In this episode of Ikigai with Jennifer Shinkai, Jennifer sits down with her longtime friend and colleague Helen Iwata, a bilingual leadership and communications coach with over 35 years of experience in Japan. Helen opens up about the difficult seasons she has navigated in both her business and personal life, including a significant financial setback after working with a business coach that shook her confidence deeply. She shares her journey through bitterness, self-blame, and the slow, gradual process of finding her way back to joy. Helen and Jennifer explore the concept of "divine timing," the power of patience, and the importance of sitting with difficult emotions rather than bypassing them. They also discuss Helen's evolving professional identity, the philosophy of "less effort, more impact," the concept of mottainai as it applies to talent and energy, and the 10th anniversary of Helen's book Eigo no Shigoto Jutsu. The conversation is honest, warm, and deeply relatable for anyone navigating a season of transition.

In this episode of Ikigai with Jennifer Shinkai, Jennifer speaks with Lana Iwabuchi, founder of Rocklit and creator of the Daruma Vision Workshop, reflecting on mentorship, being called “sempai,” and the idea of paying it forward. Lana shares her background of growing up in Japan from the age of 10 and how she began building connections in the foreign coaching community. She tells the origin story of the workshop, inspired by a trip with friends, manifestation, the Japanese tradition of “yoshuku” (pre-celebration), and discovering modern daruma dolls used to set and achieve goals by painting in their eyes. Lana describes the workshop flow—vision activation through visualization, embodying and sharing goals in the present tense, and anchoring them by painting a daruma—plus her decision to persevere through early failed launches and later expand the workshop with collaborators Monica and sound therapist Nanako. She explains Rocklit’s purpose of bringing spirit back into leadership and encourages listeners to be inspired and inspire others. 

In this episode of Ikigai with Jennifer Shinkai, I welcome Hendrik, a friend and professional contact since 2019, to discuss talents and strengths. We reconnect after several years and reflect on how their collaboration during the COVID-19 pandemic was crucial for Jennifer's business survival. Hendrik shares his experience working at Manulife Japan, emphasizing the importance of cultural diversity and the positive energy at the Indonesian Pavilion Expo. We delve into Hendrik's journey to Japan, his struggles and learnings in a different culture, and his newfound passion for Gallup’s CliftonStrengths assessment. Hendrik highlights the importance of knowing one’s talents and leveraging them to live a fulfilled life, aligning this with the concept of Ikigai. We also discuss the potential pitfalls of overusing strengths and the paradigm shift required in corporate environments to focus on strengths rather than weaknesses. 

In this episode of Ikigai with Jennifer Shinkai, Jennifer engages in a deep conversation with Dr. Greg Story, discussing a variety of topics from his personal experiences and insights. They delve into Dr. Story's transformative journey from overcoming a challenging childhood and academic setbacks to achieving success in Japan. The conversation also touches on the significance of living an intentional life, the profound impact of near-death experiences, and the importance of adapting to technological advancements like AI. Dr. Story emphasizes generosity, discipline, and the value of helping others in personal and professional growth.

Season 4 is here!

In this episode of Ikigai with Jennifer Shinkai, Jennifer is joined by Joe Pournovin, a community builder and educator, to explore his incredible journey from Manchester to Japan and the creation of the Yamathon event. 

Joe shares his experiences with resilience, persistence, and imposter syndrome, and discusses the importance of passion in driving sustainable community impact. He highlights the challenges and triumphs of organizing the annual Yamathon walk in Tokyo, which has grown significantly over the years. 

The conversation underscores the power of volunteerism, the beauty of human connections, and the importance of finding one's own Ikigai.