Design Your Future with Dr Jackie King

Meet Dr Jackie King

My Story: From Feeling "Other" to Living Whole

For years, I was that woman: the successful professional, the loving mother, the engaged community member... secretly feeling unseen, unheard, and perpetually exhausted. My own life felt like a puzzle where pieces didn't quite fit, a lifelong sense of "otherness" stemming from navigating intersecting identities—as a granddaughter of immigrants, a woman, a Jew, a single mother of three, and a professional striving in male-dominated spaces.

The weight of societal expectations, the silent battles of divorce, the unique challenges of motherhood, and the hidden impacts of personal and generational trauma left me feeling like a shadow of who I thought I was. I was trying to be everything to everyone, losing myself in the process, desperately searching for meaning and a sense of true belonging. And I could never do enough. Something was always missing. I always had more to prove.

My breakthrough wasn't about finding external validation; it was about realizing no one else was going to "fix" me. I had a powerful role to play in my own life. Through the unexpected lens of Design Thinking—a framework I knew from my professional work in social innovation—I dared to put myself at the center of the problem. I began a raw, vulnerable journey of self-discovery, using its iterative steps to unpack my conflicting inner narratives, understand my "inner critic," and redefine success on my own terms.

This wasn't just a process; it was a profound transformation. I learned to be kinder to myself, to embrace my vulnerabilities, and to find immense strength in my "otherness". The work helped me to shift from merely surviving to intentionally designing a life that felt authentic, safe, and deeply purposeful4.

Now, my deepest desire is to share this wisdom with you. To help you find that same empowerment, and that undeniable sense of belonging—not despite your differences, but because of them.