Let’s talk about this
Women’s business coach, podcaster and blogger Jane Guy has interviewed more than 80 women since her Queenstown Life podcast relaunched three years ago.
It began as a lockdown project, a way to relieve the pressure from her day job with NGO Central Lakes Family Services.
“We were dealing with a lot of family violence through lockdown, and it was really stressful,” says the well-known Queenstowner.
“I’d interviewed lots of people in the community before, recording them for a podcast on my blog, so I thought ‘why not resurrect it?’. There were people all around the world stuck in their houses, what a perfect time to just have some conversations.”
The podcast is a collection of women’s voices that often aren’t heard as the ‘work world’ is so male orientated.
Jane’s now interviewed everyone from American rock stars to comediennes, entrepreneurs, business pioneers, investment experts, artists, scientists and politicians, including musician Amanda Palmer, Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson, Yu Mei founder Jessie Wong, Collective Hub CEO Lisa Messenger, and New Zealander of the Year Dr Siouxsie Wiles.
“Interviewing Siouxsie was an amazing window into what she was dealing with. Every few minutes her phone would go off, because something would change in the world. She was writing new commentary every 10 minutes.
“And Amanda Palmer was another highlight, because I’d loved her for years, and my sister was obsessed, and I managed to get her but was really nervous. But she was great, and we speak to each other every day now.”
The podcast has also become something of a time-capsule, capturing, for example, what it was like to live in New York during lockdown, or through the Black Lives Matter protests.
“It was just the opportunity to see how people were coping with it all.”
Jane employs a super-casual style through the interviews, putting people at ease with her self-deprecating Northern charm and disarming, non-formal approach to questions and topics.
“I think it’s a skill to make people feel comfortable really quickly, and it leads to more open, honest and interesting conversations.”
The podcast has a work focus, with women sharing their business journey and best advice, tips, tricks on investing, entrepreneurship and all things finance, and Jane also regularly delivers monologues on various topics.
And all this informs and underpins her other work as a business coach. She’s recently gone out on her own and launched her coaching company, Queenstown Life Coaching.
“It’s a relatively new thing in New Zealand, whereas in America, everyone in business has a coach,” she says. “I got one a couple of years ago and it completely changed my life and my business. It just changed my approach, from passivity, from sitting around and waiting, to actually asking for what I want.”
“I focus very much on mindset. It’s not therapy but if you’re blocked and you want something but don’t know how to get it, it helps to have someone shine a spotlight and help you uncover what’s holding you back, to peel back the layers.”
As for the podcast, that will continue, hopefully with its near-100% success rate of landing interviewees. Only one person has eluded Jane, so far.
“I emailed Jacinda about 400 times, but her PA was like, ‘she’s a little bit busy at the moment’, but a girl can try. She’s still on my list to get.”
Queenstown Life podcast is available on Apple and Spotify. Jane can be contacted through queenstownlife.com or Instagram for all coaching enquiries.
