We had the good fortune of connecting with Jill Garner and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jill, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
When my twin sons entered first grade, the lack of manners was a topic of frequent discussions. I began coming to the cafeteria once a week to offer instruction in the basics. After the second year, teachers asked me to come in their classrooms and teach common courtesies. When the boys entered fifth grade, other schools asked what we were teaching (that they were not teaching) because our students’ kindness to others and exemplary behavior were noted on field trips to local historical sites. That summer, my husband made a devastating decision to leave the boys and me behind the first week of their sixth grade year. My world turned upside down. I didn’t believe in divorce. As I searched for how to go on, I prayed fervently for God’s plan in the midst of our sorrow. After two years of searching, it became clear that my life’s work had been laid before me…to raise up a generation of StrongHearts, morally courageous kids, grounded in truth and fortified with self-respect, who would be able to affect the world for good.
In 1999, with extensive research and gathering countless interviews, I wrote the original elementary school curriculum. The NEA conference was in New Orleans the following year, so I secured a booth and left with over 500 names and addresses of schools across the country that resulted in 103 orders. In 2003, I founded nonprofit, Manners of the Heart to fulfill the mission by equipping schools, encouraging families, and engaging communities in Heart Education. Today, we are an authority in the education field with a comprehensive curriculum for young learners, ongoing training and support for administrators and educators, and books and workshops that enable parents to reinforce the lessons at home.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?

We are a nonprofit built on a for-profit business model. Our mission has not changed or wavered in twenty years. It has been a difficult road with many almost-time-to-close moments when funding was scarce. But as a mission-driven organization, we could not stop, nor could we give up. As we crossed the twenty-year mark last year, I realized that our long history has been preparation for such a time as this. Never before has the need for our message been as critical as it is today. The state of our young people is devastating for several reasons.

1) Our society has spent the last 60 years obsessed with building self-esteem to the detriment of our young people. Two generations are suffering from the repercussions of this failed philosophy, with a third generation drowning in the muck and mire created by it. It is not self-esteem we need, but self-respect, which comes from esteeming others, not self.

2) The mental health crisis among our teens and young adults is, in actuality, a heart issue. For the content of the heart, whether good, bad, or ugly, informs what a child will think, say, or do. (This is true for all of us.) It is only through the education of the heart that we will overcome this crisis.

3) In the beginning, we were trying to convince educators that unless you unlock the heart of a child, the mind will not open. With all the best intentions, they were focused on STEM education, resulting in the neglect of their students’ hearts. After many years of intense work, most schools have not achieved the results they had hoped for. It has now become widely accepted that children cannot learn if their hearts are in need of repair.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

We would begin with a visit to our current state capitol and the old state capitol. Both are on the national registry and are impeccable examples of southern architecture and the rich heritage of Louisiana. Followed by a tour of First Presbyterian Church, approaching its 200th anniversary, it is the oldest protestant congregation in our city. The present-day sanctuary is 100 years old with a breathtaking vaulted ceiling and stained glass windows that depict the symbols of Christianity. A visit to the Art and Science Museum and the USS Kidd, would round out a day downtown. Dinner at Tsunami’s on top of the Shaw Center for the Arts with picturesque views of the river, would leave my friend wanting more of Baton Rouge!

The next day, we would tour the LSU Campus, under its canopy of majestic live oaks, including, a visit to Mike the Tiger, the football stadium, outdoor amphitheater, and baseball field. At the north gates of campus, we would have lunch at local favorite, The Chimes. In the afternoon, a stroll through the nearby Magnolia Mound Plantation would give an introduction to life in the 1700s. For dinner, Juban’s would be the most unique menu in a unique setting.

The following day, we would visit at least one of our beautiful plantations along the Mississippi River with a run up to St. Francisville, a Hallmark-like town filled with accomplished artists, talented chefs, and charming homes. Lots to see and plenty of great restaurants for a leisurely day.

The fourth day, we would visit the Rural Life Museum and Windrush Gardens for an understanding of the life of Louisianan’s who live off the land. To continue seeing more of what makes Louisiana special, a tour of the Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center in the heart of town would offer a look at our one-of-a-kind ecosystem. We would land at Parrain’s for an authentic cajun supper that would prove our food is the best in the world.

The last day, we would spend the morning at the Captiol Park Museum to round out my friend’s visit to our area. The rest of the day would be spent at Istrouma Brewery in a perfect rural setting to enjoy fabulous food and live moosic!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Charlie D’Agostino, Executive Director LSU Innovation Park, taught me 95% of what I know about business. Before establising Manners of the Heart, I had been an interior designer. In the design firm, I did the creative work, and put the paper work on someone else’s desk for estimating and ordering! With limited practical business expereince, it was suggested that I meet with Charlie to find the help I would need to make a go of it. Charlie’s wisdom was impressive, but his heart of service was immeasurable. He assigned a grad student to walk through the development of a mission statement and a detailed business plan. From that day forward, he became my closest business advisor and dearest friend. Never once in twenty years did he refuse a phone call or not reply immediately to my barrage of questions. Just two months before his death in December of last year, he arranged an important meeting with someone I needed to connect with but couldn’t reach without his assistance. In every sense of the word, he was the successful business person we all should strive to become. 

Website: www.mannersoftheheart.org and www.jillgarnercontent.org

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jillgarnercontent/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillgarnercontent/

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