Ep. 7: Chutzpah, Change, and Chasing Opportunity with Jane

In this episode of The Words We've Heard, host Marbree Sullivan sits down with Jane Lindner, a woman whose life has been defined by curiosity, resilience, and the courage to take big leaps. Raised in an idyllic Northern California town, Jane’s story unfolds across continents—teaching special education in the South, launching a business across Australia and Asia, diving into venture capital, and ultimately dedicating herself to healthcare innovations for aging populations.

Through all of her career shifts, international moves, and personal challenges, Jane has remained true to herself, always embracing the next adventure with energy and optimism. This conversation is a testament to reinvention, lifelong learning, and finding fulfillment by staying open to possibility.

🎧 Key Moments in the Episode:

• [00:00:00] – Welcome & Introduction to Jane’s Story
• [00:01:07] – Growing Up in a Close-Knit Northern California Town
• [00:03:26] – A Surprising Family Discovery & The Shifting Cultural Landscape
• [00:11:52] – From Special Education to an Unexpected Sales Career
• [00:20:19] – Building a Business in Australia & Navigating Cultural Differences
• [00:23:36] – A Shift to Venture Capital & Bringing Clean Energy to Asia
• [00:26:47] – Passion for Healthcare & Finding Purpose in Aging Innovations
• [00:29:42] – Lessons in Resilience, Reinvention, and Staying True to Yourself

🎙️ Loved this episode?

• Rate and review The Words We've Heard on your favorite podcast platform!
• Follow the show to hear more inspiring life stories.
• Share this episode with someone who could use a reminder that it's never too late to start something new. 

Transcript

[00:00:00] Welcome to The Words We've Heard. This is Marbree Sullivan, and each week I sit down with a baby boomer to capture their stories, ask for a bit of advice, and hold on to the memories of the post World War II generation. Join me as we journey through everyday lives and extraordinary stories.

[00:00:25] When I put out the word about this podcast, a few names of people I ought to speak [00:00:30] with popped up again and again. Jane Lindner is one of those names, and for good reason. Her story is remarkable, and she's a delight to talk with. A Northern California childhood that reminds us of the good and the shadows of the baby boom generation.

[00:00:45] A career path that took what I can only call chutzpah. Relationships and interests outside of work that require a highly organized calendar. And so much energy that while her friends retire, she's as busy as ever. [00:01:00] Jane Lindner is a force to be reckoned with, so I sat down with her.

[00:01:07] How would you describe your childhood? Actually, I would describe it as idyllic. I grew up in a small town in Marin County called Ross, where it was a very close knit community. And I love to brag about the fact that my six best friends today, I developed relationships with them anywhere [00:01:30] from kindergarten through Fifth grade.

[00:01:33] And so we have basically grown up together and, uh, that closeness has been maintained all those years, which I think is relatively unusual these days. That's amazing. And you know, it was just a time in your lives where weekends you would just take off and meet your friends early in the morning and go skateboarding or hiking or.

[00:01:56] for picnics, and you would show back [00:02:00] up when the sun was setting. And of course there were no cell phones, so parents didn't have a clue where you were, but they weren't concerned. And uh, so it was a very comforting lifestyle. 

[00:02:12] So both parents at home, did you have extended family in the area? 

[00:02:15] Uh, grandparents that were close by that I would visit frequently and they would come and stay with us for every holiday.

[00:02:23] You know, I felt very fortunate in having parents who had great empathy and [00:02:30] were, for the most part, nonjudgmental and certainly loved unconditionally. So I felt very lucky for the parents I had, I had two older brothers and a younger sister. And even though there was a significant age difference, we have maintained closeness over the years.

[00:02:47] So I think back on my childhood, I went to church across the street from my grammar school. It was all a big part of the community. And I just think back and I can't imagine how I could have [00:03:00] been happier during those years. You are a very lucky person. Yeah, I am. And I guess one thing that I think about a lot is the fact that it was pretty much a, I guess, small town, Caucasian, Christian community, uh, with the only diversity, really, unfortunately, today, or probably five families of the Jewish faith that were known to everybody.

[00:03:26] And I wouldn't say that there was prejudice, But they weren't [00:03:30] embraced in the community as well as other families, and I only learned growing up after actually confirmed after my parents death that I was 50 percent Jewish ethnically. And what was interesting is those Jewish families knew it. A lot of my friend's parents knew it, and they all chose that it was not in my best interest at the time to disclose it.

[00:03:56] So I thought that That just showed, uh, [00:04:00] how much compassion that particular community had. 

[00:04:03] Wow. That's incredible. And it's the sort of story that I feel like is hard to imagine happening today. 

[00:04:09] Oh, it's impossible. It wouldn't, it couldn't have happened today. And I guess the pros and cons is I, I wish I had known that about my ancestry because it turned out I had a lot of Jewish relatives and San Francisco, whom I wasn't able to embrace until after my parents passed.

[00:04:25] Um, this was on my father's side. So I missed out on that. But at the time [00:04:30] growing up, I guess it was felt by my parents and the community. This was the appropriate action. 

[00:04:36] Did you know your father's family at all during your parents lives? 

[00:04:39] I knew he had a great uncle who was, um, a judge who was Jewish, but it was explained to me that it was through marriage, even though it was all a little murky.

[00:04:49] But my parents just chose that it was in my best interest, I think, because of issues my father had, uh, around World War II. They just felt it was in my best [00:05:00] interest to just not disclose it at the time. And my mother was a Christian and I was raised along with my five best friends in an Episcopalian church.

[00:05:10] So that was my destination at the time. 

[00:05:13] Did your father have siblings? And did you, as a result, miss out on cousins as well? 

[00:05:18] No, he, he was an only child. And his parents, who were both Jewish, my father was bar mitzvahed, all of which I found out after he passed. Um, they went to church with us. [00:05:30] So there was, uh, other than this uncle.

[00:05:33] There was nothing that I drew my suspicions. 

[00:05:36] Yeah. Amazing. I mean, it's just, it's such an incredible, I'm glad that culture has shifted in such a way that that story is not one that would repeat. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. And school, were you in public school, private school? 

[00:05:48] I started off in high school. I started off in a private school along with all my pals.

[00:05:52] My parents went through a I guess a sort of financial crisis at the end of my sophomore year [00:06:00] and the private school offered me a scholarship, but I hadn't wanted to go there in the first place. It was a private girls boarding school. I hadn't wanted to go there in the first place. So it gave me an opportunity to switch to the local public school, which for me, I felt was a right decision.

[00:06:15] And my parents didn't argue. They had too much else to deal with at that time. So allowed me to make the transition. 

[00:06:22] How do you feel like that choice 

[00:06:23] changed the path of your life? That's an interesting question. Um, it definitely changed my path [00:06:30] because I wouldn't have ended up at the university that I entered because I wouldn't have heard of it, but in terms of education and exposure to more opportunities, I view it as a plus.

[00:06:43] Well, that's good and fantastic that you were able to trust yourself to make that decision at that age. Most teenagers, I think, do trust themselves, whether it's the right choice or not. 

[00:06:51] My mother grew up in private schools, so she grew up on the East coast. And so she was adamant that I go to a private [00:07:00] school.

[00:07:00] So I don't know how I researched this at the time since Google didn't exist. But when I was told I had to go to a private school, I picked Kent in Connecticut, even though I was living. In California, because it was the only private school I could find that was on the East Coast, a boarding school, and most specifically was co ed.

[00:07:19] Most private schools at the time were not co ed. So it was the only one I could find that was co ed. So that's where I wanted to go. And they said, no, they did not want me going away from home. So that's where I ended [00:07:30] up where I was. But I really wanted a Co ed experience. So when I had the opportunity to make the transition, I jumped at it.

[00:07:37] That's understandable. And then, then you did go to the East Coast for college. So at some point you did manage to get away. 

[00:07:42] Yeah, yeah, I did. My parents, again, were extremely accepting, except for that whole, Concept of not wanting to go to a private school initially, they were overall pretty accepting. So when it was time to go to college, it's not like today where you apply to multiple, uh, universities [00:08:00] online.

[00:08:00] It was much more of an effort. So I applied to three. I applied to University of California Berkeley because all my A lot of my friends were going there. I applied to Stanford because my parents wanted me to go there, as did an uncle. And then I applied to Syracuse University because my senior year of high school, I did some, uh, student teaching.

[00:08:19] I thought I wanted to go into special ed. And so, because my mother had been on the board of a special ed, uh, school for emotionally disturbed children. So, my [00:08:30] senior year of high school, I student taught in a grammar school in the special ed class. And the teacher of that class was awesome. I mean, she was the most phenomenal teacher for special ed students one could imagine.

[00:08:45] And she had gone to Syracuse. So, she convinced me. to go to Syracuse because they had such a good program in special education, especially in the area I wanted to go to and working with kids who were emotionally disturbed. So I think [00:09:00] my parents were a little disappointed. I didn't choose Berkeley or Stanford, but they were, you know, they were fine with my going.

[00:09:07] So, you know, at the time I, I'd never been on the East coast. I'd never heard about Syracuse. I really wasn't quite sure. Although I knew there was, it was in a snow belt, which was exciting to me growing up in California with no snow in the San Francisco Bay Area. And so come the day of my needing to go to Syracuse, they just put me on a [00:09:30] plane and I had never been far from home.

[00:09:32] And. I flew off to a place I'd never known or heard of. So it was the type of experience that I relished. I still love challenges like that. I guess that was my first big one. How was the adjustment once you got there? Amazing. In fact, I have two grandnieces who have started college. So I often relate this to them that I guess I.

[00:09:54] Took a taxi to my dorm and I remember going to my room and leaving my [00:10:00] trunk or whatever you had at that time in the room. And my parents wanted me to call them as soon as I arrived. And I remember going down to the phone boost, the coin phone boost and calling them. They were really happy to hear from me, but I had to kind of fight back tears because of the adjustment.

[00:10:19] So I was really worked hard. at not crying. And then I went back up to my room and a group of women on my floor came by, swooped me in, [00:10:30] said, we're off to a party. Um, and from that moment on, every moment at Syracuse was a fabulous moment in my life. My four years there, again, would almost qualify as also being idyllic.

[00:10:42] Did you wind up studying special education? I did. I got my undergraduate degree in educational psychology with a focus on emotional disturbance. And then when you graduated, where did you go? What did you do? Um, when I, I graduated, I was in a very serious [00:11:00] relationship with a guy that I met at Syracuse, and we had been Pinned our sophomore year, which I don't know if you're even familiar with that concept But the guy gives you his fraternity pin and it's kind of a precursor to getting engaged So when I got the pin, my parents were, my mother In particular, I was very nervous that I was going to get married before I graduated, so I had to show her, no, that's not in the cards for me.

[00:11:26] So when I graduated, I [00:11:30] knew my boyfriend at the time probably wanted to get married, but I wasn't ready. I needed a break. So I went to Hawaii and cocktail waitress for about six months and my father had some professional relationships in a bank in Hawaii. So he suggested I worked at that bank, but I go, no, no, that doesn't quite fit in with my lifestyle here.

[00:11:52] And I was with a friend. So for about six months, I worked as a cocktail waitress, you know, obviously spending my days on the beach. [00:12:00] And towards the end of the six months, I thought, Oh, you know, life. Isn't supposed to be this much fun and I looked around and the bartenders and the older people cocktail waitressing looked like this was the life they chose and it wasn't appealing.

[00:12:16] So I thought I better move back to the mainland back and the minute I moved back, I got engaged. I moved back to the Bay area with my parents and my boyfriend at the time was living in So [00:12:30] we immediately got engaged. Even though I realized it probably wasn't the best timing for me in terms of my growth journey, but, uh, he was a great guy.

[00:12:42] My parents thought he was fantastic and I thought, well, I'll probably marry him one day, so I might as well go ahead and get married now. So I did. 

[00:12:50] Was that a California wedding or a Connecticut wedding? 

[00:12:53] It was a California wedding, um, but, right, but shortly after the wedding, his family business [00:13:00] had relocated him from Connecticut to Pickens County, South Carolina.

[00:13:05] So I moved as a newly married female to Pickens County, South Carolina. Well, that's probably the reason the marriage didn't last too long. It was a huge adjustment for me moving from The San Francisco Bay Area and from Hawaii to an area that wasn't very inclusive and I just wasn't prepared for that.

[00:13:28] When I moved there, I immediately [00:13:30] got a job as the first special ed teacher in a high school there. First time they've ever had a special ed teacher and the room I was given to teach was kind of a cement block. no windows, where I had 50 students, all labeled special ed, every facet of special ed, emotionally disturbed, you know, various mental disabilities.

[00:13:50] Some children had down syndrome, you know, the full range. And although the community itself wasn't predominantly black, My [00:14:00] class was definitely predominantly black children. And the reason I bring that up is because I felt black children who are coming into the school were unfairly diagnosed as being special ed, even though they hadn't properly been tested.

[00:14:14] So I had some very talented, bright children in that class for two years. The basically the time I was there and the time my marriage lasted. 

[00:14:24] Were you able to find any friends in the community, you know, build any sort of a support network? Now that I 

[00:14:29] think about it, [00:14:30] you know, that's a really thought provoking question because now that I think about that was probably a big problem.

[00:14:36] I remember at one point there was an elderly couple living next door to us and they were kind of my friends. I remember two Mormons coming by, knocking on our door to preach. Well, I invited them in cause I welcomed the company. Um, my husband traveled a lot and you know, I would say I was, I was friendly with my co teachers, but they had children and I don't [00:15:00] think I ever felt that we had a lot in common.

[00:15:03] So that was, you know, now, now that you asked that question, it was, it was probably a real challenge for me as a result. I did not have a support system there. 

[00:15:12] Yeah, well, to have grown up in one place where you had friends from childhood, and then you left for university, and the way you described it, you pretty quickly fell into, you know, a world of people there.

[00:15:24] You went to Hawaii with a friend. So this is that one time when you take the adventure to go jump into something completely [00:15:30] new and there aren't all those people to connect with. Would I be correct in saying that most of the people in that community were from Hawaii? 

[00:15:38] Oh, absolutely. They had all grown up there.

[00:15:40] Clemson University was nearby. So most of them were graduates of Clemson University. And my recollection is native to that area. When I went to Syracuse or I went to Hawaii, I never had an issue making friends. But this was a very different culture for me. And I think maybe life had [00:16:00] been so easy for me up to that point that I wasn't adjusting well.

[00:16:05] So, it's probably the first time and maybe the only time in my life where I ever felt the sense of depression. Now I remember my, my mother actually came out to spend two to three weeks with me because it was such a difficult challenge for me and they were not accustomed to seeing me like that. 

[00:16:24] It sounds like it might have been lonely.

[00:16:25] Yeah, it was. Let's move on to something slightly more positive. Okay. All right. Yeah. [00:16:30] You got, you managed to get yourself out of 

[00:16:32] there. So from there, what happened? From there, because my husband and I at the time were going to move back to Connecticut, but at that point I decided this marriage, he's a great guy, but I just decided I needed to grow more.

[00:16:44] So because we were planning to move back, I got a, you know, a scholarship. To get my master's at University of Connecticut in an area of educational psychology. And because that was already in the plan, [00:17:00] I went ahead with it. And so I was there for a year, but going through a divorce. So I was at University of Connecticut for a year, got my master's and then went on to Uh, UC Berkeley for a PhD in psycholinguistics.

[00:17:15] So basically back home and they offered me a great package. Berkeley offered me a great package to do this. So I'm back home in this area of psycholinguistics. I found it a pretty easy program and so I [00:17:30] looked for kind of a part time study job. Where I could maybe earn some credits and as well as earn some additional income.

[00:17:38] And I went to work for a company called Evelyn Wood Reading Dynamics, which is known as a kind of speed reading, reading efficiency program. And so I started, my research was, will speed reading help children with reading disabilities? Because my focus at that point was. Reading disabilities. My master's thesis was actually on [00:18:00] teaching reading to children who speak a nonstandard black English dialect.

[00:18:04] So when I went to Berkeley, I was in psycholinguistics, but really focused on reading disabilities and the difference in linguistic systems. So anyway, I, I started working part time at Evelyn Wood Reading Dynamics, researching speed reading and its impact on kids with learning disabilities. And I went to some of their.

[00:18:23] Sales presentations is how they sell the program. And I went up to the CEO and said, you know, [00:18:30] this is being sold like used cars. And there is some real legitimacy in this program. I'd like to try selling it in a different format. 

[00:18:38] Had you had any sales experience? No, 

[00:18:40] no, no business experience, no business experience.

[00:18:45] So they said, sure. But because I had a background in basically in reading and, you know, it was a PhD student at Berkeley. I had a lot of credibility when I was selling and the way the program was [00:19:00] sold is that you would offer a free speed reading class to a group of people and they would come because They could learn for free, initially, how to increase their reading efficiency, and then you tell them at the end.

[00:19:15] If you really want to speed it up, you have to write a check for, you know, a seven week course. And I happened to sell really well. So I, you know, at that age, I think I was 26 or 27. I became the [00:19:30] national sales manager and not only sold it through the United States, I sold it throughout the Caribbean and South America.

[00:19:36] So I traveled all around. Um, selling them and, um, then a company wanted to buy the course, an engineering firm in, in the Bay area, big, big publicly traded engineering firm wanted to buy the company and so the major shareholder who was well known and married to a big. Politician in the Bay Area came to me and said, we want to buy this.

[00:19:58] Will you help with the due diligence [00:20:00] since I was running sales? And I said, I will, but I don't understand why an engineering firm is buying an educational service company. It was because they had offered the program to their clients. And they thought that, you know, it was kind of a perk that they could offer to all their clients.

[00:20:19] And, uh, he goes, well, this is something we want to do. I said, I'll help you with the due diligence. If you then sell me the rights for Evelyn Wood for Australia, New Zealand, [00:20:30] and five countries in Asia. And he goes, okay. Why did you pick those countries? Uh, cause I always wanted to move. I thought I wanted to move to Australia, you know, and I'm, I don't know, 27 or something like that.

[00:20:41] 28. And he goes, okay, it all happened. So once again, I moved to Australia, Sydney, Sydney. Okay. So I moved to Sydney to start a company and you know, other than hitchhiking around Europe during college, I didn't have, I had no exposure to living internationally. And again, I'm like 27, maybe I'm [00:21:00] 28 by then, no business experience.

[00:21:02] And financially all I had were credit cards that had a zero balance. So I moved to Sydney. And, um, the first thing I did was hire a lawyer and an accountant to help me and being a female doing business in Australia at the time was very unusual. So they were wonderful. They both took me under their wings and wanted to really help me and protect me.

[00:21:29] [00:21:30] And, um, just to give you a little flavor of the climate at the time, I was staying in a nice hotel right in. The central business district of Sydney, and I was lonely. And so I went down to the bar and ordered a drink and was writing postcards. The bar was really crowded. That's where all the business men would gather after work.

[00:21:50] And a group of men kept looking at me and. They finally said, you know, you look like you need a friend. You want to come join us for a drink? And I was so excited. I go, yeah, I'd [00:22:00] love to. I'd love to. Well, they thought I was a prostitute because I was a female in a bar by myself. So then I'm paranoid about ever going out by myself.

[00:22:10] Everything ultimately worked out. I promoted the program in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, and Japan. For nine years, where did you live all that time? You know, I ended up pretty much living in a hotel because I'd say for the first three or four years, I was in a house, [00:22:30] but I was traveling every three weeks.

[00:22:31] I was in a different country. I had, I think about 40 young employees around my age, because we'd go, there are two or three of us who would sell the program. And then the, the teachers would come in and teach the program for several weeks. And it was relatively successful. At the end of nine years, I said to my lawyer in Singapore, who had become a friend, you know, I woke up the other day, I didn't know what hotel I was in, what dateline, what [00:23:00] city.

[00:23:00] Yeah, I was totally disoriented. I need to go home. And he said, well, with all the relationships you've developed in this area, you should go into investment banking. And I said, okay, I'll go into investment banking. So I sold the company. I did okay. I didn't do as well. Had I sold it two or three Years earlier, just because of a lot of the tax changes for small businesses, especially in Australia, where we were headquartered, it really had an impact.

[00:23:27] Um, I sold the company. I came back, I [00:23:30] joined an investment bank in San Francisco, which was easy to do. Not because I had any investment banking experience. In fact, I didn't even know what investment banking was, but because I had relationships in Austral Asia. Which most people didn't have at the time. I was with an investment bank.

[00:23:48] I started focusing on environmental technology, um, which became known as clean tech, uh, through a client I was working for in Los Angeles, I met. My husband [00:24:00] now been married almost 30 years. I met my husband who was also in the environmental industry. We got together, we ended up moving to Singapore to transfer environmental technologies to Southeast Asia, mainly for clean water, clean air.

[00:24:17] We moved to Singapore and discovered that they didn't care about. Clean water, clean air at the time, they just wanted basic infrastructure. They just wanted water. So we ended up moving to India, [00:24:30] uh, Bangalore, India, where we had developed a partnership with close friends in Singapore to develop a power plant in Madhya Pradesh.

[00:24:38] And so we worked on developing this power plant at 330 megawatt. NAPFA fired power plant. We had everything lined up, power purchase agreement, et cetera. Came home for Christmas and we loved India. We love Singapore. We really loved living in India. Came home and there had been a coup in the Madhya Pradesh government at the time.

[00:24:59] Our [00:25:00] power plant. Purchase agreements, our power purchase agreements had been negated and by the new government and in India at the time, there were certain ways of doing business that could become pretty expensive. And so we couldn't afford to start from scratch again. So we never moved back to India. We stayed here.

[00:25:18] I joined a venture capital firm and then I was with a venture capital firm for three years and then basically ended up. Forming my own merchant bank in mainly [00:25:30] focused on energy efficiency, how to make transmission grid more efficient. And, uh, the business was in part to look for our own intellectual property and build up companies around it.

[00:25:42] And on the other hand, to consult. On renewable strategies for companies like Shell Oil and ConocoPhillips and Meridian Energy in New Zealand. So that company still exists. That merchant bank still exists. My husband is basically running it, but about 10 [00:26:00] years ago, I decided. That I wanted to move away from energy efficiency and focus on health.

[00:26:09] And I think my motivation at the time was becoming a baby boomer. I wanted to make sure there were plenty of resources out there, uh, for us baby boomers to lead long, productive, healthy lives. So I ended up becoming the CEO of one of our portfolio companies, a software company promoting engagement and communication among senior living [00:26:30] communities.

[00:26:30] Did that for two years, COVID hit, we couldn't expand into any more senior living communities cause they were on lockdown. I sold the company to a med tech company that I had to join as part of the acquisition terms for two years. At the end of the two years, I joined a healthcare venture capital firm with whom I'm with now.

[00:26:47] Very focused on biotech and med tech innovations for many of the hard to treat. Diseases that impact predominantly older people, people who are aging. That was a long story, so. [00:27:00] 

[00:27:00] But a fascinating one. 

[00:27:01] Yeah, yeah. Different probably from most. 

[00:27:03] At every step that you've transitioned, have you effectively learned as you went along?

[00:27:08] Oh my gosh, yes. Yeah, even working for a biotech and medtech firm now, um, there's a lot I've had to learn, especially in terms of biotherapeutics, but I relish the opportunity to continue learning and being challenged because I think that's part of a whole growth. Process and keeping my mind alert. [00:27:30] So I welcome that.

[00:27:31] I had a friend recently, you know, most of my friends are retired. And so I had a friend recently say, Jenny, you should retire. You could learn how to cook. And I go, that's one of the reasons I want to continue working. I'm still working full time. Yeah. 

[00:27:44] And you never had kids? 

[00:27:45] No kids. No kids. When we and Woody, my current husband, had been married for many years before we met, um, he hadn't had children.

[00:27:54] So no children. We thought about adopting when we lived in India, but we weren't [00:28:00] there long enough to make that happen. And no, as a result, we're incredibly close to nieces, nephews. Grandnieces, grandnephews, very close relationship. So they fill a need for us in terms of younger generations. Their parents are so happy that we have such a close relationship with all of them.

[00:28:18] So are they physically there in the area? 

[00:28:20] Uh, there are, um, more than half are in the area. Yeah, a few down in Southern California, but nobody that we don't see on a regular basis. They're lucky to have you. [00:28:30] We're lucky to have them for sure. Can I ask, did you want children? You know, it's, it's funny growing up, um, in such a kind of happy family, from my perspective, um, I always wanted lots of children adopted from all over the world and, you know, big, lots of children, lots of diversity.

[00:28:48] And yet once I got married. Both times I never felt a drive to have children. It's, it's interesting. I don't have any regrets for not having children. And maybe I would, if I didn't have so many [00:29:00] children in my life, but I've never had any regrets. Do you miss teaching? Sometimes. I mean, you know, at the end of the day, I only taught for a couple of years.

[00:29:08] And sometimes I wish I could have the experience again, but I don't see it happening anytime soon. If 

[00:29:15] I 

[00:29:15] ever do retire, I'll go volunteer somewhere. But 

[00:29:18] yeah, there you go. I'm sure any place would happily snap you up as a volunteer. I mean your life experience is so varied. 

[00:29:25] Yeah, well that may work for or against me, you never know, but yeah.

[00:29:29] Sounds like it [00:29:30] served you pretty well thus far. 

[00:29:31] Yeah, I've definitely enjoyed all my experiences, even though they were, there were lots of challenges and setbacks along the way. Lots, but you just muddle through and get stronger and learn more from them. 

[00:29:42] Well, so then that'll take us right into our, our, it was a beautiful segue.

[00:29:46] Thank you. What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced? 

[00:29:48] Um, I think number one, just dealing with disappointments and setbacks and how to overcome them. And in a couple of situations, when I was running the company in [00:30:00] Australia and Asia, I started off with a partner. Who couldn't handle the challenges at the initial growing pains and, you know, just having the perseverance to continue when you have a setback or major challenge.

[00:30:15] So to me, that probably been, you know, in the big picture, the hardest part of. my whole growth experience. And I, I mean, I think that's good advice to all young people today. You know, your life's not going to be perfect. Don't make [00:30:30] comparisons with others and how they're living, you know, just be true to yourself and know that you're going to have challenges and setbacks and major disappointments and figure out how best to manage the stress and move ahead.

[00:30:42] Who would you say have been the handful of people that you would think of as the most, the most important or had the biggest impact on your life? 

[00:30:50] Well, obviously my parents would be at the top of the list, uh, for being so accepting. So, as I mentioned, nonjudgmental, and I knew [00:31:00] they loved me unconditionally, even if I divorced the son in law of my mother's dreams.

[00:31:07] So, uh, you know, they just, they were always there and the support no matter what was, I think, instrumental in my ability to be able to move on during early challenges and disappointments. So my father from his entrepreneurial business skills, I take after very much. All my friends adored my mother. She was very popular, very [00:31:30] social.

[00:31:30] So I take after her ability to. Walk in a room and greet people warmly and remember their names, um, and be curious about themselves rather than feeling the need to talk about myself and just embracing friendships. So, mom and dad were definitely At the top of the list, another person that comes to mind was my English teacher in high school, who was a little nervous about my entering her [00:32:00] class because she had taught my brothers and didn't have a very happy experience with their, I think their ability to write at the time, but she made a huge difference in my life.

[00:32:13] I think she was the best instructor I've ever had because she taught me how to write. And that has been a skill that I have really leveraged throughout my career and, you know, ability to communicate. In terms of others, gosh, I'd have to give that some thought. You know, I had a great mentor in [00:32:30] Australia who, um, was a very successful businessman and served on my board of directors and really helped me learn the ropes of business and managing a company.

[00:32:41] So I have certainly had mentors along the way, but those were probably the key people. 

[00:32:46] Was there ever a piece of advice or a word of wisdom that came at just the right moment that still sticks with you? 

[00:32:52] You know, I have to go back to my mother because I constantly quote her on two things she always told me.

[00:32:57] First is it's so much easier to [00:33:00] wake up with a smile on your face. That, I mean, the message being that, you know, think of the glass as being half full, you know, focus on the things that that have made you happy and be grateful for them. And so I think of her constantly, especially when those setbacks occur, and then would often write me these long letters at college pages of letters and always ended, uh, to thine own self be true and just to be true to yourself and be authentic and don't try to compare [00:33:30] yourself to others.

[00:33:30] So I think those two words of wisdom have, were definitely instilled in me. 

[00:33:35] And they're good ones to live by. Those are good ones. 

[00:33:37] Yeah, 

[00:33:38] going back actually to talk about your parents a bit in your childhood, you said your father had that entrepreneurial spirit. Yeah. Was he running his own businesses or one business or did he jump one to the next?

[00:33:48] He started off as a successful stockbroker and then started his own businesses. So I very much take after his entrepreneurial spirit, which is good and bad because we're both [00:34:00] risk takers. You know, he was definitely a risk taker. I am a risk taker. Unfortunately, I'm Uh, yeah, the good part and bad part is I married a risk taker.

[00:34:08] So, um, you have the volatility of starting your own businesses and it can be very stressful. But again, perseverance is what pays off at the end of the day. If you're really passionate about what you're doing, venture capital appeals to me for that reason. 

[00:34:24] Did your mother work when you were growing up? 

[00:34:25] Uh, no.

[00:34:26] Well, I shouldn't say that. She worked a lot, but it [00:34:30] was all volunteer work. She was, you know, on the board of a number of charitable organizations. So her life was very full doing that. And yet she was, for us children, she was always there for us. In fact, I felt both parents were. Uh, growing up, my parents weren't the type of people that would take us on picnics.

[00:34:49] Um, you know, My father wouldn't play ball with me, or, I mean, they weren't those kind of parents. But we did a lot of family togetherness, social activities, and vacations. [00:35:00] So I don't feel I missed out at all. 

[00:35:02] Did your mother host, or your parents, did they host big social gatherings? Yes. And more, thinking about it, more when you were a child, less so than a teenager.

[00:35:09] Like when you were younger, what memories do you have? Yeah, because 

[00:35:11] they did much more so when I was younger. I loved it. You know, I, I could always invite a friend or two to join in the activities. And so I think the result is I'm a social animal. I could, despite working full time and a lot of other things that take up my life during the day, I could party every [00:35:30] night.

[00:35:33] My husband goes, okay, what are we doing tonight? So, uh, social engagement to me is really important. And my legitimate excuse is that. Social engagement is a key to longevity. So I keep having to remind my husband of that. And maybe it's from the early days of my parents entertaining me so much, and how much I enjoyed it.

[00:35:54] Do any 

[00:35:54] of your siblings have that 

[00:35:56] same 

[00:35:56] desire to be social? 

[00:35:59] No, [00:36:00] they don't. They're much, much more introverted. So go figure. Yeah. 

[00:36:04] Proof that nature is a factor. It's not only nurture. 

[00:36:07] Yeah, 

[00:36:08] that's very true. What do you remember of your first date or your first boyfriend? 

[00:36:12] Well, you know, I, I mean, my dating was, I don't really remember hanging out with, you know, classmates in high school, but I didn't really date anybody.

[00:36:23] I went to Syracuse. Suddenly, there were lots of dates, but for sure, my ex husband was my [00:36:30] first boyfriend and you know, he just had an immediate impact and he kept asking me out and I kept refusing because I had other dates going on. And he finally said, this is the last time I'm going to ask you out. And it was for a Valentine's day dance, I think at his fraternity.

[00:36:47] So I finally said yes. And we clicked and had a great time. And. So really, I guess in many ways, my first serious date was my only one until our marriage dissolved. And we're still friends, by the [00:37:00] way. 

[00:37:00] Well, that's good. Yeah. That's, that's kind of nice. So you said there are plenty of other things filling your days besides work.

[00:37:04] What 

[00:37:04] else keeps you busy? Well, I'm an exercise fanatic. I do a lot of body combat and weightlifting and hiking and my weightlifting and. Body come back classes are typically with people in their twenties and thirties. So I, I feel that I need to keep up with them. I thrive on any kind of exercise and when I'm not in the gym, I want to be outside.

[00:37:27] Were both 

[00:37:28] of those things always true? Being outdoors [00:37:30] and exercise. Yeah. 

[00:37:31] Exercise. Yeah. Always, always. I just, I, most people, I think. I feel obligated to exercise. I can't wait to exercise. So, 

[00:37:42] okay. So if you've always been active, I mean, you did mention skateboarding when you were young, which is so very California, but 

[00:37:48] yeah, 

[00:37:48] long before body combat, can you run me quickly through the list of what, what sports have, and exercise has sort of fueled you over the years?

[00:37:56] Well, I, when I was younger, I get, it was swimming and tennis. [00:38:00] I swam competitively and played tennis. Hiking's always big big. Skiing, um, as I got older, uh, snowshoeing and cross country skiing became more popular. I don't do it as much now just because it means going up to the mountains and maybe I go twice a year now, so it's not a a normal ritual anymore, but I enjoy it when I do it.

[00:38:23] And whatever the classes the gym was Teaching right now, it's weightlifting and body combat. I do a little [00:38:30] bit of spin sometimes, but I think it was step aerobics. I tried Zumba, but it wasn't strenuous enough for me. I do Zumba and then I would have to go work out again. But hiking has always been big and there's so many incredible hikes out where I live.

[00:38:46] Do you do overnight hikes or just day hikes? Day hikes. What did you do for exercise when you were living in Asia? I went to the gym. At the time it was step aerobics was really big. Otherwise just tons of walking, swimming. 

[00:38:58] How do you feel that being active [00:39:00] all your life has served you now? Well, 

[00:39:03] I guess I'm pretty healthy.

[00:39:05] I think it's been able to preserve my strength and balance, which is important as we get older. And I think for me, most importantly, it's reduced my stress level. I know even when I lived in Singapore, for example, and it could be A bad day work wise, I would just go and swim laps like crazy to calm down.

[00:39:26] So I think it's really been able to manage [00:39:30] my stress. 

[00:39:30] There's good science out there about the fact that it not only does that, but it can help actually with your brain and having more focus, being a faster learner, all of those types of things that show that that exercise. So I'm hearing you, none of this surprises me that you've been so active for so long.

[00:39:45] As somebody who's, you know, you've changed careers, you've shifted, you've done all these things. Doesn't surprise me in 

[00:39:50] the least. Well, and that's a good point you brought up because even last night, body combat routine had totally changed their routines. So you have to pick it up quickly [00:40:00] and pick up the routine quickly.

[00:40:02] And, you know, changing arm movements and leg movements and cardio movements. And in fact, just last night, I was thinking this is probably good for my brain. Having to pick up these routines. Uh, you know, I can't daydream while I'm at body combat or think of an agreement. I'm writing for work. I gotta, you know, really focus on what is being instructed.

[00:40:22] Over the course of your life, have there been any decisions that at the time felt easy or [00:40:30] mundane, but when you look back now, you can see really changed the path that unfolded? 

[00:40:36] My practice is never to have regrets in life. However, I often think being in venture capital now in the Bay Area, how a Stanford alumni would have had a much different impact than having gone to Syracuse because out here, Stanford is.

[00:40:54] And some of the Ivy League schools, but Stanford is a great business generator [00:41:00] and gives you immediate credibility. And when I moved to Australia, my alternative, I was in the process of applying for an MBA at Stanford. And I, I don't know if I would have even gotten in, but I often think, you know, how that would impact my life differently being in the venture capital community.

[00:41:20] I'm not sure if that really answers your question, but, um, it was a decision I made that I don't have any regrets about because, um, it's taken me in a [00:41:30] direction in which I'm very happy with my life, but I think about how it could have been different. 

[00:41:35] If you were talking to somebody who were Just sort of starting their professional life, you know, they're kind of in that early 20s.

[00:41:41] Let's call it window of time Is there any advice you'd give them? 

[00:41:44] Oh Yes, well back to the point you made earlier build a support system Because that's going to be what really sees you through at every stage Work on being healthy for all the reasons we just [00:42:00] discussed and health, you know, not just exercise and eating properly, but being able to manage your stress, managing money wisely in terms of, um, having a budget, learning how to save and watching your level of credit.

[00:42:15] All the wish I should have followed more closely at a younger age. Let's see, what else? Um, And I think just embracing the journey and, as my mother said, being true to yourself and not always making comparisons [00:42:30] to others, but staying true to your own focus and goals and, um, what is really going to make you happy in life.

[00:42:36] So I guess those are things that immediately come to mind. Those are all good things. 

[00:42:40] If you were talking to somebody in a sort of thick of their career, with or without kids, but somebody who's in, call it a 40 year old, who might be juggling things like parents, aging, um, they might be juggling kids and they're juggling their career.

[00:42:54] Any advice you'd give to somebody navigating that stage of life? Well, yeah, 

[00:42:58] because one of the other things to keep [00:43:00] me busy right now is my sister, who's eight years younger than I am. I'm really her caregiver. She is in an assisted living community with severe mobility issues due to a combination of cancer and a blood disorder.

[00:43:15] And so, you just have to be super organized. And I kind of keep a really tight calendar to make sure I can get everything in. Work, caregiving. exercise, social activity, and fortunately, I'm married to a [00:43:30] guy who's incredibly helpful and supportive of my sister and any other family members who need help, which is frequent also.

[00:43:38] So, you know, it's, it's just a matter of having a very organized schedule to get it in. I can't wake up in the morning and think, oh, what am I going to do today? No, my day is planned well and advanced every single day. Have you always been that way? Um, well, I'm definitely an organized person. I, I like everything in order, so maybe yes, but I have so much filling my [00:44:00] life right now that maybe not to the extent it is now.

[00:44:02] Yeah. Because I don't think it, uh, you know, my parents have passed away, so I thought maybe my caregiving responsibilities would have ended there, but that's not the case. Well, your sister's lucky that you're 

[00:44:14] there and 

[00:44:14] able to help. Yeah, well, she's a wonderful person. I'm happy to do it. She's never been married, so she's alone, so it's really important.

[00:44:21] Yeah. 

[00:44:21] I could ask you questions forever, but I won't take up forever of your time. If you could ask your mother something, now, if you could magically talk to her, is there anything you'd want to [00:44:30] ask her? 

[00:44:30] I adored my mother. When she passed away, I had to go through a grieving support group to deal with it.

[00:44:35] And, um, I would just love to hear her voice and tell her I love her. Tell her I love her and not to worry about me or my 

[00:44:40] sister. If you had all the world's attention for up to a minute, what would you say that you'd like everyone to take to heart? I would 

[00:44:50] say, please live your life with compassion, integrity, and respect for others.

[00:44:59] [00:45:00] Thank you, Jane, for sharing your story and for reminding us that a fulfilling life can mean creating your own path, figuring it out as you go. I don't know about anyone else, but for me, that's a reminder I never tire of hearing. To those of you listening, thank you for joining us. If you enjoyed this, please leave a review in Spotify or Apple Podcasts and hit that follow button.

[00:45:23] These things help others find the podcast and they mean the world to me. Share this with anyone you think would love it or [00:45:30] learn something from it and keep coming back from more of the words we've heard. This podcast would not be possible without the editing and production brilliance of Corey orac, the inspiration of my parents and a 2001 conversation.

[00:45:50] So what are the words we've heard? Don't try to compare yourself to others. Focus on the things that make you happy and be grateful for them. Be true to [00:46:00] yourself. And although these aren't Jane's exact words, I think she'd agree. If your mother's still alive, give her a call. If she isn't, call someone else whose voice you'll miss.