Stop Playing Small: Own Your Patterns, Own Your Power with President & CEO/Executive Coach and Management Consultant Tinna Jackson

What does it mean to be a resilient leader, not just at work, but in every area of your life?

In this powerful and deeply moving episode of The EmPOWERed Half Hour, Becca Powers sits down with Tinna Jackson, CEO of Jackson Consulting and author of The Power Play Journal, to explore how resilience, self-awareness, and purpose can transform pain into power.

Key Moments You Won't Want to Miss:

• Tinna shares how her brother’s words from beyond inspired her to keep showing up, even in the midst of grief.
• Becca opens up about losing her own sibling and how she chose to carry his spirit forward through her work.
• A candid conversation on parenting, leadership, and how growth requires us to lead differently through each new season.

About Tinna

Tinna Jackson is a distinguished executive coach, leadership strategist, and thought leader on the Forbes Coaches Council. As the founder of Jackson Consulting Group and PowerDyn LLC, she specializes in power dynamics, emotional intelligence, and executive leadership development. She is the bestselling author of The Power Play Journal and the creator of the Pivot to Power program, a transformative coaching experience designed for high-achieving professionals. Recognized for her impact, Tinna was honored as Empowered Woman of the Year and Top Executive Coach and Management Consultant of the Decade 2025 by The International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP). Through her work, she equips leaders with the influence, empowerment, and decisive action needed to thrive in high-stakes environments.

Connect with Tinna Jackson

• Website
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• Instagram

Explore deeper leadership reflections with Tinna Jackson’s The Power Play Journal: Battle-Tested Strategies & Reflections for Impactful Leadership. Available now on Amazon and at the powerplayjournal.com.

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Podcast Produced by Jen Kourtei at Savvy Edge Marketing

Transcript

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Note: We use AI transcription so there may be some inaccuracies

Becca Powers: Welcome to another episode of The Empowered Half Hour, and I am bringing you today someone, I'm so excited to interview. Like. Genuinely just in the pre-talk I got the goosebumps. I'm like, yes, this is gonna be a good one. Alright, so let me bring it to you. I have today Tina Jackson. She is the CEO of Jackson Consulting and she is the author of the Power Plate Journal and her book is beautiful.

You'll see some images in the show notes, but Tina, welcome to the show. 

Tinna Jackson: Awesome. Thank you so much, Becca. I'm so happy to be here with you today. I know, I'm like, 

Becca Powers: let's get into it. So, you guys are gonna learn about Tina as I do, but I just know from us getting to know each other a few minutes before we hit record that there's some similarities and some parallels and some passion areas that are very similar.

So Tina, I would love to ask you question number one. What's your backstory? how did you get to a point of wanting to produce a book, start a consulting agency, and, your book, but not to mention is a bestseller now and also receive an award, so, mm-hmm. You're passionate about all this, like, how did you get here?

Tinna Jackson: Yeah, it's an interesting story for sure, for sure. So I am actually born and raised in Washington, dc and I'm still here. This is where my business is. And, I've had a really, really interesting upbringing. You know, I grew up with four older brothers. I am the, the daughter of a Marine, who met my mom in the Philippines when he was stationed and, growing up in DC back.

In the eighties was really, really tough. it was a tough time with everything that was going on with the drugs, invading neighborhoods and so forth and. my escape at the time when I was a teenager was through art and reading and being very, very diligent about my work, about my schoolwork.

 and then when I finished high school, I wasn't sure that I was gonna go to college. I, I got into, 'cause I was so artsy, I got into cosmetology. So I went to cosmetology school. Oh nice. Yeah. So I went to cos I know that. So I went to cosmetology school. As I was doing that, I also maintained a day job and I was working for a law firm that also did lobbying and a gentleman there decided that he was going to take me away from the firm and take me to Capitol Hill because he was leaving the firm and he was gonna go.

For this congressman, once he won his Senate seat, and I'm just listening. I'm like, ah, whatever, you know, politicians, whatever, they're full of it. but the guy ended up winning and my friend, he came to me three times. He said, Tina, you've gotta meet this guy. I think you'd be great to work with him.

And I asked him, I said, why do you think I'd be so great? I'm just a secretary. At the time, that's what we called assistants. Yeah. Back in the day with secretaries, I said, why are you bugging me? Like, why is this so important to you? He said, because you don't cut any corners. He said, you are serious about your work.

I love your work ethic, and you tell the truth no matter how people feel, and you do it in a way. That's so subtle and it makes people move. You get stuff done. Ooh. I was like, oh, hmm, okay. I was like, and so I went with him to this reception. I meet this senator and I'm like, oh, he's the real deal. Like, yeah, I'll come work for you guys.

And I did, I ended up, working on the hill for a little over 10 years. and then I left that, yeah, it's, that's a decade is a long time. When you're in a very fast-paced environment like that, you never know what's coming on any given day. and then after that I did some nonprofit work and then I ended up with a political committee.

And during that time I noticed a lot of patterns throughout my career, at least the last. 10 years, I noticed a lot of patterns. I noticed that people tend to be really, really good at their jobs, right? If you wanna be good at your job, you will be good at your job. A lot of the things that were missing was direct training.

A lot that was missing was the lack of emotional intelligence and the way to connect with employees from a manager's perspective to get people to be inspired to continue working well. the gap between just in general leadership and all of the employees. And every job I got, I was like, yeah, this is a problem.

I wonder what people are gonna, what someone's gonna do about this. and so when I was with this political committee, In 2017, a lot of folks were going over to the White House and I said to myself, I know they're gonna call me. They're gonna call. Someone's gonna have a problem, someone's gonna have an issue.

And I was like, you know what? I'm gonna start my management consulting business. I don't know if anything's gonna come of it, but we'll make it work. and so I did, and so a couple years later I decided to step into my business full time because I knew I had something right?

Even though I was saying emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence, people weren't getting it, but I. I think people are getting it now. 

Becca Powers: Yeah, right. It's much 

Tinna Jackson: more, you know, especially, yeah, especially post COVID. And speaking of COVID, I had two brothers pass away in early 2020 from COVID, literally back to back, 

When the first brother was being buried, I got the call about the second brother. So the second brother died on the day of the funeral for the first Oh, and honestly, like I saw the rest of that year through, but I was like, you know, I'm gonna step into this business full time and I'm gonna help as many people as possible, and I'm gonna impact as many people as possible.

 and so yeah, I went in, full stop with Jackson Consulting Group. I started with, it didn't start, but I ended up with a considerable amount of clients to keep me busy. And during that time I was like, I kept thinking about this book, like, I've gotta write this book, I've gotta write this book.

When I started writing it, it was over 400 pages and the publisher was like, lady. Yeah, like we cut, this is not a textbook because in my mind I was like, oh, this is gonna be a textbook because people need to learn this stuff. And then I said, no, what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna write it in a way where every manager, anyone who is in the process of thinking of managing other people, even if you're managing your household as a mom or managing your relationships.

 managing, just managing projects or just managing an organization as a CEO, I want people to check themselves. I want people to learn about. Resilient leadership. And then question, have I been a resilient leader? What have I overcome to get to this particular area or this particular place of strength so that I can bring others along and help them as well?

So the book is written as a journal, with various journaling prompts at the end of each chapter for self-reflection. That's 

Becca Powers: very cool. And there's so much in all of that opening that I might Yeah. I want to touch on, but I think I'm gonna take a piece from where you were just wrapping up and then I wanna go back mm-hmm.

To a couple pieces. But, the one thing that fascinated me, at the end was you're using this term resilient leader. Mm-hmm. And I think that. I've interviewed probably over a hundred people and I have never really heard, we talk about resiliency and I've had a lot of podcasts on that, but I've never really heard anybody like anchor into the resilient leader.

Mm-hmm. That just like caught me. And so I just wanna ask you like, I love that you mentioned whether you're leading your house or you're leading an organization or you're leading. So what would you say. Are qualities that you see in a resilient leader, like what, how would you describe a resilient leader?

Tinna Jackson: I think resilient people are honest. they're honest and they have a high level of integrity. Like, and they also have a level of self-awareness and recognition of what they are going through, when you can accept. What you're going through, the likelihood of you pushing past it, I think is very high.

 even if it's accepting what you're going through and recognizing that I can't do this by myself, maybe I need a coach. Maybe I do need to go to therapy. one therapy session won't hurt. It actually helps, It actually helps. It does. It does. and so, yeah, I think it's people that operate with a high level of integrity and acceptance and self-awareness.

Like they know themselves. They know what's going on. They know how much they can handle. Even though a lot of us handle so much, too much, on a level where you start to approach burnout. 

Becca Powers: Yes. Yeah. You know, and, and that's kind of where I was going is like with strong self-awareness, you can almost overcome anything.

Tinna Jackson: Mm-hmm. 

Becca Powers: You had mentioned losing both of your brothers back to back. Like, I can't even imagine. I only have one sibling and he passed away last year. Mm-hmm. Is one year. Oh, I'm sorry 

Tinna Jackson: to hear that. Mm-hmm. Oh God, it 

Becca Powers: sucks. but there's a couple things in what you said. Like when my brother passed away, I was in the middle of writing my book with the publisher.

Tinna Jackson: Mm-hmm. 

Becca Powers: I had to make some choices pretty fast. And it's like, do I need to break to try to emotionally process what happened or am I, going to take what just happened and take him with me through this, you know? Mm-hmm. And, and so I chose the latter. I'm like, you know what? I feel his presence.

I know he would want me to keep going on. And I went, but, I think as we relate to what we're talking about, even the loss, and we had talked about in the pre-interview of life Lifeing, Yeah. I think that we are 10 times more resilient than we give ourselves credit for. Absolutely. You can persevere from losing both your brothers.

I can persevere from losing my brother, but I would like to talk about that, like perseverance a little bit and maybe. Mm-hmm. Take what you've learned and summarize it in an empowering message for the audience like. Help them remember who they really are, Tina. 

Tinna Jackson: Yeah, absolutely. You know, the thing is, is, you know, loss is inevitable, 

 whether you're losing, you are losing siblings or parents, even the loss of a job, right? Yeah. We all go through some sort of grieving process when there's a loss. and so. Being self-aware. just knowing how you're feeling and giving yourself grace to feel those things is okay.

when I was still working with an employer at the time that my brothers passed, I was working political convention, and that's a very important large scale event during the year of COVID. It was tough. I could have stayed home. I could have stayed home. I could have said, COVID scares me.

I had two brothers who passed away from COVID. I'm just not gonna do it. Then I heard my two brothers, They were so tough, tough guys. I heard my brother say, girl, stop. You don't need to cry over us. Get your stuff done, do what you need to do. That's how they were. And I was like, you 

Becca Powers: know, that's just the energy I got from my brother too.

Crazy enough. Yeah. 

Tinna Jackson: And, and so I became, there was a part of me that became fearless. I was like, screw COVID. I'm not gonna allow COVID to keep me from getting on a plane and working with the team and helping people and helping to see this event through. I think during that process people were like, shocked.

I think people saw me like, oh my God, are you okay? Yeah, I'm awesome. Now, there were times where I would have to again, give myself grace to feel, I'd be thinking of my brothers and I would just, even on the plane. I don't know if this happens with you, but when I'm on the plane and I'm in those clouds, I'm like, oh, I'm thinking of my brothers.

 I hope their soul is okay. You know, I hope they are where I believe they're supposed to be. and so I give myself grace to feel we are allowed that as human beings not allowing. That is what keeps you in a very, very sad and dark place. not allowing that space for yourself.

Becca Powers: And I love how you just also talked about like harnessing their spirit for good. Mm-hmm. I think so many times we take the loss of whether it's loved ones or you said like a job and, I've been through layoffs, I've been divorced, I've lost loved ones. Like, I mean, loss has become like a thing.

But I have learned, when you talked about resilience, this is why I was like, Hey, let's get into the meat and potatoes of this a little bit because mm-hmm. The one universal thing we all have is we all go through this stuff, right? And like, why can one person come out the other side? Another person can't.

And like I often find it's perception, how are we internalizing it and what are we doing for it? But if you can think about how can I leverage this for good? How can I take what my brother's attitudes and what they're saying to me? Like, my brother was, in sales, like a sales leader. And so I always heard him like in my head, go get back on the phone.

 that's his way of telling me like. Let's go, girl. you can't sit here and be sad. Mm-hmm. You gotta get back on the phone, let's go. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. But I think that's a very empowering message for someone who, still dreams of what they're doing next. Or thinks like, I've gone through this.

Who am I to rise into this next thing? what I would like you to maybe share with the listeners is The outcomes and the positive things that happen when you harness your resilience and then you do turn it into good. What are some of the things that you've seen, happen in your life and in the life of your clients?

Tinna Jackson: I think it's important to. understand how to reframe a lot of the situations that we go through, I think it's important to reframe, you know, especially when you're dealing with the loss. Like a lot of things don't happen to us. They happen for us. there's a lesson in everything.

And I think once you get to a level where you're able to accept and reframe. Things get a little easier. I'm not gonna bullshit you and tell you that. Oh, you just reframe and you just move on. No, it's a process. it's a learning process. It's learning how to think differently all over again and believing those things.

Like I do believe that, even though my brothers died during COVID. They didn't die from being shot. They didn't die from being robbed, you know, they died during a pandemic. They were not the only folks that we lost as a, you know, as a country. and so as you're reframing too, I've tried to teach that to my clients, 

 when you're a new CEO for instance, you're walking into an organization in your mind, you think you know what you're doing. Until things start getting revealed on an hourly basis, on a daily basis, you think you know what you're doing. Yeah, sure. Your previous jobs have prepared you for this huge role you're taking on, but when you are dealing with human behavior and when you are dealing with people that have difficulty trusting and you're walking in as the new person and you wanna make all of these changes, you're gonna lose that whole team.

 I try to teach my clients. Reframe. Don't walk in thinking that you are the new sheriff in town. Everyone's gonna fall to your feet, and you're just gonna get all this stuff done. Your agenda's gonna get pushed through immediately. No, no, bro. No sis. It's not gonna go way. It does not like that.

It does not. It does not. Does not for sure. 

Becca Powers: But I like that you brought it back to business because we have a lot of people who are highly professional that listen to this and a lot of people, whether it's a mom or dad that run households and I think that sometimes we get stuck in, I like the CEO example, but I'm also thinking, and the reason I was pausing, I also thinking of like parenting and the different seasons of life that you go through.

Like you can't Parent your teenager the same way you parented them as a toddler. That's right. That's right. So this reframing and, reconsidering and reevaluating is just a really important process. And I don't know if you have anything you wanna say off that, but you just got me thinking of like, wow, this is applicable to, I'm going back to that theme of resilient leader, like this is really applicable across situations.

Tinna Jackson: Yeah. You know, it sure is. just as a parent I am not a parent, but I watched my mom. Try to raise five crazy kids, four and four, four boys and one girl as the baby. And it was not easy. She worked a full-time job. my dad worked a full-time job coming out of the military and there were five kids.

And you know, I was a lot younger, like my oldest brother's, 14 years older than me. and so being the youngest and the only girl. Obviously she wasn't gonna parent me the same way because I was being brought up in a different time than they were. and because my dad was in the Marines, they really didn't have him around.

I was the only child that had both my mom and dad around. And so we were brought up differently. And so when you think of those different scenarios, you can equate it to what you go through in organizations like my mom. Was trying to parent me, from, toddler, like you said, toddler to teenager, to young adult.

There was growth in that process. And if you don't recognize that, you're gonna be an angry parent. Right? Right. You are gonna, there's gonna be a lack of understanding. there's gonna be a lack of understanding of why your daughter or your son is not sharing information with you.

' cause maybe you're still seeing them as that 7-year-old child and not the 16-year-old. They've become, you know. 

Becca Powers: No, I am tracking what you're saying and I'm relating it back 'cause I've. my highest level of leadership was senior director, and so now I'm like coming back to these roles and I think that when you also get stagnant in your career mm-hmm.

I think that it's along those same lines as you've started to approach today the same way you did five years ago, and so That's right. Anyway, I'm just saying like how universal. What you're talking about really is, and like whether you're, a CEO or you're a director or you've been in your role for a while and you are starting to hit that wall, what would you say to that person?

Tinna Jackson: I would say that the wall is imaginary. The wall is there. If you think it's there, it's your mind. it is in your mind. You have to believe in the possibilities more than you believe in your limiting beliefs. I think, Hmm, don't get me wrong. it's hard. 'cause we all struggle with imposter syndrome and confidence.

 when we are scared, when we see the, we see the vision, we see where we want to be, or areas that we might wanna step into. But when you start. Thinking and doubting and you keep looking for that doubt, you will find evidence of it, and it's all in your mind. No one's stopping you from doing anything that you wanna do.

 there's so many resources for us. If we ask you would, and I'll tell you, the senator I worked for, I learned this from him. He would ask for anything under the sun. He would always say, you never know what people would be willing to do or if they'd be willing to help unless you ask. If you keep it to yourself, if you keep thinking that you could do everything by yourself and put on your Superman cape and your superwoman cape, that cape gets old.

After a while, once you're reentering the Earth's atmosphere into reality, that Cape gets worn out, I think it's important to just be honest with yourself and try to break down a lot of those limiting beliefs. Because who told you you couldn't do that?

Becca Powers: Yeah, exactly. Who told that? I love that you said who told you that? Because it normally is a who, it normally is a, who could have been from when you're eight years old and here you are 38 years old and you're letting that wall, you know what I mean? Once you, 

Tinna Jackson: oh my God. Once you start peeling back the onion and you start digging deep, deep, deep on where that came from, oh.

I know 

Becca Powers: I have been like, that was a third grade teacher that I've never talked to ever again. Why is that? Like That's right, that's right. Keeping that wall up. It doesn't even make sense. So it is really cool. it's fun. I know you guys might not think listeners that it's fun to peel back the onion, but it is, it's kind of a fascinating thing, so I encourage you to do it.

Yeah. so I wanna ask another question and you shared quite a few lessons so far, but I would love for you to share. An aha that's up for you, or like a lesson that is really like up for you right now? 

Tinna Jackson: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. It's interesting. I just mentioned some of it, but this limiting beliefs issue that we all have, I think can be very, very damaging to our psyche, to our mental state.

 and to where we all could go, possibly. Especially when you are on that path to figuring out what your purpose is. I truly believe that I'm working in my purpose, all of the jobs that I've had over the years, and I had to come to this realization, all the jobs I've had over the years.

I've always worked for the top person, whether it was CEO or Senator, or I've always worked for that top person as an advisor. And so I'm saying to myself like, I've always been a coach. What am I doing? why wouldn't I branch out and do this? As a business owner for myself and try to get to as many people as possible and let them know that you're not the only one.

It was me too, and it's okay. There is a path forward. Let me help you. 

Becca Powers: I love that. And you said something so powerful. I don't think we, I encourage the listeners to get your book too, especially since it's a journal and it's gonna have a lot of self-awareness in it. But just like stopping to see what is my pattern?

What am I good at? Like, what has my career look like If I was to take that observer view, look down, like when Tina looked down on her career, she says, I've always been the advisor to leaders. To the highest people. Why would I not do that for myself? Like, that's a brilliant question to ask yourself and to like,  peel back that onion on.

Similarly for me too, I've realized, it took me stopping and asking those questions like.  what is my theme? What is my pattern? What do I enjoy? What am I good at? Who have I helped? Who have I served? But I tell you listeners, when you start asking yourself those questions, wonderful things start unfolding for you.

And you know, Tina, I'd like to turn it back to you and just say like, how could what we're talking about be empowering for a listener if they were to embrace the messaging? 

Tinna Jackson: I think what's empowering is the possibility, right, of once you start doing some inward reflection and even writing down on, I don't care if you write it on a napkin or whatever, just write down a couple of notes like, what have I been doing?

You know, what have I been doing for the last year? Had I stopped doing one? Th what is one thing I could have stopped doing that could get me closer to where I'd wanna be? Once you start looking at those patterns, and look, I'm guilty. I go on TikTok. I could spend several hours on TikTok when I'm avoiding an issue.

Oh my God, TikTok shop, right? I could spend hours, but if I flip it back on myself, what could I have been doing in those four hours that I've been scrolling and avoiding an issue? Right? Yeah. I could have gotten through that issue and solved multiple problems in that timeframe. hundred percent right?

And so if you do some reflection and be honest, like be honest, it's just you and yourself. It's just you, yourself and your pen and your pad or whatever you're writing on. Just be honest with yourself. What have you been doing? What do you wanna do? And think about a potential roadmap for how you could get there.

Because it doesn't have to be me, but there are many people out here that are willing to help. That can be helpful. 

Becca Powers: And I love even tying that back to one of the lessons that you shared from, I think you said the senator that you worked for mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. you said there's multiple paths and you don't know what is possible for you if you don't start mapping it out, if you don't start asking people for help, if you don't start mm-hmm.

Leading on the resources, we limit ourselves based upon what we think they're going to respond with, Yeah. Or how they're going to perceive us. Like that imposter syndrome of like, who am I? so you talked about so many things that, I mean, I feel like I could talk to you for like two hours and we just, and I looked at the time, I'm like, sadly, we're coming to at this.

 so what I wanted, I do have one more question for you, but I want you share with the listeners first. Like, how can they stay in touch with you? How can they find their book? All of that now goes to you, Tina, how can you? 

Tinna Jackson: Sure. Oh, thank you. Thank you so much. So I am on Instagram. I am Tina Jackson. It's Tina with two Ns, T-I-N-N-A, Jackson, also on LinkedIn, and the Power Play Journal.

It's battle tested strategies and reflections for impactful leadership. impactful leadership that is on Amazon, and it's also at the Power Play Journal, dot com. That 

Becca Powers: is awesome. I'm gonna, yes, I'm going to go over to Amazon and purchase your book because I love this interview and I wanna support you one, I love seeing how other people, 

Present information to help bring out the best. Right? Yes. Thank you. I just feel like you did a good job at that. I don't know, but I feel like you did. I wanna play. so last question. It's really mm-hmm. More of like a statement that I'd like from you. mm-hmm. It's the empowered half hour.

What is an empowering message you can leave for the audience? 

Tinna Jackson: Yeah. You know, I think that self-awareness is very important, you may not recognize it right now, but it really is the cheat code for loving yourself and loving others. Honestly, I think that once you become more self-aware. The floodgates open no one will understand it until they get to that place.

Once you know more about yourself, you can regulate your emotions and you can manage all of your relationships so much better, because when you get upset, you do have choices. You could choose to crash out and go off, or you could retreat and say something like, I need time to think about this. I'm not in a good place to respond right now.

And that's okay. Yes, you can give yourself that grace. it's okay. I get upset a lot, I've gotta think for a second. You know, especially if the person you're talking to and dealing with, if that relationship is important to you, you will find a different way to respond. if it's your parents, if it's especially.

Especially if it's your kids, because I don't know that parents are fully aware of how powerful their words are. Ooh. And how kids as a, you know, as a kid, I just remember carrying a lot of tapes with me in my head from both parents. Yes. That still stick to me this day. I'm sure you have a few where parents have said certain things to you and you remember them to this day, and it affects how you function.

It affects how you function as an adult. It really does. Which also contributes to some of your limiting beliefs. 

Becca Powers: Right. That's why I went back to the third grade teacher when we were talking about earlier. I'm like, I'm playing a tape from a third grade teacher who doesn't even remember that I exist. You know?

That's right. That's right. That's right. Absolutely. So great. That was beautiful and such an empowering message. I just wanna thank you so much for coming on and being a guest. It was an absolute pleasure to interview you and I hope we keep in touch. Thank you for being our guest. Absolutely. Absolutely.

Thank you so much. I really enjoyed it.