Exploring Life & Business with Joanna Kemper of JCK Leadership Growth

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joanna Kemper.

Hi Joanna, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
Born and raised in New York City with Dominican sazon! Ha! My whole family is from the Dominican Republic so I’m the first generation born in the US.

Growing up bilingual and with Latine traditions at home helped in my career journey because I had cultural empathy. As I started my career in Human Resources, I leveraged my bilingual skills to help Latine people navigate the workplace and obtain the benefits and resources they needed to be successful.

I’ve always had an appreciation for the “underdog” so I felt that Human Resources would allow me the opportunity to help them (and also build a profitable career). I obtained my Bachelor’s in International Business and Master’s in Human Resources while working full-time to gain professional experience.

Working for 20+ years in various corporations was educational and insightful. This experience inspired me to launch my own business offering HR consulting to non-profit and/or faith-based organizations.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Smooth?! No way! Full of growth? Absolutely. Being Latina, female, and a woman of color equaled a triple whammy (triple the challenges). Various struggles happened along the way, from obtaining financial aid for college to racism and discrimination in the workplace. However, the struggle that secretly impacts many of us is internalized racism.

We understand that the world has certain stereotypes of us so we work to combat that, even to our detriment. An example is that in the workplace, I would be expected to hold more degrees/certifications and have more experience to qualify for a promotion. In one situation, my employer overlooked me twice for a promotion even though I was already doing the work. Ironically, the two people they hired didn’t work out and I ended up getting promoted.

Throughout my struggles, I’ve always kept in mind that lessons are to be extracted from each one. These lessons have built my wisdom yet kept me humble.

As you know, we’re big fans of JCK Leadership Growth. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
JCK Leadership Growth was established in 2023 to help faith-based organizations with building people management solutions that maximize resources and decrease liability. In my experience working with non-profit organizations and churches, they have a big heart and a big vision. As they hire people to help them achieve those big aspirations, they sometimes forget to create solutions to help those employees thrive.

Not having the right solutions confuses the employees, distracts them from the mission, and can even lead to liability. Our goal is to support the employees so that everyone can stay focused on driving the vision with their full hearts. Our company offers a myriad of services that are customized to the client and some of them include employee handbook creation/editing, leadership coaching/development, performance management, and webinars/courses.

We are a faith-based company that understands the tension between grace and business. Therefore, we help faith-based organizations navigate that tension towards people solutions that achieve the vision.

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Everyone says that relationships matter; I’m not the exception. What’s worked for me is networking locally. In a world full of social platforms, sometimes we forget the impact that local networking can have. Getting connected within your community can open doors to opportunities and powerful connections that can scale nationwide/globally.

Most cities have Chambers of Commerce, including for Hispanics/Asians/etc, which are full of people that want to connect and help. That can be a great starting point. Of course, nurturing the relationship is key so that opportunities flow and it’s not awkward to ask for help.

Contact Info:

• Website: JCKLeadershipGrowth.com
• Instagram: @JcoccoK and @CyclesofRadiance
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannacoccokemper

Image Credits
Kate Green @YellowDoor