The Hidden Cost of Impact: Jane Marie Chen's Journey from Saving a Million Babies to Saving Herself

In this deeply vulnerable conversation, Jane Chen, co-founder of Embrace Global and author of Like a Wave We Break, shares her transformative journey from celebrated social entrepreneur to burned-out founder, and ultimately to healed leader. After 10 years building Embrace, a revolutionary infant incubator that has saved nearly 1 million babies, Jane faced the collapse of an acquisition deal and had to shut down her company. What followed was a profound healing journey across Indonesia and beyond, working with trauma experts like Bessel van der Kolk, exploring psychedelic therapy, and ultimately discovering that the answers she sought externally could only come from within. What You'll Learn: Wounded vs. Healthy Ambition: How childhood trauma can fuel achievement while leading to burnout The Truth About Startup Success: Why external validation never fills the internal void Healing Modalities That Work: From somatic therapy to psychedelics to parts work (IFS) Leadership and Inner Work: Creating psychological safety starts with doing your own healing Redefining Resilience: Why softness and self-compassion are more powerful than pushing through Key Topics Covered: Entrepreneurial burnout and trauma responses The role of childhood experiences in driving achievement Social entrepreneurship challenges and funding gaps Healing from imposter syndrome and self-doubt The science of trauma and nervous system regulation Finding identity beyond work and accomplishments Sustainable leadership practices The power of vulnerability in leadership Perfect for: Entrepreneurs, founders, social impact leaders, high achievers struggling with burnout, anyone on a healing journey, and those interested in conscious leadership and personal development. Resources Mentioned: The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy Jane Chen is a globally recognized entrepreneur, inventor, and speaker. She is the co-founder of Embrace Global, which developed a groundbreaking infant incubator that has helped to save nearly a million babies. She has been a TED Fellow, an Echoing Green Fellow, and a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum. Jane was recognized asaForbes Impact 30 andSchwab Social Entrepreneur of the Year by the World Economic Forum and was a recipient of the Economist Innovation Award. She received her MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business and her Master’s in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School of Government. You can follow her at @janemarie.chen  and buy Like A Wave We Break at any bookstore You can follow this podcast @toomuchwithdlh and Denise @deniselovehewett Email [email protected] for any suggestions or submit questions for  advice.