For this round of LeadingResponse Meet the Team, we’re excited to spotlight the one and only Jen Debuhr—a true cornerstone of our team. It’s always a pleasure to take a step beyond the day-to-day and learn more about the people who make our culture and success possible, and Jen is no exception. As a long-standing member of LeadingResponse, she brings not only deep experience but also a genuine passion for what she does and the clients she supports.
Who are you, what do you do, and what are your goals?
Jen Lowery DeBuhr, VP of Sales for our Health & Legacy Business Division. No one calls me Jennifer – I’ve always been a Jen!
I’ve been with LeadingResponse for over 22 years. I’ve grown within the company from an individual contributor to a manager and now a VP. Health & Legacy is our youngest and fastest-growing division of the company. It encompasses Medicare, Elective Medical, Estate Planning, Preneed Funeral Planning, Senior Living, and other practice areas we may not even know about yet!
Leading this division is a lot of fun. We get to be creative, find new paths, create and test new products. We essentially act like a start-up within an established 30-year-old company. I love it.
Who is your hero?
My daughter, Dylan. She is, BY FAR, the bravest person I’ve ever met. She never lets fear stop her. She makes new friends easily, loves heights and roller coasters, and is always up for an adventure. She is really into singing and acting right now. Watching her command a room with 100 or more people in it brings tears to my eyes every time. She’ll feel nervous, tell me, “Mommy, I can feel it in my stomach right now,” and then just owns the stage – anything from a play she’s rehearsed to karaoke on the fly. She hopes to be on Broadway one day and with her confidence, anything is possible!
What would you change about yourself if you could?
I have always wanted to be an extrovert, but I’m not. I’m somewhat introverted. It is ironic, as I have spent my entire career in sales and client-facing roles. I have given countless presentations, but they are always an emotional effort for me. I’m a little jealous of the people who thrive on it. My friend and colleague, Kanchana, recently called me an “otrovert” – social on the outside, but I need a lot of alone time to recover! I like that label, so I’m going with it. It keeps me thoughtful, which I think makes me a better listener for my clients. It may not be something I want to change after all.
What is your favorite thing about your career?
It is important to me to know that I am making a difference. I tell people all the time that I am paid by clients to help them grow their businesses, but that doesn’t drive me. I am driven knowing that every day the work we do puts people who need help in front of established experts who can help them. I lost both of my parents over the past few years and realized, through that experience, on a very personal level, just how important the connections we make are.
I had a recent conversation with a potential new client. He had spent much of the conversation talking about his drive to serve normal, everyday families. He asked me what we were looking for in a client, and I was able to very sincerely respond, “Someone just like you. We have the same goals – helping as many people as we can.”
What is your proudest accomplishment?
This is a tough one. There are a lot, both personally and professionally. It is probably going back to school and getting a master’s degree in my forties. COVID affected our business in a massive way. We market events to seniors, inviting them to restaurants! When the shutdowns started in 2020, I really didn’t even know if our company or the industry would exist on the other side. That drove me to register for grad school. I earned my master’s in management and leadership. It is very similar to an M.B.A., but more people-focused and less accounting-focused. That has opened so many doors for me professionally and helped me realize how much I truly love mentoring others. It is an honor and privilege I likely wouldn’t have known if I hadn’t been completely forced outside my comfort zone.
What is your favorite game or sport to watch and play?
I’m not into sports, not even a little bit. Sports talk makes my eyes glaze over. I’m really into mahjong, though. A friend talked me into joining her for a game, and I got completely hooked. I now have a small problem with collecting new mahjong sets. My daughter laughs at me when I get a new one, but I got her hooked too – and her friends and my niece. It’s now a family hobby.
Do you have pets?
We have four pets, two cats and two dogs. We just keep adopting animals. I keep promising myself we’ll stop, but I’m always one good sob story away from adding another furball into our house!
Aside from necessities, what one thing could you not go a day without?
Coffee, but that counts as a necessity, right?
What is your favorite book?
The Great Alone, by Kristin Hannah, or maybe her newer one – The Women. I’ve read most of her books. I also love the Pillars of the Earth series. If it’s an epic, I’m into it.
LeadingResponse Meet the Team
Thanks for joining us for another Meet the Team blog.
At LeadingResponse, we’re more than a team. We’re a group of problem-solvers, strategists, and partners who care about doing great work for great clients. And yes, we have a little fun along the way, too.
