This series is leaving me feeling incredibly blessed. The women we are interviewing, they get it, they get all of it. They know how to be powerful and soft at the same time and we are here for it!
Our next interview is with: Jeni-Anne Campbell (Creative Entrepreneur, Author and Speaker)
Interview
Can you tell us a little about who you are and what your journey as a woman has looked like so far?
I’m Jeni-Anne Campbell – a creative entrepreneur, author, speaker, mother, and the woman behind The Good Businesswoman movement. I’ve spent the past 15 years building an all-female agency, JAW Design, and more recently, writing a book called Feeding Unicorns, which is all about how to treat your team with the same care you’d give your family.
My journey as a woman? It’s been layered. Beautiful and chaotic. A mix of grit and grace. I grew up in a single-parent household, watching my mom mark schoolbooks at the kitchen table. That shaped me. It taught me to work hard, lead kindly, and build something that doesn’t just succeed – but means something.
When did you first feel a strong sense of your own womanhood? What is womanhood to you?
I think it crept in quietly. Not with a grand moment, but with the small ones – standing up for myself in a meeting, holding my daughter while answering emails, advocating for my team in tough conversations, crying in the car after pitching my heart out.
Womanhood, to me, is the full spectrum. Strength and softness. Tenacity and tenderness. It’s the permission to be powerful and vulnerable. It’s knowing that you can be the marshmallow and the chili sauce – at the same time.
What does being a woman mean to you today?
It means navigating the tightrope between expectation and intention. It means being underestimated – and choosing not to shrink. It means building businesses that feel like home, and homes that feel like sanctuaries. It means advocating for yourself without apologising. It means showing up, even when you’re tired, even when you’re scared, because you know your voice matters.
How has motherhood (or the idea of family) shaped your experience of being a woman?
Motherhood has been the greatest (and most chaotic) leadership training I’ve ever had. It’s taught me to slow down, to listen more closely, to lead with empathy and clarity. My daughter, Ayda, changed everything – not just how I show up at home, but how I show up at work.
She’s also shown me how kids see success: not as money or titles, but presence. When she told her class she wants to be a “stay-at-home mom like me,” I realised she sees me. Fully. Even when I’m juggling Zoom calls and ballet lifts.
What values or lessons do you hope to pass on to your children or the next generation?
Kindness is strength.
Boundaries are not selfish.
Rest is not a reward – it’s a right.
And your worth is not tied to your productivity.
I want Ayda to know that her softness is not a weakness, her voice deserves to be heard, and that leadership isn’t about being the loudest in the room – it’s about creating space for others to rise.
What inspired your current path (career, creativity, or something else)?
I was 21, hired into what I thought was a buzzing design department. . .only to discover I was the department. I learned fast, made mistakes, and fell in love with the madness of it all. Eventually, I started my own agency – not because I wanted to be a “boss,” but because I wanted to build something better. Something good.
Over the years, I’ve realised I’m most alive when I’m solving problems, telling stories, building teams, and challenging the outdated nonsense we’ve been fed about what leadership should look like. That’s why I started The Good Businesswoman.
Have you faced any challenges as a woman in your field or community? How did you overcome them?
Oh, how long do you have? From being shouted at by clients and never paid, to pitching concepts only to see them stolen, to being mistaken for the assistant in meetings with male colleagues.
I’ve learned to pick my battles – and fight them well. I’ve also learned that you can be fierce without being aggressive, clear without being cruel, and assertive without apology. And sometimes, the most powerful thing you can do is name the behaviour, calmly, and watch the discomfort land exactly where it belongs.
What’s one thing you’ve learned about yourself in the past year?
That I can be both wildly ambitious and deeply tired – and still do good work. That sometimes growth looks like slowing down. That joy isn’t a bonus – it’s the metric. And that showing up for myself is just as important as showing up for my team.
How do you care for yourself in a world that often demands so much from women?
I’m still learning. But what I do know is this: travel is a non-negotiable for me. I need input to be able to give output. Sharing my wins from my hard work helps me see the impact – and it brings me great joy.
My team work from home three days a week. They get a half day a month for life admin, ample leave, and of course, birthdays off. Wellbeing, for me, isn’t an afterthought – it’s operational strategy.
Who are the women (past or present) who’ve inspired or supported you?
My mom, without question. She taught me the value of showing up – even when it’s hard. And my daughter, who reminds me every day why doing this differently matters (and for pulling me out of my comfort zone to dance at every opportunity, wherever we are)
Also, the women I work with. Every day, I get to lead and learn alongside a group of fiercely kind, wickedly smart, and wildly creative women. They challenge me, support me, and make me braver.
What message would you share with other women reading this today?
You don’t have to harden to lead.
You don’t have to be louder to be heard.
You don’t have to carry it all alone.
There’s real power in leading with empathy. In building something that feels like you. And in showing up exactly as you are – because the world needs more real.
A favourite quote or mantra you live by?
“Softness is not weakness. It’s a different kind of strength.”
And also: “You don’t need to be the loudest in the room to make the biggest impact.”
In Summary
Yes! That is all I have to say in summary.
Jeni-Anne is the perfect example of the type of women I want to surround myself with – kind and resilient women who lead with empathy – and I relate to her journey so much.
Ritu Ghatourey, Indian Writer and Author, said the following:
“A strong woman is one who feels deeply and loves fiercely. Her tears flow as abundantly as her laughter. A strong woman is both soft and powerful, she is both practical and spiritual. A strong woman in her essence is a gift to the world.”
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