About Jennifer

Jennifer Bridgeforth is a best selling author, a life strategist, and a motivational speaker. She transforms personal and professional lives through dialogue on overcoming obstacles and rediscovering personal greatness. Jennifer has created a global movement that dedicates itself to inspiring individuals and teams to be prepared for the change that creates healthier relationships at home and work . Jennifer provides relationship, empowerment, and business strategy advice to a multitude of followers from middle school classrooms to Fortune 500 boardrooms.  With over 25 years of experience in sales, coaching, training, and corporate market strategy, she has developed a comprehensive approach to strategic success.

Jennifer has received the distinction of being:

  • A featured Google MBE Spotlight Entrepreneur for the "Accelerate with Google" program

  • A best-selling author and #1 New Release on Amazon.com with her debut book "Wisdom in Pieces: Motivational Moments for Real Life." 

  • Awarded the Woman of Excellence award by the Chicago Defender Newspaper in 2022

  • Debuting her "Motivational Moments" segment to over 50,000 listeners on CNN-affiliated internet radio - a record for the station

  • An award recipient of Social Excellence in the Chicago Community by Auchentoshan Corp.

  • Awarded the Top Presenter/Speaker Award at Royal Caribbean's National Sales Meeting.

  • Panelist for aspiring authors at 220 Publishing's Writers Seminar

  • A top speaker for the "D R E A M C A T C H E R S" empowerment exhibition at the Beverly Art Center.

  • Featured "Entrepreneur to Watch" by Uptown Magazine

  • A featured contributor, speaker, and panelist for the House of the Good Shepard annual fundraiser

  • A featured author and entrepreneur for the TBTNews Network

  • A featured author and guest host for iHeart Radio Affiliates.

  • Top entrepreneur to watch by Chicago Sun Times' blog in ChicagoNow.

  • A top Single Entrepreneur in Chicago for Today's Chicago Woman Magazine

  • A KLEO Angel Award winner, introduced by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, for her bravery and advocacy work with women and survivors of domestic violence.

How did we get here?

After 25 years in corporate strategy, sales, and management, Jennifer decided to pursue her dreams and make her passions of creating art, positive and empowering seminars, consulting, and inspirational writing a career.  She founded the Phoenix Art and Empowerment Space in 2010, and published her first book in 2013.  In that time, Jennifer’s artwork has been seen globally from the Moda Operandi exhibit in Japan to the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.  She was also chosen to use her work on set for the Harpo Studios documentary “Season 25: Oprah’s Farewell Season”.  Her writing, which started as letters of hope to women she volunteered with in situations of domestic violence became a hit across radio waves as 60 second passages she referred to as “Motivational Moments.” After 50,000 listeners tuned in for this one minute piece of inspiration, a local publisher suggested how impactful the writing could be in a book form.  Thus, “Wisdom in Pieces: Motivational Moments for Real Life” was born.  She thought that this was the best way to reach the world for change, but the canvas soon changed....

A difficult and educational road.....

When Jennifer first came up with the courage to open her gallery and empowerment business in 2010, it was the result of much research and many sleepless nights to make sure that she was going in the correct financial and personal direction.  As she celebrated her courage for taking the leap, she got a call that changed everything. Two days after signing the long term lease, she got a call from her supervisor that the position she had successfully held for 8 years was being eliminated.  A first time homeowner, Jennifer had just tripled her bills and had her income reduced to zero.  The fighter kicked in. As a recent survivor of domestic violence, Jennifer used the life skills she had developed to turn her side business into a full time career.  This trial by fire was long and educational, but over the following years, she learned to treat her passion as a business and expect the same results that she was tasked to accomplish in her corporate career.  This experience also helped give her the push to turn her love letters to women into her first book and start speaking from experience about the importance of foundational relationships at work and at home.  After choosing to take her art business virtual, Jennifer switched her focus over to helping others have the life they deserve by identifying it, preparing for it, and removing the obstacles that can sometimes make our dreams seem impossible.  Jennifer has sacrificed to get where she is today, and truly desires to inspire people that anything is possible! In 2016, Jennifer was diagnosed with breast cancer, which has strengthened her resolve to champion greatness in any circumstance.