Riding a Career of Uncomfortable Emotions with Jenny Woo

Lifetime at Work: Interviews with Founders, Investors and Advisors

Episode 66. In this episode of the Lifetime at Work podcast, host Greg Martin interviews Jenny Wu, founder and CEO of Mind Brain Emotion, a company that produces emotional intelligence card games for both adults and children. Jenny, an expert in emotional intelligence with degrees from Harvard and UC Berkeley, and teaching experience at UC Irvine, shares insights from her varied career and personal life. The conversation spans topics such as the significance of emotional intelligence, balancing parenting and career, the role of university education today, and Jenny's journey from industry to academia. Additionally, they discuss the impact of parental expectations, the challenges women face in balancing motherhood and their careers, and tools for developing better emotional intelligence at any age.

• 00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Guest
• 00:59 Jenny Wu's Background and Career Journey
• 02:08 Mind Brain Emotion: The Human Skills Game
• 04:19 Inspiration Behind the Game
• 06:07 Early Career and Transition to Human Capital
• 16:01 Balancing Career and Parenthood
• 21:02 Understanding Emotional Intelligence
• 24:06 Learning Emotional Intelligence as an Adult
• 25:35 Recognizing and Addressing Blind Spots
• 26:10 Practical Examples of Emotional Intelligence
• 28:47 The Importance of Feeling Heard and Valued
• 31:32 Navigating Academic and Professional Growth
• 34:47 Launching a Business Through University Support
• 36:10 Improving Higher Education
• 39:47 Balancing Support and Independence in Parenting
• 41:54 The Role of Discomfort in Personal Growth
• 45:12 Final Thoughts and Resources