To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
As I approached the milestone of 40, I started to think about this quote more and more. I had spent years building a successful career helping others tell their story, meanwhile I was living my own. I felt a huge pull on my heart to make a change and redefine what the next 20 years of my life and career might look like.
It was this inner-monologue, combined with a dire political climate, that eventually prompted me to take a leap of faith and make the decision to leave my position as Vice President at one of the top book publishing companies and lean into the fear of the unknown. I sold my home, packed up our life, and we made our way to Australia.
Once, during a phone call with a producer from the BBC, I was asked, “how do you do it all?” At the time, I was juggling a busy career, two toddlers, teaching at the University, marriage, and life. I responded with, “I start the day with coffee and end the day with wine. Everything in between is simply called life.” This is where ‘Coffee Loves Wine’ was birthed. While both were staples of my day, the idea behind my answer was that there is a starting point and an ending point to each day and whatever happens between those two things is where stories are made, where life happens. And having spent a lifetime building a career on storytelling, I believe our stories are the invisible thread that connect us all.
And, I really do like coffee and wine.
I wanted to create something that would explore life, remind us to laugh, encourage growth, and connect us all through stories. My hope is to empower and inspire you while being real about life – the good, the bad, the ugly, and everything in between. A curator of stories. A celebration of life.
Start the Day with Coffee. End the Day with Wine. Life is what happens in between.
I am a mom to two amazing small humans. The wife of an Aussie. A lover of books. A business-minded woman with a no BS approach to life. An activist for all things equal and fair. A former beauty queen who swears like a sailor. And, a smartass with a mild shoe obsession. I have no patience for ignorance or intolerance and have been known to rant about everything from politics to parenting. Sarcasm is my love language. Stories are my life. Just doing my part to keep it real.
As a media and entertainment industry professional, most recently serving as the Vice President over Publicity & Marketing for one of the largest book publishing companies in the world, Jennifer has over 18 years of experience working with major media outlets and has had stories, segments, and pitches placed on Good Morning America, The Today Show, Fox & Friends, CBS This Morning, The Daily Show, LIVE with Kelly, The Tonight Show, The View, Steve Harvey, Dr. Oz, Ellen, Oprah, Anderson Cooper, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, People, Entertainment Weekly, Us Weekly, Time, Readers Digest, etc. She has launched over 60+ books to the New York Times Bestseller list and has worked with politicians, musicians, actors & actresses, Olympic athletes, reality-television stars, profound storytellers, and many more.
She is a Publishing Consultant, Content Strategist, and is a Contributor for numerous national and international media outlets.
