Something Different For Women: Interview with Jennifer Macaluso-Gilmore

Three years ago, I realized I was, well, not living my best life. Also known as bad relationship + feeling no life purpose + eating a lot of cupcakes.

And then, one of my best friends introduced me to Jennifer Macaluso-Gilmore and her organization, Something Different For Women, LLC.

Since January 2003, Jennifer has taught her ‘Something Different For Women‘ courses to over 600 women around the globe. Her ‘Something Different’ series of courses was born out of endless requests from friends and strangers alike, who, over the course of many years, were attracted to Jennifer’s positive energy, inspirational words and her own personal successes and self motivation.

Jennifer’s diverse training is a compilation of 12 years studying with various schools, programs and courses for her own personal growth. She has in depth knowledge and first hand experience with cognitive and behavioral therapy. She has also studied Core Energetics in NYC.

And here’s where books come in. Jennifer has read hundreds of books on women’s studies, addiction, co-dependence, goal setting, quantum physics, eastern philosophies and the powers of consciousness. As part of her courses, Jennifer offers a comprehensive recommended reading list, books that have made a significant impact in her life.

Evidence: the three reviews I’ve already done have been based on her recommendations: The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, How to be Happy, Dammit and Oh the Places You’ll Go!. But, the list is way longer than that.

Of course, her impact in many of women’s lives goes way beyond the books she recommends, but these books aim to create one’s personal, inspirational library that can be referenced over and over again.

Jennifer and I recently caught up about starting her own inspiring program for women, her expert thoughts on following your dreams and of course, some of her favorite books.

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Laura: Let’s start at the beginning. What inspired you to start “Something Different for Women, LLC?“

Jennifer: Well, when I was in my late teens & early twenties I was very unhappy. I felt like I was struggling on every front… so out of desperation, I started doing a lot of work on myself (& I mean a lot!) I was like the Queen of Self Help! All that work, coupled with the experience of dealing with some major life tragedies, eventually paid off.

My life began to improve dramatically. My career started happening, I opened myself up to a great guy, money started coming to me, I was genuinely happy. I felt like I was suddenly living this charmed life. Even so, a lot of women I knew around me were still struggling. Knowing things could be different for them, I wanted to share what I knew, what I had learned. I felt compelled to help others because I was so in awe of my own transformation. I really knew first hand, that if I could turn everything around for myself so dramatically, anyone could!

Still people need tools, they need life skills. The skills we all need the most to live life successfully, they unfortunately don’t teach us in school! So, that’s what I do now…not just for friends anymore but for any woman who’s in need & interested. I love it too!

Laura: How many women have now taken your classes? What is some of the most powerful feedback you’ve received from them?

Jennifer: I haven’t taken an exact head count in awhile but I know it’s over 600 women at this point. Some of them have taken my courses from as far away as California, Miami, Texas… even India, Dubai, Copenhagen & Malaysia. It’s amazing. As far as the most powerful feedback I receive, it’s everything- I don’t feel like I can really summarize it well. That’s one of my favorite parts of my job though; all the emails I get consistently that read ‘You’ve changed my life’, or ‘I never knew I could feel this great’ or ‘I am in awe of my life today,’ ‘I can’t believe I’m married, pregnant, buying a home, debt free, being offered my dream job, off my anxiety medication’, etc. You name it.

Nothing feels better than getting one of these emails in my inbox each day. To know that somehow, in some way, I helped make someone’s life better. So many women are now living their dreams who, when I first met them, felt frustrated, lost or hopeless about some part of their life. It’s an incredible feeling & it really touches my heart every time someone expresses their gratitude. I do feel like I’m the lucky one though. I feel grateful for all the amazing women I get to meet & work with every day. It’s such a gift too, to witness their positive transformations!

Laura: For those who take your classes, you share a recommended reading list. Do you have 2 or 3 favorites that have made the most difference in your life?

Jennifer: Yes! Absolutely. It’s so funny how after reading hundreds of books I seem to still reference the same few that have made the greatest difference in my life. Marianne Williamson’s ‘A Return To Love“, Louise Hay’s ‘You Can Heal Your Life’ & Gloria Steinem’s ‘Revolution From Within‘ are some of the first books that I read & that made the greatest impact on me.

The words in these books changed me, they really helped me change my thinking & my life for the better. Still, there are many more I’d love to list & go on & on about…but I’ll stop here!

Laura: Finally, what advice do you have for people looking to follow their own dreams and passions – whether it’s becoming an author, starting their own business, etc.?

Jennifer: Do what you love. Do what you love & would do for free every single day of your life…in some way or capacity. And don’t worry about having all the answers as to ‘how’ you’re going to do it successfully or make money at it right up front.

You can’t know. You shouldn’t know! And that’s one of the biggest reasons why so many people never act on their dream. Because they can’t see at the beginning of their journey how it’s going to succeed. When I started my bus
iness six years ago I had no idea 600 women would want to take my classes, that I would offer four different courses, a monthly maintenance class for women who love what I do & see great value in it, that I would work privately with over 150 women. I never imagined organizations would start asking me to speak & opportunities of all sorts would continually come to me to share what I’ve learned & all the while, make a nice living doing it.

Still, I am so grateful that I just took that first step & did what I felt passionate about doing- because that’s what built ‘Something Different For Women, LLC‘…& that’s what still makes it so successful today. That same thing that caused me to get started; my love & genuine desire to help others live their dream lives too. So, keep it simple & like Joseph Campbell best said, “Follow your bliss.” Anything is possible. I not only wholeheartedly believe that & live that myself, I also get to watch it happen to amazing women every single day.

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Thanks Jennifer! This conversation alone made me go back to your recommended reading list and start checking off the ones I’ve read. I have many more to read, but I can’t wait to get going.

Find out more about Jennifer and ‘Something Different For Women, LLC’ at Jennifer’s site: http://www.somethingdifferentnyc.com/

You can read more about the classes she offers here and read her inspirational newsletters here.

Tagged as: Interviews, Laura Cococcia, Motivation, Women and Empowerment