Meet Jasmine ‘Jae’ Webb

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jasmine ‘Jae’ Webb.

Hi Jasmine ‘Jae’, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
In the passenger seat of my car, I swerve through oncoming traffic on Central Ave in Toledo, OH. He’s angry again, and I’ve done something wrong. He yells, screams, and threatens to end it all. Spit flies my way. I feel worthless. My existence depends on his approval. ‘I’ is an idea he controls, and it’s suffocating.

Understanding how I reached this point requires acknowledging that my story isn’t all butterflies and rainbows. Yes, those moments exist, but I intend to be honest and the truth is, my pain has shaped me most of all. This recollection stems from a day out with my boyfriend when I was 15 or 16, drowning in pain, heartache, fear, and dependency. The physical abuse was almost a relief compared to the mental manipulations and chaos that, for years, made my internal voice almost unrecognizable to me. I was that girl, in that kind of story. Somewhere I would never have imagined myself to be.

Recognizing the profound impact of perspective is essential to understanding ourselves. It goes beyond feelings and depending on our viewpoint, it can become a distorted inner voice. Through intense experiences, mine morphed into something planted by another that thrived through similar experiences with familiar impacts.

In a recent conversation recounting my life from birth to high school, the feedback was that I’d never been protected, and I realized that because of this, I’d been spending the better parts of my life simply surviving, against all. Much of the life I’ve lived has all been through the lens that safety and protection from those closest to you doesn’t exist. This revelation shaped my belief that safety and protection could only come from within, from me. This fueled my passion for helping others experiencing suffering, leading to a temporary pursuit of a Pre-Med track and a lasting commitment to community, organizing, and healing. I ran towards the pain points with anyone I encountered willing to trust and let me in, just so I could support them through whatever was there. Never with judgment, but with empathy, always acceptance and understanding.

This journey had a lot of shifts and twists I’ll spare here. But it wasn’t until ending a long-term relationship that went even longer, that I took my first step toward that passion. Feeling uncertain about who I was, I was 25 and completely terrified and excited of what life would become. As if it were yesterday, I remember walking into a Hobby Lobby in Charlotte, NC to buy wall decor. I left with canvas, brushes, and paint, and that night discovered a newfound creativity and started my first art business, AnOriginalPeace.

Fast forward 1.5 years, in part 2 of that same long-term relationship, I was in Chicago, IL, working with a team, hosting local art parties on the Southside. Feeling empty, I found fulfillment in supporting artists. Showing up for them and ensuring they felt seen and valued in the space. However, the male founders of this art collective overshadowed and never properly credited the women doing the heavy lifting. This theme being one so well-known in society I won’t even get on my soapbox. So, juggling multiple jobs, but unwilling to just sit-by, I decided to start Fuse Her Fly, focusing on women business owners, entrepreneurs, and artists. I opened the door of opportunity for whomever wanted to come with me, could, and they all did. The key concept of Fuse Her Fly was that value transcends money, emphasizing the exchange of skills and thoughts instead.

The work through this journey of life led me to Breakout, a social impact agency, where I was exposed to various roles and responsibilities, opening doors to endless possibilities. Their model was rooted in the belief that everyday, ordinary people were capable of creating extraordinary change. As a result of attending a Tulsa, OK flagship event with their team and participating in their panel discussion centered around building an authentic community, what started as a part-time role in August 2020 blossomed into the role of Head of Community by February of the same year. The role allowed me to live anywhere, and after visiting California in January 2021, I relocated there.

This transition marked a period of reflection and self-discovery, addressing the roots of my past traumas and navigating depression, which ultimately has been guiding me towards my true path. In January 2023, I stepped down from my full-time role with Breakout to fully embrace this new chapter.

As I was and am walking out of the shadows or I should say as more light pours into the dark spaces, I am rediscovering myself. Detaching from the idea of who I am and simply being what I Am. I’m understanding that my past was meant to shape my ability to empathize with others’ pain.Understanding that external validation always, always, always keeps me small and out of control of my own life. Ashley C. Ford put it best and I can relate so much to her now when she said, “I’m not required to feel good about myself to have good things in my life.” A statement that just recently lifted the weight of obligation I had to “earn” my good otherwise without earning, I simply reject accepting. Yes, this current  journey is quite challenging, but it’s undeniably the best version of me yet.

Not your average VoyageLA story, I’m sure. I don’t fit the conventional mold of success. I don’t currently sit as CEO of a company, and my bank account is let’s say… on its way towards abundance (money comes easily and frequently in abundance! lol), but does it make the story less necessary? Is conventional career “success” the only inspiring stories worth mentioning?

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Not smooth at all but harmonious. The struggles that have had the most impact have been the mental battles. Fighting the “nay-sayer” within, constantly having to pep-talk my way out of the doubts of who I am not and who I can’t be. Having to change the way I perceive a world I grew so comfortable in knowing has been the hardest, most intense, most rewarding thing I’ve ever done and am doing.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Community Connoisseur | Impact Leader | Experiential Designer | Cultural Connector | Mindful Facilitator… I’ve lived many lives and cultivated many skills/talents along the way.

In one sentence I’d say, a passionate community builder and restorative practitioner, amplifying capacity, equity, and co-creation for transformative change.

The Details:
As a heart-centered impact leader, I help businesses and individuals cultivate and sustain authentic communities both internally and externally with those they serve. I am a high-performing, multi-talented, strategic thinker working to connect disconnected communities by evoking unity and communication that encourages a world of acceptance for all people.

With deep expertise in community building, my work is rooted in reimagination, transformation, and restoration. I create impact by harnessing the power of storytelling to change narratives and develop solutions while standing at the intersection of community + social impact + transformation + rest. Highly skilled at relationship-building with exceptional writing, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills, I am adept at assessing needs, generating options, and implementing solutions.

Long story short — My mission is to make the process of creating the change we all wish to see easier for those who are committed to doing the work, all through a socially innovative, healing-centered approach. It all just starts with one person, truly.

What makes you happy?
I’d say the things that gift me an experience of happiness would be: authentic, deep human connection; playing games of all kinds; delicious, mind-melting food when I’m at my hungriest; sunshine; my feet in the grass; those wildly, big authentic smiles or laughs from others.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @jaeforjasmine
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaewebb/
• Other: https://www.breakout.today/

Image Credits
Stephanie Montelongo, Laura Sofia Cardozo, Nastasia Photo Co.