Chances are that if you check in multiple times a day via Instagram to obsess over what “Electric Lady” Janelle Monáe is up to, how she styled her natural curls or what super fly getup she’s rocking, you’ve seen Jovian Zayne in a few of the artist’s pics. Zayne is as delightful as her name implies and she’s often with Monáe, assisting with the human capital development of her Wondaland label.
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Helping Janelle Monáe and her Wondaland label team is a natural step for Ms. Zayne. Her God given capacity to lead others into utilizing their skills to fulfill their purpose is something she’s been doing since a child. Now, the same expertise she offers Monáe, and to young professionals, is accessible to us all. Zayne started her own firm, Jovian Zayne, LLC, to help people find their purpose and elevate in their professional lives. BlackEnterprise.com caught up with the busy lady to talk purpose. The read is sure to encourage and inspire.
Tell us about your business and what it offers.
Jovian Zayne, LLC is a firm designed to help people connect impact and passion to purpose. We offer one-on-one coaching experiences, public speaking engagements, and workshop/training facilitation. We serve individuals and organizations that are looking for expertise in general professional and career development, management coaching and diversity learning facilitation.  Jovian Zayne, LLC is driven by the mantra “Live on Purpose,†and I deeply believe that understanding one’s purpose can incite not only freedom from unnecessary distractions, but also an understanding of how to prioritize one’s time and efforts in order to have a more meaningful impact in the world.
What inspired you to start professional coaching and helping others identify their purpose?
I’ve always had a strong desire to support others in being their best selves. Growing up I was always the friend coaching her friends (and sometimes even their parents) through their problems. Â This natural desire fueled my interest in professional development and organizational behavior which ultimately led to a degree in Psychology, subsequent trainings focused on coaching, and my long time career in human capital development.
My interest in leveraging my skills, coupled with my heart for inspiring others to be their best led to the creation of Jovian Zayne, LLC. Â I often tell my clients to reflect back to their moments of extreme joy, and conversely their moments of angst and unhappiness in the work place. Those moments often speak to what lies underneath our passions and desires for impact, directing us closer to our purpose. There’s no doubt that I feel most alive and connected to God when I’m coaching someone or delivering a keynote address to inspire positive action. This undeniable feeling of self-actualization has been a consistent reminder that I’m living on my purpose by helping others do the same.
A lot of people find themselves stuck. They know they have a purpose, but they’re experiencing trouble in figuring out what that purpose is. What do you think the first step is in living on purpose?
You can’t live purposely if you haven’t taken the time to assess how your passion meets your desired impact. I often ask my clients these four questions: “Who do you want to impact? How do you want to impact them? Who do you want to impact you? And what needs to be true in order for your impact to be real?â€
When answered honestly, these questions will generate reflections that can ignite a series of significant changes in how we spend our time, who we spend it with, and in what manner. All of this connects to our ability to not only know our purpose, but to also prioritize it in our day to day actions. For instance, if I’m clear that my purpose is tied to helping young women of color achieve a better education, I operate with that centrally in mind. My volunteer experiences, the people I network with, and the career I choose will all be rooted in my purpose of helping educate young women of color. Having clarity about my purpose will allow me to avoid relationships that would detour me from my goal, or conversely engage in relationships that will promote progress.
Go to the next page to read about Jovian’s party experience with First Lady Obama.