Meet Jen Alico | Corporate Wellness Consultant & Certified Meditation Coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jen Alico and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jen, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Beginning in 2018, I suffered from an extreme case of corporate burnout. This burnout caused a chronic illness flare-up worse than I had ever experienced before. For months, I traveled around the country visiting doctors and trying to find the answers to what was causing me to feel so sick and what I could do to heal. Unfortunately, after countless appointments, I still had no answers. But I wouldn’t accept feeling this terrible for the rest of my life, so I decided to take matters into my own hands.

I started to look into different ways to heal my body. I learned about mindfulness, which led me to meditation, which became the foundation of healing my body and overcoming burnout. Meditation and mindfulness gave me the space to take an honest look at my life and find what was causing me to feel so ill.

I realized that I had practically zero work-life balance, I didn’t have boundaries with people or work, and most things I said “yes” to were for the betterment of others and to the detriment of myself. Therefore, I decided to make lasting changes in my life because I refused to feel burnt out and sick forever.

From that point forward, I made my health, well-being, and happiness my number one priority. I created a consistent meditation practice that connected me deeply to myself and taught me how to best nourish and support my body. I implemented boundaries with work so that I could make time for hobbies and people I love. I brought mindfulness into my every day to help lessen stressors and remain at ease. And I found a new sense of confidence and self-worth which stopped me from constantly trying to prove myself to others.

I wish I could say this all happened in the blink of an eye, but that’s not the case. It took time and a lot of trial and error to heal my body and overcome burnout. I often joke about how many different “wellness trends” I tried and how I was just throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what would stick and help me heal. In hindsight, I’m glad I tried so many different things because I learned a lot that I still share with my clients today.

In 2020, burnout became a common theme amongst hardworking professionals across the globe. I know how lonely and demoralizing feeling burnt out is and I wouldn’t wish that upon anyone. There are systematic changes that need to be made in the way that business is done throughout the globe. There’s no need for so much of the population to feel burnt out because of their job. It’s promising to see the businesses I work with take ownership and provide support for their employees but there’s still a lot more to be done.

I launched my business, Zen Jen Meditation, because knew that I wanted to use my own experience of overcoming burnout to help those currently experiencing it. As a Corporate Wellness Consultant and Certified Meditation Coach, I’m proud to be teaching hardworking professionals and corporate teams how to overcome burnout, lead mindfully, and reignite passion. purpose, and productivity within their lives.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I’ve known since high school that I wanted to have my own business someday. But for a long time, I had no idea what that business would be. Throughout college, my friends and I bounced ideas off of each other from time to time but nothing really stuck because I didn’t feel passionate about any particular idea.

Fast forward and I found myself with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Accounting and working as a Financial Controller in New York City. I was working myself to complete exhaustion and burnout and suddenly became extremely ill. During this time I found meditation; which helped me stay positive during such a hard time, heal from corporate burnout, establish work/life balance, and gain confidence in many aspects of my life.

Then the pandemic hit and I was furloughed from my job. Like many, I was trying to adjust to this new way of life but was waking up every day feeling unfulfilled and depressed. Because of my previous burnout experience, I knew that 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 I ever had before and started to talk about my meditation practice with my family and friends.

I specifically remember the conversation I had with my sister, in June of 2020, that made everything suddenly click. I was talking about how badly I wanted to create a business of my own. My only criteria were that I wanted to be in the wellness space and I wanted to help people. Then my sister said, “what about meditation?” That night I was up late researching meditation certifications until I found one that felt aligned. I registered that week and then just like that, I took my first step toward owning my own business.

One thing that surprises people about my story is that I was able to overcome burnout and heal my body from the damage it caused while working at the same job that burnt me out. And it’s possible for you to do that too. Since launching Zen Jen Meditation, I’ve witnessed incredible transformations in both my 1:1 and corporate team clients seemingly overnight. I understand what my clients are going through because I’ve been there before. The tools, practices, and tips I share with my clients are simple and practical which makes them very easy to stick with, even in a state of burnout.

Building my business hasn’t been easy but it’s been a whole lot of fun! There has been a fair share of challenges along the way but each time I overcome them, I feel even prouder of what I’m building. I’m a firm believer in following what feels good and creating Zen Jen Meditation is exactly that.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I absolutely love the beach so I would recommend spending the day with the sun and the ocean. Plus there’s nothing like walking along the boardwalk. The energy of all the different people around you combined with the beautiful palm tree scenery is unlike anything else. Plus the food in Miami is absolutely drool-worthy and you can really find something for everyone. Some of my favorite places to eat include Sproutz, Pura Vida, Lilikoi, Plant, Unchi, and Mila.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My biggest shoutout goes to my family because of their unbelievable support. They have always believed in me and pushed me to keep going even if I had a moment where I found it hard to believe in myself. I’m forever grateful to have them standing by my side and cheering me on. I’d also like the shoutout the mentors I’ve had along the way including Natalie Levy, Erica Hepperle, and Maria Eilersen for all of the guidance, experience, and growth they have given me. Lastly, I’d like to shoutout all of my clients who continue to trust me and the teachings I share.

Website: https://www.zenjenmeditation.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zenjen.meditation/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zenjenmeditation/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zenjen.meditation

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwSctksDc1srPm-A2mmOy9w

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@zenjen.meditation

Image Credits
Jonathan Cooley