Rumbling with hesitation or self-doubt isn’t going to serve you. You’ve already committed. You’re not going to quit… you’re not even going to consider it, so don’t waste energy on the what-if’s — put your feet down kid! You were designed for EXACTLY this.
As part of my series about “individuals and organizations making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jennifer Lucero.
Jennifer Lucero is the founder and CEO of MyBeacon App. She is building a platform making it easier to ask for help and where supporting one another’s wellbeing is the new social standard for strength. Jennifer lives in Seattle, Washington.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
It’s hard not to look back at my life and think, “This universe sure has a sense of humor!” Every step of the way, life has been uniquely preparing me to be doing exactly this. I’ve always been a problem-solver, known for my grit and perseverance both in my career and my personal life. I figured out as a young, single mother that life was not about what happens to us, but how we respond to it. The life-changing experiences kept coming, everything from overcoming poverty in my 20s to fighting cancer and throw in a few twists and turns with relationships — navigating those experiences with grace and determination helped me learn lessons I’m teaching others today through MyBeacon.
The real clarity came when my husband died tragically in 2018. One day I was climbing the proverbial corporate ladder in tech and the next day I found myself in survival mode, not sure which way was up. I resorted to what I now affectionately refer to as my life support kanban. As the “list of things” piled up, (along with way too many casserole deliveries), I wrote every to-do item on a sticky and posted it on my wall. It was my way to just try and keep track. But then something else showed up, my community.
People wanting to help in all capacities were pouring out of the woodwork; my inner circle was brilliant and started sharing what was on my wall and assigning tasks. As the weeks and months passed, people learned to ask, “What’s on your wall?” instead of “What do you need?” And that was it — those magic words were the genesis of my vision.
I haven’t been much of a social media “poster” — but I’ve done my share of scrolling… perhaps a little emotional voyeurism. Admittedly, I often found myself thinking — “I just can’t imagine posting about a major life event.” And I couldn’t. And then it was my turn to make that post. To call it life altering is an understatement.
Asking for help often feels difficult no matter what our circumstances — add the energy it takes to juggle multiple message threads, group chats, emails, calls, SMS and you can easily become overwhelmed with the idea; it feels easier to curl up in a ball.
But giving someone visibility into what we’re dealing with feels different. It’s a guilt free way of saying “here’s my list.” I thought for sure there was already “an app for this” — but there wasn’t, so I built MyBeacon.
I think everyone deserves to experience support from their communities without having to be their own PR/project management firm. It’s like a friend asking, “What’s on your wall?” — and in addition to thoughts and prayers, the people you know, love and trust see the list of ways they can support you and volunteer for any given “thing” in one click. It’s as easy as turning on a light or lighting a beacon.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company or organization?
They say to try and avoid making too many major decisions within the first year of losing your spouse. Time changes. There’s no longer a normal calendar again; October 2018 forward became the first year AD or After Death of a loved one.
But sometimes, major life decisions need to be made whether the timing is ideal or not. Within the first year AD, my daughter graduated from high school, moved away to college at WSU and I sold our home to downsize. As we rounded the corner marking one year, I bought a new house and decided I was ready to take the leap and go all in; leave my corporate gig and start building MyBeacon. Within weeks — the pandemic hit. Talk about timing! After it became apparent that this was not a “short term” event, along with the rest of the world, I knew I had to pivot and watching and rewatching Tiger King was not the solution.
I think what made the timing and the series of events most interesting is that suddenly the evidence was everywhere I turned validating how important and immediate the need for an app like this was! I started hosting virtual focus groups; not only was participation through the roof, but the stories people shared and use cases were overwhelming. Parents creating neighborhood learning co-ops, friends and family coordinating grocery store deliveries for someone in quarantine, churches and community leaders distributing supplies — and all running into the same challenges: “Herding cats is not easy” and “It feels hard to ask for help” and “I wish I knew how to help when someone I care about needs support of any kind.”
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting?
Organizing pencils. Some call it procrastination, I called it “getting ready.” I signed up for all sorts of networking groups, certificate courses, public speaking masterminds, and yes, made sure my office was perfectly set up so that I could be ready to be ready…to be ready. Every drawer was organized and when that wasn’t enough, I remember one morning reprinting my business plan (which had been edited too many times and never shared) and pulled out a pencil to markup edits. The pencil was dull, so I had to sharpen it… only to find myself an hour later organizing my pencil drawer.
Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
The problem wasn’t the pencils. It was fear. I was giving so much energy to the plan and not diving in. I had plenty of professional experience, personal experience, a healthy bank account, a massive amount of support and validation everywhere I turned that people need this. I didn’t like this version of me that was struggling so much and it took a bit for me to open up about it. I knew I had to look in the mirror and get out of my own way. How did I do that? I asked for help. An incredible friend had made a huge career change a few years prior and I figured she might have some wisdom for me. Little did I know, she had also started her own coaching firm focused on supporting executives and female founders. Jackpot!
Have you ever watched kids learning to swim? (lol) You know that kid in the shallow pool throwing a fit, screaming “I’m drowning” and flailing wildly? It makes me chuckle every time… just put your feet down kid! You’re not even over your head in water yet! I love to swim. In fact, I quite like the deep end. I overcame a fear of heights in my 30’s so that I could scale mountains. 1–2–3 GO! is my mantra.
The lessons:
1) Acknowledge and name the real thing so you can move through it. “Hello fear, I see you. Thanks for checking in. Please take a seat in the back row. I’ve got things to do. And you may have all the pencils.”
2) When you feel stuck, no matter how silly it may feel, find the right people to talk to and ask for help!
That one phone call to my friend the business coach changed the trajectory of my path. A coach was exactly what I needed to get in the muck with me, hold up a mirror, challenge my perspective, offer accountability, and help me focus on the things that mattered without losing myself to burnout. I continued to build out an advisory committee over the last two years — and I can’t underscore the value of these individuals enough. I may be a solo founder, but I am not going down this path alone. The irony is not lost on me here.
Can you describe how you or your organization is making a significant social impact?
I wanted to sweep away all the stigma, all the judging, and all the static around asking for, receiving, and giving help. I know MyBeacon will help become a catalyst for communities of giving and help those with big hearts and those with broken hearts connect in a way that feels more natural and more human.
What if the next time you need a ride somewhere, you light up a Beacon instead of an Uber? You connect with a friend over an impromptu favor instead of paying for the service — what is that conversation worth to you? I look around and see a world starving for more human connection, it’s in every mental health report.
Mr. Rogers quotes his mom pointing out when everything is sad in the news, “Look for the helpers. The helpers are everywhere.” And they are — if only we have the courage to illuminate how others can show up for us.
Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
Over the course of bringing this vision to life, the term #mybeaconmoment kind of became the “bat signal” whenever someone was experiencing something at a time they wished they had the app. It was like “Hey, I’m dealing with a #mybeaconmoment and need help, but the app isn’t ready yet so blowing up a group text.” It was almost like the secret handshake that’s making it ok to ask for help. One of my favorites was a girlfriend who decided it was time to move on from a broken relationship.
While amicable, the decision was made abruptly, and she needed to move out and find a new place immediately [basically a miracle to be in the same school district without blowing her budget]. All while working two jobs, going to school, and raising two very active youngsters. I sat across the table from this incredibly smart, strong, and very capable woman — and witnessed her moment of messiness. I can rarely resist the opportunity to inject some level of humor into difficult situations. I let her know she was experiencing a 3-alarm #mybeaconmoment and called in the helpers. She needed to tour houses, help packing (and supplies for packing), child coverage, movers hired, bills transitioned, help unpacking, a shoulder to cry on for the casual meltdown.
She was literally moved in two days, unpacked in four and enjoying terrible wine on the couch with friends while crying, laughing (perhaps a few of those terrible snort-giggles) and just dealing with all the things that come with an ending and a beginning.
I later told her it was one of the most beautiful gifts she could have given me — to let me in, let me witness her in such acute vulnerability, and trusting me to show up in a way she otherwise hadn’t before. THIS is the greatest soul food on the planet. This is humanness.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
- Dial down the rhetoric and humanize the needs for help, to start.
- Stop setting an impossible standard with social media, “Does it all on his/her own and still looks 27 after four kids” stories. I do believe you can “have it all.” But let’s tell the real stories.
- Start making mental health the new “sexy & strong.” When I think of the programming engrained for so many people that something is “wrong” with them if they are seeking treatment (or that being honest about mental health struggles can be a disqualifying condition for our service men & women), to the gamut of scenarios where children are abused and raised in cultures of shame or secrecy — it is no surprise that for the majority of people it can feel like a super high risk to reach for resources, much less name their truth.
It is always our responsibility to take care of our well-being and take ownership of what that looks like. But when you ask people to follow a script in the interest of self-preservation, it is no surprise we have a society full of people who don’t even feel connected to themselves anymore, which only creates more landmines in our pursuit to feel connected to others.
How do you define “Leadership”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?
Let’s assume we all agree about the core attributes integrity, communication, confidence, humility, accountability, etc.
To me, great leadership is about having a clear vision — the ability to articulate it, and then getting very familiar with the tools, skills and most importantly — the ambitions of the individuals on your team so that you can get people where they want to be on the way up the mountain.
This takes openness and curiosity when problem solving — running experiments and doing everything you can to clear the path for your team. Being creative, strategic, and willing to take risks. When a plan falls apart, creating an environment where everyone is just as comfortable working through the lessons learned as they are celebrating successes. Operating from a perspective of objectives and outcomes as opposed to absolutes i.e. success vs failure. When something doesn’t work — it’s an opportunity to reevaluate, it’s more data than you started with. When something does work — understanding why is just as important — otherwise success may as well be considered luck! Mine the data and evolve your experiment.
I’ve seen the most talented people repeatedly burn out due to poor leadership. I’ve also seen individuals with a subpar skill set meet audacious goals because a talented leader understood how to bring out the best in people and help them see their own value within their role/teams.
My most important lesson in leadership: Vulnerability. It’s a very important thing. The day I began to understand this, I felt like someone offered me the keys to the kingdom. I’ll never forget a certain annual review (we used a leadership 360 feedback format) and across the board I received stellar feedback from senior leaders — and as a competitive person, I knew I had earned my stripes; but as an up and coming leader I also knew the only reason I had excelled the way I had was because I figured out how to bring people from all disciplines across the organization together to achieve results. Legit teamwork. Cool.
Except there was this one “bucket” where my manager wanted to focus more: vulnerability. It was a big red crater on my report card. My reaction was something to the effect of “yeah, that checks out. But if that’s the worst feedback I get, I can live with that. Vulnerability isn’t something I see rewarded in the corporate environment, especially the often politically charged, bro culture of the tech world where women make up only about 25% of the workforce, so I see it as a good thing…” Boy was I wrong.
The universe delivered opportunity after opportunity to change my mind thereafter. I had found a way to succeed in an unhealthy environment. But I came to a place where I did not like the version of me I had to be in order to keep surviving. I knew if I wanted to be the change, it was time for me to go build the company I want to see. I am grateful for the contrast. When I find myself facing recurring themes, I pay close attention. Always evolving.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
1 . Contrast is EVERYTHING. With contrast you get clarity [what you want, what you don’t want] and that is your compass.
2 . No’s matter just as much (if not more) than the yes’s. Learn to hear no, learn to say no without needing explanation. It is the only way to clear the path to the thing that is right. Your gut knows.
3 . Write the story you want to tell and then go make it real. Reading stats about the down market or under-funded women and startups that fail don’t prepare you. I don’t need to see my anatomy as a deterrent when I walk into a boardroom or when it comes to raising capital. I certainly don’t think of it when I’m serving the mission for MyBeacon. I just need to be me. Educate yourself about what is necessary and relevant to learn and find the right people for the gaps. The right people will show up. Some will pull me forward and I will pull others forward. Yes. I like that story!
4 . Rumbling with hesitation or self-doubt isn’t going to serve you. You’ve already committed. You’re not going to quit… you’re not even going to consider it, so don’t waste energy on the what-if’s — put your feet down kid! You were designed for EXACTLY this.
5 . If you find yourself organizing pencils, call your coach.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I’m living that moment you describe right now. By creating MyBeacon we’re helping people help themselves, helping people help others, and reviving the sense of community and well-being that we seem to have strayed from. What if instead of creating a drive-through chain of buying coffee for the person behind you — you started a good deed chain and you could see the endless ripple effect of those you impacted in the app? Yes, we’re on it!
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
I’ve always had my workspace and personal spaces plastered with quotes. Everything from Brene Brown, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Stephen Hawking, Audrey Hepburn to personal notes and cards from friends. But the one that I make sure to read every single day for anyone that needs to hear it: “I’m gonna Love that person in the mirror like my life depends on it!”
In the first year after losing Chris, a close friend of mine officiated a friends’ wedding. He did something incredibly special that changed how I view marriage and the importance of having a healthy relationship with your own soul before sharing your life with another. He has each person recite personal vows to themselves in front of a mirror before exchanging their commitments to one another. So much vulnerability. He inspired me to pen some personal vows of my own and get to work on those parts of me so that I’m bringing the best version of me to the table for myself, my daughter and even a possible future partner (wherever he may be!). My personal vows begin and end with that sentence.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
Melinda French Gates is not only a fellow Seattleite, but someone I have had on my vision board radar since my mid-20s. She struck me as an incredible role model through different seasons in my life because she represented strength, clarity, and truly stood in her own shoes as her own person writing her own, powerful success story making a global impact. She appears to live her values and when faced with incredibly difficult choices, she rises to her truth. I think most impressively, it is her ability to reflect, evolve and say when she has changed her mind and perspective.
Melinda is thought-provoking and always seems to emphasize having bigger questions as opposed to focusing on knowing all the answers. And she does it with optimism! That is a learning mindset that I hope to practice throughout my life, as well. It may go without saying, but when it comes to business — she’s just a badass. #pivitolventures Why wouldn’t I want to start my day basking in that kind of brilliant energy with the world’s most powerful woman over breakfast?
How can our readers further follow your work online?
I’d encourage people to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn and also get engaged and change not just your life, but others you care about. We have an Ambassador program launching soon that will create a great opportunity to showcase how some of our superheroes are using the MyBeacon app to make an impact in their communities and help inspire others to do the same. You can learn more about that and other exciting news on our website.
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success in your great work!
Social Impact Heroes: Why & How Jennifer Lucero of MyBeacon Is Helping To Change Our World was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.