Written by: Denise Restauri

This is Mentoring Moment #12 — a series of  ”you need to know” stories (each told in under two minutes) from successful women of multiple generations. Stories for you to collect and share. 

“I don’t know where I’m going from here but I promise it won’t be boring” – David Bowie. This became my personal mantra.” That’s a recent tweet from Jane Wurwand, Founder and Chief Visionary of Dermalogica and FITE, Dermalogica’s global philanthropic initiative that supports female entrepreneurs.

Jane’s definitely not boring. She’s a risk-taker who tells it like it is and gets stuff done. The U.K. native arrived in Los Angeles in 1983 with an entrepreneurial dream and a suitcase. That’s when she discovered a gap in the marketplace — a skincare line that’s free of harsh irritants and fragrances. Three years later she launched Dermalogica, and today her products are in over 80 countries. Jane’s confidence, drive and energy are contagious and she’s on a mission to empower girls and women. This is Jane’s Mentoring Moment, in her words:

My practical English mum was my greatest mentor. She empowered me and my three sisters by her example. At a very young age, she told us that it was important that we learn how to “DO” something . Little did I know then the impact her words would have on my life.

My sisters and I were born and raised in the U.K. When I was two years old, my life and the lives of my mum and sisters changed drastically when my dad suddenly passed away, leaving my mum aged 38 with the responsibility to care for herself and four young daughters. Fortunately, my mum was a trained nurse, and she was able to call upon that portable skill-set to reinvent her life and provide for us. My mum taught herself how to drive an automobile, so she would not have to limit her work venues based on the bus route. She was just so pragmatic, yet very positive. Her accompanying advice when one of us girls was feeling a bit sorry for ourselves was, “Stop whining and eat your sausage” – meaning, “don’t complain, just get on and deal with it.” Her incredible strength and sense of pragmatism were the qualities I admired most in her.

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