There have been some
unexpected rewards from
being The GPS Girl—
Jacobsen has been able to
build relationships and meet
hundreds of people because
strangers often recognise
her voice. Most unusual, and
enjoyable, is the number
of stories she has heard in
response.
“Once people put two and
two together and realise I’m
the voice they drive around
with, I often hear about their
travels, or how having a GPS
device brought someone
comfort when they were lost.
You would think voice work is
an alienating career—you’re
in a booth alone recording
audio and you don’t know
who is going to hear it or
what it is going to be used
for—but in my case it has
been the opposite. The human
connection was something I
didn’t expect.”
Jacobsen has combined
her experiences with these
unexpected connections with
perhaps the best known and
most infamous of phrases in
GPS devices—“recalculating”—
to create unique opportunities
and reach new audiences. She
provides tools and advice for
those looking to recalculate
where they are in life; just
like from your GPS device,
Jacobsen can potentially get
you back on the right path, or
help you find a new path you
hadn’t thought to take before.
However, transitioning from
a career in voice work to one
in development leadership,
and switching gears in a new
country, hasn’t been without
its struggles.
“I have loved personal and
professional development
throughout my life,” she
shared. “Moving from Australia
to New York City on my own
and developing a business in
America has been extremely
complicated. I have had to
develop my own leadership
ability every step of the way.
“Becoming involved in the
National Speakers Association
and serving on the board and
as President of the New York
City chapter, I learned that
true leadership is to empower
others. This is a huge part
of my message as a speaker
and it is part of my life’s work
to educate, entertain, and
motivate groups in business
settings and conventions.”
By using her own life
experiences as a template
for helping her audience
understand moments of
recalculating in their own
lives Jacobsen has been able
to communicate a hopeful
message to those who are in
times of need.
“When I leave the stage, Iwill have the most incredible
conversations with people
who tell me how they have
recalculated through difficult
times,” she said. “Sometimes
they are right in the middle
of the most challenging
life circumstances. When
someone shares that kind
of intimate information and
tells me they do not feel so
alone knowing someone else
went through difficult times
and made it through to the
other side I know I have done
my job. This is one of the
most rewarding aspects of
being a motivational speaker
and sharing the message of
Recalculating—that it is never
too late to recalculate.”There may be a few more
recalculating moments for
Karen Jacobsen, but she’s got
a lot of things to be excited
about now. With the release
of her first book, Recalculate- Directions for Driving
Performance Success, and
the success from both her
voice work and her expertise
as a professional speaker,
Jacobsen’s work has opened
the door for her to reach the
world with her voice, just as
she had dreamed as a child.
June 2018 | VENTURE Success | 41