Mercedez Jackson, Fulton County Schools, LIVE from the 2025 GNFCC BOLD Women’s Leadership Summit (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 892)
Mercedez Jackson from the Fulton County Schools Social Services Department joined host John Ray live from the 2025 GNFCC BOLD Women’s Leadership Summit to share her insights from her keynote address at the event on building resilience in the face of fear and stress.
Mercedez discussed the importance of self-awareness, naming and normalizing our fears, and recognizing how stress manifests differently for each person. She explained the continuum of mental health, ranging from excelling to crisis, and emphasized how awareness and intentional strategies, such as asking for help, delegating, or pausing before responding, can help individuals move toward thriving.
Her encouragement to “sit in the uncomfortable space” and remember that feelings pass provided the audience with both practical tools and hope. Mercedez also underscored the power of empathy and honest communication in relationships at home and at work.
Mercedez reminds us that resilience is not about avoiding hardship but choosing to move forward with courage, self-reflection, and the right support.
This interview was originally broadcast live from the 2025 GNFCC BOLD Women’s Leadership Summit held on August 12, 2025, at The Commons at Phase in Alpharetta, Georgia. John Ray Co. and North Fulton Business Radio were the Media Sponsors for this year’s Summit.
Topics Discussed in this Episode
00:00 Welcome to the 2025 GNFCC BOLD Women in Leadership Summit
00:56 Introducing Mercedez Jackson, Fulton County Schools
01:16 Understanding Resilience and Fear
03:37 Self-Awareness and Stress Management
06:19 The Mental Health Continuum
08:24 Encouragement and Intentional Living
10:40 Contact Information and Closing Remarks
Mercedez Jackson, Fulton County Schools
Mercedez Jackson is Coordinator of School Social Work Services at Fulton County Schools.
Fulton County Schools (FCS) is the fourth largest school system in Georgia, serving a diverse and geographically expansive area outside the City of Atlanta. It operates 102 schools, including elementary, middle, and high schools; startup charter schools; and a virtual school, with a projected enrollment of about 86,000 students for the 2025-26 school year. Founded in 1871, the system employs over 10,900 staff, including 6,200 certified personnel, and is known for its commitment to student achievement, continuous improvement, and community engagement. The district uniquely spans both the northern and southern parts of Fulton County, separated physically by the City of Atlanta’s own school system, and focuses on providing a well-rounded education while fostering a safe and efficient learning environment.
Connect with Mercedez on LinkedIn
2025 GNFCC BOLD Women’s Leadership Summit
The 2025 GNFCC BOLD Women’s Leadership Summit was held on Tuesday, August 12, 2025, at The Commons at Phase in Alpharetta, Georgia.
The mission of BOLD—Businesswomen Organizing for Leadership and Development—is to connect businesswomen to build outstanding networks and spheres of influence, to collaborate with each other and with partner organizations to develop their businesses, and to celebrate and recognize the women of North Fulton.
Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce (GNFCC)
The Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce is a private, non-profit, member-driven organization comprised of over 1,400 business enterprises, civic organizations, educational institutions, and individuals. Their service area includes Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton, Mountain Park, Roswell, and Sandy Springs. GNFCC is the leading voice on economic development, business growth, and quality of life issues in North Fulton County.
As a five-star accredited chamber, GNFCC’s vision is to be the premier organization driving member and community success across the region, and they are dedicated to pursuing this vision based on the guiding principles of advocacy, inclusivity, and operational excellence.
GNFCC promotes the interests of their members by assuming a leadership role in making North Fulton an excellent place to work, live, play, and stay. They provide one voice for all local businesses to influence decision-makers, recommend legislation, and protect the valuable resources that make North Fulton a popular place to live.
For more information on GNFCC and its North Fulton County service area, follow this link or call (770) 993-8806. For more information on other GNFCC events, follow this link.
Connect with GNFCC: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram
About North Fulton Business Radio and host John Ray
With over 890 episodes and having featured over 1,300 guests, North Fulton Business Radio is the longest-running podcast in the North Fulton area, covering business in our community like no one else. We are the undisputed “Voice of Business” in North Fulton!
The show invites a diverse range of business, non-profit, and community leaders to share their significant contributions to their market, community, and profession. There’s no discrimination based on company size, and there’s never any “pay to play.” North Fulton Business Radio supports and celebrates businesses by sharing positive stories that traditional media ignore. Some media lean left. Some media lean right. We lean business.
John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. John and the team at North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®, produce the show, and it is recorded inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.
The studio address is 275 South Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009.
You can find the full archive of shows by following this link. The show is available on all the major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, and many others.
John Ray also operates his own business advisory practice. John’s services include advising solopreneurs and small professional services firms on their value, their positioning and business development, and their pricing. His clients are professionals who are selling their expertise, such as consultants, coaches, attorneys, CPAs, accountants, bookkeepers, marketing professionals, and other professional services practitioners.
John is the national bestselling author of The Generosity Mindset: A Journey to Business Success by Raising Your Confidence, Value, and Prices.
Renasant Bank supports North Fulton Business Radio
Renasant Bank has humble roots, starting in 1904 as a $100,000 bank in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has become one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions, with over $17 billion in assets and more than 180 banking, lending, wealth management, and financial services offices throughout the region. All of Renasant’s success stems from each banker’s commitment to investing in their communities as a way to better understand the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, they understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.
Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | X (Twitter) | YouTube
Beyond Computer Solutions supports North Fulton Business Radio
If you’re a law firm, medical practice, or manufacturer, there’s one headline you would rather not make: “Local Business Pays Thousands in Ransom After Cyberattack.” That’s where Beyond Computer Solutions comes in. They help organizations like yours stay out of the news and in business with managed IT and cybersecurity services designed for industries where compliance and reputation matter most.
Whether they serve as your complete IT department or simply support your internal team, these professionals are well-versed in HIPAA, secure document access, written security policies, and other essential aspects that ensure your safety and well-being. Best of all, it starts with a complimentary security assessment.
Kelly Lorenzen, CEO of KLM, is an award-winning entrepreneur with over 15 years of business-ownership experience. She is also a certified project management professional.
