The SISTERhood Edit: Interview with Jen Alico
From Corporate Burnout to Meditation Coach
The Sisterhood Edit is a series of interviews bringing to light, women who are making an impact in their community, society and to the world at large. It is our mission to use our platform to show how strong, beautiful and courageous these women are and to give them the recognition they deserve.
This series is about uniting diverse and unique women from different walks of life, breaking down cultural barriers, sharing ideas, stories and our individual journeys that brought us to where we are today. The SisterhoodEdit is a place for us to connect, learn from each other and evolve as women, together.
In this month’s interview, we talk to Jen Alico, a corporate wellness speaker, certified meditation coach, and entrepreneur. After earning her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Accounting, Jen worked as a successful Accountant in New York. Unfortunately, Jen worked herself to complete exhaustion and burnout, and as a result, became ill. During this time, she discovered meditation; which helped her heal from corporate burnout, regain her confidence and start a business.
What we love about this Interview is that Jen took an adverse situation and made it benefit not only herself but her community by forming Zen Jen Meditation. Jen uses her personal experiences to guide hard-working professionals towards overcoming and/or preventing workplace burnout. She teaches the tools of meditation and mindfulness to bring balance, clarity, and joy to people working in the corporate world.
Q: Jen, what was the catalyst that made you leave corporate life and start Zen Jen Meditation?
I’ve known since high school that I wanted to run my own business, but I had no idea what that business would be. When the pandemic hit in 2020, I was furloughed from my job and, like all of us, tried to adjust to this new way of life, but couldn’t, I was waking up every day constantly feeling unfulfilled and depressed.
‘‘Because of previous life events,
I knew the best way to come out of this misery was to lean heavier into my meditation practice. So, that’s what I did.’’
I pushed myself to meditate more than ever and started to talk about my meditation practice with my family and friends.
It was a conversation with my sister that motivated me to start a meditation practice. I soon found myself researching meditation certifications, found one that I felt aligned with, registered that week and then just like that, I took my first step towards starting Zen Jen Meditation.
Q: Was it hard to start Zen Jen Meditation, especially during the pandemic?
Starting a business is a challenge no matter what, but I actually think starting it during the pandemic was a big blessing. I had no external distractions pulling me away, so I was able to solely focus on building a solid business foundation. One of the greatest things about starting Zen Jen during the pandemic was that it naturally fell into being an online business. This has allowed me to reach, and work, with individuals and companies from all over the globe.
Q: What is corporate burnout, and how can one identify it?
In simple terms, corporate burnout is unmanaged stress that accumulates in the body over time. Think of it as your body constantly being in fight or flight mode. It is good if you need a quick adrenaline rush to get out of a scary situation. However, it can be detrimental to your health when you live in this state for too long.
Symptoms of burnout can show up differently in each person. I would say I had an extreme case. Starting in 2017, my burnout caused 2 years of chronic stomach illness, skin rashes, and body pain. Simply put, my body felt like it had shut down. I couldn’t keep food in my body, and even drinking water was hard to do. I saw countless doctors, had numerous tests done and changed my diet, but no one could figure out what was wrong and nothing made me feel better.
I now know that my illness occurred because I was not managing stress at work. I would even show up to my doctor’s appointments with my laptop to make sure I didn’t skip a beat while out of the office.
Some other common symptoms of burnout include constant mental and physical exhaustion, brain fog, irregular sleep patterns, an increase in alcohol and/or drug use, development of irritability and/or impatience, loss of productivity, headaches, migraines, and depression.
Q: So, for our readers who are a little sceptical about meditation, but may have the above symptoms of burnout, why should they adopt this practice?
I’m all about trying everything at least once! The beauty of meditation is that it cannot and will not hurt you. There’s no such thing as a meditation overdose! I think that scepticism comes from a fear of the unknown. You may be feeling unsure of what will come up for you when you close your eyes and sit with yourself. It’s a completely rational fear.
“Our society is built on suppressing emotions and trauma,
meditation forces you to work through them.”
But take it from me, the grass is so much greener on the other side. The comments I often hear are, “I tried it once, I just can’t meditate.” or “I’m just not good at it.” or “I didn’t feel any different the first time I did it.” And to that I say, meditation is called a practice for a reason, you have to practice!
Consistency is the key to feeling the benefits of meditation. With my clients, I've seen a major decrease in anxiety and stress, as well as an overall sense of joy and happiness. Meditation also gives you the tools to be more productive and to healthily process your emotions, instead of burying them or being quick to react.
A major benefit that draws many people to meditation is better sleep. After just one meditation session with me, a client of mine was able to fully sleep through the night for the first time in 9 months! Though, I believe the greatest benefit of meditation is the ability to reduce pain and inflammation in the body. Meditation truly gives you the ability to heal your body.
A post shared by Jen Alico | Meditation Coach 🌻 (@zenjen.meditation)
Q: This is great, so, how would you describe your meditation style, and why did you choose it?
I describe my meditation style as “Intuitive Flow.” To me, this means creating a meditation practice that not only feels good but also evolves with your life. As we go through different seasons, our attention shifts, and our needs change. Within my Intuitive Flow style of meditation, I practice and teach everything from balancing your chakras to sleeping better, to manifesting your dream life to managing work stress.
Personally, I chose this style because I find it boring to do the same thing every day for weeks, months, etc. With Intuitive Flow, you’re able to hold on to what is serving you at any given moment and allows you to let go of what you no longer need. This meditation practice will feel different every day because it naturally ebbs and flows, just as your life does. It’s a no-pressure kind of practice!
Q: What do you most enjoy about running Zen Jen Meditation?
I love that I can create my own schedule. Emotionally, I am so fulfilled. When my clients talk to me about how much better they feel since working with me or how their life has entirely changed for the better, it gives me a sense of joy beyond belief. I’ve seen some incredible results from my 1:1 clients. But when the Vice President of a global company, tells you that the Executive team uses the mindfulness practices you’ve taught them to make high-stakes business decisions… Nothing feels cooler to me than that.
I’ve had multiple opportunities to rejoin the corporate world, but no amount of money or title has given me the same feelings or fulfilment as running my business.
Q: What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned, over the past year?
When you’re feeling tired, whether emotionally or physically, REST. Whatever that means to you, honour your body.
Q: So if present Jen could go back in time to 2020 Jen, what would you say to her?
I love this question! I think about this often. I would tell her, “keep going because we're going to make it baby, and it will be all so worth it!” I would also tell her to not be so hard on herself.
Image and copyright: Jen Alico
Q: What quote or phrase best describes Jen Alico?
My first meditation experience ever was during my burnout. I went to a meditation studio in Manhattan, New York called Inscape (which has sadly closed due to the pandemic.)
When researching the studio, I read a quote from the founder, Khajak Keledjian, that said, “a balance of modern wellness and mindful luxury.” This quote really resonated with me and I continue to carry it with me today.
It represents who I am because meditation has taught me so much about balance. This balance can and will look different in every season of life, but that’s also the beauty of it. It’s also given me the strength to step into my truth. And my truth is that I love connecting, meditating, and living authentically, which is balanced by my love of fine fashion, rich foods, and pampering myself.
Q: How can we support Zen Jen Meditation?
To support and learn more about me and my services, please see follow my social media accounts and check out my website using the links below:
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