• by Erin Everhart , Staff Writer, April 15, 2026

Think back to the moment you decided what you wanted to be when you grew up. Maybe it came to you early. Maybe you’re still figuring it out, because are we ever truly grown up?

I wanted to do a lot of things when I was younger. My first ambition? The first female president of the United States. My next? A music journalist for Rolling Stone magazine. Somewhere along the way I fell in love with marketing and spent 15 years in corporate America.

I never imagined my career would take me here to this perfect mix of journalism and marketing. Funny how it works out that way.

Today's conversation is about all of that. The unconventional path. The ceilings you hit that you didn't see coming. The tightrope we walk on as women: too empathic, you’re soft; too direct, you’re difficult. The setbacks, the successes, the shifts that lead you to where you were meant to be all along.

Jaci Volles is the CMO of Jelmar has navigated her career with what I can only describe as a quiet, earned confidence. She didn’t follow the map; she drew her own. She entered the workforce without a degree and went on to lead multiple companies anyway. She's been told no when she deserved yes, and figured out the difference between a leader who's blocking you and one who's backing you.