Jordyn Pfeiffer shares her experience with Gignite

One of my favorite aspects of the pilot session of Gignite was the diversity of projects going on all at once.

We had a full-time developer working on a playlist app to improve his own experience of Spotify, a team working on a website to connect volunteers with nonprofits, and someone learning to watercolor, just to name a few.

One project I loved seeing was Jordyn Pfeiffer’s. Like me, Jordyn likes to make lists and plan out projects, activities, and goals. But sometimes, the list of potential projects to tackle can get out of hand. Jordyn used her eight weeks of Gignite to explore a few of those projects, ultimately crossing some off her list after deciding they weren’t right for her, giving her more clarity about which ideas she should pursue.

Here’s a little more about Jordyn and what she got out of Gignite in her own words.

What is your “why”? What drives you as a person?

Curiosity — I like to know how everything works, what everyone is doing, and what I can do to contribute. I want to contribute in a meaningful way, and am always looking for ways to do that.

What are your hobbies? Why do you think you are drawn to those activities?

Reading, planning, cooking, cleaning and organizing. I enjoy putting order to things and breaking down large goals into small bites and progressing through to the end result.

If you could change one thing about your life right now, would you? What would it be?

I would change my belief systems as they tie to what success is. It’s a work in progress, but I am at a shift in my life where certain values and priorities have changed and accepting what that might mean or could mean for my career and professional life has been challenging.

Is your current age turning out to be anything like what you expected 10 years ago? What’s the biggest surprise?

Not quite — mostly because I think 10 years ago any expectations I had were rather delusional — or maybe someone else’s expectations. My values have changed significantly, or maybe have simply been more defined.

The biggest surprise is that work is actually the least fulfilling part of my life, despite it being what I have given the most time and attention to for as long as I can remember.

What are your favorite kind of problems to solve?

I like to solve cross-functional problems—implement structure where needed, and bridge gaps between departments, people, workflows, etc. I do the same thing in my personal life — I enjoy reading because it can teach me so much about all the things I love to plan! From my finances to meals, and spending time with friends and family, I enjoy managing the different aspects of life in a way that removes friction and stress as much as possible so that I can be the best version of myself.

What motivated you to join Gignite? What did you get out of it?

A dedicated time with accountability to focus. I was attracted to the ability to spend time in a focused environment and work on just one thing — even if it were just to think through all the ideas that I have or my “to work on” list, and dedicate some time to either get it started, or eliminate it.

I have been inspired by the members of the group and the variety of projects everyone is working on.

Do you think you will continue working on your project?

The specific project I was working on will likely not continue, but I will continue to set aside time to learn, build meaningful relationships, and think.

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If you’re in the same boat as Jordyn, with a dozen potential projects you’re considering, Gignite could be a great place to commit some time to figuring out which projects are really right for you. There is still room in all three cohorts starting next week (Madison West, Madison Downtown, Chicago Uptown).

Also, we’ve got a sweet referral deal. Get a friend to sign up for Gignite, and you’ll get $10 cash, and they’ll get a $10 discount.