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Sharing our stories connects us as human beings. 

After a successful career in sales and marketing at Kaiser Permanente, I felt the call to adventure. So I resigned from the corporate life and bought a one way ticket to Bali, Indonesia. What started out as a three month trip turned into a three year sabbatical in South East Asia, with my camera, a journal and a blog. I used Bali as a home base while I traveled and started my freelance writing career. There, I remembered the joy of taking risks, emerging myself in different cultures and telling stories about real people and experiences.

That’s when I experienced the power of collaboration and empathy.

In the Balinese culture community and spirituality are more important than money. Each village has a variety of β€œBanjars”. It’s a group of families who join together to form a small neighborhood and is the center of Balinese social life. Every family in a Banjar contributes their time and money to all the community festivals, life cycle events and major holidays. No matter what someone’s profession is, preparing for festivals is a collaborative and creative undertaking where everyone works together. The artistry and attention to detail that goes into Balinese festivals and ceremonies makes them extraordinary and memorable. 

When a marriage, death, or birth happens, everyone in the Banjar experiences it together. During these events I began to feel the fabric of a tightly woven community with rituals and customs that I deeply respected and learned from. The empathy I developed came from hearing personal stories and cultural myths about the people and the community I became a part of. 

When we integrate those qualities of empathy and collaboration into business, we bring the humanity back into it.

I love telling stores that immerse people in the lifestyle you want them to experience. I believe that good writing can help people make better decisions. It can take them on a journey that both introduces and connects them to you and your business. 

More importantly, it helps you serve your customers in ways that are meaningful to them.

Contact me at JB@JenBaxter.com and let's work together to tell the story of your business.