Jane Marie Chen: Why A Million Lives Saved Can't Fix What Is Broken Inside

 
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Aconic host Soon Yu sits down with Jane Marie Chen, entrepreneur, bestselling author of Like a Wave We Break, leadership coach, and co-founder of Embrace Innovations. Embrace created a life-saving infant warming blanket that has helped save over one million babies worldwide.

Despite extraordinary success, Jane shares the truth few leaders talk about: even after saving a million babies, she still felt like a failure.

In this powerful conversation, Jane opens up about resilience, leadership, mental health, and the hidden emotional toll of high achievement. She explores how cultural expectations, generational trauma, and self-criticism shaped her leadership—and why outward success alone cannot heal what’s broken inside.

Soon and Jane dive into:

  • The difference between grit, endurance, and true resilience

  • Why psychological safety in teams starts with inner psychological safety

  • The pressure many Asian and AAPI leaders face around achievement and identity

  • How Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy helped Jane heal

  • Why self-respect must come before filial respect

  • Letting go of beta blockers and fear around public speaking

This episode offers a deeply human perspective on resilience, authentic leadership, psychological safety, and self-acceptance. If you’re a founder, leader, creator, or anyone navigating personal growth, this conversation will change how you think about success.

 
Aconic Podcastmental health for leaders, performance anxiety, self acceptance, emotional healing, inner work, psychological safety, Internal Family Systems, IFS therapy, overcoming self criticism, Asian leadership, AAPI leaders, Asian American entrepreneur, cultural identity, immigrant family pressure, Asian mental health