Jessyka Dooley
Episode 84

Narrator: Welcome friends to another episode of The Story & Experience Podcast. Join your host, Japhet De Oliveira with his guest today and discover the moments that shape us, our families, and communities.

Japhet De Oliveira: Hey, welcome friends to another episode of The Story & Experience Podcast. I am delighted to have this guest here. I will give you a sneak peek that the guest actually is the producer for this particular podcast, so it's very exciting to be able to see them. They're smiling, which is a good sign. If you are brand new to this podcast, let me explain how it works. We have 100 questions, 1 to 100, and the first 10 I ask, and then the guest gets to pick between 11 and 100 where they want to go. Obviously, it gets a little bit more vulnerable, more open, and more difficult as we get close to 100. So we'll see where they want to go and share stories and experience that shaped them into the leader that they are today. Let's begin then, shall we? Could you tell us your name? Does anybody ever mispronounce it?

Jessyka Dooley: Yeah, my name is Jessyka Dooley, and actually recently, just this past year, I've had people struggle with pronouncing Jessyka when they just see it spelled out.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh, really?

Jessyka Dooley: Yeah, because it's the J-E-S-S-Y-K-A, and mainly at the grocery store, honestly. You know you keep your name and number under there and they say, are you J- J- Jessie? Jessie-kah? And so, yeah. Strange.

Japhet De Oliveira: I can understand people spelling it differently.

Jessyka Dooley: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yeah, you must get that a lot.

Jessyka Dooley: I get that a lot. But the mispronunciation has just started happening this year. Strange.

Japhet De Oliveira: Good. Good. Jessyka, what do you do for work other than producing this particular podcast?

Jessyka Dooley: Sure. So that's a part of what I do for Adventist Health. I'm a Story & Communication manager, and so I produce this podcast, which is really fun to hear the different stories, the different experiences people share. But then also right now I'm supporting local markets. So right now, Glendale, Central Valley Network, Simi Valley, Sonora, just a few that are needing some additional support in their communication while they have people out on leave or things like that.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, that's fantastic. That's good. You do a lot of writing for them and...

Jessyka Dooley: Yeah, it's really fun and it's fun to get to work with different people in different locations across the network.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's great. What did you do before you worked for Adventist Health?

Jessyka Dooley: Before I worked for Adventist Health, I was working for a church organization, nonprofit, as well as a youth director, assistant youth director. And so I ran summer camp. We wrote content for kids and teens and young adults. Hosted events. And that was really, it was a fun time. Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: That sounds-

Jessyka Dooley: A wild time.

Japhet De Oliveira: Fun would be a good word. I appreciate that. All right, so this morning when you get up, right, do you have coffee, tea, a liquid green smoothie? What's your first drink of the day?

Jessyka Dooley: Yeah, water for sure. I try to drink 20 ounces before anything else.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh, my goodness.

Jessyka Dooley: Which it's really hard, because you want to move straight to coffee. But I try and get 20 to 30 ounces of water and then make a really nice latte. Yep.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's good. Hey, well, well done. Well done on that. Tell us about where you were born.

Jessyka Dooley: I was born in San Mateo, California. It's the Bay Area. And then I had moved up to Auburn, Washington. So that's where I grew up most of my life.

Japhet De Oliveira: Brilliant. And when you were a kid in Auburn, Washington, what did you imagine you were going to grow up to be?

Jessyka Dooley: I struggled with that quite a bit. When we would do career day in grade school, I was like, "Oh, veterinarian, doctor." There's just all sorts of different general options. But honestly, I can remember I had this little toy computer because big computers were just getting into the household and all of that, and so I had a toy computer. And I just remember I would sit there and just type away on this keyboard just with something important to write. I didn't know what I was writing, but I wanted to have something important to write. And now I get to do that every day. I just type away at a keyboard. So I guess somehow in my heart of hearts, I knew that me...

Japhet De Oliveira: And the keyboard we're going to become one.

Jessyka Dooley: Clickety clacking, yep, on the keyboard was going to be it. Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Right. That's brilliant. That's really funny. Personality. If people were to describe you as introvert or extrovert, what would they say? And would you agree?

Jessyka Dooley: Oh, definitely an extrovert. When I would do the Myers-Briggs and whatnot, especially in college, I think it was like 99% extroverted, 1% introverted. And as I've grown, as I've had different experiences, I think I appreciate a little bit of alone time, but I definitely love being around people. I remember when I was in college, I'd be studying in my dorm room alone. I was like, "Why am I doing this by myself?" And so I'd go over to a friend's room. I was like, "I like to do introverted things with other people." That's kind of the mood.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's good. Introverted things with other people. Great.

Jessyka Dooley: Yep. So good balance.

Japhet De Oliveira: Do they like that?

Jessyka Dooley: I mean, it definitely depends on the person. Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, sure. All right. Habits. Are you an early riser or late night owl?

Jessyka Dooley: Ooh, I naturally would be a late night owl for sure. I've had to become an early morning riser. I have a 10-month-old son, and so he likes to get up early. And so yeah, I want to be an early morning person. I want to get up before him and have some time. But yeah, I haven't quite figured out how to flip the script from night owl to early morning riser.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, that's fair. I understand. This morning, first thought that went through your mind as you woke up?

Jessyka Dooley: Ooh. Actually it was where is my husband and child, because the baby had woken up in the middle of the night and my husband went to go take care of him and I knew my husband had fallen asleep in his room with him. So I was just kind of orienting myself with where is everyone? What is going on?

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh, no. I hear you. I hear you. Great. All right, here's a leadership question, because I have known you for many years and you've been the leader of teams and different people and groups. And so are you a backseat driver?

Jessyka Dooley: Oh, this is a great question. I do get carsick in the backseat. So I would say I love being in the passenger seat.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh, okay.

Jessyka Dooley: Yeah. My mom has this saying. She says people drive the way they live their lives. And I've found that to be very true. I enjoy being in the passenger seat, having the gps, being the navigator, getting some good music on, providing the snacks, being really good support. So I would say in a leadership role as well, I enjoy being a part of the driving force, being a part of knowing where we're going, what's going on, having some input, but also just really trusting the person who might be in the actual driver's seat. And so, yeah. I'd say in real life and in the leadership world, I love just being the passenger, being a part of the journey.

Japhet De Oliveira: Hey, that's fantastic. All right. Great stuff. Right. We are here now at the point where you get to decide between 11 and 100 where you want to go.

Jessyka Dooley: Oh, man.

Japhet De Oliveira: What would you like to be your first one?

Jessyka Dooley: Oh, boy. Let's do something in the teens. Let's do 16.

Japhet De Oliveira: 16. All right. Tell us about one of the places that you traveled and why you want to go back.

Jessyka Dooley: Ooh. That is a great question. I've traveled a lot of different places that I've loved and really enjoyed, and I think a big piece that makes places special are the people. But I know one place that I've just been dying to get back to is Italy. When I was younger, I went and spent a summer with my family in Switzerland and they went camping in Italy on the beach. And it was just this incredible experience, incredible place. Such good memories there. I remember, I think I turned 12 or 13, something like that, and instead of an ice cream, or instead of a cake, we did ice cream, we did the gelato. And we got 13 scoops of gelato. And it was just such great memories there. So I would love to go back to Italy, go camp on the beach again.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's fantastic. Italy is beautiful. I agree. All right. That was 16. Where next?

Jessyka Dooley: Oh, boy.

Japhet De Oliveira: Up or down?

Jessyka Dooley: Let's go up. Let's do 21.

Japhet De Oliveira: 21. All right. Share the very best compliment that you've ever received.

Jessyka Dooley: Oh, wow. I think this is going to sound silly, but when someone says that I've organized something really well. In my previous job when I was transitioning out, I created a master binder. Kind of the holy grail of everything that someone would need to know who is going to be taking my place. And having that complimented of, "Wow, this is really helpful," just made me feel so good that I was able to give something that was concise, full of information that was going to help someone else succeed. So my organizational skills. I know that sounds so silly, but it really, that makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

Japhet De Oliveira: Well, I appreciate that because for those of you who don't know Jessyka and the way that she works, and anytime you can open Asana and see her, the project she's in, she's probably got about 70 or so projects at the same time.

Jessyka Dooley: Sure. Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Takes a tremendous amount of organizing and making sure everything's just in the right spaces. So yeah, I can see that.

Jessyka Dooley: Thank you. I love the compliment.

Japhet De Oliveira: All right, that could be next time. All right. So after 21, where next? Up or down?

Jessyka Dooley: Let's do 27.

Japhet De Oliveira: 27. All right. Bring us into the kitchen. You're making a special meal. What would you be making?

Jessyka Dooley: Oh, boy. It depends on the person. Depends on the situation. The weather outside. I always look at the weather before I meal plan for the week. I love to cook. Actually, we're doing a white elephant with my family, and we decided we were going to do something that was homemade.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh, nice.

Jessyka Dooley: You have to bring a homemade gift. And so I'm actually doing a little recipe book of-

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh, wow.

Jessyka Dooley: ... family favorites and whatnot. So I would say kind of my go-to for someone, it's this garbanzo bean pasta dish. And so it has sun dried tomatoes, broccoli, lots of garlic, of course, garbanzo beans and fresh basil and parmesan on top. And it's just really a good one. It's great for vegans, vegetarians. Everyone can kind of enjoy it. So that's what I would do.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's great. That's good. Beautiful. All right. Where next?

Jessyka Dooley: Ooh, 35.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's 35. Okay. Share a special interest or a unique talent that you have.

Jessyka Dooley: Ooh.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah.

Jessyka Dooley: Yeah. Unique talent. Unfortunately, I've never seen myself as being someone talented in the general way. I'm not very musical. You wouldn't want to hear me sing on this podcast. I can't play an instrument. I would say, kind of to link back to that last question, cooking. That's definitely something I'm very interested in and it's something that I enjoy doing. I love sharing with other people. I feel like food creates that sense of community and comfort for a lot of us. And it's something we all have to do. We all have to eat. So why not make that something that's really good and really exciting. And so, yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's good.

Jessyka Dooley: Food.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. All right. That's good. Hey, not everybody's cup of tea, so I understand. All right.

Jessyka Dooley: True.

Japhet De Oliveira: That was 35. Where next?

Jessyka Dooley: 39.

Japhet De Oliveira: 39. If you didn't need to sleep, what would you do with the extra time?

Jessyka Dooley: Ooh. If I didn't need to sleep. So I would take nighttime when everyone else was sleeping to work and do all of laundry. Just the really boring things that you need to do during the day. And then during the actual day when I still wasn't tired because I didn't sleep at night, I would just go explore. I'd go hike, I'd go to the library, museums. Just all the things that you want to do but then at the end of the workday, you're just kind of worn out and tired. Or right now in Colorado, it's getting so dark so early. You log off the computer and it's pitch black out and you're like, "I haven't been outside yet today. This is weird." So I'd spend a lot of time outdoors and just kind of enjoy, meet up friends for coffee. If they also didn't have to sleep and they could-

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, that's good.

Jessyka Dooley: ... do their work at night, too.

Japhet De Oliveira: Good caveat.

Jessyka Dooley: Yeah. Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: All right. All better for it. All right. So that was 39. Up or down?

Jessyka Dooley: Let's do something in the forties. Let's do 43.

Japhet De Oliveira: 43. All right. Tell us about the best gift that you've ever received. Oh.

Jessyka Dooley: The best gift I've ever received. Wow. It's going to sound so cheesy, but my son Lachlan is such an incredible gift and getting to watch him change and grow every single day. It's like a new little surprise gift, the gift that keeps on giving. And so, yeah, that's the best gift I've ever been able to receive because it's so precious. Something I definitely don't take for granted.

Japhet De Oliveira: He's very, very friendly.

Jessyka Dooley: He is. He's an extrovert, for sure. Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. He's very-

Jessyka Dooley: People ask, they're like, "Will he cry if I hold him?" I say, "He will cry if you don't hold him." So yeah. He loves people.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, he does. He does. He's fantastic. All right, that was 43. Beautiful. Where next?

Jessyka Dooley: 43. 47.

Japhet De Oliveira: 47. You just met someone. What would you want them to know about you and why?

Jessyka Dooley: Ooh. I would want them to know that they can just feel comfortable being themselves. I have some friends that are just those people that you can just be who you are without any reservation. You know they're not going to judge you or make a face at something you say if you say something kind of awkward. Things like that. And so I would just want people to know that they can be who they are. They can be comfortable. They can not feel like they have to hold back when spending time with me.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's good. That's good. I like that. That's really good. All right, that was 45. Where next?

Jessyka Dooley: 45. Oh, okay. Should we, let's do 49. Before we jump into the fifties, before we crack that.

Japhet De Oliveira: All right. What are you currently learning about and why?

Jessyka Dooley: Ooh. I'm learning a lot of different things. Obviously learning to parent. That is a challenge and it's-

Japhet De Oliveira: For everyone.

Jessyka Dooley: Yeah, no kidding. I'm learning to listen really well, especially with producing this podcast. I get to hear every episode before anyone else does. And getting to really listen to kind of the in between moments when people are sharing their stories. And so it is kind of strange to be on the other side of this, but listening to those moments and really understanding that we sometimes jump to the conclusion of I think I know what you're about to say, or, I think I know why you're saying what you're saying. And really realizing that everyone is so unique and so different. So I'm learning that.

And I think with that, the overarching theme of parenting, listening, I'm learning patience. And that's been really challenging for me. I'm not a patient person by nature, ever since I was little. Even now I'm like, "Ah, let's go. Let's go." I'm ready for things to keep moving. And so being patient is something that I am striving to learn. I would not say I'm any expert. I don't think I ever will be. But I think it's something that I have on my radar every day to be a little bit better at.

Japhet De Oliveira: Patience is not easy for everyone.

Jessyka Dooley: No.

Japhet De Oliveira: There are some who really find it easy, but most people, yeah.

Jessyka Dooley: I don't know. I don't understand people who it comes naturally to how they do that. I need some of those genes or whatever it is that gives them that patience.

Japhet De Oliveira: Hey, that's good. All right. That was 49. What you're currently learning about and why. What next?

Jessyka Dooley: Okay. We'll move up to the fifties, but we'll be cautious. Let's do 51.

Japhet De Oliveira: 51. All right. Tell us about something that you know you do differently to most people.

Jessyka Dooley: Oh, wow. Oh, yeah. I might need a second to think about that one. Something I do differently than most people. Oh, goodness. Do you know something? Oh, goodness. I think I... Okay. I definitely drive different than most people.

Japhet De Oliveira: Do you really?

Jessyka Dooley: Yes.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay.

Jessyka Dooley: I'm a very cautious driver. Very defensive driver. My husband's a very offensive driver. So I'm a very defensive driver. And I think I realized I did things... Maybe parking more specifically. I like to park a certain direction. So you're going into a grocery shopping carpark or something. I'm going to turn, I like to turn left when I park. And I was with a friend and I said, "Ooh, I don't want to park in that parking spot 'cause I'd have to turn right." And he was so taken aback. And so I park differently. I will go out of my way to be able to turn left into a parking spot rather than right.

Japhet De Oliveira: I am excited for you.

Jessyka Dooley: Yeah. I mean-

Japhet De Oliveira: That is unique.

Jessyka Dooley: I maybe need to go back to driver's ed.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's really good. All right. Yeah. That was 51, right? Where next?

Jessyka Dooley: 53.

Japhet De Oliveira: 53. All right. Can you tell us about at least one important person in your life?

Jessyka Dooley: Yeah. I think I have so many important people in my life. I've been blessed to have so many incredible mentors, such incredible family. But I would say my husband is just the person. I love him so much and he has taught me so much. He is just my perfect other half. And so he really, he's so kind. He's so patient with me because he's one of those naturally patient people. And so he's patient with me learning patience, which I mean, that's taken a lot of energy for him, I think. He's such a good dad. He's such a hard worker. He's so passionate about just anything he does. Really any job I've seen him have, he gives 100 and 1,000%. He just cares for the people he's serving. And I admire that so much about him.

Japhet De Oliveira: Hey, that's great. He's going to love listening to this podcast.

Jessyka Dooley: I know. Kiefer, if you're listening, I love you.

Japhet De Oliveira: Hey, that's awesome. All right, that was 53. Where next?

Jessyka Dooley: 53. Let's try out 57.

Japhet De Oliveira: 57. If you had to endorse a brand, what would it be and why?

Jessyka Dooley: Oh, a brand. I was thinking about that actually today. I, well, I actually made myself a cup of coffee and I left it at the house. So I can't endorse this specific coffee 'cause I haven't tried it yet. But we've been doing something called Trade Co Coffee, and so it's a subscription to coffee beans and they do local roasters. So every two weeks we have it set to deliver a new bag of whole beans. And you take a quiz and they can kind of give you the coffee that they think would work for you, the type of brewing method, all of that. And so I've really enjoyed that. I've gotten to try a lot of different coffees.

We're working on creating a spreadsheet of different flavor profiles, how the espresso pulled, things like that. And I've really loved that. So yeah, Trade Co Coffee. This is not sponsored, by the way, for the listeners of The Story & Experience Podcast, but I would endorse them. They do a really great job getting local roasters. Every single bag we've gotten was roasted within that two-week period, so it's not old or anything like that. It's really good. Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: And you have a spreadsheet?

Jessyka Dooley: Not yet.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay.

Jessyka Dooley: It is something that is on my list of things I would like to do, because I want to know which ones to go back to.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay, that's good.

Jessyka Dooley: Or which ones to recommend. Oh, you like that kind of caramelly syrupy taste or? No. You like the smokey flavor. Yeah. You wouldn't be able to give good recommendations for coffee. Japhet, what kind of coffee do you like?

Japhet De Oliveira: I know, I know. I like it. This is really good.

Jessyka Dooley: I'll give you the spreadsheet.

Japhet De Oliveira: I know. I'm looking forward to it. All right. That was 57. Where next?

Jessyka Dooley: Let's inch up into the sixties. Let's do 63.

Japhet De Oliveira: 63. All right. Tell us about a time when you felt lost.

Jessyka Dooley: Ooh. I think there have been a few times I've felt lost for various different reasons. To be quite honest, I think it was when I had done my internship. It was my senior year of college. I had done my internship at Boulder Church and I had gone back to school. So I had to do another semester at school. And so it was kind of like they kind of toy with you. They throw you out into the real world, and they're like, "Oh, but then you have to come back and do classes and whatnot." And I remember coming back and it was so strange because I hadn't started off the year with everyone. And so I didn't know a lot of the new people. And so I came back and I felt like I didn't know a ton of people, which was strange. The school had a different feel.

It might've just been that I was a different person coming back. And I just remember feeling so unsure. Unsure of what I was going to be doing. Was I choosing the right career path for myself? I had friends who were already gone. I had friends out in Colorado, friends at school. And I felt very confused and lonely and just kind of like no one had experienced what I was experiencing, even though I'm sure so many people have been in that exact same place. But when you're in it, you just feel so isolated. And so, yeah, I remember just feeling very lost in that moment and having some really great professors and friends who helped really guide me forward through some of that and noticed that I was probably wandering around campus actually lost. I'm so bad at directions. But they were able to sense that in me, in their wisdom, and find ways to help kind of guide me back on the path.

Japhet De Oliveira: Let me ask you 63-A. If somebody is feeling this, they're in that space, what advice would you give them?

Jessyka Dooley: Yeah. I think it depends on the type of person you are, too. I'm one that really has to talk things out. I will talk until there's no words that are left. I've used every single word in the world. So I'd say talk to someone, hash out how you're feeling. And then really, I know it sounds so dumb and so cheesy, and it won't feel good in the moment, but it does get better. It does. Everything comes to pass. And I think I've used that phrase a lot in my life for different reasons. But everything comes to pass. You're not going to be stuck in a moment or a season of life for very long. Something about it will shift, something new will come into your life or something old will leave. And so I think recognizing each season has something to offer.

And I wouldn't change it going back if I could not be lost during that time. I think I wouldn't want that because I liked it. I liked how I grew through it. I appreciate the depth of the friendships I got through that. And it really shows you who's looking out for you. So when you're in one of those moments, take note of who's noticing you and who can sense a difference in how you're acting and how you're perceiving the world.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's really good. I like that. All right. That was 63-A. So where next?

Jessyka Dooley: There's no 63-B?

Japhet De Oliveira: No.

Jessyka Dooley: No? Okay. Let's do 67.

Japhet De Oliveira: 67. All right. What's the best picture that you've ever taken and why?

Jessyka Dooley: Ooh, I need to get a new iPhone because my camera is not taking great photos now. The greatest photo I think I've ever taken. Oh, boy. I'm just so locked into my new family right now with my kiddo. It'd probably be my husband and my son. They are, first of all, they're the spitting image of each other. Everyone's like, "Oh, you gave birth to your husband's twin. Aren't you so sad?" And I'm like, "Why would I be sad? I think my husband looks great." I'm not... But it is just so sweet to see them side by side, both looking straight into the camera. And they do. They look so much alike, and they're so sweet. And so, yeah, taking a photo of something that you created? That's kind of cool. And so, yeah, any picture with my kiddo in it is the best picture, even if it's blurry because he's moving or anything like that.

Japhet De Oliveira: No, that's great. I like that. All right. Where next after 67?

Jessyka Dooley: 71.

Japhet De Oliveira: 71. All right. Describe a time when your life just took a really unpredictable turn.

Jessyka Dooley: Unpredictable turn. Ooh. Yeah. I think it would be, wow. I feel like my life is just all unpredictable turns. For being someone who's such a planner I feel like everything just kind of ends up doing what it's going to do anyway.

Japhet De Oliveira: I think they call it life.

Jessyka Dooley: Yeah. Yeah. So just everything. No, I would say when I came to Boulder Church. I had been actually studying theology in my undergrad. And looking back now, I'm like, I don't even necessarily know why. I just knew I felt called to that. And then I went to school in the Midwest, and so most churches are a little bit smaller, just a little bit more conservative. There weren't a lot of churches that were open to even having a female pastor come there. And so I didn't really know where I was going to go or where this was actually going to take me. And so when Boulder became an option, I just thought, "Oh, that's great. I'll go do my internship there." And it really ended up being something that brought so much into my life.

Through that experience, through the people I worked with, Japhet, you included, it drastically changed me. It changed my perspective. It changed how I worked. It changed how I interacted with people. It changed how I viewed God and how I viewed the world around me. And it gave me so much. What I thought was just going to be a six-month internship turned out being the place where I was going to settle down and live and find my husband and raise my children and make lifelong friendships with the people. Even though now I'm not pastoring there, the friendships that I have with the people I met there, those are the ones I'm going to take with me for life. And so that was such an unpredictable turn. An internship turning into an entire life for me.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's fantastic. Beautiful. We have time for two more. Where do you want to go for your last two?

Jessyka Dooley: Ooh, should we go into the nineties? Let's go into the nineties. Let's do 92.

Japhet De Oliveira: 92. All right. How would you like to be remembered?

Jessyka Dooley: Ooh. I think I would like to be remembered as someone who made people feel seen and cared for. I feel like at the end of the day, that's all we can really do for each other is make people feel like they belong in a room. There have been moments where you walk in somewhere and you feel like I am so out of place. Or I don't know anyone here and it feels strange. And I think that if everyone went above and beyond to make people feel like they belonged right where they were, whether it was a church or a conference table, wherever they might be, that feeling of, "Oh, I'm meant to be here. Someone wants me to be here." I want to be one of those people that everyone said, "Jessyka made me feel like I was meant to be in this room," or "I was meant to be in that conversation," or "I was meant to be a part of that conversation or that meeting." Or whatever it might be that they felt valued and seen and heard.

Japhet De Oliveira: So I have to ask 92-A.

Jessyka Dooley: I'm liking these sub-questions. These are great.

Japhet De Oliveira: Where did you learn that? How did you discover that?

Jessyka Dooley: In so many ways. I think I discovered that one through having those moments where I felt like, "Oh, am I not supposed to be here?" And then having someone say, "No, no, no. This is your place at the table." And that was just through so many amazing mentors like yourself and through really great friends. My friend Maile is just one of those people that you will never feel lost when you're with her because you're right where you're supposed to be with her. She's just so loving and welcoming. And so I think just seeing the difference that can make for someone, including myself, of feeling welcome, of feeling like you belong in that space.

Japhet De Oliveira: I think that's really important for lots of people.

Jessyka Dooley: Yeah. I think a lot of people go about life feeling like they don't belong where they are. And that's really hard.

Japhet De Oliveira: Everyone should belong. Right? Yeah. That's good. All right. That was 92-A. So last question, last number. Where do you want to go?

Jessyka Dooley: 95.

Japhet De Oliveira: 95. Ah, this is great for you. Tell us about how you see your faith and life intersecting.

Jessyka Dooley: Oh, wow. I feel like I've just lived my whole life completely with... When you work in ministry, whether it's pastoral or when I was running a nonprofit summer camp, a Christian summer camp, it really locks in. And then now with Adventist Health, just this incredible mission of living God's love and inspiring health, wholeness, and hope. Your day-to-day life, your work, the thing that you spend the majority of your time doing is intersecting with faith. And so I think I've been spending a lot of time recently figuring out what does that look like outside of work? I've kind of let work help guide putting my faith in with my life. And so now I'm trying to figure out what does that look like for me as an individual? What does that look like for my family and how I raise my child?

And so right now, I would say it's kind of a journey of how I see my faith and life intersecting, because I think I leaned on my career so much as that crutch of saying, "Oh, well, my faith is what I do every day for work." And then now looking back as I get a little bit older, I'm saying, "Oh, I actually need that just for me. When I lay my head down on the pillow at night, where is that faith coming in for me?" So it's really right now, kind of a work in progress, reworking the intersection. I'm kind of taking some pieces apart to put some different ones together right now. And so, yeah, it's kind of an interesting journey and it's fun.

Japhet De Oliveira: That is really good. I would say for those who, again, who don't know Jessyka, that if you do get to meet her and work with her, you'll see that this is very true about you. You do blend those two so well together. And I think I've seen it in your writing, I've seen it in the production, I've seen it in the way that you speak and present and teach. And so it's great to see. Thank you. Thank you. Well, thank you for sharing today.

Jessyka Dooley: Thank you for having me.

Japhet De Oliveira: Taking the time.

Jessyka Dooley: Thank you for the sub-questions along the way. Those are fun. I like them.

Japhet De Oliveira: No, you're welcome. It's been great to be able to connect with you. And I just want to encourage everybody who's listening to do the same thing. Sit down with a friend, get a cup of tea, get some water. Sit down, ask good questions. Listen, learn. I believe that you'll be changed. They will be changed. We are better people for it. God bless you guys, and we'll connect again soon.

Narrator: Thank you for joining us for The Story & Experience Podcast. We invite you to read, watch, and submit your story and experience at AdventistHealth.org/story. The Story & Experience Podcast was brought to you by Adventist Health through the Office of Culture.