Jackiea Brooks is a woman of resilience, determination, and inspiration. Once a teenage mother, she refused to let adversity define her future. Through perseverance, she not only overcame the challenges life threw her way but also emerged as a successful author, entrepreneur, and community advocate. In an exclusive interview with the nation’s premier faith-based & professional newspaper for winners, Anointed News Journal, Brooks shares her powerful journey, offering words of encouragement to young mothers, emphasizing the importance of self-belief, and highlighting the need for support rather than judgment.
Collins:
Who is Jackiea Brooks?
Brooks:
Hello, everybody. I’m Jackiea Brooks. I’m from Port Norris, New Jersey. I am a mother, a daughter, a sister, a fiancée, a friend, and an entrepreneur. I grew up with a single parent and worked as a bartender to put myself through nursing school. Once I became a nurse, I put myself through entrepreneurship, and now I am making myself an author of books.
Collins:
And most people know you as Jay.
Brooks:
Yes.
Collins:
So you mentioned that you are an author now, having written several books, but you recently released Shift Your Focus: 30 Days to Changing Your Mindset Like a Boss. Let me go back, Jay, and ask you—what motivated you to begin writing your story or becoming an author?
Brooks:
Okay, so the first book I wrote, I wanted to share my story with people. The book is called Don’t Ignore the Red Flags. I used to talk to people because I mentor sometimes on the side, and through talking to other women, sharing experiences while being at work, I said to myself, you know what? I’ve been through certain things, and I’m giving people my knowledge for free, my past for free; so why not put it in a book and share it with people to see?
Like, hey, listen, have you been through this too? And if so, let me help you. That book actually did really well in sales on Amazon. Then I was like, You know what? I can do this again. So I wrote another book—not to be a victim of my past, but to use my past as a tool to help other people.
Collins:
So tell us about motherhood. Has that inspired you to become a writer?
Brooks:
I think being a mom, to be completely transparent with you, has given me the most motivation to do everything that I do in life. And it’s because of sacrifice. As a parent, you sacrifice. And for me, every sacrifice I made came with both success and pain. So yes.
Collins:
Now, let’s talk about your book Shift Your Focus. Tell us about the title and why you chose it.
Brooks:
May 29th of this past year, my grandmother passed away, which was the day before my birthday. Shift Your Focus came from that experience. She was diagnosed with cancer three months prior, and she went from being independent to dependent.
For me, as an entrepreneur, a nurse, and someone always on the go—traveling back and forth between New Jersey and Georgia, constantly in a mindset of being ready—I went from that to not wanting to show up at all. I wasn’t going to work, I wasn’t operating my businesses, I wasn’t posting, I wasn’t doing events. I just couldn’t physically do it because of what was happening with my family.
So Shift Your Focus came from that. After everything happened and she passed away, within a week or so, I would talk to my friends, and they’d say things like, Oh, you got to get over it. You got to push forward. And while people genuinely try to be there for you, when you’re going through something that heavy, it’s hard to just pick up the pieces when your life feels shattered.
However, life is still going on, even when you don’t know how to push forward. So Shift Your Focus came from me saying, Instead of talking to people, I’ll talk to God. I’ll write. I started using my phone to write every day. That’s where the 30 days came from—each day reflecting what I was going through at that moment.
For example, I had a friend say to me, oh, you don’t value yourself. You don’t love yourself—all because I was dealing with a certain situation. But at the time, it wasn’t that I didn’t love myself. I just had so much on my mind that I couldn’t even focus on that.
I always tell people—you realize who’s genuinely there for you by how they treat you at your lowest. And at that point, I was at my lowest. I wasn’t able to be me.
So Shift Your Focus was born from that. I told myself, Jay, you have to shift, regardless of what’s going on around you. You have to shift. You have to show up.
The 30 days came from asking, How can you shift? What steps can you take? The book guides you through exactly what I wrote and felt during that time—to help somebody else get through their own struggles without being weighed down by people, places, or things.
Collins:
Okay. And yes, your book is titled Shift Your Focus: 30 Days to Changing Your Mindset Like a Boss. You wrote that this book is not designed to be read straight through but to be completed one day at a time with work exercises for the reader. Why did you structure it that way, and what can people expect when they read Shift Your Focus?
Brooks:
I structured it as a 30-day process because when it comes to habits, it’s easy to create them but hard to break them.
For example, you can go to the gym and work out for a month, but it only takes one day to fall back into old patterns. So for me, it was like, Okay, you do Day 1. You look at the exercise, you write about it, you figure out what you need to change about yourself.
What am I allowing? What am I focusing on? What am I not focusing on?
Then, after another 30 days, if I realize I’m still here, I ask myself, What do I need to shift about myself to get to the next level? To get back into my boss mentality?
Collins:
And let’s talk about boss. Is that an acronym for something, or what do you mean when you say like a boss?
Brooks:
For me, a boss is someone who handles their business. Someone who isn’t dependent on others to push them through. A boss can juggle things, get back on track, and, most importantly, can lose it all and get it right back—because they understand that being a boss isn’t about the things you have.
It’s the mindset that, no matter the situation, you’re still you.
Collins:
So, Jackiea, you’ve already accomplished many goals—becoming a nurse, a profession that many people strive for. But even after establishing yourself as a nurse, you pursued a second career as a writer, where you’ve also been very successful. What keeps you going?
Brooks:
Pain.
Collins:
Can you break that down for us?
Brooks:
I’m laughing because we had a conversation earlier where you asked, What’s the highlight of your life? And most people think the best highlight is success. But for me, my success came from pain.
I don’t want to get emotional, but… being a teenage mom at 16, I heard people say, Jay, you’re not going to do this. You won’t be successful. And for me, I had two choices—either depend on someone, or be the person people depended on.
So, I worked three jobs—serving, waitressing, bartending—while paying for school out of pocket. At one point, I failed my LPN program one week before graduation. I had to send my kids to live with their dads so I could try again. That was the hardest decision of my life, but I knew I had to do it.
I went back, paid my tuition, and graduated. Then, I went on to my RN program, commuting from Port Norris to Trenton. But the stress of being away from my kids turned what was supposed to be a 15-month program into two and a half years.
Through it all, I kept going. Because pain shaped me.
Collins:
It makes a lot of sense. So, I’ve met some very dynamic women throughout my journey, and many of them were single moms. Many were teenage moms. But yet, through perseverance, they made it. What words of encouragement would you give to a teenage mom or someone who’s about to become a teenage mom about not giving up?
Brooks:
Don’t focus on the people doubting you. Focus on whatever mission you feel is meant for you. Because regardless of what happens, you’re always going to meet people who have a problem with something. You’re always going to meet people who will tell you that you’re not capable, that you can’t do it—but you can.
The main thing I’m going to say is this: trust your gut. If you truly feel it and if you truly want it, it doesn’t matter how many times you get knocked down. Because I’ve been through it all—nothing in life is ever just a straight path. It’s always a fight. But the fight is what makes you who you are.
Be a Part of the Story.
Every article we publish helps shine a light on the people and movements making a difference. Your support helps us keep these stories free and accessible for all.
Join our mission — support independent, uplifting, community news.
💛 Donate now
Meeting me, you would have never guessed my struggles. You’ve never seen me upset, you’ve never seen me angry, you’ve never seen me complain. You’ve always seen me happy-go-lucky. But I always tell people the same thing: You can’t judge a person by what you see.
Don’t judge a person by their circumstances. Because successful people go through a lot. And when a person is finally winning, they earned that. So keep going.
Collins:
What words do you have for the general public who tells a teen mother that she’ll never be anything?
Brooks:
Wow. That right there… I feel like people have to stop being so judgmental. A lot of times, when people see a young girl with a belly, their first reaction is, whoa, why did she do that? What does she have going on?
Instead of reacting like that, people should open their arms and say, It’s okay. You can do it.
Whatever her dream is, instead of telling her she can’t do something, give her a resource. Say, hey, do you know about this program that can help you? Not to promote dependency on a system, but to show her that there are opportunities.
There are programs that will help not only her but also her baby. When I was younger, there was this program called Robin’s Nest for troubled teens. They would sit down and talk to you—What are you going through? How are you feeling mentally? Where are you?
So, for me, I believe in giving young moms tools like that. Or better yet, be a mentor to them. This is how I see things: if you haven’t been through something, you shouldn’t speak on it. It’s like trying to mentor an alcoholic when you’ve never been one yourself. You have to meet people where they are.
Collins:
How can people get your book?
Brooks:
My book is available on Amazon and also at Barnes & Noble. We are in 600 Barnes & Noble stores online, which is pretty amazing.
Collins:
And are you available for speaking engagements? If so, how can people contact you?
Brooks:
Yes! I would love to do speaking engagements. You can contact me via email at JaySlayLLC@yahoo.com or call my cell phone at (678) 977-3834.
Collins:
Okay, so what’s next for Jackiea Brooks?
Brooks:
Well, my plan now is to step into a new chapter of my life with my partner. We’re looking to give back and help the community, specifically in Camden. We’ll soon be considered Parkside residents, and I’m excited about opening businesses and expanding our impact.
My fiancé is a chef, and we’re looking forward to evolving with the community, getting involved in different projects, and just being more active. My fiancé is Chef Manny. He cooks on 226 State Street, in North Camden. Everyone knows him as Manny. Not only does he make amazing food, but he also has a great personality, and everything we cook, we cook with love.
Collins:
And he is also called The Sauce Man—he makes some of the best wings in the city of Camden and this region!
Brooks:
Yes!
Collins:
Okay, Jackiea, The Anointed News Journal has over 180,000 readers weekly. In conclusion, what do you want to say to the readers of The Anointed News Journal?
Brooks:
I just want to say, when you guys pick up my book, really follow it step by step. Take each day as it comes, and truly take the time to understand what the book is guiding you to do. Use it as a tool to get to know yourself as an individual.
And hopefully, I’ll get to stay connected with you all, so I can share my future books with you too. I’m thankful for the opportunity.
Conclusion:
Jackiea Brooks’ journey is a testament to perseverance, faith, and the power of self-determination. Through her book, business ventures, and community involvement, she continues to inspire others, proving that challenges do not define one’s future. As she moves forward in her next chapter, she remains dedicated to uplifting those around her and encouraging others to pursue their dreams with resilience and confidence.
By Chris Collins
Recent Comments