Today we’d like to introduce you to Jonique Smith.
Hi Jonique, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’m a proud mother of 2 beautiful children, David (12) and Dakota (9). I was born in New Orleans but raised in Kenner, Louisiana, by my father and grandmother.
Growing up in my grandmother’s home shaped so much of who I am; grounded, resilient, and deeply connected to people. My grandmother taught me compassion, strength, resilience, and emotional intelligence, while my father modeled discipline.
Professionally, I’ve spent the last 15 years in the CPG sector of corporate America as a Senior Business Manager. That experience gave me a strong foundation in commercial strategy, customer development, and cross‑functional leadership. I became known for blending data‑driven decision‑making with storytelling and empathy; leading teams, shaping customer roadmaps, and driving growth with purpose.
As I grew personally, motherhood and community work deepened my commitment to empowering women and families. That passion eventually led me to expand my work beyond corporate and into purpose‑driven spaces.
Today, whether I’m leading in CPG or building impact through Empowering Her, my through‑line is the same: using my voice, creativity, and leadership to uplift others, a value system rooted in the way my grandmother raised me.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My road has been anything but smooth. My story begins with childhood trauma; an experience that left me confused, scared, and carrying a weight no child should ever have to hold. I was harmed by a family member, and because of threats and fear, I stayed silent. What changed my life was the intuition and compassion of my aunt, who sensed something was wrong and created a safe space for me to speak. She told my father, and together with my grandmother and uncle, they took immediate action to remove me and my brother from that environment.
Even with that protection, the emotional aftermath stayed with me for years. As a child, I internalized the blame. It strained relationships, created silence where healing should have been, and left me navigating pain I didn’t have the tools to understand. At 21, I finally sought therapy on my own; not just to release what I had been holding in, but to shift the responsibility of those actions off of myself and back onto the person who caused the harm.
Later in my life, just as I began building a life I was proud of: a husband, my children, my home, my career, I lost my grandmother, the strongest foundation I had. Her passing sent me into a depression I didn’t recognize at the time. I buried myself in work and motherhood because those were the places where I still felt whole.
Then came the unraveling of my marriage. The pressures of COVID exposed behaviors and patterns I had overlooked. While my career accelerated, my ex‑husband struggled, and what began as emotional strain eventually became physical. After seven and a half years of marriage, the breaking point came when I was assaulted publicly during a trip. I returned home, gathered my children, and left. Even after the divorce, the situation escalated. Out of wanting my children to have somewhat of a normal environment, I allowed him to stay in the home until it sold, a decision that led to another assault in December 2023, one that sent me to the hospital twice, with my children witnessing the aftermath. These experiences were heartbreaking, complicated, and mentally and emotionally exhausting. But they also shaped me. They taught me resilience, self‑advocacy, and the importance of creating spaces where women feel safe, supported, and empowered. They are the reason Empowering Her exists today.My road has not been smooth, but it has been transformative. Every chapter, even the painful ones, pushed me toward purpose. I am who I am because I survived, I healed, and I chose to turn my pain into power.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Empowering Her?
Empowering Her is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing crucial support,
resources, and advocacy for survivors of domestic violence and women facing significant
life challenges such as divorce, single motherhood, and other adversities. We aim to guide women out of
darkness and into a brighter, safer future. Through comprehensive programs that include
counseling, job preparedness training, mental health support, personal development
resources, and networking opportunities. Empowering Her is committed to fostering self-
confidence, resilience, and personal growth among women.
Empowering Her’s mission is to empower women who have experienced domestic violence
and other significant life challenges by providing them with the support, resources, and
advocacy they need to reclaim their lives. We aim to foster self-confidence, resilience,
and personal growth through comprehensive programs that address their holistic needs.
To create a world where no one suffers in silence, where women can overcome adversity
and build strong, successful futures for themselves and their families.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I’m actually an introvert but because of my career path, I have to be an extrovert.
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