About Jenny Steadman
Hi, I’m Jenny
And I’m passionate about helping people live with more awareness, mindfulness and compassion, both in their personal lives and in the corporate world.
My lengthy corporate background means I am well-placed to offer insightful mindfulness training that helps employees and entities unlock their potential.
Over my career, I have worked in organisational strategy, transformation, program management, leadership development, change management, learning & development, reward & recognition, recruitment, and more.
The highlights of my corporate career include:
Managing organisational strategy and transformation for a NSW-based electricity distributor
Head of Learning & Development and Leadership Development for a company in the energy sector
Leading staff recruitment for the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games
Managing staffing for the Dome & Pavillions at Sydney Olympic Park (for some interesting archive viewing, watch me lead a venue training sessions for the Olympics here)
Managing an employment agency
Head of Human Resources for an international publishing company
Delivering professional and personal development courses to people in Russia
My educational background includes an MBA from the University of Technology, Sydney and postgraduate qualifications in Project Management and Human Resources.
My personal mindfulness journey
I’ve practised mindfulness since I was a teenager, but the beginnings of my interest were seeded earlier.
Throughout my childhood, I studied music seriously. As a classically trained musician, I performed with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and other ensembles. Music taught me the importance of dedication and persistence to achieve high standards, a mindset that proved invaluable in my teenage years.
By 15, I was living alone in a one-bedroom unit while completing my final years of high school. Living alone was tough. I taught myself to cook and clean, made sure I got to and from school, and attended band and orchestra rehearsals, all on public transport.
I was challenged in so many ways, including extreme loneliness. When a teacher at the school offered mindfulness sessions to students, I signed up immediately. Mindfulness gave me the strength and resilience to cope with the difficulties I faced. And later, it informed my business career as I integrated mind training and mindfulness practices in every corporate position I held.
After being diagnosed with and recovering from breast cancer, I decided to help people lead more purposeful and enriched lives using mindfulness and compassion as the foundation. I began looking into the link between mindfulness and neuroscience, always keeping my studies firmly grounded in academic research.
That led me to gain international accreditation with Potential Project to run corporate mind training programs in Australia and internationally. I also gained full certification to teach the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program, an evidence-based course designed for individuals. Certification was awarded by the Mindfulness Training Institute of Australia and New Zealand and is only awarded to those who have taught many courses as a Registered teacher, worked with a supervisor over many months or years, submitted video and audio recordings of classes and meditations which have passed rigorous assessment, attended several multi-day silent meditation retreats, and submitted a reflective paper about the practice and teaching.
In my personal life, mindfulness practice has always been important. I have attended silent meditation retreats since 2000, and have studied with some of the greatest mindfulness teachers alive today.
Offering mindfulness to individuals and employees from diverse sectors is my way of making the world a kinder, more caring and compassionate place. It is an extension of mindfulness, and it directly and quantifiably improves performance, productivity, stress management, focus, and so much more.
Read testimonials showing how these learnings have helped my clients here.
To book me as a speaker, or to support your employees with their performance, resilience, innovation, compassion, optimism and leadership, or to attend the community-based programs, please contact me today.
Thank you!
Jen
Ongoing development, certification, study and practice is very important to me. Here is some evidence of my commitment:
Certified Mindfulness Teacher - Professional Level (International Mindfulness Teachers Association)
Member of the International Mindfulness Teachers Association
Certified Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Teacher (Mindfulness Training Institute of Australia & New Zealand)
Certified Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness Practitioner (David Treleaven Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness)
Accredited International Corporate Mindfulness Facilitator (Potential Project International)
Trained Mindfulness Facilitator (UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior)
Trained Mindfulness Mentor (Taught by Jack Kornfield, Tara Brach, & more)
Certified Organisational Coach (Institute of Executive Coaching and Leadership)
Masters of Business Administration (University of Technology, Sydney)
Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management (Deakin University)
Graduate Certificate in Project Management (University of Technology, Sydney)
Professional Diploma in Human Resource Management (Deakin University)
Hogan Certified - Hogan Personality Inventory; Hogan Development Survey; Motives, Values, Preferences Inventory (Peter Berry Consultancy)
Certified Facilitator (Development Dimensions International)
Participant at annual 10-day silent meditation retreats (typically at the Blue Mountains Insight Meditation Centre)
Participant of the Positive Neuroplasticity program (Dr Rick Hanson)
Participant of the Engage Mindful Leaders program (Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute)
Participant of the Satipatthana Sutta program - The Four Foundations of Mindfulness (Barre Centre for Buddhist Studies)
Participant of the Mindfulness of Breathing program (Barre Centre for Buddhist Studies)
… there are probably some I’ve left off and the list will continue to grow.