Jenny Davidson: Playing to Her Natural Strengths
Jenny Davidson learned how to organize from her mom. And now she uses this skill in every aspect of her life, from leading a team at work (she’s the senior director of marketing operations for Whole Foods) to parenting (her two adorable girls, Cameron and Mabry) and managing her family’s calendar.
I hear Jenny’s voice when I’m in my closet and see a stray hanger (these should always return to the end of the rod!) or before I put a wine glass in the dishwasher (remove those lipstick marks first!) and even when I’m getting out of my car (gather up the trash first!), and you know what? She never even said those things to me, I just picked them up by osmosis (just like I tried to pick up her flawless style!).
She’s the friend I text when I feel like my house is getting out of control. She’ll text back with a perfectly outlined cleaning routine that includes little gems like “keep a can of disinfecting wipes in each bathroom for things like toothpaste in the sink.”
Maybe it sounds silly, but I’ve always admired personality traits like this in my friends. I gain a lot of motivation and inspiration simply from witnessing people be themselves. Everyone has strengths they probably don’t even realize are their superpowers, often things that don’t come easy to others.
And while I could gush about all the incredible career accomplishments Jenny’s achieved and rave about the impeccably curated birthday parties and showers she’s thrown (because she’s a natural leader in both spaces), it’s the simple wisdom and authenticity Jenny radiates that has stood out to me over our years of mostly long-distance friendship.
Jenny and her daughters, Mabry and Cameron.
Q&A with Jenny Davidson:
Where do you get your energy/what motivates you?
“While it is likely an expected answer, I am motivated by my family. I work hard for them and structure my day and stay organized so I can get the most out of each extra minute we have together.”
What other women inspire you?
“My successful and motivating friends. I am so lucky to have friends that are also my mentors and have amazing jobs that I learn from everyday:
”Sarah Spence, an amazing manager of people at Apple here in Austin. Working in competitive retail environments Sarah is a leader that lifts up others and is compassionate. I connect with her so easily, and I am sure she makes the same impact in her work environment.
”Andrea McFarling, an amazing leader and marketer in the tech space at ShipStation here in Austin. Andrea leads with such grace and gains respect from those around her–she continues to impress me, and I am sure does the same for her team.
”Brittany Hammer, a former co-worker, friend, and amazing mom. We became friends at an ad agency 15 years ago and continue to inspire one another with job inspiration, culture, and sometimes just venting about ‘trying to do it all.’
”My sister-in-law, Jessica Hughes. She is so creative, mega-organized, amazing wife and mom to three and has amazing style! She inspires me with home projects, gifting, and personal style.
”My mom. She instilled my organization skills in me. We would spend summer break organizing closets, crafts, drawers, and anything you can think of. Even so many years later, we enjoy a good organizing weekend together.
”My Whole Foods Market team. I am surrounded by amazing women everyday that challenge me, push me out of my comfort zone, celebrate my wins, and are just fun to be around.
”And of course, editor, author, blogger, mom of three, amazing wife, gardener, thoughtful friend...Kate Bethell!”
How do you break up your days/what’s a day-in-the-life look like?
“Right now a typical day looks like:
6:00: Pilates or workout in our home gym (a COVID project of ours after our canceled gym memberships).
7:00: Coffee, breakfast for the girls, get dressed, fix girls’ hair (it is fast and furious with a new school routine!).
7:35/8:00: Drop girls off at school.
9:00-5:00: Work, lots of video calls, or an occasional day or two in the office in downtown Austin! Usually wearing a headband, my new COVID accessory. :)
Evenings: Driving to dance, cheer, tennis for the girls, cooking dinner, reading with the girls.I use Google spreadsheets with friends to plan ahead carpools months in advance, it has been a huge time saver!
7:00: Girls in bed.
8:00: Catching up on final work items/emails, enjoying a glass of wine, and spending way too much time searching for a show between Prime, Netflix, YouTube TV, and HBO Max. Any school prep, as I am the room mom for Cameron's class and currently serving as PTO President at Mabry's pre-school (aka: lots of organizing and spreadsheets).
9:30: In bed.
10:00: Asleep.”
How do you stay organized or what strategies do you have for accomplishing goals?
“I think a lot of my success in my career (and at home) is due to being extremely organized. With any new challenge or project, I often ground myself in organization, taking notes and sometimes rewriting notes to prioritize my week. I am a big fan of the Apple Reminders application. I have lists for meeting topics with my co-workers, work to-do’s, school to-do’s, house to-do's, grocery lists.
“I meal plan four days a week (usually Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday–keeping Thursday for leftovers or picking something up from a local restaurant).
“Sundays I prep a week of kid snack bags for school and label everything, this makes night prep before and mornings run smoother (and allows for enjoying a coveted cup of coffee in peace).
“Each night, I prepare anything and everything I can for the next day. This helps me sleep without going through the checklist in my head before bed of what I need to do the next morning as soon as my girls are up and at ’em!
I lay out outfits for my girls and even for me (when I go into the office). This creates less conflict in the morning on picking things out, and sometimes lets me dress my girls in matching or coordinating outfits. Growing up my mom and I always loved putting together outfits and this has carried on with me and my girls and a love for trends and styling.
I prep lunches/snacks/water bottles to grab and easily pop into their backpacks. This helps keep the morning routine low stress and start each morning with a good energy.
Each night, coffee is prepped and ready to just hit the ‘brew’ button.”
What’s your pie-in-the-sky dream or ambition? (Maybe you’ve already accomplished this!)
“Well, if we are talking pie-in-the-sky here . . . I would love to be able to take a year off with my family and live in another country. Like so many, I miss travel, and would love to experience another culture for six months to a year with my husband and girls.
“But back to reality, I want to be known as a role model. I take passion in being a leader and have had bosses and mentors that have left lasting impressions with me that I often say, ‘That is/was one of the best bosses I ever had,’ or ‘I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for the chance that person took on me.’ Furthermore, I want to be a role model for my girls. I want them to respect my work ethic, how I try to stay balanced between work-mom and mom-mom, and approach work and life with good intentions.”
What’s your go-to recipe?
“Sausage Balls: These are a great breakfast treat (make ahead and heat up for 15 seconds on a school day), can serve at a party or brunch as two-bite item. We often make them on holidays–for example, we will have with coffee on Christmas morning while we open gifts as the appetizer before we make a full breakfast for everyone. They are a crowd pleaser, easy and liked by kids and adults.”
Name three positives to have come out of 2020 for you personally.
“Slowing down: Pre-COVID, our weekends were jam-packed with activities, errands for errand sake, and keeping our social calendar filled between kid, family, and social gatherings. In 2020, we enjoyed the slow days, doing puzzles (Cameron is a puzzle queen!), riding bikes and scooters in our driveway, or having happy hours in our backyard while watching our chicken "Pio" roam the yard.
“Don't spend too much time ‘getting ready’ each day. Pre-COVID and going into the office each day, I realized how much time I was investing in getting ready each morning: washing my hair almost everyday, full makeup, outfits that require dry cleaning. I now have more time in my morning to spend with the girls, prepping for my workday, or getting in a short workout or walk.
“Try new things! The more time at home really helped us get creative with projects, crafts, and activities.
We officially adopted chickens and love the daily ritual of finding their eggs!
We planted our first garden. While we had a lot of failures, we successfully grew some jalapeños, bell peppers, and basil that contributed to some tasty jalapeno margaritas and a lot of caprese salads at dinner.
We enjoyed just getting in the car and going for drives around Austin. Making a list of scavenger hunt items for the girls to search while admiring “new to us” neighborhoods and areas of town.
Mike, Cameron, and I started taking tennis lessons in the hopes to have a fun family sport we can play together for years to come!”
Cameron, Jenny’s husband, Mike, Jenny, and Mabry celebrating Cameron’s kindergarten graduation.
