About me - Jessica Gale Friesen

‘About Me’

You wouldn’t think that it would be a topic that would be hard to write about, but seeing those words is enough to strike fear into any writer’s heart.

I mean, what about me is really interesting? What about me will resonate with others?

In my humble opinion — EVERYTHING.

Wait, what? No, I don’t mean just about ME. I mean about everyone. I find people fascinating.

I find it incredibly interesting to really dig under the surface of others and figure out what makes them tick. What motivates them? What experience in their life has had the most impact? Why do they hold the beliefs that they do? Why do they react to situations in the manner they do?

So, with that in mind, I love the opportunity to provide a bit of insight into me. Maybe there is someone that might find me interesting. Maybe there is something about me that will resonate with YOU.

If there is, please let me know! I’d love to get to know YOU more too! What do we have in common? I’m sure there’s something!

Here goes:

1. I was born in 1981. That makes me forty years young as of the date of writing this article. I remember when the Berlin Wall fell, and when the Cold War ended. I remember when Kurt Cobain died, when the Columbine shootings occurred, and I know exactly where I was on 9/11. I was able to grow up in a time when you could make stupid mistakes as a teenager and not have it documented by multiple smartphones and posted for the greater public to see. I was able to do stupid things, and have them be really funny stories to tell my kids now (and maybe embellish just a bit to make myself seem much cooler than I really was). I wore wide-leg jeans with a flannel shirt tied around my waist because that was the fashion in 1994. I plucked my eyebrows too thin and now colour them back in (just a bit) because they wouldn’t grow back. I did not own a Tamagotchi but DAMN did I envy my friends who did. My first car was a red, two-door, 1992 Chevrolet Beretta that I miss and would buy again if I had the opportunity! I remember when the price of gas was less than $.70/L (in Canadian dollars!)

2. I am the third generation (and first female!) owner/operator of a petroleum company in Ontario, Canada. Huh? I own a chain of gasoline stations, convenience stores, and a fleet of delivery trucks that bring diesel and gasoline direct to customers. My grandfather started the company, and my father took over after him. I took over in 2014. It’s something I am ridiculously proud of. I have a staff complement of around 100 people and I take it extremely seriously that my decisions affect each and every one of them. The pandemic has been exceedingly challenging to navigate through, but I’m doing it and am proud of what I’ve done and where I am. I am the first and ONLY Living Wage Employer in the petroleum industry in Ontario. What does that mean? It means I pay more than minimum wage because I recognize that the minimum wage in Ontario is not sufficient to meet the needs of many families these days. I make a difference to 100 families in my community. That’s pretty cool.

3. I am a Chartered Director. Again, huh? What this means is I’ve gone to school and obtained my Chartered Director designation — I bring experience to boards of directors that not all directors have obtained. I am heavily governance-driven — ensuring that my actions are open, honest, and transparent in everything I do. In this way, I give back to my community through volunteering with different organizations — around their board tables. Right now, I sit on board for a local hospital and an internationally-known organization representing tourism in Niagara (no names, just in case that might be taboo but feel free to check me out on LinkedIn for that info!)

4. I am a philanthropist. Giving back to my community is something that I take very seriously — it’s the responsible thing to do. As a business owner, I do this in a variety of different ways — financially, through my board work, and through endorsements as well. I am a community leader in Niagara, Ontario — and I believe that I can make a difference. I believe anyone can! You just need to step up and take action.

5. I am a mom and wife! I married my high-school sweetheart, Ed. We have two kids — our son, Eddie, is fourteen and our daughter, Camryn, is almost thirteen. My family is the MOST important thing in my life. Full stop.

6. I am an animal lover. I have two dogs and three cats. It’s a bit crazy, and we call our house the zoo, but I love all of them dearly!

7. I am a mental health advocate. After the birth of my son, I suffered from postpartum depression. In 2021 I published my memoir, detailing this time of my life — in an effort to provide a first-person narrative of what postpartum depression is like (in one woman’s experience), and to help break the stigma around mental health. We need to normalize the conversation around mental health! Make it as normal to talk about as the common cold, or a broken bone. In this way, we can truly support those that are suffering and get them the help they need.

8. My writing is something I crave. Something that had been buried for many, many years, and with the publishing of my book it was like a light switch was flipped — I needed to keep writing. That’s when I started blogging. Once that switch was flipped, my creativity was allowed to flow and I will never allow it to stop.

So, there’s a bit about me. If you read all the way to here — thank you for your interest!!

Until next time…………………………………………….XO-JGF

Want to connect? Email me at [email protected] or check out my website www.jessicagalefriesen.com!