Invisible at Work? Here’s How Jane Turned That Into Power
3 Airbnbs, 4 Businesses and 16 Renos
Most people fear major life disruptions, such as job loss, health crises, divorce, or the dreaded “over 50” label that seems to render women invisible in the workplace. Diamond Wonder Woman Renovator Jane Lynch has faced all of these challenges and more.
Her response? She turned each setback into a strategic reinvention that built greater success than before.
Today, as she prepares to launch her fourth business at over 60, Jane’s story offers a masterclass in resilience, strategic thinking, and the power of refusing to be defined by circumstances.
Jane’s journey began like many professional women’s, a solid corporate career in business and marketing, teaching at universities, building expertise and climbing the ladder.
Then, in her early 40s, doctors delivered devastating news: she had an autoimmune disease attacking her liver. Without intervention, she would need a liver transplant within 10 years.
The wake-up call became even more poignant through her young daughter’s daily ritual. “Each morning, my daughter would come in before school, she was only in grade one at the time, and say to me, ‘Mommy, please don’t die while I’m at school today,'” Jane recalls.
That moment crystallised a fundamental truth: she had the power to change her life and reinvent herself with a health-first focus.
“I think that was the first time that I realised just how much power we as individuals have to be able to change our lives and reinvent ourselves in any way that we choose,” she reflects.
When Life Forces the First Pivot
Jane’s response was methodical and determined.
She researched solutions, discovered Dr. Sandra Cabot’s liver cleansing diet, and committed to following its principles.
The result?
She successfully halted the disease’s progression and expects to “die of old age rather than a liver-related illness.”
The Single Mother’s Financial Strategy
While recovering her health, Jane faced another life-altering challenge: her marriage was broken.
Suddenly, she found herself a single mother who needed to generate a significant income while raising her children.
Her solution was to enter real estate, a decision that would prove foundational to everything that followed.
Real estate taught her about people, negotiation, and most importantly, property as a wealth-building tool.
“I could see all this opportunity, but I didn’t really know how I was going to make that happen for me,” Jane explains. Her approach was to involve her teenage children in the financial strategy.
She sat them down and explained the benefits: as she got older, she would have security, and when they needed help with university, money would be available.
But it required sacrifices from everyone.
The family decided to give up takeaway food, treats after school, and buying books They would use the library instead. This wasn’t about deprivation; it was about conscious choices aligned with long-term goals.
“My kids now talk about that as a great learning experience.
They are great savers.
They’re both interested in properties.
My daughter renovates homes and loves it,” Jane notes.
“Sometimes when we’re in the midst of it, we just need to step back and say, what’s this going to look like when they’re 20 or 25, and what’s my life going to look like when I’m 50, 60, 70?”
The Crisis That Sparked Innovation
Jane returned to corporate life in senior management at a manufacturing business..full-on work with direct reports and extensive travel.
Then, at 53, life dealt another blow: she suffered a minor stroke.
As a single parent, this was terrifying.
The stroke affected her speech so severely that she could only communicate in one-syllable words.
Most people would panic. Jane saw an opportunity.
“I lost the ability to speak, but I couldn’t find words any greater than a one-syllable word,
so I was very limited in my communication, and I just had to pivot,” she explains.
This was 2009, when social media was in its infancy, Facebook had fewer than 200,000 users in Australia. While undergoing speech therapy, Jane taught herself as much as she could about this emerging field.
“I couldn’t talk, but I could type and I could think,” she says. Within six months, she had built a social media and marketing business from her computer.
The business grew to employ staff and, after four years, was successful enough that one of her employees bought it from her.
The Parallel Wealth-Building Strategy
Throughout all these career transitions, Jane maintained one consistent strategy: property renovation.
She understood that while jobs and businesses might change, property could provide ongoing wealth creation and security.
To date, Jane has completed 16 property renovations.
When one of her Melbourne properties sold for what she describes as “a ridiculously record sum,” the real estate agent asked if she would help other sellers prepare their properties.
This request sparked her next business venture: property styling.
She operated this business successfully for six years before selling it in 2021, when her husband’s health issues required her attention.
“If I’d had the learning and knowledge that I now have, oh my God, I would have made so much more money,” Jane admits, referencing the education she’s gained through property investment communities.
Building the Airbnb Empire
Today, Jane operates three Airbnb properties, with careful attention to creating exceptional guest experiences.
Her approach is comprehensive: properties are set up like fully functional homes rather than basic rentals.
“I set the kitchen up as if it were my own kitchen. There are slow cookers, there’s everything there, so people feel it’s very much like a home away from home,” she explains.
This attention to detail generates repeat bookings and strong returns, even during periods when many hosts struggle with market conditions.
She’s also strategic about fee transparency, sharing Airbnb’s cost breakdown with guests so they understand the true economics.
Her next step is to develop an independent website, reducing her dependence on platform fees, a lesson reinforced during COVID-19 when hosts with direct booking capabilities fared better than those relying solely on third-party platforms.
The Fourth Chapter: Empowering Other Women
Jane’s latest venture addresses a gap she’s observed through her coaching work: women over 50 who feel invisible and undervalued in traditional workplace structures.
“I’ve worked with a lot of women in their 50s and beyond, and I see them feeling invisible, not valued in the workplace, or they don’t quite know what their next chapter is,” she explains.
Her “Not Plain Jane” business offers a structured approach to reinvention: discovery (finding strengths and values), design (researching and validating business ideas), creation (building the business), and delivery (marketing and growth).
The program is highly personalized, including assessment tools, group coaching, and one-on-one consultations over five to six months. Results speak for themselves: clients who thought they could never start a business are creating everything from sewing courses to specialized HR consulting.
“Sometimes their kids are saying to them, ‘Wow, Mum, I never thought you’d do that.’ They’re so proud of their mum,” Jane shares.
The Philosophy Behind the Success
Jane’s approach to life’s challenges is rooted in a fundamental reframe. Instead of viewing difficulties as setbacks, she calls them “defining moments.”
“They’re the times that I could either have given up, or I could look at it and say: How can I grow? What can I learn? What can I do differently?”
This mindset extends to her relationships and life philosophy. Her greatest fear isn’t business failure or financial loss, it’s being a burden to her children.
“I don’t want to be a burden due to my health, so I take care of that. I don’t want to be a burden financially, so I have to take responsibility for that. I keep myself active and keep a circle of friends because I don’t want to be a burden and lonely.”
The Power of Strategic Networking
One key to Jane’s repeated success has been her ability to leverage relationships and identify potential in others.
“I don’t have to be the brightest person in the room. I don’t want to know everything, but I want to put really good people around me,” she explains. “I’ve been able to leverage my networks every time I’ve started something new.”
This approach allowed her to build businesses even when facing personal limitations, like her speech difficulties after the stroke. Good relationships created opportunities for referrals and support when she needed them most.
Lessons for Women at Every Stage
Jane’s story offers several powerful insights for women considering their own reinvention:
Age is an Asset, Not a Limitation: Jane’s Most Successful Business Ventures Have Come After 50. Experience, wisdom, and networks become more valuable with time when applied strategically.
Health Crises Can Spark Innovation: Rather than accepting the doctors’ timeline, Jane researched alternatives and took control of her health journey. Similarly, her stroke led to her most innovative business pivot.
Financial Education is Essential: Jane’s early real estate education provided the foundation for all her subsequent property success.
Understanding how money works is crucial for building long-term security.
Involve Your Family in Financial Decisions: Jane’s children learned valuable lessons about money, sacrifice, and long-term thinking. Today, they’re both financially savvy and interested in property investment.
Diversification Provides Security: Jane never relied on a single income stream. Property provided stability while her businesses provided growth and flexibility.
Professional Guidance Matters: Jane credits much of her later property success to education and mentorship. Learning from others’ experiences accelerates progress and reduces costly mistakes.
The Ripple Effect of Reinvention
Jane’s influence extends beyond her own success. Her children have internalised lessons about resilience, financial responsibility, and the power of strategic thinking. Her coaching clients are building businesses they never thought possible. Her story demonstrates that personal transformation can lead to positive change in multiple areas.
Her mother’s example also illustrates family patterns of strength: at 86, Jane’s mother drove around Australia in a camper van with another elderly friend. “I’ve got lots to live up to,” Jane jokes.
Looking Forward
As Jane prepares for her next property flip and grows her coaching business, she remains focused on the future rather than past limitations. The Victorian property market is showing signs of recovery, creating new opportunities for strategic investors.
Her approach to business development reflects her broader life philosophy: testing assumptions, leveraging strengths, supporting others’ success, and never accepting that limitations are permanent.
The Bigger Picture
Jane Lynch’s story challenges fundamental assumptions about aging, career transitions, and the nature of success.
In a culture that often overlooks women over 50, she has built her most meaningful and profitable ventures in her 60s.
Her success isn’t accidental. It’s the result of strategic thinking, continuous learning, calculated risk-taking, and an unwavering belief that circumstances don’t define possibilities.
For women facing their own defining moments, whether health challenges, career transitions, empty nest syndrome, or simply the feeling of being invisible, Jane’s story offers both inspiration and practical guidance.
The question isn’t whether you can reinvent yourself. The question is what you’ll choose to become next.
As Jane puts it: “I don’t think age or situation needs to define us. I’m not going to be put in a box. I have to live it my way.”
Your Next Chapter Starts Now
If Jane’s story resonates with you, consider what defining moment you’re facing right now. What if it’s not an ending, but the beginning of your most successful chapter yet?
The tools, knowledge, and support systems Jane used are available to you. The only question is whether you’ll choose to see your challenges as limitations or as launching pads for something extraordinary.
Because as Jane Lynch proves, reinvention has no expiration date, and sometimes your best life begins when others think you should be winding down.
Jane Lynch’s “Not Plain Jane” business launches soon, focusing on helping women over 50 create their next chapter through strategic business development. Her story demonstrates that with the right mindset, support, and strategy, any woman can write a new chapter of success, regardless of age or circumstances.
