“It’s time for women to come together to share their stories of growth, resilience, intention, and tenacity,” said Kirkwood resident and international best-selling author Jennifer Bardot. Throughout her career in finance and business development, Jennifer has connected with hundreds of women who were open enough to share their stories. Last year, Jennifer curated the stories of 40 of those women into her book, Owning Your G.R.I.T. She chose a diverse and dynamic group of women differing in age, ethnicity, industry, and stage of life. “These are inspiring stories of growth and resilience during difficult times. I wanted women to know they are not alone. I wanted every reader to be able to find a story that speaks to them.” When she was 9 years old, Jennifer was told that she would never graduate from high school. She ended up with an undergraduate degree and two master’s degrees. “It took me a while to prove to myself that I am enough. It’s been important for me to own my G.R.I.T. and not allow someone to label me something that I am not,” said Jennifer.
Jennifer says her mom has always been her inspirational role model. “My mom lost her father when she was young. She put herself through college and had her kids when she was young. She was a top performer in the finance car business. She allowed my sister and me to have a different life because of her work ethic and her ability to balance work and family,” said Jennifer. “Her mantra was, ‘Give it your all.’”
“When someone lives their passion, sparks fly,” stated Jennifer. It’s the spark in every story that Jennifer hopes will inspire women to know they can achieve anything. “Follow your passion and do what makes you feel alive,” she said. The shoes on the cover of the book are Jennifer’s actual shoes that serve as a visual reminder to “Keep moving no matter how little the steps,” she said. “As long as you can intentionally envision where you see yourself going, there is always a way to get there.”
Owning Your G.R.I.T. is available at Target, Barnes and Noble, and Walmart.