Tina Jennen was on the cover of our Health & Wellbeing edition in 2018. Here’s that article, in case you missed it. A year later we catch up with Tina, who’d survived a horrible head-on car crash, to find out what she’s been up to lately.
Last time we met you had just joined the New Zealand Mānuka Group as CFO. Are you still there?
The CFO role with New Zealand Mānuka was another change role like I have done in the past, so I negotiated with the founder to exit at six months. How fortunate that my ‘rehab role’ allowed me to be part of such an exciting and demanding industry!
Fast forward a year and I am now on six boards, which are all linked to human sustainability. Earlier this year, I concluded, through my research, that cultural identity and wellbeing create the foundation for an impact economy.
I’m also still dabbling in technology and horticulture – more on this as my new projects emerge!
On the healing side, how’s that going?
I am definitely still a ‘work in progress’ – and have been so for years, long before being hit head-on! I’ve been told ankle replacement is the next step, once the technology has improved. In the meantime, I continue to set new challenges – my current milestone is learning to do cartwheels again … I used to love doing cartwheels. Down the road, I hope to run and jump again too.
You mentioned in the focus magazine article that you’re looking forward to the opportunity of self-discovery and that you’re listening to your intuition.
In the first week of October, this year, I to Japan for a retreat called Side Projects where I was surrounded by 16 inspirational people from different parts of the world. It was great to have the space to reflect on the projects that matter the most to me and to have enough quiet time to be able to listen within.
I also got to experience the people and landscapes by taking the trains from Tokyo to Yoshino. This was an opportunity for me to step into the unknown since I don’t speak the language, didn’t really know where I was going and wasn’t actually sure if I would be able to get around okay with the mix of heavy luggage and such damaged ankles. It all worked out and I surprised myself numerous times with how much I’ve physically progressed this year.
We’ve heard you were in this year’s Tarnished Frocks and Divas?
I performed as a model and even wore heels!! (These days I really only wear Allbirds.) This was my most important, heart-based rehab. Despite my extreme optimism back in 2017, I did not think I would ever reach this milestone. I am deeply grateful for the talented TF&D team who make this incredible experience possible for women over 40 in the BOP!
What business books would you recommend to women?
It really depends on the woman, there’s plenty of good content out there and I am a big believer in contextual and situational learning. None of the books I am reading now are business books, yet they are making me much better at business in the ways I need right now. To quote Bruce Lee:
“Research your own experience. Absorb what is useful, reject what is useless, add what is essentially your own.”
What books are you reading now?
- Bringing Culture Into Care by Bradford Haami
- Becoming Supernatural by Dr. Joe Dispenza
- What it Takes to Thrive by John Henden
- The Raw Truth by Natalie Pearce