. 
“Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.” - Maya Angelou 
 
My story is far from over and we’ll just call my 40th my mid-life crisis when I decided I had to run a marathon!  
 
So yes, I happily accept the invitation to “the club”, And Just Like That…this Golden Girl just turned 50 years young.   
 
🥂Cheers! 
 

Bio: A little about me: I have been a COO, program & project manager, an entrepreneur, a photographer, and served in the US Army for six years both stateside and overseas. I enjoy traveling, photography, hiking, and skiing during my free time. Most importantly, I am a proud mother of two amazing daughters and currently reside in Georgia with my husband and beloved boxer, Cali.