Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeannette Paulino.
Hi Jeannette, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I began my “grand” career as a waitress at a BBQ chain restaurant in Times Square at night, working in an unpaid peace and conflict NGO internship by day. As a Miami native, I had left home to study Political Science and International Relations at the University of Florida. That choice was shaped by my childhood summers in the Dominican Republic (my parents’ homeland), and the deep privilege I felt growing up in the United States. I saw power outages, water scarcity, and inequality in Santo Domingo up close, and I knew I wanted to play a role in addressing them.
After countless applications and rejections later while serving tourists ribs and wings in the heart of NYC, I finally landed my dream job in international economic development in Washington DC. I led United States government-funded and World Bank-funded projects in emerging markets that focused on economic mobility, job creation, and trade facilitation. My life set sail from there… to Cairo, to Gaborone, to San Salvador, Port au Prince, Lima, Manila, and Kuala Lumpur.
I owe much to where I am today to my first overseas project in Egypt. Because years later, after completing my MBA at Columbia Business School, I found myself recruiting for management consulting. A consulting firm in Dubai reached out to consider relocating to the Arabian Gulf, given my experience in the Middle East. I had never seriously considered moving there beyond my work visits, until I attended the firm’s presentation and learned all about Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and the UAE’s transformational projects. Something aligned. I found my next adventure.
A year later, I moved to Dubai. I worked in Riyadh. I developed a National Strategy for Women, the Elderly, and Children for Saudi Arabia. I built the operational strategy of a top-tier university in the UAE. I made deep, lasting relationships across the region, and the United Arab Emirates became a home away from home.
Today, I’m back in Miami, where I founded my own advisory and consulting firm, advising governments, companies, and startups on strategic partnerships across the U.S. and the Middle East.
It still amazes me how life unfolds through a series of unexpected events and doors opening at just the right time. From a waitress in Times Square to advising governments across 12+ countries and supporting large-scale public and private initiatives, my journey has been anything but linear, but every step somehow led to the next.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
When we look at someone’s life on social media, we’re usually seeing the tip of the iceberg, rarely the depth beneath it.
Early on, before I landed my first role in international economic development, I spent months waitressing in Times Square while sending out applications and collecting rejection emails. It was a humbling period, and there were many moments of self-doubt where I wondered if the path I envisioned for myself would actually materialize. What helped me push through were self development books, YouTube motivational videos, stubborn persistence, and the support of my family and friends.
Throughout my global career, I’ve experienced layoffs, unprofessional male managers and clients, and long stretches of 70-hour work weeks that left me exhausted and questioning my path. Working internationally also brought moments that were far more intense than the typical workplace challenge. During a work trip early on in my career, I found myself stuck in the middle of an Anti-American riot in Cairo, when the State Department warned all expats to stay inside. In that moment, I became suddenly aware of my nationality in a way that felt both isolating and frightening.
Later, when I became an entrepreneur and established my advisory firm, the challenges took on a different shape. There were countless projects and clients I hoped to secure that didn’t materialize. Yet, there were many fruitful ones that did. Entrepreneurship is exhilarating because of the freedom it offers, but it is also daunting. You are the strategist, the sales team, the executor, and the safety net all at once.
Each experience tested my confidence. Some moments tore it down. But rebuilding it, stronger, clearer, and more self-assured, became part of the process. Over time, those obstacles didn’t just make me resilient; they helped me get closer to the work and the life that truly fit me.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about JP Global Advisors?
Through my advisory work, I advise CEOs, governments, and startups on strategy, growth, and partnerships. Much of my work focuses on bringing together the right players across an ecosystem and building bridges between South Florida and the Arabian Gulf, particularly the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.
I operate at the intersection of business, government, and entrepreneurship, translating opportunities across regions that are increasingly interested in working together. Whether it’s helping a city think about strategic partnerships, supporting companies expand or enter new markets, or connecting government and business leaders who might not otherwise meet, the goal is always the same: creating partnerships that lead to real, tangible outcomes.
Some of the projects I’m most proud of span very different parts of the world. Earlier in my career, I launched an export promotion program in Egypt that coached 230 small and medium enterprises on accessing foreign markets in the U.S. and Europe, resulting in more than $17 million in business deals. I worked on designing a National Strategy for Women in Saudi Arabia focused on addressing gaps across the education, employment, and health sector. And I’ve played a meaningful role in the scaling of a Miami-based hydration and media company.
More recently, I’ve helped facilitate an agreement between the City of Miami and Ras Al Khaimah, one of the UAE’s fastest-growing emirates. What began as conversations around shared interests has grown into a broader effort to explore collaboration across innovation, real estate investment, education, health, tourism, and trade. Seeing two regions that are thousands of miles apart discover meaningful ways to work together has been incredibly rewarding, and it reflects the kind of bridge-building I hope to continue doing throughout my career.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
From time to time, I revisit this quote: “To build confidence, you have to take action.”
When I look back at all the times I decided to push myself out of my comfort zone by taking action, it resulted in serendipitous outcomes:
– Asking the Vice President of a company I dreamed of working for out for coffee eventually led to an interview and a job offer.
– Applying to a top MBA program, after countless hours of studying, overcoming self doubt… led me to an Ivy League business school.
– Applying to jobs and prepping for interviews for jobs I did not think I was ready for, led me into rooms I once thought were out of reach.
– Sharing with selective friends that I was looking for a side gig to supplement my income eventually led to my first consulting project with a rising hydration startup, which ultimately led me to establish my own advisory firm and have this startup as my first client.
– Asking the Mayor of Miami if he’d be open to participating in a fireside chat with me, because I had nothing to lose, resulted in a yes. That became a turning point for me.
Looking back, my career journey has always been about taking action before I felt fully confident. I just didn’t know it or saw it that way at the time. But, it’s been all about catapulting myself forward with the mindset that I have nothing to lose if I ask or try.
For those reading this, I encourage you not to let fear define you. Say yes before you feel fully qualified. Ask for what you want before you feel certain. You will figure it out along the way. And if you don’t, pivoting is always possible. Confidence often doesn’t always come first, courage does. And then, serendipitous outcomes you did not expect surprise you along the way.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @jeanpaulino
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeannette-paulino/
