Meet Jenn Cook | Yoga Instructor, Retreat Facilitator, Thai Bodyworker, Tarot Card Reader, & Jewelry Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jenn Cook and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jenn, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
There came a point where I realized that what I had been believing about financial security and what a “good” career path should look like just wasn’t true for me. I was going through my second lay off from the corporate world and I felt stifled, full of self doubt, and low self esteem. I was overspending & numbing to compensate for my unhappiness, and there was a lot of toxicity at the last place I worked at…and to top it all off, I wasn’t finding any financial stability, personal/ professional growth, or support. I had let fear keep me boxed in. I had just started teaching yoga and was getting great feedback from it, I already had my jewelry business side hustle. I decided I could always go back and do something in a corporate environment, but I had to try teaching and making jewelry full time. If I didn’t take the risk and go for it, I wouldn’t know what I was capable of.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Since I have a wellness and a jewelry business, I am able to bring so many aspects of creativity and flow into my offerings. Some of the biggest insights I’ve learned along the way have been 1. take the risks – you can always go back to what you’ve done before, 2. stay true to yourself – I have the most connection and success when being truly aligned with what I’m designing in my jewelry and in what I’m teaching and sharing versus doing what I think others will like, and 3. give it time – building a business is never an overnight success nor is it as easy as it appears. There’s so much that goes on before one leads a retreat, or stands behind a booth at a festival, or teaches a yoga class, or does a tarot reading. You are getting years of insight, trainings, learnings, failures, sidesteps, and passion. It’s not just the product when someone loves what they do – it’s a piece of them opening up and being shared with you.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Atlanta has so many great experiences to choose from. Of course I would tailor it to their interests but if they have never been before, I would most likely include a few walks on the Beltline, Krog Market, Ponce City Market, meals at Poor Hendrix, Banshee, Estrellita, Brush Sushi Izakaya, Lotta Frutta, a Mano, and somewhere on Buford Hwy, an experience at Illuminarium, a history walk with the Atlanta Preservation Center at Oakland Cemetery or through the Fox Theater, I’d drive them through Inman Park, Grant Park, and down Peachtree Street with notes about the history and places of interest (I’ve actually done this before for someone who had just moved to Atlanta), grab coffee at Little Tart and Perc, wine at Dom Beijos or Vinoteca, hike on Arabia Mountain, take a yoga class at Highland Yoga, Form, or Dancing Dogs Yoga or a movement class at Metropolitan Studios in EAV, and enjoy a stroll through Piedmont Park. If they are into shopping, definitely a stop at Motherlode, Bill Hallman, Modern Mystic, & Squash Blossom Boutique is in order. Somewhere in all of that, we sleep and chill, lol.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Anyone who believed, loved, and supported me and those who didn’t…every experience and interaction has a ripple effect. Every training I took, every movie, song, book, travel experience that inspired me has led me to my current life.

Website: www.dreajames.com and www.jenncook.co

Instagram: @dreajames and @wellnesswithjenn

Facebook: Drea James Designs and Wellness with Jenn

Image Credits
Kelly Truitt, Bryce France