Jessica and I first met in September 2016 and I knew right away we’d help one another grow our businesses. We have similar communication styles, we’re motivated by the same things, and she deeply understands how to communicate transparently to tens of thousands of people (I’m learning that). Jessica was raised in Boston, made her way to Tucson, and eventually landed in metro Phoenix. She’s led communications strategies for Freeport McMoran, PetSmart, Apollo Education Group and University of Phoenix, Great Hearts Academies, and a host of nonprofits.

Her strategies for making communications simple are so effective – don’t overthink the message, would a 10-year old understand?, practice the platinum rule, deliver the message via as many channels as you can, don’t compromise your organization’s values, make your constituents “feel” the message, etc. Brilliant stuff. Jessica’s advice around not worrying twice, surrounding yourself with people who hold very different perspectives, and asking yourself “So what?” were spot on. She’s a fan of the Harvard Business Review, Malcolm Gladwell’s book Blink, the Hysteria podcast, Glennon Doyle’s books, and The Longest Shortest Time and Hysteria podcasts. Check them out.

Jessica Taylor is the director of internal communications at PetSmart, Inc., and runs her own communications firm, J. Taylor Communications. She has spent her career as a communications leader for Fortune 500, non-profit and government organizations. Jessica earned her BA in journalism from the Walter Cronkite School at Arizona State University and her MBA from University of Phoenix. She is actively involved in the community, serving as a board member of the Arizona Educational Foundation and a school board member, and is a graduate of Valley Leadership Class 38. In 2017, Jessica was named to azcentral’s list of young communications professional helping Arizona find its voice.

To follow Jessica, visit http://jtaylorcommunications.com; https://www.instagram.com/jessdoit5/; https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicawhitetaylor; https://misadventuresblog.com