The women who scale the highest aren’t the most confident.
They’re the ones who’ve learned how to trust themselves after everything falls apart.
In this episode of She Wears the Pants, Ashley Deland is joined by Jaclynn “Jax” Brennan, founder and CEO of Creative Duality and co-founder of the Ayana Foundation. Together, they unpack what it really takes for a high-growth woman to build companies, communities, and impact without losing herself in the process.
This is a raw, honest conversation about ambition, burnout, partnership breakdowns, identity loss, and the power of rebuilding from the ground up. Jax shares what social media never shows, the lessons learned from failed ventures and legal battles, and how self-trust becomes the most important currency as you scale.
If you’re a woman navigating expansion, leadership, and the emotional cost of building something meaningful, this conversation will help you recalibrate your standards, trust your intuition, and build support systems that actually hold you.
In this episode, you’ll learn how to:
- Build internal self-trust so your intuition becomes a reliable leadership tool
- Navigate partnerships, operating agreements, and red flags before they cost you everything
- Recover from burnout without shame and rebuild your life and business sustainably
- Create a personal “life board of directors” to support both your ambition and your humanity
- Separate identity from your business so setbacks don’t dismantle your sense of self
By the end, you’ll walk away with a clearer understanding of what it really takes to lead, rebuild, and rise into the woman your next level requires.
Meet Jax
Jaclynn “Jax” Brennan is the founder and CEO of Creative Duality, a next-generation brand and community agency working with global leaders like YouTube, Soho House, Bumble, and UBS. She specializes in creator-led ecosystems, immersive activations, and narrative-driven campaigns that turn brands into movements.
She is also the co-founder and executive director of the Ayana Foundation, a nonprofit supporting first-time women founders building venture-scalable businesses through mentorship, resources, and community.
Website: www.creativeduality.com
Instagram: @jaclynnbrennan
Foundation: www.ayana.org
Continue the Work with Ashley
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