The Woman Behind Hush & Be Bold, Jenna Hushka
What inspires your writing and why is it important to you?
Life, People. Love. Nature. Adversity. Life itself is my muse. Most of my writing focuses on my past experiences, my everyday thoughts, and observations I’ve made throughout my days. I’ve always found peace when my fingers hit the keyboard. It’s a way to help make sense of what I’m feeling or what I see happening in the world and with others. And the more I write, the more I realize there’s still so much to learn, explore, and for me, tell a story about. Sometimes I feel this deep mission to write and to show people they are not alone in what they feel and experience. The words I put into sentences impact people. I’ve had people repost my work, reach out, or simply say, “this is exactly what I needed to read”, and to me, that’s the most beautiful, irreplaceable feeling. I find purpose through writing, I always have. But most importantly, it reminds me that we are all humans who struggle need each other’s guidance. Words have helped me through my darkest days and reminded me of my brightest ones. Because words can heal, words can inspire, and I really feel words can help change the world.
What is the most important piece of advice you have received?
Life is not a dress rehearsal; this is the show. Don’t treat it like we are ramping up for the performance. Each day is an opportunity to get clear on what is and isn’t important to you. Each day is an opportunity to make changes that will propel your life forward and help you become the person you dream to be.
Who/what inspires your TikTok content and why did you decide to create content?
I’ve always been this goofy person that says outlandish things that either get a laugh... or an eye roll, haha. But regardless of giggles or eye rolls, I’ve always wanted to express my comedic side and TikTok was this place where I felt free to be myself. If you’ve seen my TikTok, a lot of it is corporate or WFH-like content. I find the corporate world fascinating and a perfect place to pair humor. The corporate world is such a paradox to me because on one hand, I get to be this hard working professional woman, but on the other hand, I see examples where we can either make satire of an experience, or highlight the norms that are somewhat ridiculous in the workplace in a comedic way.
@jennahushka Early birds unite 🥺😅
♬ original sound - fiona’s gf
I decided to create content for one simple reason: it’s something I’ve always wanted to do. Life’s too short to second guess yourself and opt out of things just because you’re scared of the outcome. I thought over and over to myself, “Okay people will either like this and laugh, or they will think its unfunny and move on with there days not giving me a second thought”. And when you look at it that why, why not give it a shot? I do it for myself first. I do it to challenge myself and rid my brain of the “what if I had just pushed my fears aside and created” thoughts. And of course, beyond myself, I enjoy making people smile more than anything.
How do you achieve a healthy work/life balance?
When I first began my professional career, I fell victim to the idea that working longer and harder would make me the ideal employee. But as many of us know to be true, this kind of mindset will burn you out. You’ll end up exhausted and resentful of the work you do. Just because you can be a workaholic doesn’t mean you should. I don’t believe there is perfect formula to work life balance but there are plenty ways to improve. For me prioritizing is key. What are the top items I need to accomplish for the day? What will make me feel that I am creating progress in my job for the day? What commitments in my personal life will I set time aside for? Attack each item by importance throughout the day and throughout the week. Don’t agree to work later than you can when you cannot. Learn to stop and take breaks; as many as you need without guilt. Learn to say no to work that’s going overfill your plate. At the end of our lives, we are not going to regret finishing that report one day late, but we will regret working our selves to the bone to the point we forget to enjoy our ‘lives’ too. □