Neither Here nor There: An Interview with Jeannette Gomez

Meet Jeannette Gomez

Jeannette Gomez is a first-generation American. Despite long odds, her inspiring rise through the insurance claims industry, and her appreciation for the richness of her heritage are elements of a story I like to tell and the kind we need to hear.

Jeannette is a poet. She performs the poetry she writes. I determined to interview her upon watching her performance of the original poem, "Eye Am."

Regarding her resumé, Jeannette says, "I have 19+ successful years of combined experience in excess & surplus insurance, leadership, and coaching. I have led successful teams in ocean, inland, commercial & homeowner's property claims. I am passionate about finding creative solutions to challenges, building cohesive teams, and delivering positive outcomes. By building up the individuals on your team, you can create efficient organizations with team players who want to be part of something greater."

The Interview

You are an accomplished professional and executive coach…and a first-generation American. What additional obstacles did you have to overcome in your career pursuits?

First-generation children don’t always have the same support system that more established generations may have. I didn’t have an adult inside my family with whom I could discuss and plan out my pursuits.? Neither of my parents graduated from college. My mother’s furthest education was Junior high. ?I had to learn via trial and error. I also had to create my own motivation, and be my own coach, cheerleader, and subject matter expert. On top of that, I had to work alongside my parents from a young age before and after school. This was not a choice; we were surviving together. ?

Additionally, Spanish is my first language. The first few years of school were met with the challenge of learning English on the fly.? And then using that same language to translate for my parents.

What advantages did you discover in your heritage and how did you use them?

My parents had a janitorial cleaning business, and I would work there every day for 15 years of my youth. It helped me develop a healthy work ethic and helped me learn some of the best lessons I’ve received in my career. They had a system; we’d start in the back and move forward together. My mother would supervise my work and offer feedback when she went back through. It was the same routine and message. Start on one end, clean as you go, and move forward together. When I lead others, I encourage them to start at the beginning, do as much as they can, move forward, and don’t fret. I let them know that I’ll be here next to them.

I don’t remember a time when my parents weren’t helping somebody. This instilled in me a deep-rooted desire to help when I can. The most important touch was that mom always made room for laughing and music. It made the time fly and was fun.? It didn’t feel like work because it felt like I was part of something greater.

What drew you to the insurance industry and how did you position yourself for success there?

I had just received my cosmetology license and had not worked for a full year. I didn’t have the means to develop a clientele. I needed a job. So, as soon as I could I started searching for a job. This was when you looked for a job in the newspaper. One of the jobs I found there was as an adjuster with The Hartford. I didn’t know who The Hartford was or what an adjuster was, I just knew that whatever it was I would learn it and conquer it. So, against my fear of the unknown, I stopped at the job fair and interviewed. I was hired to be an adjuster.

The rest is history.

Funny enough, the individual who hired me into insurance became my leader years later. It’s there where I found out his mother and my father went to grade school together in Mexico. I like to think that he saw something in me that he saw in himself. This is why I think representation matters.

You recently added a prestigious coaching certificate to your resumé. Talk about what it means to you to be a coach and what it takes to make an impact on others through coaching.

I grew up a Jehovah’s Witness and as a child, through adulthood, I spoke to all types of people from all walks of life. Although I am no longer practicing, the training I received was instrumental in the way I lead and coach, which is on a foundation of love, patience, and compassion for the human spirit. These qualities have carried into the way I curiously interact with others. ?

Through insurance, I’ve received the opportunity to showcase my leadership skills, by leading teams to successful work environments, as well as improving on prior metrics.

My biggest successes, however, are the individuals I’ve had the opportunity to coach and to see them utilize the feedback to become better versions of themselves. Helping an individual realize their potential, watching the changes and growth right in front of you, is a feeling like nothing else. I want to continue to help individuals through coaching because I believe that one person at a time is how you change the world.

I listened to you read your powerful poem “Eye Am.” That is when I knew I wanted to interview you. Your love and respect for your immigrant mother is profoundly expressed in it. Talk about her influence on you and how that has informed your journey.

?My mother was born in an Adobe home on a road with no name in Navojoa, Sonora, Mexico. She had no running water and had to carry it from the canal to the house. She was one of nine kids. She lived in a part of the city named the Aviacion, meaning aviation. She finished secondary school; she became a mother and wife at 16 and never looked back when she finally took flight to Los Angeles.

She was a lover of music and passed that love to me. She would say the music carried her through challenging times. She was determined, and unafraid to take leaps of faith that propelled her to become a successful businessperson. She was my inspiration and mentor because regardless of the difficulties she encountered, she had an inextinguishable light about her in the way she carried herself and inspired others.

Even though our adversities are different, I strive to live with the same guts as Mom and to have the boldness that life deserves. ?I want to influence others the way she has with her lasting legacy.

One of the phrases you use in the poem is “neither here nor there.” Can you tell me what that means to you?

This phrase is meant to convey a lack of belonging. My parents did their best but because of their upbringing and struggle, they projected their fear of the environment onto us. In some cases, rightfully so, as we didn’t grow up in the best neighborhoods. Also, there were barriers in language and communication.

I grew up on “Chespirito” and Univision. I watched soccer while others watched football. It was difficult to connect with people. Additionally, I grew up in a strict religious environment. I didn’t get to participate in all the fun holiday activities.

I have come to realize that it’s these differences that make me who I am. While some were playing, I was reading. Also, more importantly, I have grown into the person I wanted to be because of the child I was. I have realized that others have similar barriers, and I can offer support through coaching and leadership.

I am a young minority woman launching my career. Give me your best piece of advice.

Never stop learning. Ask lots of questions, and know that possible lives in the impossible. I would have liked to have gotten a coach earlier in my career. Discovering it when I did has helped me tremendously in my growth and development as a professional and as a person.

You are multi-faceted – a poet, an artist, and a businesswoman – what do you hope will be your enduring impact, your legacy?

I want my contribution and legacy to show that change is possible. I want my motivation to be a desire for change because of my loving, tender compassion for my fellow human beings.

Takeaways

I have an old saying I made up a few years ago. It goes like this:

Sometimes you get to find where you fit. Other times, you fit where you're found. Either way, it's a tight fit.

Jeannette made herself fit where she was found. Like the rest of us, she did not choose her circumstances; they chose her. But she refused to live under the circumstances...and she made the best of the best things life gave her: a great mother, a rich heritage, and challenges that prepared her for achievement.

Here's to you who are lifted by what lifts you and float on what threatens to sink you.