In this episode, I sit down with my client and good friend Jennifer Bates, whose story is one of resilience, reinvention, adventure and having the courage to start again when life doesn’t go to plan. Born in New Zealand, Jennifer moved to Australia as a young woman and began building a life for herself from an early age. After meeting her partner in Sydney, the two of them drove across the country to Perth in 1976 with very little to their name, even sleeping in their car near the beach while they searched for work and somewhere to live. From those humble beginnings, they went on to build successful businesses together, including a building company and later a fruit and vegetable business that supplied food to international airlines. Jennifer also raised two children while helping to run the businesses behind the scenes. But after 21 years together, everything changed. Following their separation, Jennifer discovered that assets had been moved and she had effectively been pushed out of the businesses she had helped build. Faced with losing almost everything, she made the decision to fight back. What followed was two years of stressful and expensive litigation while she worked part-time and tried to hold everything together for her family. Eventually, she won her case in court and was able to begin rebuilding her life on her own terms. And that was only the beginning of Jennifer’s next chapter. She bought the property she had been renting, later purchased a café in the centre of Perth, and decided to learn how to fly. That decision eventually led her to Romania, where she lived on and off for many years, travelled extensively and experienced a completely different way of life. From stories of having to take a suitcase of cash to the bank to buy a car, to travelling the world and embracing opportunities she never could have predicted, Jennifer’s life has certainly taken the scenic route. Throughout it all, writing has always been part of her life. Jennifer began writing poetry when she was younger and continued during her travels, capturing her experiences, observations, adventures and her ability to find humour even during difficult times. After conversations around the Start Over series, she finally decided to publish her work, resulting in her book She Took the Long Way Home, which contains more than 100 poems inspired by her extraordinary life. In this conversation, we talk about what it really means to start over, dealing with betrayal and loss, fighting for yourself, taking risks, embracing change and refusing to let your circumstances determine the rest of your story. Jennifer also shares the mindset that has carried her through so many different chapters of her life: finding a way forward, maintaining a sense of humour and remembering that you have a right to make decisions for yourself. Her message is simple but powerful: “In the end, it’s your life. Stick up for yourself. You are as important as anyone else. You can’t blame the other person all the time.” You can connect with Jennifer and follow her poetry at @JenniferWritesPoetry.
