About
Hi, I’m Jen!
I am an expert on change—both the kind that unfolds in boardrooms and the kind that brings your life to a standstill.
In my former career as a healthcare attorney working with Fortune 25+ companies, I navigated corporate mergers, reorganizations, leadership transitions, and a full-scale industry overhaul. I saw firsthand how disruption affects individuals and teams—eroding trust, fracturing culture, and quietly undermining performance. When organizations resist or deflect change, things get ugly fast.
In 2020, I left Corporate America to start (re)connect consulting. Shortly thereafter, my personal life underwent its own reckoning.
A series of life-altering events stripped away every piece of my identity and divided my life into Before and After. On my hardest days, it was a victory just to get from the bed to the couch. Despite being surrounded by people who cared deeply about me, the experience was profoundly isolating.
Reeling and lost, I did something wildly out of character for a risk-averse, perpetual planner: I said “f#ck this sh#t” and took off on an unscripted road trip around the country. That time gave me space to grieve, to listen, and to (re)connect with who I wanted to be in the world.
But rebuilding wasn’t linear. Just when things looked like they were stabilizing, I was hit with a paralyzing fear I couldn’t logic my way out of. It became clear that this kind of “stuck-ness”—this freeze response—wasn’t unique to me. I saw it showing up again and again in the lives of friends, colleagues, and clients navigating loss, upheaval, or massive change.
So I dug in. I studied grief and trauma recovery, examined how ingrained patterns and behaviors surface under pressure, and sought new tools when the usual strategies fell short.
Today, through (re)connect consulting and my work with individuals and organizations, I create spaces where people can slow down, tell the truth, and move forward with clarity. I support organizations navigating disruption, and I guide high-performing individuals who are rebuilding after profound personal transitions. Across all of it, my work is grounded in trust, emotional intelligence, and a deep respect for how hard change really is.
I’m known for being honest, direct, and deeply human—part analytical problem solver, part smart ass. Tough and tender. Gritty and polished.
Let’s roll up our sleeves, face the sh#t together, and build something new and amazing.
Photo by Demel Portraits
Guiding Principles
Tell the truth (even when it’s uncomfortable)
Lead with empathy, not expertise
Hold both grit and grace
Honor complexity
Ground everything in lived experience
Focus on forward movement, not perfection
Embrace the humanity
Tend to the ember of hope
What my clients are saying
Testimonial #1
Jen McDowell was a wonderful gift to my personal and professional growth. She listened with care, asked thoughtful questions, and always kept us focused on my goals. She was a wonderful accountability partner who helped me make sure I understood my own long term goals and devoted the time and energy that I intended to actually accomplish them. Our conversations helped me feel validated, empowered, and confident and helped me make meaningful progress in my work.
-SR, Marketing Executive
Testimonial #3
I started coaching with Jen after feeling mired and immobile in my every-day work-life, with no strong sense of direction, for more than a year. The experience proved to be energizing - she's an incredibly attentive and active listener, asking questions that helped me forge a better understanding of where I'm at now, what work resonates, and which feelings I ought to pay more attention to. She helped me get to a 'what's next' that really feels aligned with my values and priorities. Her coaching helped me reach the clarity and confidence I needed to take that step into change - and I'm thrilled that I did. She's an exceptional coach and communicator - time very well spent!
-RR, Business Analyst, Reserve Military Officer
Testimonial #2
My experience working with (re)connect and Jen McDowell in assisting me navigate a new career and work environment was life changing. Jen is a remarkable communicator, invested listener and incredible problem solver. She provided me with effective tools and strategies to foster a “win-win” work environment which cultivated growth and harmony. The information I received working with Jen for the betterment of my career was so worth the investment and continues to pay me back 100 fold. I highly recommend (re)connect to anyone who is looking to improve their working environment and successfully grow in their career or company.
-CD, Fitness Specialist & Health Coach
Testimonial #4
When my role as a federal attorney was cut by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), I decided to open my own law practice. At the onset, I felt like I was standing at the base of a mountain; it was clear to me what I wanted my law firm to be, but it was less clear how I was going to reach the summit. I was introduced to Jen through a mutual friend, and from our first conversation, it was clear that she understood both the emotional and practical dimensions of that moment.
During our work together, Jen helped me move from having no clients and a vague sense of direction to having multiple clients and a much clearer outlook for my solo practice. She guided me in clarifying the types of clients I most want to serve, what it would take to reach them, and how to talk about my services in a way that is both authentic and compelling. She helped me prepare for conferences with concrete networking language and strategies, and gave me practical guidance on engaging with prospective clients in a way that accurately represents what I can do while naturally leading to options for hiring me.
Jen’s style sets her apart. She is a fantastic listener, an excellent synthesizer of information, and a thoughtful facilitator of connections. She took the time to understand my values and goals, distilled my scattered thoughts into clear themes and next steps, and connected me with other attorneys and ideas that expanded what I believed was possible for my solo practice. One of the most meaningful parts of our work was the “retrospective” she prepared at the end of our engagement, walking me through the progress I had made over six months. It felt like pausing halfway up the mountain to look back and see how far I had climbed.
Even though I am a solo practice attorney, I did not feel alone while working with Jen. I highly recommend her to anyone navigating a career transition or building a new professional venture."
-Brian A. Smith, JD, MPH, Founder & Principal Attorney, Trident Health Law