Do you believe some people have a special intuition or can speak with the dead? I wouldn’t say I was a skeptic, but I was not necessarily convinced. Then I met Jennifer Shaffer.

On the hunt for something fun and different to do, I stumbled upon Medium Mondays at Uncorked in Manhattan Beach. I thought it would be amusing if nothing else. Not only was it entertaining, but I discovered something astonishing and emotional as well.

As we went into the event, my friend asked me what I wanted to gain from the experience. I offhandedly replied that I wanted an apology from “a certain someone.” We were welcomed into a room of about 20 people with a nice glass of wine, and the group reading began. 

Most participants asked for advice from loved ones who had passed on, which prompted me to ask, “When someone passes over, do they become smarter or more enlightened?” Jennifer assured me that they are the same people but more aware. For instance, if someone hurt you, they know it—but she wouldn’t recommend asking your religious grandmother if she approves of your extramarital affair.

“What I have learned from the dead is how to live and how to love.”

I decided to inquire if anyone I know who had passed wanted to speak to me. Jennifer described a man (check), chain-smoking (check), who wanted to say he was very, very sorry (check, and now the tears are flowing). I thought, “Wow, this is crazy!”

As she spoke to person after person, emotions ran high. Some were warm and fuzzy, like the young mom whose grandma praised her for improving upon family recipes by adding her own twist. Others felt relief, or a weight lifted off their shoulders. One woman who had been involved in an accident was encouraged to forgive herself—by the person who had tragically passed away in the same accident. It was phenomenal.

Jennifer, who prefers the term “intuitive” rather than medium or psychic, says she has been communicating with spirits since childhood … possibly due to her frequent seizures and subsequent belladonna treatment. The messages she receives are often not literal, so it took her many years of hard work and study to learn to interpret them correctly. 

A former stockbroker and triathlete—and now among the top in her field as an intuitive—Jennifer is sought out by celebrities, athletes, CEOs and politicians. A significant amount of her professional life is spent supporting law enforcement agencies, such as the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Recently, her team received recognition for their assistance in removing over 400 pounds of fentanyl from the streets. 

She has been on multiple news shows, has traveled the world as an expert speaker, is the subject of four best-selling books, and has a podcast. There are currently two television shows about her in development. Jennifer is chic, personable and, despite her impressive resume, really down to earth.

The longtime Manhattan Beach resident has been married to her husband, Freddy, for 23 years, and they have two kids, Jack and Blake. She donates her time doing “Wine & Spirits” readings for local nonprofits like Mychal’s Learning Place and Walk With Sally. She also works with a collaboration of intuitives who provide their services to resolve unsolved crimes. 

While she understands that there will always be nonbelievers, that doesn’t bother her. Her dad, a Mormon bishop, told her, “It’s not your job to make anyone believe anything.”

She feels blessed and grateful for the life she has and her ability to help people. “What I have learned from the dead is how to live and how to love,” she shares. “If you love yourself, your whole world will change.”