Testimonial: Catherine O'Connell, host of Lawyer on Air

Working with Jayne has been one of the best professional investments I have ever made.

Ironically, it all began when I was the guest. In 2018, Jayne interviewed me for her podcast, and I remember being captivated by the way she engaged with people. She had this remarkable ability to listen deeply, ask thoughtful questions and create conversations that felt genuine rather than rehearsed. I remember thinking, I want to do what she's doing I even declared during that recording that one day I wanted to launch my own podcast. Then... nothing happened.

Like so many people, I convinced myself I needed better equipment, more experience, a perfect concept and the confidence to know exactly what I was doing before I could begin. Thankfully, Jayne didn't let me stay there.

When we finally sat down for our first strategy session, I knew exactly what I didn't want. I didn't want a podcast where lawyers talked to lawyers about dry legal topics. Beyond that, I couldn't quite articulate what Lawyer on Air was meant to become.

Jayne listened. She asked the right questions. She gently challenged my thinking. And somehow she helped me discover what had been sitting there all along. That is one of Jayne's rare gifts. She sees the idea before you can fully describe it yourself. She often jokes that she's a podcast producer, but in reality she's so much more than that. She is part strategist, part editor, part creative partner and, at times, even a part psychologist. She knows when to encourage, when to challenge and when to simply listen until the right words emerge.

With Jayne’s work, we have now released over 100 episodes of Lawyer on Air, sharing remarkable career journeys from lawyers connected with Japan around the world. What began as a podcast has become a library of professional stories that will continue to inspire long after each conversation has been recorded. We also went on to co-host another wonderful podcast together Jandals in Japan, which has been tremendous fun to co-create.

One of the things I have come to appreciate most is that Jayne does so much more than produce podcasts. She helps create what i call “professional portraits in audio.” She has an extraordinary ability to bring out the authentic voice of every guest while also helping me become a better interviewer, listener and storyteller.

Along the way, Lawyer on Air became a finalist in the Best Business Podcast category at the Quill Podcast Awards and won the Bronze Award for Best Podcast by a Kiwi Abroad, in the New Zealand Podcast Awards.  While that recognition was wonderful, it isn't what matters most to me. What matters is that an idea I carried around for years became something real. What matters is the dozens of messages we have received from listeners whose careers have been changed by hearing someone else's story. And what matters is that I know none of it would have happened without Jayne.

Six years later after launching that first Lawyer on Air episode, Jayne isn’t simply a podcast producer to me. She has become my creative partner, editor, strategist, sounding board and someone who helps me articulate ideas that are still only half-formed, sorting the wheat from the chaff. That's a much rarer skill.

If you are considering working with Jayne, I encourage you to think of it beyond hiring someone to edit audio or manage a podcast. That is undervaluing your investment in Jayne, because you are investing in someone who can help bring your ideas to life, often before you can fully see them yourself. For that, and for every conversation we have shared over the years, thank you, Jayne. It has been one of the most enjoyable, creative and rewarding professional partnerships I have had and long may it continue.