There’s nothing I’m more passionate about than sharing the knowledge and strategies I’ve gained while pushing through challenges, setbacks, and victories.
I’ve broken through fear and resistance to build my business and become a best-selling author. I’ve triumphed over generational trauma and impostor syndrome in the pursuit of passion and purpose. My story connects because it’s raw and relatable.
Whether I’m on a stage or in a classroom, I show up to inspire, uplift, and remind others of their own strength. If you feel my message could impact your group, I’d love to connect.
Jill Featherstone is the proud founder of Featherstone Group and Featherstone Support Services, established in 2013. Her path here began not as a university professor, but as a dedicated counsellor with a profound dream: to travel the North and provide vital counselling services to Indigenous young people.
This aspiration has lived within her since her teenage years. Jill’s own early life, marked by racism, alcohol, depression, and teen pregnancy, instilled in her a deep understanding of struggle. Yet, even through those challenging years, her spirit remained unbroken, fueled by a desire for more. She was incredibly fortunate to receive support that guided her through that difficult time, and she vowed then that one day, she would offer the same lifeline to others.
From Personal Purpose to Collective Impact
When Jill transitioned from counselling to a new role as a university instructor, her dream of directly helping young people began to fade, leading her back to familiar struggles with depression. It was then she realized a fundamental truth: true happiness comes when you are living your purpose.
While she enjoyed helping people achieve their degrees in her new role, she missed directly empowering young people to realize their self-worth. Jill recognized that as a counsellor, she could reach individuals one at a time, in one community.
As a professor, she could reach many people, from diverse communities. The solution became clear: combine the old with the new.
Unveiling "Awaken the Spirit": Our Signature Workshop
Jill quickly began integrating her counselling knowledge with her teaching experience, developing workshops specifically designed to help young people uncover their potential and set ambitious goals.
After dedicated years of testing and refining strategies—many of which she’d used herself—her signature workshop emerged: Awaken the Spirit.
This powerful workshop is built on a 4-part model: Identity, Awareness, Vision, & Resiliency. Its name, 'Awaken the Spirit,' was lovingly suggested by a friend after an Elder shared that 'the reason our young people are struggling is because their spirits are sleeping.' Her friend felt that this workshop 'woke their spirits up,' a humbling and proud endorsement Jill carries forward.
Our Shared Mission: Empowering Generations, Together
"'Awaken the Spirit' has seen tremendous success over the years. It provides young people with vital tools and strategies to break free from the stigma and cycles of dependency that often result from generational trauma. While it's not a cure or a magic wand, it significantly aids in the fight against suicide and addiction, offering applicable strategies for people of all ages in their daily lives. Today, Featherstone Group boasts a team of several trained Indigenous professionals, all united by a common goal: empowering Indigenous young people.
Each facilitator brings wisdom, positive energy, open-mindedness, and empathy. The team is committed to sharing knowledge and supporting each other, always seeking more helping professionals to join their mission, because as they believe: 'Individually we are strong, but together we are unbreakable.
