Today we’d like to introduce you to Teena Marie Jackson.
Hi Teena Marie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I have always been fascinated by the questions people don’t ask and the connections they don’t see. Looking back, that curiosity has shaped every chapter of my career.
Professionally, I’ve spent more than two decades working in highly regulated industries, helping organizations improve data governance, strengthen decision-making, and reduce operational risk. Throughout my career, I noticed a pattern: many of the biggest organizational challenges weren’t caused by a lack of intelligence or effort. They happened because assumptions went unchallenged, information remained disconnected, and small blind spots grew into costly problems.
Everything became personal when my son was diagnosed with a rare kidney disease. Navigating the healthcare system required me to challenge assumptions, advocate relentlessly, and ask difficult questions when the answers didn’t feel complete. The experience changed the way I think about curiosity forever. I realized that curiosity isn’t just about learning something new—it’s a leadership skill that can change outcomes.
Those experiences became the foundation of my TEDx talk, When Curiosity Disrupts Comfort, where I explore why the moments we’re most tempted to stop asking questions are often the moments curiosity matters most.
Today, I bring those two worlds together through my company, Rule Your Data. I help leaders and organizations strengthen critical thinking, improve collaboration, and uncover the blind spots that often lead to regulatory findings, operational failures, and missed opportunities. My work combines practical experience from corporate leadership with an engaging, people-centered approach that helps teams see connections they couldn’t see before, think more strategically, and make better decisions.
Whether I’m speaking on stage, facilitating workshops, or working with executive teams, my mission is simple: to help organizations rediscover curiosity as a competitive advantage in a world where thoughtful questions have become increasingly rare.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road, but looking back, I realize my biggest challenge wasn’t a single event. It was learning to trust that the way I naturally see the world could become one of the greatest ways I help others.
For years, I found myself wondering why people couldn’t see what seemed so obvious to me. I naturally noticed how decisions, conversations, people, and systems were connected, and I could often see how small issues would eventually grow into much larger problems if no one addressed them. Whether it was in my personal life or inside complex organizations, I was always asking, “If this continues, what happens next?” or “How does this affect everything else?” I didn’t always have the language for it, and for a long time I questioned whether I was overthinking things. Over time, I realized I wasn’t overthinking—I was seeing interconnections that others often overlooked.
Of course, there were external challenges along the way. Becoming a young mother, navigating family hardships, building a career in highly regulated corporate environments, and eventually stepping into entrepreneurship all required resilience and adaptability. Each experience shaped me, but one of the most transformative was advocating for my son after he was diagnosed with a rare kidney disease. That journey reinforced something I now believe deeply: the questions we’re willing to ask—and the connections we’re willing to make—can change outcomes.
Today, those experiences influence how I work with leaders and organizations. I help them recognize patterns, challenge assumptions, and uncover the blind spots that often lead to costly mistakes, missed opportunities, and unnecessary risk. My goal isn’t simply to encourage curiosity. It’s to help people see what they couldn’t see before, so they can make better decisions, build stronger teams, and create better outcomes.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Rule Your Data?
Rule Your Data exists because I’ve spent years watching incredibly smart people solve the wrong problem.
Somewhere along the way, many organizations became really good at moving fast and checking boxes, but not always slowing down long enough to ask, “Are we solving the right problem?” That’s where I love to live.
I help leaders and teams uncover blind spots, connect the dots others don’t see, and improve the quality of their thinking before they improve the way they work. Sometimes that looks like a keynote. Sometimes it’s an executive workshop. Sometimes it’s consulting alongside leadership teams. Every engagement is designed to help people think differently, have better conversations, and make better decisions.
What probably sets me apart is that I don’t believe learning has to be boring. My sessions are filled with stories, laughter, practical tools, and the occasional “Ouch…I’ve definitely done that before” moment. I want people to leave thinking, “I’ve never looked at it that way,” while also feeling equipped to do something differently on Monday morning.
I’m especially excited about our upcoming enterprise course, which helps organizations strengthen curiosity, critical thinking, and execution in a practical, engaging way. The course is designed for leaders and teams who want to move beyond checking boxes and build cultures where people think more strategically, collaborate more effectively, and confidently navigate complexity.
If there’s one thing I’d love readers to know, it’s this: curiosity isn’t a soft skill. It’s one of the most practical leadership skills we have. The quality of our questions shapes the quality of our decisions, our relationships, and ultimately our results. If you’re curious (I couldn’t resist 😊), I’d love to connect. You can learn more about our workshops, speaking, consulting, and upcoming course at Ruleyourdata.com
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I’m pretty curious, so my resource list is constantly growing. Let’s just say my podcast queue has accepted that it’s never going to reach zero.
One constant is the Bible. It’s the foundation for how I think about leadership, wisdom, service, and relationships.
Beyond that, I intentionally learn across disciplines rather than from a single source. I’m drawn to leadership, psychology, neuroscience, business, communication, and behavioral science because I’ve found that the best solutions rarely come from staying in one lane. They come from connecting ideas that don’t typically live together.
Whether I’m reading a book, listening to a podcast, or having a conversation with someone who sees the world differently than I do, I’m always asking the same question: What can I learn here that will help me better understand people and solve problems? I’ve found that some of the most meaningful breakthroughs don’t come from finding one perfect resource—they come from connecting insights across many different ones.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ruleyourdata.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teenaiscurious
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teena.marie.jackson.2025
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teenamjackson
