By Beth Harnett Jager, Delta Tau–Chapman University

Alumna Helps Women Redefine Success on Their Own Terms

Jessi McPherrin Sheridan, Alpha Sigma-Indiana University of Pennsylvania, found her calling on the road. As a former Leadership Consultant for Alpha Gamma Delta, she traveled the country helping thousands of Alpha Gam women foster their leadership potential. She continued the journey supporting countless Panhellenic women at colleges and universities in the Mid-Atlantic and as a chief operating officer for an international Greek-letter organization.

While these cross-country experiences and leadership opportunities have propelled Jessi’s professional career, it was being forced to remain in place that helped Jessi chart a new path to help women to find their purpose.

In the wake of the pandemic, Jessi launched Habituelle, an online storytelling platform to amplify the voices of women leaders. What started as an archive of inspirational stories featuring women in the Philadelphia region, Habituelle has morphed into a transformational community with national impact.

In 2022, Jessi was sick in bed with Covid, reflecting on life-altering events of the previous two years—not just the pandemic, but also the birth of her daughter.

“My world had been turned upside down,” she said. “[Habituelle] helped me to create a sense of stability and community during a time when I was feeling pretty isolated.”

Named to honor her daughter Elle, Habituelle also reflects Jessi’s belief in leadership as a habit, a skill that is honed through practice. In this spirit, Jessi launched Habituelle and committed to one year of connecting with as many women as she could through her network in Philadelphia. At the end of that first year, she had interviewed 93 women and had cultivated a community eager for more.

“People really connected with these women willing to share their stories and be vulnerable, and I had many other women reaching out to offer help, mentor and support each other’s businesses,” Jessi said. “I quickly realized that this wasn’t going to be just one year.”

While these women come from different backgrounds and fields and bring diverse perspectives, Jessi has found that almost all — even CEOs — struggled with imposter syndrome and fear of failure. In nearly every interview, these leaders also talked about having access to a group of women to help celebrate their accomplishments and move past fear toward fulfillment.

Like her interviewees, Jessi has found that success is fluid, and the definition of accomplishment changes as priorities shift.

“Many of us have this fixed idea of what success looks like, but once we get to the ‘C-suite’ we realize that we are not any happier than we were when we were in an entry-level position. That’s because we are defining success based on a societal standard,” Jessi said. “We need to pause and redefine what it means, and realize that it will change depending on what is happening in our lives. How do I define success today and what am I doing in my life to achieve it?”

Jessi is finding joy in the balance between parenthood and impact through her community. Habituelle celebrates its third anniversary next month, and Jessi has shared the stories of more than 200 women, and counting. She is commemorating the anniversary by expanding Habituelle to include a membership community, which will offer monthly virtual talks with women leaders, a curated resource library for personal and professional growth, an online connection forum and more. Jessi has also received numerous requests to open chapters of Habituelle across the United States and is exploring that possibility in the years ahead. In the meantime, she is enjoying this full-circle moment, continuing the work she started as an Alpha Gam Leadership Consultant and helping women find community.

“Habituelle’s success proves that women want connectedness, a space to be vulnerable and authentic,” Jessi said. “We are creating a ripple effect in our commitment to show up for ourselves and each other.”