Jessica Long

 

By Diane McMahon
Photography by Christian Lee

 

The wisdom philosopher Heraclitus gave us is, “The only thing that is constant is change.” Many things that change are beyond our control. Some people accept it, others resist. There are those of us who talk continually about wanting or needing to change but, according to myriad polls, few of us actually make it happen by choice and effort. Jessica Long is the exception to the statistics.

After nine years of a rewarding teaching career, Jessica decided to leave her position at the Okatie Elementary School, where she taught the fifth grade gifted and talented program. She loved teaching and felt fulfilled during all nine years. Still, an intuition, or inner guidance system, kept nudging her to try something new and different while she was still young and could. Two and a half years ago, at the end of the school year, she gave her resignation, leaving with good will and her colleagues’ best wishes.

Her paycheck continued until the following September, but she admits it was a scary time. In addition to her master’s in education, she earned a degree in communication. People reassured her that with her background finding a good job would be easy. Not that easy or immediate. But as German writer Goethe assures us, “Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aide.”

The mighty forces came in the guise of two prominent Lowcountry physicians: Dr. Frederick Weniger of Weniger Plastic Surgery and Dr. Carmen Traywick of May River Dermatology, who co-own LUX-A Medical Spa. Jessica is now the marketing and outreach director for their combined services.

On the phone Jessica’s voice is lively and friendly; it did nothing to prepare me for the vivacious presence of this lovely young woman. She appears more youthful than her age (her fresh face is a great advertisement in itself) and her enthusiasm about her work is contagious.

In the past two years, she has built a major presence in the community for Traywick and Weniger and the medical and spa services their offices provide. She developed a website, writes a once-a-month newsletter and sends email blasts. She spends every Thursday and Friday doing outreach work, organizing educational seminars and participating in the charity and philanthropic work that represents a core value of the doctors’ goals and visions.

While we sat at a Bluffton Starbucks on a Sunday afternoon, a woman and her daughter stopped by the table to say “hi” to Jessica. When we were introduced she said, “Jessica is amazing at her job. She seems to be everywhere and she knows everybody!” A while later, a second young woman stopped by our table. She said, “Jessica is so well known she should be mayor.”

Jessica admitted she is a Type-A personality without an introverted bone in her body. She loves representing her bosses and their work and said, “They are such inspiring examples of what it means to be excellent; I had no choice but to rise to their expectations.” Jessica is not all work. Last February she married Brendan Long, her boyfriend of six years, in a family only ceremony at Palmetto Bluff. She said, “He’s my rock, my voice of reason. He’s reserved until you get to know him and then he’s one of the funniest people I know.” Brendan is a firefighter with the Bluffton Fire Department. She decided to make her major career switch before she married and started thinking about a family. She credits Weniger and Traywick—who both have three children—for teaching her that work and family can be balanced.

One way Jessica stays balanced is to run four to five miles every night after work. “It’s my way of putting work away so I can come home and be a wife,” she said. Her work requires her to wear “classy” black (she prefers little black dresses with a statement necklace) but on the weekends she refuses to dress up. She was wearing jeans and a red vest the day we met, with no make-up other than mascara and lip gloss.

Her refusal to dress up backfired one weekend when she was visiting her parents in Perry, Ga. Brendan was supposed to be in Bluffton working. Her parents decided to take her out to dinner and told her she should dress up. She didn’t. The dinner was a surprise Brendan secretly arranged. He showed up and asked her to marry him. Obviously it worked—jeans and all.

Reflecting on her career change, Jessica said, “I still utilize my teaching skills. I still have to be creative and innovative in how I think and present things. But now there is so much I am learning that I want to share with a larger audience. That’s what keeps it exciting.” Jessica has stepped into a larger life. It’s what brave people can choose to do.

Up Close:

Jessica’s Best Line: “I can crush some bakery” (She runs off all those calories).

Peanuts aren’t just for snacks: It’s what she calls her nieces and nephews—Abram, Dylan, Grayson and Lucia.

Favorite vegging pastime: She loves reality TV; particularly the "Bachelor" and "Bachelorette" series and "The Real Housewives."