We had the good fortune of connecting with Jane Gee and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jane, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Starting janegee was truly about survival. In my early 50’s I found myself in a very challenging position in my personal life. I found myself in a foreign country with one option, survival for my daughter and myself. In the 1980’s I ran a very successful skincare business in Australia, so when it came to deciding what I was going to do to support my family, starting a skincare business here in the United States was what I knew I needed to do.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I grew up in Australia in the 1950s and 1960s. This was a time when people had time. My father was a great influence on me with his love of nature. He taught me a lot about gardening and plants and introduced me to the notion that there’s more to life than we see. He nurtured my love of herbs and healing. The Australian way of life, the attitude that you just get up and get moving, you get on with things, has influenced me greatly as I have moved through my business here in the US. Culturally, I bring things to the table that are very different, and they have stood me in good stead. I have an innate belief that this well spring of wisdom that we all carry inside ourselves will lead us wherever we want to go once we tap into it. When you get to any stage of your life and look back, you can see that every decision you’ve ever made has led you to where you are today. I don’t regret any decision I’ve made because I believe we are all exactly where we are meant to be. The cultural diversity I bring certainly makes our business more exciting and the decision making more creative.

Starting janegee was truly about survival. In my early 50’s I found myself in a very challenging position in my personal life. I found myself in a foreign country with one option, survival for my daughter and myself. In the 1980’s I ran a very successful skincare business in Australia, so when it came to deciding what I was going to do to support my family, starting a skincare business here in the United States was what I knew I needed to do.

Creativity is in my blood. When you are a natural-born creative person you are creating at all times. You can’t not create. If I wasn’t building a business, creating products and formulas, I’d be painting, sculpting, writing, building a garden, etc.

When I work in my garden, I say I am creating art because I am working with color, texture, and form and to me, life is all about all of those things. It’s like air. If I am not creating or building, I am not living.

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.
I am fortunate to live in a vibrant seacoast community located in Portsmouth, NH. There’s no shortage of art, food, and unique boutiques. Located 45 minutes from Boston, Portland Maine, and the beautiful white mountains we are in the perfect location for summer adventure.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to dedicate this shoutout to the book The Subversive Stitch: Embroidery and the Making of the Feminine

By: Parker Rozsika

The most profound book I have ever read because it talks about the ideology of femininity.
Every woman should read this book because it makes you understand who and how the idea of being feminine was formed. It is an absolute awakening to the othering of women and women’s bodies. The role women have played throughout history and how men have always taken over what women do when it has become valuable.

Website: www.janegee.com

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janegeellc

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/janegee-portsmouth

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_nnU3WyAX9IIyb8-4vPoYA

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.