We had the good fortune of connecting with Hayley Gene Penner and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Hayley Gene, what’s the most important lesson your business/career has taught you?
You don’t have to get famous before you can demand to be respected in work settings. I think for a long time I thought that I hadn’t yet earned the right to be clear about my boundaries or that I wasn’t successful enough to have people care about my story. That’s been a really important lesson.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Sometimes I think my career and life have been shaped by the wrong men breaking up with me at the right time and then of course my response to that pain. Heart break sets a fire in me like few other things do. All of my major city moves have been on the back of heartbreak, Winnipeg to Toronto, Toronto to London, London to LA.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oooooo. The crispy mushroom appetizer at Atrium on Vermont. Breakfast taco’s at Homestate. The abandoned zoo at Griffith. Hike at Mandeville canyon. My friend Marc’s crunchy saffron rice. Any number of roof top pools. Thai at Night & Market song in Silver lake. Everything at Pine & Crane and, sue me, Yogurt land. The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have so many people to thank, my manager, Maytav, my attorney, Lulu, my family and friends and even a few significant strangers who have helped me over the years. But I think I will dedicate my shoutout to Jessica Alvarez, my literary agent. I reached out to dozens and dozens of agents when I was looking for a home for my book and Jessica jumped on board and really helped me shape the book into what it is now. I am profoundly grateful for her belief in my story and in me as a writer.

Website: https://www.hayleygpenner.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hayleygenepenner/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/hayleygpenner?lang=en

Image Credits
Kendra Hope Penner Taylor James

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