Living the Dream My Way: The First Edition of Jane’s Journal
Reflections from rural France on business, life, and creating a path that feels like your own.
This is something I have wanted to create for a long time. A place to share honest reflections, lessons from business and life, and the small moments that often teach us the most.
I write this from my little corner of rural France, where the chickens wander outside the window, the coffee is decaf (otherwise I would never sleep), and my days are spent helping women build businesses that fit around the life they want to live.
Jane’s Journal is not about perfection.
It is about creating a business and a life that feels right for you.
Each week, I will share thoughts, stories, lessons, and behind-the-scenes moments from my world. If something here encourages you to take a small step towards your own version of success, then it has done its job.
Your Energy Is a Resource
This week’s Monday reminder was simple:
Your energy is a resource. Spend it wisely today.
It helped me start the week at a slower pace.
Monday mornings often begin with a Qi Gong class run by my incredible mum (she is 76 this year 2026) in our local village hall. Yes, my mum is a martial arts teacher here in France!
Qi Gong has become one of my favourite ways to slow down, reconnect, and begin the week feeling grounded. Sometimes the most productive thing we can do is create a little space before rushing into action.
You can read more about Qi Gong HERE
Is Your Contact Page Working Hard Enough?
This week’s website tip focused on one of the most overlooked pages on a website: the contact page.
It sounds obvious, but your contact page should be:
- Easy to find
- Friendly and welcoming
- Simple to use
- Fully tested and working
You would be surprised how many business owners spend hours perfecting their homepage while forgetting to check whether visitors can actually get in touch.
Sometimes the simplest fixes make the biggest difference.
Speak Like a Human
One thing I often notice when reviewing websites is how quickly people slip into corporate language.
This week I shared this example:
Instead of:
“We provide bespoke tailored solutions.”
Try:
“Tell me what you need and we will figure it out together.”
One sounds like a brochure.
The other sounds like a real person.
People connect with people, not jargon.
Add One Simple Belief
This week’s challenge was to add a simple “I believe…” statement to your About page.
For example:
I believe rest is productive.
One sentence can reveal more about who you are than several paragraphs of polished business copy.
The best websites do not just explain what you do. They help people understand who you are and what matters to you.
When Clear Beats Clever
This week, I found myself rewriting a sentence on my website over and over again.
I was trying to make it sound impressive.
The problem was that it no longer sounded like me.
Eventually, I deleted it and replaced it with:
“I help women in business create content that feels like them.”
And suddenly everything felt easier.
It reminded me how often we try to sound like what we think we should be instead of simply saying what we mean.
The truth is that clarity almost always wins.
You do not need bigger words.
You do not need a more complicated message.
You just need to sound like yourself.
A Little Story from Barcelona
Before I finish, here is a little memory from our recent trip to Barcelona.
We stopped to take a photo overlooking the beach when a friendly gentleman appeared and kindly offered to take the picture for us.
By the time Colin realised there might be a small charge involved, it was too late!
As we accepted our photos and complimentary pieces of fresh coconut, our new friend made sure his pocket full of change jingled very loudly. The grand total? Two euros.
Worth every penny for the story.
It was our final day before heading to the airport. With tired feet protesting after several days of exploring, we hired bikes and spent our last hour soaking up the sunshine and views.
Little did we know that just an hour later the major power outage would leave much of Spain, Portugal and parts of France without electricity.
A memorable ending to a wonderful trip.
Until Next Time…
If you have made it this far, thank you for reading.
I hope something in this journal resonated with you.
Life and business do not have to look like anyone else’s version of success. The goal is not to build the biggest life. It is to build the right one.
Thank you for being here.
Jane x
Join Jane’s Journal
Every week I share reflections, stories, lessons from business and life in rural France, and gentle reminders to create a business and life that fits.
If you would like future editions delivered straight to your inbox, you can join Jane’s Journal HERE.
