Since the age of seven, Jinnie Cristerna knew that she wanted to help people in life. She is fiercely committed to helping talented people release emotional pain and navigate psychological roadblocks in order to achieve their personal and professional goals.
Affectionately known as “The High Achievers Therapist”, Cristerna specializes in psychotherapy, heart centered hypnotherapy, vibrational energy, meditation, and personality development. With over two decades of experience and a nearly 90 percent success rate, she is the go to person to assist in achieving the psychological resolve to create the life, career or business her clients have always dreamed about.
Cristerna maintains separate blogs with Jet Magazine and Today’s Chicago Woman, respectively. She is a sought after public speaker and frequent television show guest.
Tell me about International High Achievers and how it came about?
It was a complete accident actually. I was a social worker and thought I would be working in an agency for the rest of my life but I was unable to afford to take care of my family. I began my private practice and the rest is history. My clients just so happened to be high achieving professionals with spouses and children.
What role does social media play in all that you do?
It plays a big role even though I am still learning how to maximize its potential. I use facebook regularly, twitter not as often as I should and linkedin quite a bit. My clients and prospects stay connected with me there and I am able to get my message out to the world at the same time.
How do you juggle and manage all your responsibilities/jobs/projects?
I prioritize, plan, and set limits as best I can. I also do taekwondo which helps me to release stress. When I train for a competition or just practice sparring, I often come up with ideas, work through issues, or identity opportunities that would have never come to me cooped up in an office.
Tell us about your blog in Jet Magazine?
I am the resident therapist for Jet Magazine and my Moment of Clarity blog is aimed at readers who are interested in self-reflection, introspection and personal growth. While the readers of Jet are predominantly African-American, my audience is very diverse and often enjoy the digital magazine! Readers are able to send me a question about a personal matter and I will answer them directly through the blog (they are anonymous) or I will provide self-help tips and articles people are able to use in their personal and professional life.
And what about your blog in Today’s Chicago Woman?
The High Achievers Edge blog in Today’s Chicago Woman magazine is aimed at providing tools for the high achieving women (and men). So there is a mix of self-introspection, tips on networking, relationships, and communication to help the reader get what they need to create the career or life they want. I don’t answer reader questions but it is still a fun and useful read.
What accomplishment are you most proud of?
Raising independent children with good sense – all four of them. They know and understand more than their years and I am unsure if that is a good or bad thing. I just know that they can hold their own and learn their lessons quickly.
Who inspires you?
My parents. They are crazy and I can’t begin to emphasize how serious I am when I say that! But they love me. If they didn’t teach me anything else, they taught me to never give up and try to see something good in everyone. My mother is Korean and father is African American. We grew up in Englewood on the south side of Chicago and I am Jewish … yeah, that was a lot of fun. Regardless of how hard things got, they held onto each other. they were young and did the best they could and I didn’t appreciate that until I became a mother.
Any favorite affirmations?
I don’t have any favorite affirmations but I am drawn to affirmations that keep me grounded and connected to others. I especially like motivational phrases that allow me to maintain perspective when things get tough.
What do you do to unwind?.
I compete in taekwondo – sparring to be exact. I love to hit people because that is how I release my stress so I can think clearly. It’s completely legal and most of the time, no one gets hurt. I also meditate every day and enjoy a glass of wine once or twice a month …
Any advice or words of wisdom for aspiring entrepreneurs?
Find your niche. Whatever it is you do, do it so well that no one can do it better than you. Find people who will not only support your dreams but help you stay grounded so you can make tough decisions. Learn when to move on and if whenever you find yourself surrounded by toxic people, cut them loose fast and don’t look back until you make it. There is very little if anything that both sides can do for the other until one of you is in a better place. Chances are the negative people are where they want to be even if they don’t know it. You’re the one who wants more so go for it!
What’s next for Jinnie/IHA? (Goals, projects, etc.)
Well, I do the sport psychology for USA Taekwondo so I would LOVE to begin traveling with the team to international tournaments. I also am working on another book called “Making the Team: An Athlete’s Journey”. I am also in the final edits of my 2014 guided meditation series for professionals, athletes, and coaches.
For more info on Jinnie and High Achievers please visit www.HighAchiever.net. Sign up for the newsletter and keep up with her blog and FREE webinars.
