Choose Yourself Before Life Forces You To
From chasing Hollywood to choosing a life I no longer had to survive.
Speaker One-Sheet
When does perseverance become self-abandonment?
We are taught to keep going, work harder, and never give up. But continuing is not always courage. Through stories of Hollywood, addiction, recovery, teaching, and reinvention, Jen helps audiences recognize when perseverance has become self-abandonment—and find the courage to tell themselves the truth sooner.
Audience Takeaways
- Identify a truth they have been postponing.
- Understand why choosing themselves is not selfish.
- Release shame around changing direction or beginning again.
- Take one honest, practical step toward a life that fits who they are now.
- Recognize the difference between perseverance and self-abandonment.
Best-fit Markets and Entities
PRIMARY
- Women’s leadership
- Recovery and behavioral health
- Corrections, reentry, and restorative justice
- Educators and adult learning
- Mission-driven nonprofits
SECONDARY
- Employee wellness
- Universities and colleges
- Healthcare and helping professions
- Faith and service communities
- Creative and career-transition events
Jen SluMac
Jen SluMac is a published author, educator, keynote speaker, and storyteller whose work draws on recovery, reinvention, comedy, and more than a decade teaching inside jails and prisons.
She holds an M.Ed., a California Adult Education Teaching Credential, and a Substance Use Disorder Certified Counselor (SUDCC) credential. She has also served as a Restorative Justice facilitator. A former stand-up comedian with nearly ten years of performance experience, Jen brings warmth, humor, and hard-won credibility to difficult conversations.