Before making a move to freelancing, I spent my career in Marketing, working on terrific brands such as Snapple, Guinness, J&B Whisky, Gallo wines and Little Dish. I have been fortunate to have global responsibility through my career and with that came a lot of wonderful travel.
I’m even more fortunate to have two wonderful children. As they got older and went to full-time school I naively thought that the hardest part of being a working parent was over and that things would get easier. How wrong I was! They were not physically around as much but when they were they needed me more. Walking through the door after6pm or coming home after a three-day business trip just wasn’t working for them, me or us as a family. They are now 16 and 14 and I am incredibly grateful to be able to work in a way that allows me to balance their needs, the needs of our family and my work.
I get up at 630am, feed the dogs and make my daughter breakfast and lunch, our son is at weekly boarding school. As soon as she leaves at 7.30am, I get down to work or go for a quick run. I work through the morning conducting interviews for Hoxby and review CVs. Working freelance has also meant that I’ve been able to volunteer for organisations I’m passionate about – Cancer Research UK, The Pony Club and managing my daughter’s school equestrian team.
After lunch, I take the dogs for a walk and then do some more work or catch up on family-related admin. As an American living in the UK, we have to files taxes in both countries which can be quite time consuming… At 3pm I leave the house to go and collect my daughter from school and take her to the stables where she rides her horse. She wants to be an equine vet or a professional rider, no 9-5 office job for her!
The evening is sometimes spent working, in particular if there are people who need to be interviewed in the US, but more typically it’s spent cooking, eating and checking in on family in the US.
Being able to work in a way that suits me and my family (both here and abroad) is an incredible gift. I love being part of the Collective as it gives a greater purpose to independent consulting and I learn something new every day from my amazing colleagues. Continuous learning improves my work and makes me a better person.
What’s your #workstyle?
Originally from America, Jane has lived in London for 19 years and has spent her career as a senior marketing professional with more than 20 years of FMCG experience in both Fortune 500 companies and SMEs. With an extensive background in marketing, strategy and new product and brand innovation, Jane has developed and executed through the line marketing campaigns with teams in North America, Europe and Asia.
As one of the first people to join The Hoxby Collective and become a Partner, Jane has intimate knowledge of how the organisation operates and the people we have brought into the community since the beginning. Jane thrives in building an understanding of people’s skills, passions and circumstances, and though her background is in marketing, feels her true calling is in working with people to ensure they are able to thrive and fulfil their potential.
She and her husband have two teenage children, two Norfolk terriers and a horse for their daughter. She loves everything to do with family, friends, cooking, wine and the great outdoors.