Jane Marie Chen: Why A Million Lives Saved Can't Fix What Is Broken Inside

Aconic host Soon Yu sits down with Jane Marie Chen, entrepreneur, bestselling author of Like a Wave We Break, leadership coach, and co-founder of Embrace Innovations. Embrace created a life-saving infant warming blanket that has helped save over one million babies worldwide.
Despite extraordinary success, Jane shares the truth few leaders talk about: even after saving a million babies, she still felt like a failure.

In this powerful conversation, Jane opens up about resilience, leadership, mental health, and the hidden emotional toll of high achievement. She explores how cultural expectations, generational trauma, and self-criticism shaped her leadership- and why outward success alone cannot heal what's broken inside.

Soon and Jane dive into:
-The difference between grit, endurance, and true resilience
-Why psychological safety in teams starts with inner psychological safety
-The pressure many Asian and AAPI leaders face around achievement and identity
-How Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy helped Jane heal
-Why self-respect must come before filial respect
-Letting go of beta blockers and fear around public speaking

This episode offers a deeply human perspective on resilience, authentic leadership, psychological safety, and self-acceptance. If you're a founder, leader, creator, or anyone navigating personal growth, this conversation will change how you think about success.

00:00 – Welcome
04:30 – Immigration, Belonging & Early Childhood
08:00 – Achievement as a Path to Love
11:00 – Cultural Expectations & Family Pressure
15:00 – From Consulting to HIV/AIDS Work
23:00 – Imposter Syndrome at Stanford
28:00 – The Creation of Embrace
36:00 – Life in India & Relentless Work
44:00 – Embrace Shuts Down & Feeling Like a Failure
48:00 – Burnout, Breakdown & Identity Loss
50:30 – Leaving Everything & Beginning the Healing Journey