GenerateHER

EP07: Five Things I Have Learned About Asking for Help - Thanks to Life in France

Thoughtfully asking for help isn’t just about solving problems, but also about building meaningful relationships. For Jane Bertch, this practice has been a cornerstone of her personal and professional growth. Drawing from her years as a business owner in France, Jane contrasts the shallow, one-sided act of “picking people’s brains” with the enriching experience of fostering reciprocal relationships that allow both parties to grow and learn.
 
In this episode, Jane shares five practical strategies for approaching help with intention that turns it into a mutually beneficial exchange. She focuses on the importance of clear communication that ensures both parties understand their needs and expectations, and points out the role of commitment, integrity, and respect in sustaining meaningful connections. By framing help as a negotiation rather than a request, Jane encourages us to think about what we can offer in return, hence creating a collaborative environment that’s rooted in trust.
 
With her passion for mentoring and community building, Jane inspires a shift from transactional interactions to deeper connections that support personal and professional reinvention. Listeners will leave with a renewed perspective on the power of asking for help—not just as a tool for achieving goals, but as a way to cultivate belonging and unlock new possibilities in every area of life.
 
Quotes
“Helping others is really the foundation of community, isn’t it?” (02:59 | Jane Bertch)
“Asking for help can actually be a really beautiful way to start a relationship if you do it thoughtfully.” (08:12 | Jane Bertch)
“What I want to do is to share resources, to be conscious about how I can help them, to be conscious of what I can bring to the table. Because you know what, I think it’s better when we can grow together.” (10:21 | Jane Bertch)
“Commit to it until you said you wouldn’t. Commit to it to the deadline that you gave it. See it through. Having said that, sometimes there are things that are out of our control. Sometimes we have to leave an activity or a business or a project.” (21:48 | Jane Bertch)
“Sometimes we have to leave an activity or a business or a project. And if you’re doing that with others, you need to be very thoughtful about how you do so. Again, you want the activity or the project to end, not the relationship… it’s never about leaving. It’s always about how you go.” (22:06 | Jane Bertch)
 
Links
https://www.instagram.com/meghandono/ 
https://www.moritaheripour.com/bringyourselfbook
 
Connect with Jane Bertch:
Website: www.janebertch.com 
Instagram @janebertch
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

EP06: Things I Have Learned From Living and Working In France for the Past 20 Years

Building trust and thriving in France means embracing patience, cultivating meaningful relationships, and balancing confidence with humility. Drawing from 20 years of life in France, Jane Bertch shares insights and life lessons that show the unique cultural values shaping her experience. 
 
Jane reflects on the deep investment required to build relationships, where trust and understanding take precedence over quick connections, and offers a poignant nod to “Le Petit Prince.” Jane also explores how the French reverence for expertise influences business, where contracts are rooted in reputation and trust rather than mere transactions. What does it take to navigate this delicate balance of trust and professionalism?
 
Presentation—whether in demeanor or surroundings—plays an important role, paired with a deep respect for personal privacy that allows connections to grow naturally over time. Jane’s reflections encourage listeners to embrace these lessons as tools for reinvention and personal growth, wherever life may take them.
 
Join Jane in this episode for a thoughtful exploration of life in France, and gain insights into relationships, expertise, and the art of embracing reinvention with patience and grace.
 
Quotes
“Relationships in France are long-term investments. They don’t come overnight.” (04:19 | Jane Bertch)
“Contracts are based on relationships. They’re not based on money.” (07:36 | Jane Bertch)
“Confidence and humility, I think, are two key words when it comes to doing business in France.” (10:07 | Jane Bertch) 
“Presentation is everything... It’s not the exterior aesthetics, it’s also, again, the confidence.” (10:17 | Jane Bertch) 
“Being showy and bling bling… is vulgar to people. It’s really vulgar to the people I know. So I always try to have a careful balance. I think about this in my life. I think about this as my business. To share, not to show. To share because showing can become showing off.” (18:55 | Jane Bertch) 
 
Links
Connect with Jane Bertch:
Website: www.janebertch.com 
Instagram @janebertch
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

EP05: 6 Tools to Create a Flourishing 2025

“Winter for me is never the end. It’s preparation for the beginning.” Jane Bertch offers a refreshing perspective on growth, as she draws inspiration from the quiet resilience of winter. For her, it’s not a season of endings but a time to reflect, recharge, and prepare for new opportunities.
 
In this episode, Jane shares her tools on personal development and transformation, and weaves in lessons from her life in Paris and experiences as a woman entrepreneur. How can we begin our journey to meaningful growth this 2025? Jane suggests starting with a single word to guide the year—a word that anchors your goals and keeps you aligned.
 
Jane also touches on ways to maintain meaningful connections in the midst of a busy lifestyle. Her innovative approach to nurturing friendships, such as sending weekly video messages, shows how small efforts can deepen relationships. 
 
Jane challenges us to seek diversity and curiosity in all areas of life. What new perspectives could transform our paths? With a focus on intentionality, Jane invites us to embrace the year ahead with more meaning and purpose.
 
Quotes
“Winter for me is never the end. It’s preparation for the beginning.” (03:34 | Jane Bertch)
“I set a word for every year that we have. And that word represents what I want to see out of the year. So some years maybe that word’s ‘pivot.’ Maybe that word is ‘revitalize.’ Maybe that word is ‘grounded.’ That word should be my feel rouge, to use a French word. What is the red line that goes through my year? What is the theme of my year? And I find that so important because I hark back to that all year long. One in reminding myself, what did I want out of this year?” (03:57 | Jane Bertch)
“Another book I really, really enjoy is Herminia Ibarra’s book, ‘Working Identity.’ …It’s a really elegantly written, easily digestible book on making those changes. And most importantly, it encourages you that you can do and try anything. And those experiments are so important to helping you figure out what your next step is. And those experiments are not failures if you get to the end of them and you realize that’s not where you meant to be. They’re data points.” (09:33 | Jane Bertch)
“Make sure that you are consciously seeking diversity and curiosity in your life in all manners... consciously seek out diversity and that will make your 2025 much richer.” (16:33 | Jane Bertch)
 
Links
https://nesslabs.com/annual-review-template 
https://yearcompass.com
https://www.jeffkarp.com/lit-the-book/
https://www.instagram.com/juliacameronlive/?hl=en
https://herminiaibarra.com/working-identity-book/
https://open.spotify.com/show/0LtsgWkOpLdYR7wK0senTX (Deepak Chopra) 
My retreat: https://www.janebertch.com/retreats 
Journal practice: www.janebertch.com/journal
 
Connect with Jane Bertch:
Website: www.janebertch.com 
Instagram @janebertch
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

EP04: 4 Tips to Make Your New Year’s Resolutions Stick

“Reinvention isn’t a one-time event. It’s a journey we take one step at a time, and we can take that journey whenever we choose.”
 
Joyeuses fêtes! With 2025 just around the corner, Jane Bertch invites us to embrace a kinder, more intentional approach to personal development and New Year’s resolutions. Wouldn’t it be better if resolutions felt inspiring rather than overwhelming? In this episode, Jane shares four meaningful rituals to help us reflect on the past, dream about the future, and set the tone for a fulfilling year ahead.
 
From reflecting on the past year to imagining your ideal future, each practice is designed to ground your intentions and inspire action. Whether it’s crafting your ideal day or finding gratitude in life’s small moments, these tools encourage us to see resolutions as more than goals—they become a way to shape the life we want. Ready to start 2025 with fresh energy? Find your focus and make this your most intentional year yet. Visit janebertch.com for journaling prompts to help you start this journey.
 
Quotes
“I really go into a deep dive of, ‘How did the year look for me?’ ‘How did I feel?’ ‘Did it live up to the expectations that I hoped, that I achieve the things that I want?’ …I really start to think about how I felt. What do I want to take into the year ahead? And, importantly, what do I want to leave behind?” (03:11 | Jane Bertch)
“I know that we put so much stress on ourselves with intentions and resolutions and projects. But I hope these four little small rituals might slightly shift the way you look at those and do take time to capture them through journaling. Write down and see how you feel.” (13:09 | Jane Bertch) 
“If my goal is to be a public speaker on big stages across the world, that is the cause. The effect is how I feel. So if I can focus on those feelings that I want out of 2025, perhaps they’ll be delivered through public speaking, perhaps they’ll be delivered through another way I had not even considered.” (13:40 | Jane Bertch)
“Reinvention isn’t a one-time event. It’s a journey we take one step at a time, and we can take that journey whenever we choose.” (15:21 | Jane Bertch)
 
Links
https://www.instagram.com/juliaconey/
https://www.instagram.com/themarthabeck/
 
Connect with Jane Bertch:
Website: www.janebertch.com 
Instagram @janebertch
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

EP 03: 8 Tips to Get Out of Your Idea Desert

“If you don’t know where you’re going, you cannot officially be lost.”
 
In this episode, Jane Bertch reflects on the art of idea generation and how to spark inspiration when you feel stuck. She shares her personal journey of reinvention and offers a renewed perspective on those moments of uncertainty we all face. What if not knowing your next step isn’t failure, but an opportunity to pause and reset?
 
Jane offers eight tips to generate ideas, from the power of mentoring and meaningful conversations to embracing creativity through reading and daydreaming. She reminds us that inspiration often comes from unexpected places, whether it’s a coffee chat with a friend or trying something completely new.
 
How will you reinvent yourself as we go into 2025? Remember, you can rethink what’s possible because there’s a new you waiting around the corner!
 
Quotes
“If you don’t know where you’re going, you cannot officially be lost.” (03:15 | Jane Bertch)
“Creativity plays such a crucial role in your confidence… If you don’t feel a sense of creativity, you are not able to reimagine yourself, you’re not able to reimagine your business, you’re not able to reimagine what you’d want to learn, you’re not able to reimagine your relationships. And if you’re not able to reimagine them, you lose confidence in your ability to do so.” (12:08 | Jane Bertch) 
“Allow yourself to daydream. Allow yourself a quiet moment where you just sit and imagine, where you close your eyes and you just imagine what could be. Ask yourself, ‘What do I want to be when I grow up?’—I hope you ask yourself that at any age. There's always an opportunity for an encore, for a number two performance, for a number three performance. The only restrictions we have, we put on ourselves.” (17:14 | Jane Bertch)
“Some ideas are never meant to be seen through. They’re meant for you to test yourself, to test your conviction, to test your interests.” (19:32 | Jane Bertch)
 
Links
https://www.instagram.com/melrobbins/ 
https://www.instagram.com/iamtabithabrown/ 
https://www.instagram.com/brenebrown/ 
https://www.instagram.com/badassboz
 
Connect with Jane Bertch:
Website: www.janebertch.com 
Instagram @janebertch
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

EP 02: Your Ideas Are the Crystal Ball of Your Future

“I do firmly believe that ideas are a psychological view into the future.” 
 
In this episode of GenerateHER, host Jane Bertch, a Chicago native now thriving in Paris, invites us to reflect on the power of ideas. Sharing her journey from corporate life to launching a cooking school in the City of Light, she reveals how even the smallest ideas can lead to personal transformation and reinvention.
 
Jane encourages listeners—especially women in business—to see their ideas as more than fleeting thoughts. Could your next breakthrough already be within reach? Drawing on Elizabeth Gilbert’s “Big Magic,” Jane describes ideas as entities that arrive for a purpose, waiting for you to nurture them into reality.
 
Pointing out five key themes, Jane shares strategies for cultivating ideas, from journaling to building supportive relationships. She also addresses common obstacles like self-doubt and fear, and offers guidance on how to overcome them and create an environment where ideas can thrive.
 
If you’re feeling stuck or unsure of your future, this episode offers a fresh perspective on idea generation to support your personal development. Jane encourages us to start by revisiting the ideas we’ve ignored. Could one of those ideas hold the key to your next chapter?
 
Quotes
“I love the concept of ideas as little entities. What I’ve learned is that some of the best ideas can come out of the blue. They can come in quiet moments, they can come on coffee dates with good friends where you’re vulnerable and you’re playing with different concepts in your mind. The trick is to remain open and listen and welcome them when they arrive.” (06:19 | Jane Bertch)
“Some of your most creative ideas can be born out of pain and fear and suffering and hurt. I know this very well. Using my own personal circumstances, La Cuisine, I know, in hindsight, came at an inflection point in my life where I had been through traumas that left me feeling unfulfilled and uncertain of where I belonged in the world. And when you are there, in my mind, there’s nothing more wonderful and powerful than allowing yourself to dream.” (11:35 | Jane Bertch)
“The best idea, the most wonderful idea, that extraordinary idea is the one that started. It’s the one that we took time to say, ‘I’m going to invest in you and I’m going to move forward and see where this gets me.’” (18:53 | Jane Bertch)
“If you’re feeling stuck and you feel like you haven’t realized your dream yet, please, please, please pay attention to those little ideas that come in and out of your head every day… We think we can’t tell the future. I think we can. That’s what your ideas are. They’re visions of your future. The question is, are you gonna look close enough at it?” (20:46 | Jane Bertch)
 
Links
Connect with Jane Bertch:
Website: www.janebertch.com 
Instagram @janebertch
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

EP 01: Welcome to GenerateHER

“Reinvention isn’t a one-time event. It’s a journey we take one step at a time, and we can take that journey whenever we choose. Let’s do it together.”
 
Bonjour, les amis! Welcome to GenerateHER! Host Jane Bertch opens the door to conversations about personal transformation and the unique challenges faced by women who mean business. She kicks things off with her journey from the corporate grind to entrepreneurial freedom. With two decades of life and work in Paris shaping her story, Jane shares how reinvention became a driving force in her life—and how it can inspire yours too!
 
What does it take to find courage in creativity? How do we keep moving forward when self-doubt looms large? These are the kinds of questions Jane explores, guiding honest conversations about growth, resilience, and the endless possibilities waiting to be discovered.
 
GenerateHER is more than just a podcast—it’s a community, a space where women can connect, learn, and reimagine their futures together. Infused with hard-won wisdom and a touch of Parisian flair, this episode invites you to think about what reinvention could look like in your life. What possibilities are waiting to be unlocked, and how can we uplift one another as we embrace what’s next?
 
Quotes
“Sometimes we need a little recharge, a refresh, a spark of inspiration to remind us that anything truly is possible, no matter where we are in life. Because believe it or not, there’s a new version of you waiting to unfold every single day.” (00:27 | Jane Bertch) 
“I want us to explore topics that matter to us. And yes, particularly as women, how to use our differences to our strengths when we find ourselves in a room or in a community where we feel different. How to find courage in creativity. I do believe that that is almost a golden braid to have the sense of creativity to feel creative, and to have courage to pursue that. I believe if you don’t feel creative, you lose your courage. If you don’t feel creative, you can’t reimagine yourself, you can’t reimagine your business, you can’t get the energy to invite stimulation into your life.” (05:32 | Jane Bertch)
“I want us to dig deep and figure out how we believe in ourselves. Even when we don’t. How do we push forward when the odds feel stacked up against us? But this isn’t just another podcast about business or personal growth…. I want this also to be about perspective. Living and working in Europe for more than two decades, almost 20 years of those in Paris, has taught me so much about cultural nuance, about adaptability, and the art of enjoying life.” (06:33 | Jane Bertch)
“Reinvention isn’t a one-time event. It’s a journey we take one step at a time, and we can take that journey whenever we choose. Let’s do it together.” (11:05 | Jane Bertch)
 
Links
Connect with Jane Bertch:
Website: www.janebertch.com 
Instagram @janebertch
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

GenerateHER - Trailer

Welcome to GenerateHER, the podcast designed to reignite your energy and ambition straight from Paris. Join best-selling author and former corporate executive turned entrepreneur, Jane Bertch, as she shares inspiring insights, real-life stories, and transformative tools to help you unlock your hidden power.
 
In each episode, we’ll dive into the magic of embracing your unique strengths, tapping into creative curiosity, and discovering the courage to reinvent yourself. Together, we’ll explore themes like harnessing your differences, overcoming self-doubt, and building a life fueled by purpose and possibility.
 
If you’re ready to spark your passion, shine your brightest, and reinvent yourself at any stage of life—this is the podcast for you. Let’s get ready to GenerateHER!