Magnetic Authenticity Podcast with Jolynne Rydz
Welcome to the Magnetic Authenticity Podcast with Jolynne Rydz, where we elevate your leadership impact by embracing your true self. If you're ready to harness your strengths, level up your confidence and influence so you can make a bigger difference in this world, then you're in the right place.
Magnetic Authenticity Podcast with Jolynne Rydz
2: Embracing Fun and Change - Jenny Doan's Journey from Career Conformity to Hula Hooping Happiness
Comments, questions? Let's connect!
Imagine reclaiming the playful, authentic version of yourself that societal norms and professional demands have buried. We sit down with Jenny Doan, a powerhouse keynote speaker, workshop facilitator, and triple Guinness World Record holder for endurance hula hooping, to explore this transformative journey. Jenny shares her inspiring leap from a conventional, unfulfilling career to a life characterised by overseas volunteering, adventurous cycling, and the unexpected joy of hula hooping. Witness her transition and learn how a simple form of play can become a source of profound relaxation and self-discovery.
Through Jenny’s heartfelt narratives, we uncover the importance of personal freedom and the courage to defy societal expectations. She opens up about the struggle of conforming to rigid professional norms and the liberating process of embracing her true self. Discover the surprising positive responses that can emerge when we drop the facade and live genuinely. The conversation also highlights the power of vulnerability and authentic human connections, with Jenny recounting how magnetic, genuine individuals have influenced her journey and the environments she thrived in.
In the final segments, we delve into the practical and philosophical aspects of living authentically. Jenny discusses her frequent relocations and how they served as opportunities to shed inauthentic layers, leading to a clearer understanding of her true purpose. We explore the "blue cheese principle" and its significance in both personal and professional relationships. Join us for this enlightening discussion about overcoming fear, embracing change, and discovering the courage to be unapologetically yourself, fostering deeper connections and a more fulfilling life.
Connect with Jenny
https://www.jennydoan.com.au/
https://www.instagram.com/thejennydoan/
💖Love the podcast?💖
You can pay it forward by:
- Rating and Reviewing wherever you listen
- Sharing it with others!
Ready to level up your impact?
➡️Book a complimentary mini-strategy session and I'll help unpack one of your current challenges
➡️Join our Masterclass Waitlist and get practical tools to level up your impact
Let's connect!
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jolynne-rydz/
https://www.instagram.com/jolynnerydz/
https://www.facebook.com/brillianceinspired
I am a Confidence and Success Coach for leaders, Organisational Development Consultant and independent Leadership Circle Profile® Certified Practitioner. Information shared about this tool is courtesy of Leadership Circle®, all rights reserved. www.leadershipcircle.com
Hello, I'm Jolynne Rydz and welcome to the Magnetic Authenticity Podcast. This is where we level up your impact by being more of you. If you're tired of being told that you need to be someone you're not just to succeed and get anywhere and make a difference, then you're in the right place, because we are all about looking at you, your strengths, what your gifts are, how you are best made in this world to have an impact, and harnessing all of that to make your strategies come to life. So if you're looking for more confidence, if you're looking for more influence, if you want to be heard, seen and be making more of a difference, then you're in the right spot and I can't wait to explore all of this with you together. Is this it? Do you wonder if you are truly living up to your potential? I'm Jolynne Rydz from the Magnetic Authenticity Podcast, and today's guest is passionate about helping you unlock your amazing gifts, using life's experiences and challenges as an unofficial roadmap to greatness. Jenny Doan Joan is a keynote speaker and workshop facilitator who holds not one, not two, but three Guinness World Records for endurance. Hula hooping. She discovered that the path to greatness isn't just about hardcore resilience or habit stacking. It starts with becoming the person who dares to dream bigger and make it happen. Jenny is super excited to show us how to be unofficially amazing and unleash our greatness within. Welcome to the podcast, Jenny, so excited
Jolynne Rydz:to
Jolynne Rydz:have
Jolynne Rydz:you
Jolynne Rydz:.
Jenny Doan:Thank you for having me. I'm excited to be here. Yes, fantastic, wonderful.
Jolynne Rydz:So we obviously know each other, but it would be great for our listeners to learn a little bit more about you. So I'd love for you to start by telling us a little bit about your journey to get to where you are today and this burning question that I have have, which is what made you choose hula hooping.
Jenny Doan:Oh, of course, I think that my journey started off probably quite similar to a lot of people. Where I was born in Australia Vietnamese immigrant parents and I had that very you know purposeful drive through life to get that good job, good education and set myself up. But, like a lot of people, I realized that it wasn't as exciting as I thought it would be or as exciting as I thought. I was sitting in a cubicle and thinking, oh, like is this? It Am I just meant to sit in an office until I retire and then I get to go and do other things. And roughly about 10 years ago I decided that it was kind of not working for me and I had to go figure out what that actually was. And so I spent something like 10 years just getting out of my comfort zone and just doing things that initially were scary, and then realizing that, ah, you can figure things out, you can adapt and you can change, and who you are isn't fixed or predetermined or anything like that. So I found myself traveling overseas, doing volunteer work overseas, cycling in different countries, and then, when I moved to the US, the hulaula hooping started, and I think that was partially because I missed out on a lot of playtime as a child. I had a very serious sort of upbringing where I had to be the responsible one and a part of me just missed that element of play, just doing something purely for fun.
Jenny Doan:And when I looked around and I realized that the majority of hula hooping is like dance or like tricks and circus kind of stuff, I completely bombed at all that stuff. Like people assume that I'm an amazing dancer because I can hula hoop and I'm like no, once I lose the hula hoop, I don't know, know what to do. It's like a security hula hoop, pretty much Like inside this, like force field. I'm perfectly safe, yeah. And that's when I Googled you know what, if people don't want to do tricks, like what is the other like side of hula hooping?
Jenny Doan:And that's when I found that there was a Guinness World Record from Aaron Hibbs he was the previous record holder who'd hula hoops for about 75 hours. And I thought like, oh, I think I could do that. I watched his video and I saw him just like fighting the hula hoop, Like he was hula hooping really fast, and I thought, well, hula hooping is like for me it's like relaxing. You have to physically let go, you have to let your shoulders drop, unclench your jaw and feel the hula hoop. Yeah, yeah, like there's so much of it that like just loosens everything up and I thought if I could do that a little bit better than him, then 75 hours I could stretch that out and then set my own record.
Jolynne Rydz:Oh, that's incredible, and I really want to acknowledge you for what you said right at the start of the story about recognising that you're sitting in this cubicle and is this it? Is this all? We've been taught that this is meant to be success and this is meant to make us feel great, but I don't know if I don't think it's working for me and, yeah, I want to acknowledge that because I think there's a lot of people that feel that way but it takes courage to step out of that and firstly recognize it and then go no, let's do something about this. So thank you for sharing that. It's possible, and that's almost like the starting point, isn't it?
Jenny Doan:Because I feel like it was tricky, because you find that something isn't working for you, but then you don't know what would.
Jenny Doan:It's because there's no answer like, oh, then do the opposite of that, but like that could be an infinite number of possibilities yeah and I think it was my, I guess I had a lot of stubbornness to a degree, like no, that's not it, that's not it, and then just like whittling it down, and I feel like for most people there can be like little, like little jumps rather than like going to another country.
Jenny Doan:It can just be like tweaking things, like being in different social circles, like picking up a hobby they've always wanted to do but felt shy about, and I feel like hobbies and things like that are a really good entry into that sort of curiosity and exploration, because when you start off, you're a beginner and you're allowed to be bad at something and nobody's expecting you to be the prodigy.
Jenny Doan:That's like, oh my god, mozart, this is the first time you've ever played in Michigan. Like in your mind you might be hoping that you'll, you know, somehow be a genius, but for the majority of us it's like oh, we could just do this thing. And it's not about, like the KPIs that we have at work or like this super mega productivity, how to like maximize our like potential all in one hit. It's just like slowly, like inching towards like the edges of your boundaries, of what you think you're capable of, and then that sort of process gets less painful or less scary. The more you sort of do it like you build that confidence yeah, yeah, it's like a muscle that you've got to.
Jolynne Rydz:You've got to exercise. Yeah, the other thing that came to mind as you were sharing your story is I. I've been facilitating a leadership program for a while and actually use the hula hoop as a metaphor, like I've had one on the ground, and I step in and it's, it's, it's the comfort zone, and then I teach people that if you step out of it, that's where the magic happens. So it's almost like expanding that circle that you've got going around you and just trying things.
Jolynne Rydz:So you've told us how you got to where you are today. I'd love to know what are some exciting projects or initiatives you're currently working on.
Jenny Doan:Yeah. So I think, having all that experience and knowledge, distilling that into, first of all, words because it lives in my body and in my mind and in my imagination, but beginning to put together my message of unofficially amazing, which I feel like is kind of like a play on words, in terms of Guinness World Records talks about officially amazing when you make it in the book and then everything else in life, that's also amazing. We should give that some credit too, because that's pretty cool and it's part of like my overall message is to get people to be willing to look at themselves and what sort of do they have at the moment or they don't have that they want to change about themselves or their lives, and what are the actionable things they can do to get there. And I feel like a big part of it is by doubling down on being you, and so when you talk about magnetic authenticity, I feel like that's an ingredient you have to have, because there's a million people out there that are saying like, be like a CEO and wake up before I am and do cold showers, and so many people are like, if I can't do that, then I'm not resilient and I'm not this and therefore I'm not successful or whatever, but I feel like there are so many other things that we have inside where we can exercise that same expression or that strength within that we just leave on the table because it's not that professional or not that prescribed by everybody else.
Jenny Doan:Yeah, and I want people to sort of dig inside to find that, and I'm working on building online courses so that people can start to practice that in their own time, and then in-person workshops where I can actually get people to talk about what's holding them back and the things that they've learned over time and share a lot of that knowledge, because so many of our family and friends have done cool things that we don't even know about. And when you start to things that we don't even know about and when you start to realize that people like you or people close to you have done extraordinary things, it makes you realize that it's possible and within your reach. It's not just like celebrities and all these other people and influencers, it's like people you already know.
Jolynne Rydz:Yeah, and it's often extraordinary, isn't it?
Jenny Doan:Because it's not something you would have thought of doing, or maybe not something you would have done, but when you look at the thing itself, like it's not necessarily this unattainable goal is what I'm hearing had done a whole bunch of cycling where I learned like the endurance aspect of endurance hula hooping, which was the slow, incremental movement as you get stronger because I felt like as a kid I was always picked like dead last at sport, like I wasn't very fast and have great strength, and I thought, well, that's what fit people have, they're lifting dead, lifting weights, and like I can't do that or I don't enjoy doing that.
Jenny Doan:More importantly, so what's in it for me? And then I realized that there is a whole endurance category of sport where you're not lifting super heavy stuff or you're moving super fast, you're just moving like really slowly over time and that just fit me like a glove. Oh, you mean, I could do it without being out of breath and feeling like I'm going to explode. I can enjoy it my way. And I feel like there are so many of us that get into an activity and we write it off as like that's not for me, but we haven't found like our way to do it.
Jenny Doan:Yeah, and so we've written it off as not us, but I feel like it's time for us to revisit some of those things, kind of like when you're a kid and you hate mushrooms and then you come as an adult. I've only been eating the slimy, mushy ones.
Jolynne Rydz:I haven't sauteed them with butter and herbs yeah, yeah, or barbecue, the barbecue, barbecue mushroom exactly oh, it's so good. So much potential that was just untapped until you know you get in there, yeah, and I love what you've just shared because I think it applies to leadership so much in terms of often there's all this pressure and there's these really big goals that people are aiming for, but it's those small, consistent steps that get us there, isn't it? And that feeling that just you know, be yourself with it and go with the flow.
Jenny Doan:Yeah, and it feels natural, as opposed to you putting on a costume and then thinking like what lines or what would I say in this situation, and just ignoring the answers that you already have.
Jolynne Rydz:Yeah, it takes so much more energy. One of your key messages, jenny, is around personal growth and fun and intertwined, and I love this because I feel that a lot of workplaces and even life we're getting too serious. So can you tell our listeners about how you came to this intersection between personal growth and fun and why do you think it's so important right now?
Jenny Doan:there's a lot of internal programming that we experience when we want to do something that's purely fun or purely silly, and sometimes that comes out as like people are going to make fun of me or say that it's stupid and all these things and that just thought can stop us from doing things. But I found that when you start spending time with people and unraveling who you are and sharing that with people, when you start to share some of those ideas, the rejection you're expecting doesn't actually show up. That often rarely, if anything and you realize that it was just in your head, your own programming, or your parents or adults had said to you when you're a kid, and it puts the brakes on things before you even give them a chance, and then a lot of people who do criticize it probably don't have much fun themselves. So I want to see you going out there, gallivants, you're having a good time, and then a lot of people who do criticize it probably don't have much fun themselves.
Jenny Doan:Don't want to see you going out there gallivanting and having a good time and I feel like that's the first barrier that you overcome is the permission. Yeah, and it's bizarre because when you're a kid you assume that as an adult you have freedom and you create the permission. But sometimes we just like get freedom and then we just like climb back into the little rules and little cage that no one like, there's no lock, there's no key, we just like climb inside and part of that was just like a reclaiming of my life and like being playful, being silly and you know, I'd worked as a data analyst since the start of my career and a lot of that is male dominated and so being silly or anything like that is seen as weakness and all these things. But you just get used to putting that on when you go to work and then you forget to take it off when you get home.
Jenny Doan:And as I started to get away from that and realizing that that wasn't for me, I started thinking what do I put in its place? Because it can't just be a void like, I can't just be blank and neutral. Now, what do I do with this extra like capacity? And then I just I just found that it was such an outlet like you have all this pent-up, lack of expression or just things you wanted to do that were just stifled, and as you peel away at it and it just comes out naturally, it's just a very like getting in touch with you. Some people call it like your inner child or what have you, but it just becomes easy, like you're not having to like calculate and be analytical and do all that stuff. You start to listen to your gut and your instinct and you wonder like what are you doing all that time? It's like putting it on mute or something.
Jolynne Rydz:Yeah, it's just very liberating yeah, it's like we've been programmed to be on this autopilot to to trust these rules that keep us safe, and then we don't know what to do or how to step out of that programming. Wow absolutely.
Jenny Doan:And then I found that when you share things with people, they're kind of like relieved, like, oh, thank god, someone else feels this way, but people don't always want to be the first person, and so I was also surprised like the number of people who like positively, responded to just like random silly things, like Like you know, in my Instagram videos I have like soft toys and things and Pokemon, and before I would like hide them away before I hit record, because I was like people are going to think I'm a child, but then people are like, oh, I watch that show or I do this and that, and it's just like human, like it's just very human to enjoy these things.
Jenny Doan:And I think the criticism that will be perceived in a certain way is so inflated in our heads because 90% of people are like in their own heads they're not thinking about you, or they think about you for a second and then they go back to their life and whatever judgment they had about you like evaporates. No, we like hold onto it as though it's like gospel, or as though like it's this damning, like you know it's like gospel, or as though like it's this damning, like you know, statement on our character, but it's just like fleeting thoughts and words sometimes and I feel like as we start to like shed that sort of external validation and just listen to on the inside, like how we feel and what we want to do with ourselves, we don't get so worried about what other people will think as that sort of goes down. Just just that energy gets to, you know, redistribute to other stuff, which is I don't know more, I guess, fruitful, just less annoying, I suppose.
Jolynne Rydz:Yeah, it's like you're taking that energy that was protecting you from this one time, maybe a couple of times where you got burnt, but really that was a minority, it's not everything. Yay, we're all loaded with all this energy times where you got burnt but really that that was a minority.
Jenny Doan:It's not everything. And then, wow, I'm exploding.
Jolynne Rydz:So you've already mentioned magnetic authenticity and for this podcast, it's all about using that to level up your leadership impact. Could you recall a time, jenny, where someone in your life had this energy around them, where you were just drawn to them and what they're about, and what impact that had on you and how has it shaped the person you are today?
Jenny Doan:yeah, it was my friend. I met well while I was in Tonga on that volunteer assignment and he's the one that got me into cycling and I remember seeing him on his bike and it looked like the bike was just part of his body. There was no like you know him and bike and where it ends. And I remember someone had um, sold him one of those really tall pedestal fans, so he picked it up and then just rode it home like under his arm and the other hand, that's incredible. It was just like how are you doing this? Like it just seems like natural, like you're just like like like you're holding a baguette, like it was.
Jenny Doan:And he had such like a freedom in his life where he didn't waste time with like negativity or anything like that. But he wasn't blindfully optimistic, like if there was a truthful thing that he had to tell you that might hurt your feelings. If it comes from like kindness and he has your permission, he genuinely wants you to like know this, to improve your life in some way. He's not going to let you walk around with like parsley in your teeth and stuff. And I feel like that kindness and strength together was just such a welcoming energy that he gave as much as he could and was in the moment to enjoy the present. I feel like it just seemed like he had such confidence because it didn't seem like he was like second guessing every single thing or trying to be liked by this person or this group. He just was.
Jenny Doan:And yeah, he ended up getting me into cycling, which then fundamentally changed my life, and like I feel like, even if I wouldn't like tell him that I probably have he's like cool, like he's not like gonna take all the credit for it or anything like that. He's just the person that as people rub shoulders with him or move through life, just pick something off him and then just carry it on in their own expression. And it's just fascinating because he didn't do anything like, he didn't seek out to try and change lives. He was just being himself around you and if there's anything you wanted that he could do, he would yeah, yeah there's so much power in just being yourself around people isn't it.
Jenny Doan:Yeah, and I think because he was so sure of himself and so open anyone could ask anything and he just had all that knowledge that he knew and that he owned and he made it his own so that you could see how you could emulate bits of it or take parts of it and then make it your own, that it didn't have to be prescribed in some way and you didn't have to be one of those people who like wins at all costs to step over other people. No, that's just like an archetype. That's, I don't know, popular in movies, but in real life these are real people that are actually good at heart and you just gravitate towards those people and it just yeah, it just blew my mind because there was just that gentleness to him and it wasn't weakness. But growing up, oftentimes you're told that like being weak or crying and all this sort of things like vulnerability is like a bad thing yeah but it's like knowing yourself so much that being vulnerable is okay.
Jenny Doan:And I think I just saw a lot of that in him, where he would like, want to know, like how you're doing, not just like what you've been doing, but like how you're feeling, yeah, and it's just like, not like wanting a, you know, a stock standard response, but he genuinely cared and that was just such like a breath of fresh air.
Jolynne Rydz:Yeah, I have this torn feeling when you say it's such a breath of fresh air, because I wish it was common, but it's not.
Jenny Doan:Yeah, yeah.
Jolynne Rydz:Like I've had toxic leaders in my career and I've had the completely opposite end of amazing leaders, and it's like a warm hug when they say no, how are you feeling, not how's the work going.
Jenny Doan:You, how are?
Jolynne Rydz:you going it's so, so powerful.
Jenny Doan:Yeah, yeah, feeling not how's the work going? You, how are you going? It's so so powerful, yeah, yeah, and I think like the fact that they go out of their way to like care in that way, and then you just feel like if there is anything you need, that it's easy for you to be open now, because there's none of that like barrier in between and it's just something that you know, probably isn't taught in textbooks. To ask someone you know how they're doing, yeah, but it's such like a human response and I feel like sometimes the irony of being in like a corporate or office environment is that we know what's like in our instinct to be human and then there's like the rules or like the social norms it's they. They contradict what we know to be true, but then we're in this environment where we don't really know where to go with that, depending on their rank and hierarchy and politics and all these things that complicate something that is otherwise quite simple.
Jolynne Rydz:Yeah, yeah, there's so many. I work in organisational development and there's so many big initiatives that get put in place to solve what you've just said, which is a fundamental just be human. You don't have to do this fancy program just get everyone in a position where they can be comfortable and be human.
Jenny Doan:Yeah, yeah, and I feel like the it's. It's so different, um, different because in a social setting, the trust and like safety to be yourself, the stakes are so much lower because it's just a friendship, as opposed to you're going into this job and it could be, you know, years that you're there, or your career and all these things, and then it sort of has this other element where there's that filter and the more fields that get applied. You're just spending so much time thinking about what to do rather than doing and being Stuff actually matters and makes a difference.
Jolynne Rydz:Yeah, that should be a bumper sticker doing and being.
Jenny Doan:The stuff that actually matters and makes a difference.
Jolynne Rydz:Yeah, yeah. Jenny, you mentioned in one of your talks that you believe our mission in life is to become truly unapologetically, us, and that is so aligned with magnetic authenticity. And could you share with us how you, how you, came to that?
Jenny Doan:I think that because I moved countries so often and cities, I had the opportunity to completely remove the mask of who I was, because when you move to a place where nobody knows you, you don't gain anything from maintaining that facade.
Jolynne Rydz:Ah, and that's the hack.
Jenny Doan:I just gotta move, figure it out and then come back. And I didn't realize it until I came back and my friends probably thought that like had a personality change or something, because you weren't like this when you left. What happened in that time period? That changed and I think it became like almost comical that I would just keep changing over and over again, like what's going to come out next. It's just like a future adventure situation.
Jenny Doan:But I felt like every time I started to shed something that isn't really me anymore or was more cumbersome to maintain than to keep going, I felt that it just opened up another opportunity.
Jenny Doan:And I feel like when I did a lot, a lot of that more often, I started to find it more easily to figure out what opportunities actually match me, because I used to be a chronic like list, slash, spreadsheet like person when it came to opportunities like this one's good for this reason, but this one's on this one, and then try and like, have like some like rubric to figure out which is like and it's like, no, like that's all like up in here in their head and sometimes like it's not that reliable, sometimes it's a bit dodgy, and I started just to realize like what fits me and I think some people call it personal brand or your identity but it's like that litmus test of like is this something that's gonna make me shine or something that is naturally playing to my strengths, versus me just trying to fit in and like that will look cool.
Jenny Doan:Other people will think that's impressive. And then it just made my decision making process a lot easier because you filter out a lot of the noise that is maintaining some facade about you, or this is where you've always done things. So this is like a continuation of that and it starts to become like the compass for you to know like what is actually important to you and you don't have to. You don't feel as swayed or peer pressured by other things that have led you to situations where you've worked really hard at something and realize like 90% of the way in that you didn't actually want it but you're like, oh, I'm stuck, I'm in now, yeah pretty much when I look back at my like choices with jobs and things, the instances where it's gone wrong.
Jenny Doan:I hadn't listened to that gut feeling. And you can't really understand the gut feeling until you understand yourself and who that is and you actually practice being that person, whereas I feel like sometimes we feel like we're most ourselves when we're alone in our room or we're hanging out with this person, but then when we start to hang out with other people, we have like versions of ourselves that are different and fragmented and kind of like forgetting who you are at your core. And then by the time you go to make life decisions and things and it doesn't line up oh, because I've been spending 90% of my time with somebody else and that's us making your decisions, and then now this person's stuck, with the result of that, yeah, and I'm really curious, jenny, because you sort of mentioned that you shed yourself and then head on to the next opportunity.
Jolynne Rydz:Was that like a conscious thing that you did, or was it more on reflection? You noticed that was what you were doing.
Jenny Doan:I think it was probably for me, making a big change sort of forced me to shed a lot of it. I feel like if I were just going about my day and I made a challenge myself to be more myself. There are so many opportunities to me to just chicken out and just not. Yeah, I'm gonna start that diet today. Yeah, but I'm gonna keep my entire life the same and not change anything. Because I feel like physically changing your environment puts you in a position where you don't have a choice but to go. And I think when I looked at endurance cycling, I picked starting in one spot Vancouver and then cycling to Montreal.
Jenny Doan:You have to go forward. If you go back your accommodation, you've already paid for it. You can't go back to where you started. You have to go forward. If you go back your accommodation, you've already paid for it. Like, go back to where you started. You have to keep going, yes, even if it takes you longer.
Jenny Doan:Or you have to crawl and it's sort of taking that option away for you to bail or quit and by moving to a different place, or it's like when you start a new job, you have to put yourself out there and meet new people and introduce yourself and do all these things that you never would have had to do, and part of it is like front-loading the hard part by like ripping yourself out or doing the thing that's scary, but then trusting that once you get there, your brain figures it out, yeah, and I think that's the hard leap where you feel like what if I get to the other side and I just like don't figure it out or I fail?
Jenny Doan:But then you think of your history and you're like what are all the other times I've done something new. We've all gone to primary school or high school, been in totally new environments, and then you were fine, yeah, move to a new suburb or start a new job and do all these like new things. The fact that we all learned how to walk is like pretty cool. Learn how to ride a bicycle and you say like dad, don't let go of the seat, and you're really mad. And then you're like riding on two wheels.
Jenny Doan:Okay, I understand why you did that it's like this trust in ourselves is harder to to build up than our trust in the people around us that's something that I find really, really tricky, because it's so easy to see the skills in other people and then measure yourself against them and then feel bad about yourself, but then you don't be like, oh, what are the things that I'm doing really well, that someone else might be jealous of or someone else might notice, but I'm like standing too close to it and so I just don't see it yeah, and I'd love to draw this out like bigger picture.
Jolynne Rydz:So, if you're unapologetically you, what do you think are some of the challenges that we could be solving if we can get more and more people stepping into that?
Jenny Doan:yeah, I think a big thing is loneliness, because the fear of putting yourself out there stops a lot of people.
Jenny Doan:But how is anybody ever supposed to like, like you, love you or embrace you if you don't actually share anything meaningful about yourself? Yeah, because we all start with like the surface, like you know what do you do for work, and then you have like social conversations you know what are you watching on netflix but then there's things that are like close to our hearts or things that we're passionate about, and when we share them and then we make connections that way, people start to get insight. On a more personal, like deeper level, there's always like the possibility that when you share something, someone might reject it, and I think a big part of that is like accepting that that's going to happen. But the reality is that out of a million people, you're not going to be friends with a million people exactly. You'd be very busy, yeah. Yeah, like you kind of want to filter it out. If there's someone that has nothing in common with you, they don't like you. It doesn't mean you're a bad person or they're a bad person, you're just not compatible. So then you just filter it down to find the people that do embrace you and like you, and I feel like that's the thing that encourages other people to come out, because when you don't see it, you feel like you're the only one.
Jenny Doan:And then, as you start to share these stories about yourself, and other people start saying like, oh, I've experienced that when I had a made a was an Instagram reel about the fact that I actually dropped out of high school. Being a high school dropout, you associated with all these negative things and at the time it felt like the biggest failure of my life, because I was like 17, like there's nothing more you really can fail at, and it was such like a big, defining part of my life. But then you fast forward 10, 15 years later, 25, however many years, it doesn't matter. But then there are lots of other people who had similar struggles and they always felt like they were stupid or whatever it was, and then they learned that that's not the case at all. It's just these circumstances happen and you can connect with other people through that and now they see another side of you and they can connect with you on that level and then they can share something that they might have never shared with someone before.
Jenny Doan:Yeah, because I feel like in life we're always going through things and the saddest part is when you go through hardship alone because you feel like there's no one else out there and I feel like we don't know when these things are going to happen.
Jenny Doan:But when we have relationships and friendships with people that we build over time, we know that we have that safety net and then we can support each other and use our own adversities to like support and reduce suffering for other people and it kind of comes full circle, kind of like paying it forward to help the next person. But I feel like there is that leap of faith and I feel like it starts with yourself being able to be fully honest with yourself, like in the mirror, who you are, and then, as you start to share that, you start to reinforce that and then that becomes your norm but, it's like a lot of those like small, incremental, like trust exercises, and the scary part might be that you end up losing some friends in the process, because not everybody is ready for that or not everybody, you know, wants change.
Jenny Doan:They might like you as that version, but then that just leaves room for people who do embrace you, because I don't really want friends that just tolerate like, oh, she's doing that thing again. I want people to be like hell, yeah, and I feel like I don't know, because so many of our friends can be through proximity, like previously from school or from high school, from uni, and then we have to like change our proximity, our proximity. Like you know how we met during our boot camp for like public speaking and that's like one of the top scariest things in the world for most people, and I got to meet you and other like-minded people that we didn't have to explain like why are you doing that? That seems crazy. Yeah, we chose to do this. Yeah. And we like why are you doing that? That seems crazy. Yeah, we chose to do this. Are we crazily? Get a kick out of it? Yeah, yeah, we're definitely gonna get along now, and it's just those signals I feel like that.
Jenny Doan:You put yourself in situations where you're with those people because you've eliminated a lot of those. What are people gonna think? Blah, blah, like they're not thinking that or they might be, but we both show up and then we can support each other and have a laugh and it's just like a very different experience Because we were doing something that both scared us, yeah, but then did it anyway, and then just together like saw in each other, like what it means to overcome something, yeah, and then just get frequently reminded that we're all on these different journeys and seeing how you do and seeing how I do and other people just shows people that there's more than one way to success. And I think that as, like a woman, you know, person of color and all that stuff, you just don't see your types of people doing these things and it makes it seem like it's either not possible or it just hasn't been done yet.
Jolynne Rydz:Yeah, and then it's all scary because you're the first one trying yeah, you're like where's everyone else? Come on, where is everyone? There was so much in that, and I think one of the first things I heard was that you almost have to stop judging yourself, and then the people around you have room to not do that as well. And then the second key point I heard in that was that there's your self-worth. Your own view of your self-worth defines the quality of the relationships that you allow around you, right? So you don't want to want friends that just tolerate you, but people do do that, because it's scary to let go of that if that, if that's all you have at the moment. So do you have a tip, maybe just one tip that would help people be more? Do you have a tip, maybe just one tip, that would help people be more unapologetically them?
Jenny Doan:Yeah, so it's. One of the concepts I've come up with is the blue cheese principle.
Jolynne Rydz:Yes.
Jenny Doan:That not everyone is going to like you, but the right people will love you. Yeah, I love you. I love blue cheese Exactly. If blue cheese were less smelly or less know itself, you know people would be like, oh, I guess it's kind of good, but when it's 100% itself, you're like hell. Yeah, like, give me some more of that blue cheese. Exactly. If you can't hide blue cheese, it is very much there, so lean into it. I feel like, yeah, that's the thing that you're sort of banking on, that it doesn't have to be likable to everybody, because no individual will be, no person that's genuinely being themselves is likeable to everyone.
Jolynne Rydz:It's like if they are, I'm concerned so you've had a lot of transitions in your life and your career has straddled both corporate and the public sector worlds and I wanted to ask you these questions because, from my background in human resources and organisational development, I often hear or see bias that comes in where someone says, oh that person from corporate, they're not going to be able to navigate the bureaucracy of the public sector, and vice versa, so that person from public, they're not going to be able to hack it in corporate. So I'd love to know your perspective in terms of what are the opportunities when someone actually moves to different sectors.
Jenny Doan:Yeah, I think you definitely bring all the experience and knowledge with you, especially where you're in, because I went from federal government, corporate, non-profit startup tech, so I've had like a good seasoning. And I think the biggest thing is when you're in government you're like these are all things I wish I could do if I had the budget. And then you move into a corporate where you do have a massive budget and you're like, oh yeah, these are all the things that I wish I could do if. But then there's like another limitation where it's like time or money. So you get used to dealing with different constraints and then, in another environment, you don't have those constraints and you get to use your brain in a different way and I think it's the creativity to figure out like what's going to work and what hasn't worked, and just exercising your brain in a different way so you don't get tunnel vision, because I found that sometimes, being in the same place for too long, you might end up just like, oh, that's never going to work. That's never going to work because you've only ever seen like one model, you've only seen like a five-year plan, you've never seen something done in like a three-month sprint, and so when you cross the other side, you get to see those and then incorporate the best of both worlds.
Jenny Doan:And I think when you look at an individual, whether or not they would cut it in a company, I feel like it's more important to figure out what their motivation is, because if they want to like join a company and they want to break the rules and be disruptive and move really fast, it's not because of their background that probably is going to make them a tricky fit. It's probably that the pace and the culture of what they like just isn't there, whereas I feel like there could be like departments within a slow-moving organisation that are made for that specific type of personality. And I think it's a matter of figuring out what the person is best at and what they thrive at and how they can contribute that to the group. Because I feel like if you keep hiring the same persons, do the same thing, you get the same results, and so it's like a risk to bring in something that's a little bit different.
Jenny Doan:But then the wealth of knowledge that they bring, that you don't necessarily read in a textbook, you get to like inject that into your company without having to do a whole training program to get everybody to understand what know they already know built in within them, yeah it's like really harnessing that, that that person's strength and who they are and just letting it out yeah yeah, because I feel like that change can like be that sort of pinwheel that then triggers change somewhere else and then just like a fresh set of eyes in terms of being able to see things that other people are missing, or to just bring a different edge to things, to just really bring some more life to it and just differences and challenging ideas and like the norm of this is how we've always done things. I feel like sometimes that's the thing that stops a lot of innovation, where we get stagnant in that and we don't know what the thing is. That would move us out of it. And so if you have someone that's done it before, like hire them, let's try it.
Jolynne Rydz:You've shared very generously about your story and the changes you've gone to and how you know just ripped the bandaid off in new places and new learnings. What do you want down the track in the future? I'm really curious. What do you want your legacy to be?
Jenny Doan:Yeah.
Jenny Doan:So I feel like keynote speaking is a very big and broad area in terms of getting on stage and talking to hundreds or thousands of people, but it was actually a keynote presenter, todd Sampson, who prompted me to actually sign up to beat the Guinness World Record, because it had been a pipe dream for a long time.
Jenny Doan:I never actually put pen to paper and did anything until I heard him speak. So I feel like my legacy would be out of all of the people that I would present to, or they would see me in some way that I get them to like turn towards their goal and like make like a small step, because I feel like it's crazy to want someone to like immediately jump after one conversation with you and be so enlightened. But it's kind of like you inspire someone just to look at least look at their goal, and then someone else comes in and then they have their own experience and start walking towards it. And if you could zoom out in life and see how many times that's happened or what's the like, the ripple effect, you know 10 years later for that person and the like exponential like effect of that yeah that's what I want to do, because I know that there's greatness in everyone yeah and it's not that they're not capable of it, it's that they just have to like, let it out.
Jenny Doan:and we all have that crazy dream or that crazy thing, and it's just like poking, it's like I'm rooting for you, yeah.
Jolynne Rydz:And we all need someone in our corner, I think, rooting for us, and that's the magic of what you're doing and what you're sharing. Yeah, so I would like to bring us home with seven swift questions, and so these are just quick questions, quick answers, no need to overthink them, just a bit of fun.
Jenny Doan:Up for it, yes, so first question In your view, what are three words to describe an ideal leader? Trustworthy, visionary and very human. Yes, yeah, yep, not overlords right. Yeah overlords.
Jolynne Rydz:It's funny though.
Jenny Doan:They don't actually teach that you know.
Jolynne Rydz:In a lot of leadership programs they don't teach me that how to not be an overlord. Okay, question two.
Jenny Doan:Fill in the blank magnetic authenticity is being so you, that people can't help but be drawn to you, beautiful.
Jolynne Rydz:Number three. When you notice yourself trying to fit in, what's the first thing that you do?
Jenny Doan:It's way too much thinking, analyzing every single thing in the room like it's like a scenario, as opposed to just being a person. Do you pull out the spreadsheet? You might mind like doing all the calculations.
Jolynne Rydz:Question number four what song gets you really pumped?
Jenny Doan:I think I Am the Tiger. If I remember it, jump in. That is such a good song.
Jolynne Rydz:I agree. It's up there on my list Number five. What's the most daring thing you've ever done?
Jenny Doan:Let's say the Guinness World Records, but that's too obvious. I think last year driving across the Nullarbor to move to Melbourne, just getting in my Corolla and just going for it.
Jolynne Rydz:Definitely yep. And number six. Do you have a favorite quote or mantra that you live by?
Jenny Doan:be more. It's the title of an episode of adventure time. Yeah, that little robot. Yeah, I love it. I have to look it up, I'm intrigued.
Jolynne Rydz:And number seven, what's one small thing that brings you incredible joy?
Jenny Doan:Mr Banana, I'll bring him. Oh, J-E-N-N-Y-D-O-A-N. com. au so colorful, I've had him for like 15 years.
Jolynne Rydz:So for those that are listening, I always have to describe it it's like a big banana soft toy, like as big as your body and he's in this sort of bright blue. Yeah, he's got a black bow tie and a blue onesie bright blue.
Jenny Doan:Yeah, he's got a black blow tie and a blue onesie, it was about, yeah, about a pillow sized, and he's got green arms, oh yeah, and feet and feet. Yeah, he's very cute, been there for all the world records, and I just know that if he's around, everything is okay.
Jolynne Rydz:Everything is okay well, everything will be okay, and thank you so much for coming on the podcast. It's been an absolute delight For our listeners. How can they connect with you if they want to learn more or get you in for an event or a workshop? Where can they find you?
Jenny Doan:Yeah, so my website is Jenny Doan J-E-N-N-Y-D-O-A-Ncomau, and you can find all my details there or on instagram, the jenny doan beautiful.
Jolynne Rydz:So they jenny doan at instagram and jenny doan dot com. Dot au wonderful. Thank you so much for joining us. Have a wonderful day and remember you were born for a reason it's time to thrive. See you next time. Thank you, I hope you enjoyed that episode as much as I did. I had an absolute ball chatting with Jenny Doan, isn't she amazing.
Jolynne Rydz:So many key takeaways from that. I think one of the first ones was asking yourself that question when was the last time you purely did something just for fun? I think the last time I did that is when I was just dancing in my home to YouTube karaoke on my own, which is something that I love doing. So bringing that fun into your daily life is so, so important to re-energize us. Another key thing was looking at what other people are doing and going, hey, I can do that.
Jolynne Rydz:How often do we compare ourselves to other people and go, oh, I'm not doing as good as they're doing. I'm not achieving as much as they're doing. I don't have it all together like they have. Why don't we go, hey, why couldn't I do what they're doing? It's a really good flip on comparing ourselves to others, and I also loved the point about just stop judging ourselves. If we can stop doing that first, it's almost like we don't then expect it from the people around us. So if you are someone like I, have definitely experienced some challenges with feeling judged, anticipating judging people, and I can truly resonate with this that when you decide that hang hang on, I'm not going to judge myself, I'm going to determine my own self-worth. It's incredibly freeing and that brings me into the next learning that she shared about self-worth. And when you can define that for yourself, it actually helps define the quality of the relationships and who you permit into your life and who you allow to spend energy with you. And I always judge my interactions with people of how do I feel when I've, after I've met with them. So I'm on a high now after speaking with Jenny, and that to me is a sign that that's someone that is worthy of being in my life and energizing me, and I hope that you can do that the same to those in your life as well.
Jolynne Rydz:And then the final one I wanted to touch on was the blue cheese principle. So not everyone will like you, but the right people will love you. So I hope you're being your own version of blue cheese and I hope you've enjoyed that episode. If you've liked it, please subscribe and share it with friends. That's how we get more of this goodness out into the world. And remember you were born for a reason. It's time to thrive. See you next time.