How Jewel Has Made Her Life Her Best Work Yet

Welcome to Second Life, a podcast spotlighting successful women who've made major career changes—and fearlessly mastered the pivot. Hosted by Hillary Kerr, co-founder and chief content officer at Who What Wear, each episode gives you a direct line to women who are game changers in their fields. Subscribe to Second Life on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere you get your podcasts to stay tuned.

If you grew up in the '90s, chances are you are very familiar with the Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Jewel. In 1995, she released her twelve-times platinum-selling debut album, Pieces of You, with hits like Who Will Save Your Soul and You Were Meant For Me — instantly becoming a musical icon of the generation. She then went on to have a multi-decade career with twelve studio albums, for which she's sold over 30 million copies worldwide, that span over a range of genres like Folk, Pop, Country, Children's, and more. And now, she is gearing up to debut her first studio album in seven years on April 15th, Freewheelin' Woman, which has become highly anticipated. 

Throughout the years, Jewel has added a few more accolades to her name, including New York Times bestselling author and mental health advocate. Her path to success as a singer-songwriter was not always glamorous; it brought an obstacle course of challenging moments, leading her to find solutions and tools to overcome them. Jewel found her footing through mindfulness, meditation, and an awareness of mental health at a young age, and learned to call on that toolkit throughout navigating the extreme highs and lows that came her way. Beyond her work or stardom, she's crystal clean that her first priority be becoming the best version of herself. "I don't want my music to be my best work of art, I want to be my best work of art, I want my life to be my best work of art," she admits on Second Life. 

Recognizing how impactful mental health tools were in her own life, she founded her Inspiring Children Foundation and has been working for nearly two decades to provide mentorship and mental-health resources to at-risk youth. In fact, during the pandemic, she expanded her outreach to help those in need build community and connection, protecting against the silent symptoms of COVID-19 like anxiety, depression, and isolation.

Listen to the latest episode of Second Life to hear how Jewel continues to evolve both her career and self, making her life her best hit.

Next: Meet the Women Redefining the Cannabis Industry: Whitney Beatty & Ebony Andersen.