Supporting refugees in building emotional resilience, with Jennifer Chipa

Reme: Welcome to Who Cares About My Story, Jennifer. I am delighted to have you here and looking forward to having this conversation.  

Jennifer: Thank you. 

Reme: So please tell us who you are and what you do. 

Jennifer: My name is Jennifer Chipa. Originally from Zimbabwe. I’m mental health wellbeing resilience coach. I specialize in helping professional immigrants, and migrants navigate their emotional challenges of adapting into a new country. Additionally, I advocate asylum seekers and refugees, providing with the tools and support, giving them what they need to build their emotional resilience so they can thrive in their new environments. 

Reme: So can you please share a bit about your story please?

Jennifer: My story when I, when I immigrated to Ireland, which I now call home, staying in the direct provision contributed to my mental health wellbeing. I was so depressed. Anxiety, stigma, trauma. Which I didn’t know what was going on with me. So after doing all those, it was challenging to me. So I wanted to know exactly what was going through me, so that I can help other people who are going through the same adversity. 

So I went to a specialist training called pathways to wellbeing for mental health, for immigrants, for and, ethnic minorities. After doing that for training, I did another peer advocate, supporting immigrants and refugees. After doing those courses, that very impact, impact in a positive way in my life.

It changed my life because I used all those tools to, to, to advocate myself and to practice emotional resilience. 

Reme: Beautiful. And now you help others, doing what it helped you, right?

Jennifer: Yes.

Reme: Nice. So how do you think telling your story has impacted your business? 

Jennifer: Sharing my story has profound impact in my business by creating a deep connection with my audience. It also allowed me to build trust, reliability, showing my clients that I truly understand their struggles. My personal experience have given me credibility, authenticity, which resonate strong with those seeking support.

This connection is grown with my business and also foster a community of individuals and who feel seen and understood.

Reme: Yeah, it’s like they really know that you have been through that journey, so you really understand them, right?

Jennifer: Yes, they do. Yes.

Reme: Mm. So do you remember a specific moment when you realized the impact that sharing your story could have on your business? 

Jennifer: Yes, there was a moment when a client told me that, after hearing my story, it gave her hope and made her belief that she can, could also overcome challenges. Two, she felt inspired, motivated on her emotional, building on her emotional resilience because she saw that she was, it was possible for her to do it as well. 

That moment, it was a turning point on me, as I realized the power of sharing my experience. It reinforced my belief that my story could genuinely impact others and drive my business forward. 

Reme: Yeah. How important, and this is something that different guests have shared how important it is for all audiences to see that it’s possible to be knowing that there is a possibility to achieve that, and then the motivation that comes from there. 

Jennifer: Yes, it was a source of, for clients, it motivated them to say they can also do it. If I can do it, they can also do it.

Reme: Yes. So have you experienced any unexpected challenges when sharing your brand story? 

Jennifer: One unexpected challenge has been vulnerability 

Reme: Mm-hmm. 

Jennifer: Sharing personal experience can be doubting and sometimes leaves you feeling exposed. 

Reme: Yes

Jennifer: There’s always a concern about how people might perceive you. 

Reme: Mm-hmm.

Jennifer: Another challenge is finding the balance between sharing enough to be authentic and keeping some aspects of my private life.

Reme: Yes. Yeah, and this is about the privacy. I find that for a lot of people is, they have the concern about sharing too much or not sharing enough, and where is the balance, right?  So, have you ever worried about sharing too much?

Jennifer: Yes, I was worried. I’m worried about sharing too much. It’s essential to maintain a balance between being open and preserving my privacy. I set boundaries by deciding in advance what I am comfortable in sharing, and what I prefer to keep private. I focus on sharing experiences that are relevant to my work and that can genuinely help others, while keeping my personal details to myself.

Reme: Mm-hmm. Yeah. That’s nice. So, have you ever wondered who will care about your story, and if so, what would you say to your past self? 

Jennifer: There are times I question whether my story could resonate with anyone. 

I would tell my past self that every story is of value. 

Reme: Yes.

Jennifer: And that there are people out there who need to hear it. By sharing my experiences, we can inspire, support others who might be facing similar challenges. Other’s stories can create a sense of community and belonging, showing others that they are not alone. 

Reme: Mm, yeah. And how important it is that, right? Like feeling that there are others that have, go through your path,

Jennifer: Yes

Reme: and you can learn from them and get inspired from them.

Jennifer: Yes

Reme: So can you talk about a significant moment when you decided to change something in your business? 

Jennifer: A significant moment for me was realizing that need of focusing more on advocate for refugees and asylum seekers. Hearing their stories and seeing the unique challenges they face inspired me to expand my work and to include this group. I recognized that their, they needed specialized support and to build emotional resilience and navigate their new lives, which motivated me to adjust my business to focus to better serve their needs.

Reme: Mm-hmm, yeah. And how did you update your messaging? So you show that change to your audience.

Jennifer: Yes, I updated my message to reflect my extended focus on advocating for refugees and asylum seekers. I decided to share aspects for my story that highlighted my connection to their struggles, and my commitment to helping them. By aligning my messaging with my updated mission, I aimed to communicate my dedication to this cause and attract those who needed my supports. 

Reme: Hmm. Yeah. So when you were trying to shape how to share your messaging, did you get any help in defining your personal brand story?

Jennifer: Yes, I sought help from marketing and branding experts to shape my messages and define my personal brand story. Their insights, guidance, were valuable in ensuring my story was compelling and really resonating with my target audience. I would definitely recommend getting professional help as it can provide clarity and enhance the impact of your story. 

Reme: Hmm. Yeah, I see how getting that external point of view can be helpful sometimes because we are so in our own stories that maybe something that is just natural for us, they can see as something interesting to share. So

Jennifer: Yes a good expert, they can help you out to shape your story. They suggest talking to, they help you, they are marketing experts, so they help you out to put your story, so it can resonate with your target audience. 

Reme: Yes. So this is a question that I like to ask to all my guests. What part of your personal brand story surprises people the most?

Jennifer: People are often surprised by tales of my personal experience and the challenges I faced as an immigrant. 

They’re all surprised by the transition from struggling with my own emotional resilience, becoming a coach of helping other, other people worldwide. This transformation showcases the power of resilience and personal growth, which resonate deeply with my audience. 

Reme: Hmm. Yeah. That’s beautiful. We are just finishing this conversation, but before we finish, do you want to share some message that you think is important for our audience to know? 

Jennifer: As a mental health, wellbeing, and resilience coach, I encourage people like these, these days is uncertain days. Everybody’s just saying, what about if, what about if? So I encourage people to practice their emotional resilience. Resilience, they can do it. If I can do it, they can do it. They can be surprised at their ability, what they can do. So I just encourage people to practice their emotional resilience.

During this uncertain time.

Reme: Yeah, that’s a good message and a good reminder.

Jennifer: Because everybody says, what about if? What is going on in the world? Everybody says, what about if, what about if? 

Reme: Yes.

Jennifer: So if they’re resilient, you can know you can bounce back. You know how to do it. You can know how to handle it. When with anything comes through your way, you know how to, how to fight back and stand back again and be resilient. 

Reme: Hmm. Yeah. I don’t know how is the saying, like, it’s not about what happened, but how you react.

Jennifer: How you react, how you bounce back. You know that if this things come, you know how to, you know how to react. How you react to it. 

Reme: Mm hmm, yeah. So thank you very much for sharing with us your story, and your experience and how telling your journey is helping your audience and all the people that you are helping them with the mental health and with the resilience and all that. So, can you please share how can people connect with you and learn more about what you do? 

Jennifer: They can connect with me on LinkedIn.

Reme: Mm-hmm.  

Jennifer: Yes, they can find me on LinkedIn, yes.

Reme: Okay. I’ll share the links on the description and the show notes so people can go and connect with you. 

Jennifer: Yes, I’ll go, they can connect with me, I’m there to help them. 

Reme: Nice. So thank you very much. Thank you for, for your work and for being an advocate for mental health and for helping people that are seeking asylum. And yeah, it just was super nice to hear about your story and to have you in the podcast. Thank you.

Jennifer: I’m so, thank you too. I’m so honored to be on a podcast. I’m so honored. Thank you very much. 

Reme: Thank you.