In this episode, I am thrilled to welcome Jacki Ducci back to the podcast. You might remember Jackie from my conversation with her early on in the podcast, episode 18. When Jackie first joined me just about three years ago, she was running her own business, a talent acquisition agency with an astounding 90 percent success rate placing candidates in long-term positions. By all accounts, Jackie was crushing it in her career. But despite all of her success, Jackie felt pulled in another direction. So last year, she left her career in recruiting and founded the Human-Animal Alliance, whose mission is to transform lives nationwide through the power and value of the human-animal bond.
During our conversation, Jackie and I talk about helping young people find a career that matters, how one adult’s words can shatter a teenager’s dreams, and why it’s never too late to pivot in a career. Jackie’s passion for animals is evident in the work that she does. If you know a teen or young adult who wants to work with animals but doesn’t want to pursue a career in veterinary medicine, this is a conversation you will want to hear.
About Jackie Ducci
Jackie Ducci is an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and advocate for the human-animal bond.
Jackie is the Founder of The Human-Animal Alliance, a 501(c)(3) dedicated to 1) providing those in need with greater access to animals, 2) keeping people and their animals together, and 3) creating change in the world which advances the human-animal bond. H-AA’s mission is to transform lives nationwide through the power and value of the human-animal bond. In the organization’s first four months in existence, it contributed $50,000 in grants to keep animals out of shelters and united with their owners.
Jackie has always shared a deep and meaningful connection with animals. Horses, in particular, have played a central role in her happiness, health, and personal development since early childhood. An accomplished dressage rider, Jackie is a USDF Gold, Silver, and Bronze Medalist competing actively at the FEI level. She is also a loving “dog mom” with a special affinity for brachycephalic breeds. Jackie’s belief in the profound power of animals to impact human lives for the better ultimately inspired her to leave a long and fruitful career in the Recruiting Industry to found The Human-Animal Alliance.
Prior to 2022, Jackie was the CEO of Ducci & Associates, a talent acquisition agency with an astounding 90 percent success rate placing candidates in long-term positions. Under Jackie’s leadership, the company built and serviced a client list that included Fortune 500 companies and household names nationwide. Jackie’s 17-year tenure in recruiting consistently earned her the respect and trust of employers and job seekers, as well as the media. Frequently sought after for her expertise in hiring and getting hired, Jackie was a regular guest on local and national television, radio, and podcast shows. She was also often asked for comments in various magazines, newspapers, and online pieces. Inspired to expand her impact even further, in 2018 Jackie published her first book, Almost Hired, which quickly became an Amazon Bestseller. The popularity of the book also led to the creation of the Almost Hired podcast, which ran for two seasons.
Jackie obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from The Catholic University of America in 2005. She is a proud resident of Wellington, FL, where she lives with Ralphie & Sadie (her bulldogs) and Westley & Tommy (her horses).
Episode Highlights
- Pivoting to a new career
- Never quit something on a bad day
- Trust your gut when choosing a career
- You don’t have to stick with one career your whole life
- Be thoughtful about changing course
- Jackie has had a passion for animals since she was young
- Childhood influences make a significant impact both positively and negatively
- Horses taught Jackie that her value was more than she had to say
- Career opportunities working with animals in a nonprofit organization
- Veterinarians are not the only career working with animals
- Don’t worry so much about what you are going to do and focus more on who you are
- One adult can make one comment that young people internalize
- Parents and teachers should encourage teens to explore
- The nonprofit start-up process requires a lot of time and effort
- Advice for parents who want to pivot in their own career