JenFryTalks

College athletes are struggling under a weight most of us can’t even imagine. In the latest Five with Fry, I talk about the heartbreaking death by suicide of Kyron Lacey, an LSU football player who was expected to be selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. On paper, he had everything. But beneath that? Pressure. Pain. Isolation. And this isn’t just about one athlete. This is about a system that hasn’t kept up with the realities of the game. Today’s athletes face: • Instant scrutiny on social media after every game • NIL deals that turn them into brands, not students • Revenue sharing that places a dollar value on their bodies • DMs from sports bettors who lost money on games they played in • Administrators, coaches, and fans who expect perfection, always We keep saying they should be grateful. But what are they supposed to be grateful for? The pressure, the threats, the constant judgment? Back in my day, we didn’t even have cell phones until junior year. The world these athletes are living in now? It's not just different. It’s unrecognizable. So what do we do? We stop cutting mental health budgets. We invest in sports psychologists. We stop romanticizing the past and start preparing athletes for this present. And we push every athletic department to ask: “Are we actually equipping our athletes to survive the systems we’ve built?” Because more money without more support is just a setup for failure. 🎧 Listen to the full episode wherever you get your podcasts.

Back in Wisconsin today, speaking at the Wisconsin Workforce Development Association Talent Development Conference. I'll be talking about conflict's role in building resilient teams in uncertain times. #JenFryTalks

One of the best tools for communication? The emotions wheel. It takes broad emotions like anger and breaks them down—are you actually angry, or are you frustrated? Stressed? Disappointed? The more we can name our emotions accurately, the better we can communicate, and the less we default to surface-level responses like “I’m fine.” If you want your athletes or staff to improve how they express themselves, you have to train them to do it. Give them the emotions wheel. Spend two minutes before practice or a meeting asking them to describe how they feel using emotional nuance. At first, they’ll joke, deflect, and test your patience. Silence is a test. Comedy is a test. They want to see if you’ll give up. Don’t. If you do this consistently, you’ll reach a point where they actually open up. And if silence makes you uncomfortable? Wait them out. People rush to fill silence, but some of the most important conversations happen when you let it linger. The more you commit to this process, the more they’ll trust it. And once they trust it, they’ll start speaking with honesty and clarity. #EmotionalIntelligence #Communication #Leadership

One resume can’t do it all. If you’re applying to 10 different jobs with basically the same resume, you’re copy-pasting your way out of real opportunities. In Part 2 of my Secure the Damn Job series, I’m talking all things resumes. Because even the most experienced professionals mess this part up, and it’s costing them interviews. Here’s what we’re covering in this episode of Five with Fry: ✔️Why “general resumes” or even slightly tweaked resumes don’t cut it ✔️How to match your resume to the job description like it’s your North Star ✔️What to include in your executive summary so it can stand alone and speak for you ✔️How to use data, metrics, and real outcomes to show your impact ✔️And why building a resume library will save your future self so much time Also: job hunting takes time. It’s not a sprint. It’s a 30,000-meter speed walk. Pace yourself. Strategize. And let your resume do the heavy lifting for you. 🎧 Listen to Resumes That Actually Work wherever you get your podcasts. 📖 Want to read it instead? The blog’s up too: https://lnkd.in/eut_FG9u 💼 Need help tightening up your resume (or cover letter)? Head to Hyreable.co. I got you. P.S. If you missed Part 1 on cover letters, go listen to that too. Your application materials should work together to secure the damn job.

Courage isn’t about feeling fearless—it’s about feeling the fear and doing it anyway. Boundaries work the same way. People will test them, not always maliciously, but because they’re used to the old version of you that didn’t enforce them. When you start holding the line, some will push back, some will get upset, and that’s OK. The key is standing firm and not backing down just because someone else is uncomfortable. Their reaction isn’t your responsibility—your self-respect is. Every time you hold a boundary, you reinforce to yourself that you matter, that your needs matter. And over time, that builds confidence, resilience, and that unshakable kind of courage that doesn’t need external validation. Fear is inevitable. But like you said, do it anyway. That’s how you level up.

I'm thrilled to be speaking and exhibiting at the Small Business Expo in Philadelphia! My session is about navigating conflict in a small team. Looking forward to connecting with folks. #JenFryTalks

You’re not wearing the same outfit to a barbecue, a black tie gala, and a job interview—so why are you sending the same resume to every job? In the second episode of my Secure the Damn Job series, I walk through how to create a resume that actually works. And by works, I mean it gets past the ATS bots, grabs attention, and gets you into the interview. Here's what I cover in the episode: ✅ Tailor your resume to the job description like it’s your North Star. If they say “project manager,” stop calling yourself a “program coordinator.” Use their language. ✅ Ditch the objective statement. Everyone knows your objective is to get the job (and the paycheck). Replace it with a clear, 4–5 bullet executive summary. ✅ Use data. I don’t want to guess how big that event was. Was it 50 people or 500? Put the numbers in. ✅ Save every version of your resume. When a similar role pops up, you’re not starting from scratch. ✅ Test it with a friend. If someone outside your industry can’t tell how your resume matches the job description, rewrite it. Job searching is a marathon, not a sprint. You need to be strategic, not just busy. 🎧 Resumes That Actually Work is up wherever you get your podcasts. Need help getting your materials together? I offer resume, cover letter, and interview prep services. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/eMpeqfXf, If you missed the first episode on cover letters, it’s live too. Because your application should work as a whole, not just piece by piece. Let’s secure the damn job.

Let’s actually sit with that question. What are you afraid of that isn’t already happening? Who are you afraid of? Maybe you’re afraid that if you say something to your mom, she won’t talk to you. Maybe you’re afraid that if you challenge your best friend, they’ll walk away—because you’ve seen them do it to others. But here’s the truth: Just because you’ve known someone forever doesn’t mean the relationship hasn’t run its course. We hold on to people out of habit, out of nostalgia, out of fear. But sometimes, the friendships you’re so afraid of losing are actually holding you back from becoming who you need to be. So ask yourself: How has fear stopped you from speaking up? And more importantly, is that fear serving you—or trapping you? #Growth #FearlessConversations #LetGoToGrow

Let’s talk cover letters. You know, the thing most people dread writing and most hiring teams don’t want to read unless it’s actually good. Here’s what I tell my clients (and said loud and clear on the latest episode of Five with Fry): If your cover letter is two pages long, you’re writing a dissertation, not applying for a job. (Ok, ok. I know a dissertation is more than two pages. I wrote one after all. But go with me.) Remember: Cover letters don’t need fluff. They need clarity, confidence, and a clean one-page layout that gets to the point fast. In the first episode of my new Secure the Damn Job series, I break down the strategies that’ll completely change how you approach your cover letter: ✅ How to format it so it’s easy on the eyes (spoiler: margins and font size matter) ✅ What to include in each paragraph, from your executive summary to your sign-off ✅ Why mirroring your resume is a smart strategy, not a lazy one ✅ What to cut if you’re over one page (because trust me, something can go) I also pulled the tips into a blog post if you prefer to read vs. listen. 🎧Catch the episode, The Cover Letter Blueprint, wherever you get your podcasts. 💻 Read the blog here: https://lnkd.in/eSmzntjq ✍️ And if you want hands-on help with your own cover letter, I've got you: https://lnkd.in/eMpeqfXf Let’s secure the damn job.

Whenever fear creeps in, ask yourself: Who benefits from me being afraid? If someone has made you too scared to hold them accountable, who gains from that? If you’re too afraid to speak up, who is protected by your silence? Fear isn’t just an emotion—it’s a tool that can be used against you. Being afraid is normal, but don’t let it control you. If you’re never doing anything that scares you, you’re not really living.