At its core, this episode is about legacy with intention. Sharon and Jenny King — a mother–daughter duo built on service, strategy, and grit — show how generational leadership is passed down when lived into and shaped together. Their story is a masterclass in intergenerational badassery. 

Sharon came of age in turbulent 1960s Atlanta, stumbled into a dream job at a legendary department store, and got pulled into community work by a woman who simply said, “Would you help me?” That one yes became decades of impact:

• mentoring low-income girls in Atlanta housing projects
• building out women’s programming at the YWCA
• running nonprofits across the Southeast and Southwest
• going toe-to-toe with big corporations and even testifying before federal regulators
• becoming a fierce advocate for early childhood education and economic equity

Fast forward a generation, and Jenny is the child who didn’t play school or doctor; instead she pretended to go to work. She grew up in pews and boardrooms at First Presbyterian, watching her mom organize, strategize, and raise money without the job title or paycheck to match. Now, Jenny’s the connector-in-chief:

• pulling together civic leaders, donors, and policy thinkers
• serving on boards from Head Start to public schools
• organizing MLK oratory competitions that launch young voices onto national stages
• helping parents, refugees, and first-gen families navigate public education and opportunity

And when you get these two in a room? You get wisdom, humor, and a master class in intergenerational power with purpose.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why Jenny kept “King” in 1991 and what a credit card addressed to “Mrs. John Smith” had to do with it.
• Child care deserts and why underpaid early childhood educators aren’t a women’s issue; they’re a business issue, a family issue, and frankly, a democracy issue.
• How to build multicultural school communities where 20+ languages are spoken and “everyone is welcome” is not a slogan — it’s operating procedure.
• Why collaboration is hard, communication breaks down, and how Jenny somehow always spots the crack in the foundation before anyone else.
• How three generations of King women have passed the baton.

Because it’s Counsel Brew, we of course talk brews:

• Sharon: A chamomile-and-sweetener ritual that hits in any season.
• Jenny: Half-and-half coffee with a hazelnut pod. Zero guilt.

👉 Listen now:  

Find Sharon at https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonking5/

Find Jenny at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennykingmpa/

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Explicit Rating is for the occasional use of colorful language.