“At the core of my sessions with Breakwater was the goal to become a better professional leader, but Jaye Smith’s teachings and experience also shaped me into a better person over-all.”
ABOUT US
Breakwater recognizes that every organization’s needs are different. We provide customized, creative solutions for every project. Before beginning, we work with you to identify your real needs, and then design a program that meets those needs. We do not believe in “one size fits all.” We utilize a “whole-brain” approach that more effectively engages the person and the team. Our executive coaching programs range from 3, 6, or 12 months in duration. Our team building initiatives run from half-day to three-day programs. All of our services are structured to meet both your business and resource needs and can be designed for on-site and off-site locations. In the current environment, smart mid-sized and large companies are making investments in their people, the key resource for on-going sustainability.
Jaye Smith, Breakwater founder and lead consultant
Jaye’s career as an executive coach and organizational effectiveness consultant spans more than 20 years. Her mission is to help people and organizations chart a course of action that is fulfilling for them – and produces extraordinary results. Her forte lies in bringing vitality and creativity, along with practical business solutions to her Fortune 500 clients. Jaye provides direct executive coaching and creates dynamic team experiences that have built-in sustainability plans.
Jaye’s clients have included Fortune 500 corporations, consulting firms, and not-for-profit organizations in such diverse industries as financial services, luxury brand products, entertainment, hospitality, and pharmaceuticals. Clients include Blackrock, Denihan Hospitality Group, Citibank, COACH, Ernst & Young, Subway Franchisee Advertising Fund Trust, Estée Lauder, Association of Junior League, and Montblanc.
Jaye is a co-founder of Reboot Partners, LLC, offering personal, professional, and corporate consulting in sabbatical and retirement planning. Previously, Jaye co-founded and led Partners In Human Resources International, a women-owned consulting firm, prior to founding Breakwater. Together, she and her partners built a strong company from the ground up, overcoming obstacles and hard economic times. Previously, Jaye directed the human resources consulting and career development practice of a major New York-based consulting firm. Earlier, Jaye spent a number of years in senior management positions at community-based organizations where she developed various ventures to train and hire under-employed individuals, which included Non-Traditional Employment for Women. As a faculty member at New York University’s Center for Career, Education and Life Planning for over 20 years, Jaye has taught all phases of career management. At Brooklyn College, she developed a specialized course on effective career management strategies and was the lead facilitator for the City University of New York’s “Managing for Innovation” Leadership Development Program at the Center for Economic Opportunity. Jaye offers Reboot Your Life Programs through CUNY School of Professional Studies.
Jaye is co-author of the Nautilus Award winning book Reboot Your Life, published in 2011, A Journal for Inspiration, published in 2013, Venus Unbound, a guide for women in building self-esteem, and she and her colleagues at Reboot Partners are finalizing a new book on reinventing retirement, due out Spring 2014. She has written articles on career management and has appeared on television and radio to discuss strategies for building a successful career. Jaye served as president of the International Association of Career Management Professionals, and is co-president of the board of directors of Harlem-Dowling Westside Center for Children and Family Services.
Jaye holds an M.A. in Counseling from New York University and a B.A. in Psychology from City College of the City University of New York.
Breakwater Founder Jaye Smith is featured in this NYC.Gov video highlighting the City University of New York’s “Managing for Innovation” Leadership Development Program for the Center for Economic Opportunity building leaders who help to elevate poverty in NYC. Jaye is the lead designer and facilitator.