Reflecting on 10 Years of Impact: The Sparks Group Journey

June marks the 10-year anniversary of The Sparks Group. Wow!  

 I am regularly asked how my entrepreneurial journey has been, and I often talk about my mindset at various points along the way to describe it. 

 When I first started, I hoped someone would pay me to coach them so I could do the work with which I’d fallen in love. 

When it became clear that was possible, I hoped to have enough work to make a living and grow my impact. 

When it became clear that was possible, and I had more work than I could possibly do myself, I hoped to create opportunities for other coaches and consultants to also make a living doing the work they loved and having the impact they desired. 

Now we are a feisty, fast-growing, certified woman-owned, executive coaching and leadership development firm that helps leaders, teams, and organizations grow the capacity – not just the skills – to make the changes that are important to them and the world.  

So many people have supported my entrepreneurial journey and our growth as a firm. Anna Sparks, Emily Moore, Edin Cuskovic, and Candice Lowney play enormous roles in the day-to-day. Our terrific team of coaches and consultants – too many to name but check out the website! – show up with their best in service to our clients every day.  

And dozens of mentors, coaches, and advisors have helped me clarify my thinking, step into and through difficult decisions, and light the way for how things work and what is possible.  

Business ownership has been a catalyst for my own growth – both horizontally and vertically. I’ve learned so much about how to run a business from sales and marketing to finance and operations and client service. And I’ve been invited (forced!) to think about myself differently – to decide what I think and what I stand for and put that forward in the world, for better or for worse. To decide what I want and chart my path towards that future. It’s both liberating and terrifying all at the same time. 

Entrepreneurship is no joke. I joke that there’s a book of mistakes somewhere, but nobody will give us a copy, so we’re writing it ourselves. Our goal is to not make the same mistake twice!   

I wouldn’t have it any other way, and I’m grateful for the positive impact we’ve been able to make in the world, person by person, team by team. And I’m grateful for how I’ve grown and changed over the last ten years as a result of deciding to make the leap. 

Here’s to another ten years of growth and impact. 

Jessica
Founder & CEO
The Sparks Group