Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jazley Trouser. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Jazley, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s talk legacy – what sort of legacy do you hope to build?
As the founder of Life After Care (L.A.C.), my goal is to leave a lasting impact on the lives of foster children by providing them with purposeful resources and mentorship. I want my legacy to demonstrate that my program was a product of love, passion, and a genuine desire to address a crucial need in the foster care system. I hope my legacy will showcase my intentionality and passion in designing a program that equips foster children with the necessary life skills to navigate life after foster care.
I hope to build a legacy where integrity is one of the significant pillars in all of Life After Care’s structures. In building a legacy, I hope to create a program that will endure long after I am here, and the key to achieving this is to infuse the company with fundamental principles of morals and values. Creating intentional building blocks forms the basis of a strong and thriving organization that can withstand the tests and challenges that come its way. By prioritizing integrity in all that we do, we are committed to building a program that will continue to thrive and positively impact foster youth for years to come.
Once I am gone, people will say I served others with compassion, understanding, and my whole heart. People will acknowledge that I was placed on earth to create a world where all children have the opportunity to achieve their dreams. I hope people will remember me for using difficult circumstances to refine a system needing additional ideas, minds, and resources to combat negative statistical outcomes effectively. In doing so, I also hope that people can always reflect on how I navigated through many spheres of making an impact with a peaceful balance of love and understanding.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am Jazley Trouser, a trailblazer and founder of Life After Care (L.A.C.). I have built my life around serving others. I attribute my heart of servitude to meeting the deprived needs I once lacked during childhood. After losing my mother to cancer at a young age, I lived with a drug-addicted father during some of the most critical times of childhood development. The unfathomable circumstances led me to grow up in the foster care system. Years later, and after having my daughter, I identified core developmental principles lacking in my upbringing while in foster care.
Gaps in the foster care system forced me to implement a program that would forever change the trajectory of childhood development. The L.A.C. program was founded based on my professional knowledge as a youth specialist, former foster care experiences, and realizing it “takes a village” to raise a child. Life After Care (L.A.C.) equips at-risk youth with essential life skills to cultivate resilient attributes and sustain them beyond risk barriers through a strategic curriculum of foundational pillars. Many program participants have grown tremendously in financial literacy, character and career exploration, culinary arts/health/hygiene, mental mindfulness, and cultural exploration. If a child has a rich and diverse background from all walks of life combined with professional experiences, a child is well versed in perspective and capability. As the L.A.C. program expands, I fight for change by positioning as many kids as possible for success through exposure and a commitment to go above and beyond. L.A.C. can be set apart from many other programs through my shared experiences and decision to remain a part of the community.
I am most proud of being an overcomer and being a mother. Some things I’d like potential clients/followers/fans to know about the work of L.A.C. is that the work we do and the clients we serve matter. I want people to remember the needs of foster youth and refrain from writing them off. We want the mission of educating and advocating for those who don’t have a voice and platform to be carried by the resources and understanding of our community. Through our work, we want others to know we can ensure that foster youth are heard, seen, and equipped with what they need, not to be chained to their circumstances and traumas.
Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?
A successful team and high morale are fundamental parts of a fruitful and viable organization. I recommend consistently implementing key strategies to encourage the best environmental culture for the business/organization. In building a reliable team with L.A.C., I’ve found it best to never see myself as being above the team, assessing strengths and utilizing what works best for the overall goal, making effective communication a priority, establishing trust that allows for diligent task assignments, setting clear expectations while encouraging feedback, and recognizing the efforts and achievements of all parties involved.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
One lesson I’ve had to unlearn is that unexpected paths aren’t entrapments to failure but can be the framework for growing in adversity. This perspective grew after being in an uncomfortable situation where I was allowed to implement ideas and programming within a space of my own. The opportunity, although excellent, presented conflicting overlaps of employment and entrepreneurship. When the moment to branch off happened unexpectedly, I considered it a setback; however, as time progressed, it ultimately revealed a new mindset, opportunities, and path of resources. The lesson was so impactful that the unexpected path became one of my greatest advantages.
Contact Info:
Website: www.lifeaftercare.org
Instagram: lifeaftercarelac
Facebook: Life After Care L.A.C
Linkedin: Jazley Trouser
Image CreditsJazley Trouser Aly Darin