I built this because I lived it.

Fifteen years in nonprofit leadership. Two CEO seats. Three boys. I had to build systems that worked for my teams and my family.

Jessica Whatley, founder of The Efficiency Choice, seated and smiling against a pink background
My Background

I’ve sat in the seat you’re in.

I’ve spent over 15 years in nonprofit leadership, and more than half of that as a CEO. I’ve led Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Chattanooga and, most recently, Northside Neighborhood House, a $4.6 million organization in Chattanooga, TN that also runs three thrift stores.

My teams have ranged from 4 people to 75. I’ve led culture turnarounds and built systems where none existed, and I use the tools and AI I teach in my own work every day.

So when we work on your systems, your culture, your tools or your time, I’m bringing what I had to figure out in that seat myself.

What I Believe

Balanced Alignment

I’ve been obsessed with productivity since I was a kid. I was the kid (and the adult!) excited about new planners, color-coded closets, and organized spaces. It’s not about being rigid. What matters to me is making room for the people I love.

I grew up being told you can have it all. You can be a wife, a great mother and have the career. The problem was, nobody told me how to do all of it well and feel like I was actually showing up present in those spaces.

So I started to build structures that helped me show up more fully. I don’t believe in hustle culture or cramming more into a day. I believe in Balanced Alignment.

Structuring your time on purpose so you can show up fully for your work, your people, and yourself.

Being organized isn’t the end goal. Balance and freedom are.

I care about workplace culture because I’ve watched good people leave jobs they were good at, under leaders who meant well. Not because the work was too hard, but because the job kept taking from the other parts of their life. I don’t think the price of doing meaningful work is sacrificing yourself, your family, or your interests. That’s a systems problem, and systems can be changed.

Jessica Whatley with her husband Chris and their three boys
Outside of Work

A Little About Me

My greatest joy is my husband Chris and our three boys, Hutton, Mills, and Crew. I care about efficiency as much as I do because I really like spending time with them. I’m a huge Braves baseball fan because of my children. When you have three boys, you learn everything you need to know about sports so they want to talk to you about it!

I strongly believe that with intention you can have a successful career and be present in the lives of the people you care about and the places you care about. I would love to help you and your team get there!

See How We Can Work Together

Get started with The Efficiency Choice today.

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