The word multihyphenate gets thrown around a lot these days but if we had to provide a true example to define the term, June Diane Raphael would be our pick. She clearly doesn’t pay attention to outdated rule books and definitely doesn’t believe in staying in your lane. Let’s take a look at some of her titles—actor (no doubt you recognize her from her roles on “Grace & Frankie,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” and “New Girl” and she has lent her voice to animated comedies “American Dad!” and “Big Mouth”), writer, comedian, and podcaster (she’s the co-host of How Did This Get Made pod), just to name a few.
And more recently Raphael added entrepreneur to that list as the co-founder of The Jane Club. The inclusive co-working space is geared toward mothers—it’s aptly (and cheekily) deemed the "the mother of all workspaces" on the club’s Instagram profile—and they’re on a mission to rewrite the rules between women and work. Beyond a (staggeringly beautiful) workspace, the club also offers full-time childcare and amenities like gym space, car washes, and wellness exams.
But as if that wasn’t enough, she also co-authored a book last year with Kate Black titled Represent: The Woman’s Guide to Running for Office & Changing the World to inspire women to run for office. Yes, Raphael really walks the talk.
Ahead, she explains how entertainment prepared her becoming an entrepreneur, her tried-and-true advice for women who haven’t found their passion yet, and why she firmly believes that failure is vastly underrated.
CREATE & CULTIVATE: You have been a successful actress, comedian, author, and now you’ve added founder to the list by creating The Jane Club, a community workspace for women that offers on-site childcare. Where did the inspiration for The Jane Club come from? What has the founder experience taught you? Was it harder or easier than you expected?
JUNE DIANE RAPHAEL: I had been incredibly frustrated with the conversation around "women having it all" and the focus on how one woman balances her work and home life. I found that the conversation was just that... words. I was craving infrastructure that actually supported that idea. Real spaces that were built with the fullness of women's lives in mind. That desire to acknowledge and honor all of the work women do (inside and outside their homes, paid and unpaid) inspired The Jane Club. I've learned so very much from founding The Jane Club. How to ask for what I need, from money to emotional support to introductions. I've become a lot better at simply making these asks. I've also learned how difficult it is for women to raise money. And also, how the starting line for me is set much further ahead (because of my race, access to education, networks of wealth, etc.) than it is for other people. It has been a much harder experience than I expected but also much more rewarding than I could have ever dreamed.
“Fail. Fail again. Fail harder! We can be so obsessed with ‘success,’ and, specifically for women, I think it’s very easy to fall into a pattern of ‘being good’ and ‘being right.’”
When you hit a bump or hurdle in your career, how do you #FindNewRoads + switch gears to find success?
I've had many major career disappointments and failures along the way. Still running into them every day! I'm not super intentional about switching gears and changing paths, I just try to follow whatever it is that I'm interested in and passionate about. I have found that following those instincts (although it doesn't always lead to success!) leads to me feeling joyful.
What is the biggest work challenge you’ve faced? What did you learn from it? What's a mistake you made and what did you learn from it? How did you turn it into an opportunity?
One of the biggest professional challenges I faced was when "Ass Backwards," the movie I was starring in and had co-written with Casey Wilson, shut down with five production days left. We spent the next two years raising money to complete our unfinished film. No small task! We then completed the movie and it was accepted into the Sundance Film Festival that year. I made so many mistakes making the movie, but the main one was not asking more questions about how the movie was being financed. Not asking more questions in general. I learned so much about perseverance and commitment and simply pushing the ball down the court every single day to complete a project.
What advice do you have for women who haven’t found their path or passion yet?
Don't be afraid of trying something and failing. Failure is underrated! It's in the big drops in life that we find out what we are really made of.
You spent many years working as an actress and comedian. How has this background shaped the way you work at The Jane Club? What lessons or skills from the entertainment have transferred over and helped you?
So many skills have transferred over! I love telling stories as an actress and I also love telling the story of The Jane Club, how the women in my life came together to finance our incubator space and get us started. How women in our space don't have to choose between taking care of small children and pursuing their professional dreams. How much change we would see in our culture if we truly valued the work of care-taking. As an actress and comedian, I'm also very comfortable with risking humiliation and working without a net. Two skills that I think are so valuable when starting a business!
You recently co-wrote the book Represent: A Woman's Guide to Running for Office And Changing the World that offers step-by-step instructions and a workbook to help women run for office. What inspired this book? Why did you feel it needed to be written? What do you hope readers will get from your book?
I was feeling incredibly hopeless after the 2016 election. I felt hopeless and humiliated and angry. But that anger soon turned (like it did for so many women!) to motivation, and I started asking myself if I should run for office. If Donald Trump could do it, then wasn't I just as qualified? I started doing some light Googlin' and realized there was not a comprehensive, accessible guide on how to do just that. So I set out to write one! I think the book is so vital because so many of us think of civic engagement as mysterious and best left to others (read OLDER, WEALTHY WHITE MEN) to do. We don't think of ourselves. I'm hoping that every woman who reads this book will consider themselves as a qualified candidate who is ready to run for office. Because they are.
You've established yourself as an activist and advocate for women. What do you hope to show women and the world? What changes would you like to see?
My hope for the future is that women are making decisions that directly affect their bodies, their children's future, and the planet they live on.
What is the #1 book you always recommend? Why?
Ah, there are so many books I'd recommend. My current demand is that everyone read Thick by Tressie McMillan Cottom. She is one of the greatest intellectuals we have right now and her thoughts on race/beauty/gender/politics are challenging so much of what I've thought to be true. In the very best of ways.
You've worn so many hats over your career—what is your best advice for women looking to make a career shift or branch into a new venture?
Fail. Fail again. Fail harder! We can be so obsessed with "success" and specifically for women I think it's very easy to fall into a pattern of "being good" and "being right." I'm really inspired and interested in women taking big bold swings and failing in big, bold ways. The other piece of advice I'd offer is to turn to your village of women and ask. Ask for advice, for money, for support, for a half-hour coffee. Women are so communal by nature, and I'm constantly amazed at what we are willing to do for each other.
Photographer: Jenna Peffley
Hair: Styled by OGXpert & Celebrity Hairstylist Jillian Halouska
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