I’m Jen Carole. Nice to meet you.

I’m a retired strategic marketer who spent most of my life in Silicon Valley. My dad was a lawyer and a politician, and my mom was one of those amazing, hold-all-the-shit-together-when-your-husband-leaves-you-for-a-younger-woman kind of moms. Divorced in 1972, she did all the ground-breaking things: established personal credit, went back to school to get a degree, bought her first house, got a job with the State of California, and made sure we three kids didn’t go straight to hell after our dad and stepmom were murdered.

In big part, my childhood was “volunteering” at political campaigns (and all Rotary family functions) and arguing with my lawyer father. I put volunteering in quotes because we were kids, and I had no choice! My young adulthood was spent learning, and I fell hard for technology and how it could help us communicate. I believe we all can teach each other, and I love sharing the connections I find among things – ask my poor daughter, who never got to watch one show all the way through with me; I paused it every few minutes to explain the larger context, the other argument, or how something worked in the real (not televised) world.

I create content because it soothes me. Sharing information that helps others live better lives seems like a meaningful endeavor.

I am a communicator.

I’ve worked in Silicon Valley for years. I’m a marketing exec who loves strategic marketing and content. Tell me your objectives and business model, and I can develop a plan. I’m good at shortening the sales cycle, building a brand, and making complex ideas accessible. My master’s degree is in strategic marketing, and you’ve never met a marketer who works with sales as effectively as I do.

I am a true crime survivor.

My father and stepmother were murdered in 1980 in Ventura, California. It took 20 years to find out a serial killer murdered them. It took 20 more to find and convict him. You may know him as the Golden State Killer. In my podcast, The Lawyer’s Daughter, I share my experience inside the case (and courtroom). I am still recovering from the impact his arrest and trial had on my life.

I am a Renaissance Woman.

During the pandemic, I trained as a life coach, specializing in trauma survivors and leaders. If this sounds like a strange combination, you might be surprised to learn the skills required for both are amazingly similar. Both require self-awareness, understanding how to relate to those around you, and a commitment to finding life satisfaction based on your available tools.

I use an assessment called the ELI—Energy Leadership Index—developed by IPEC, and it is truly amazing. You complete the assessment, and then I explain what it reveals about your patterns and problem-solving approaches, including a life satisfaction rating. Every time I do this, my clients are fascinated to learn that coping mechanisms they’ve used over a lifetime are often responsible for holding them back in ways they didn’t expect.

I’ve also run a preschool, worked at the drive-through at Arthur Treachers, dealt with infertility, and decided to be a Single Mother By Choice. I used a sperm donor who eventually found us! He’s exceeded all expectations.

I am a hooker (I crochet)!

It’s my yarn-based Xanax that has kept me calm and busy my whole life. I learned how, at age 9, I was a companion for Gramma Watson, our next-door neighbor. I treasure those memories. My crochet madness accelerated during the pandemic, and my creations are myriad. It’s fun, messy, tactile, and addictive. I can be coaxed into doing a piece on commission. All my crochet earnings go to a scholarship fund I’ve created (it’s not yet a nonprofit). Yes. I have a yarn problem.

Here’s how to contact me.