moved 5,000 Miles Away to Japan

Since childhood, Jeanne had dreamed of becoming a teacher. At the age of 22, Jeanne quit her job at an insurance company in San Francisco to move to Japan. An opportunity to become an English teacher enticed her to leave the comfort of her home and family.

From the moment she arrived in Tokyo to the moment she boarded a plane back to San Francisco, Jeanne was in awe of the Japanese people and culture. Japan was significantly different from the American way of life she had known since birth. San Francisco had opened her eyes to urban life and its abundant diversity, but Tokyo was unlike anywhere Jeanne had ever been or imagined. Jeanne did not experience culture shock, as so many other Americans do. Instead, Jeanne experienced what she now refers to as culture awe—a feeling of reverence sprinkled with wonder and delight.

climbed the Ladder and then Jumped Off

Jeanne came back to San Francisco just before her 23rd birthday and returned to the insurance industry.  She spent her career helping public and private employers and executives optimize their organizations. During that time, Jeanne became an unofficial student of corporate culture, noticing the different ways people behaved at work (e.g., the impact their words and actions had on others, the types of behaviors that were well received and those that were not, etc.)  

Jeanne’s aversion to workplace cliques and gossip often left her feeling like an outsider—an uncomfortable situation that she made bearable by honing her skills as an observer.  After a successful career spent leading, learning, and observing in the employee benefits industry, Jeanne decided to finally pursue her passion to teach by returning to school to pursue an M.A. and Ph.D.

joined academia to become a teacher

Jeanne spent the next 15 years of her life in the academy as a student, researcher, teacher, and coach before coming full circle and returning to the employee benefits industry. While at University of Denver, Jeanne conducted several ethnographic research studies, taught qualitative research methods to graduate students, and coached doctoral students on their dissertations.  Jeanne has been recognized for her skills as an ethnographer by California State University, the Western States Communication Association, and University of Denver.  Jeanne created and facilitated a variety of workshops, including How to Become a Fearless Communicator©. Sharing her passion for researching cultures is one of Jeanne’s greatest joys in life.

founded F&W Consulting to help executives and their organizations

Fish and Water Consulting came about as the answer to a question Jeanne had been pondering long before she entered academia:

“How can I merge my unique talent for observational research, my knowledge of organizations, and my passion for understanding cultures in order to help executives and their employees create healthier, more intentional and productive places to work?”