Jennifer Johnson Scalzi, Relationship Builder, Career Soothsayer and Trusted Advisor   

Where do I start with my friend Jennifer? A Texan in Boston, Jennifer is the founder of J. Johnson Executive Search and has spent the last fifteen years inside of, and as a consultant to, professional services firms. Jennifer specializes in placing marketing professionals into law firms. Her insider experience of six years in professional development and lawyer recruitment at a prominent AmLaw 100 firm and as a leader in the Legal Marketing Association (LMA) gives her the know-how to compete skillfully in this area.

Jennifer graduated from Baylor College, and is heavily involved in non-profit work as well, serving as the 2012 president of Young Executives for Success (a fundraising arm of Dress for Success), and as a member of the Board of Directors of AllStarr Volleyball, an organization that helps young women reach their potential thru sports.

Jennifer and I met each other and collaborated when she was living in New York City (many nights reminiscent of a Sex and The City girls’ night out which shall not be discussed….), so I’m wondering when did my buddy develop a total disgust for the smell of NYC hot dog carts??? And in a future interview Jennifer, we’ll have to tell the delicious story of us crashing a Kenvention (yes, a huge rally for devotees of the Ken doll) in Chicago.

Who are your heroes?
Anyone who has followed through on getting an advanced degree.  I dislike school but would love to be a degreed expert in something.

What is your current challenge? 
Extending myself grace – I’m doing the best that I can, even though it may seem inferior to myself before I had kids.

Your greatest achievement?
Going through all of life’s biggest changes and transitions within 18 months and coming out on the other end not only surviving, but thriving.

What is your motto?
People are weird.  That includes me.

Why are you an entrepreneur? 
Because I like the control and knowing that there is an exact return on how much I work, versus how much I earn.

What problem are you solving?  
How to keep my twin toddlers from pulling, grabbing, and chewing on every piece of furniture and tchotchke in my house.

What problem would you like solved? 
The civil court judicial system.  There are too many judges who make decisions based on their own biases and get away with it.

Item you wish you had invented?
Legos. What kid doesn’t HAVE to have a set that costs $80, then doesn’t touch it?  I also think consignment stores are a genius business model.

Biggest regret?
I wish I had learned earlier in my career how to navigate the corporate world and the people in it.  I burned some bridges early on and I really regret that.

Which talent would you like to have?
To play the piano. Years of lessons as a kid and when I got to college as a music major (to sing) they asked me to stop bothering with piano classes.  I was hopeless.

Best pat on the back you’ve ever received?
When a client from a really respected firm told me I was the best recruiter he had ever seen in his career.

Your pitch in 140 characters? 
I specialize in placing top quality marketing professionals into law firms globally.

The Twitter follower you can’t live without?
@HarvardBiz

Your nails on a chalkboard moment is…
People who ramble on and on and on and on…like my time doesn’t matter.

The J.O.B. you’d actually like? 
Travel agent!

Biggest misconception about being an entrepreneur?
That you have everything figured out. Might seem that way on the outside.

Inc. or Rolling Stone or…..? Which magazine cover? 
National Geographic.

What are you reading? 
Smithsonian magazine.

What book is your must read? 
Leap of Faith: Memoirs of an Unexpected Life, by Queen Noor [American, Princeton-educated wife of the late King Hussein of Jordan].

What book did you read which would have been put to better use as a doorstop? 
The Alchemist.

If I wanted to do what you’re doing…what’s your advice? 
You have to have a really solid handle on the subject matter, or else the clients and the candidates will both put you in a pile with the other recruiters.

What conference would you like to keynote?
I don’t think I would like to keynote, actually.

Short cut, long route, road less travelled? What’s your roadmap? 
Following my gut has taken me along a Lombard Street-esque pattern [Lombard St., in San Francisco, is built in a winding shape, and known for its hairpin turns]. And I like it.

Podium you’d like to stand on?
I prefer to wander the room when I speak – podiums are for the White House Press Secretary.

What makes you LOL?
Will Farrell as Harry Caray [a spoof of a real-life broadcaster] on SNL.

What’s the most important startup/entrepreneurship lesson you’ve learned?
Financial forecasting and planning.

What would be the title of your biography? 
I want to laugh out loud a lot more…

Your Ferris Bueller moment: if you could goof-off/skip out for a day, what would you do? 
Do mid-afternoon margaritas and shopping with some friends.  Followed by an 8:00pm bedtime.

One place in time you’d like to visit?
The Taj Majal — anytime!

Part of the trick to staying focused?
Setting your intention each day. And keep a to-do list in a notebook. Crossing things off feels good.

You take a three-hour ocean tour and get stranded…what three items do you have with you? 
Boat, GPS, and water.