Jane’s story: Swapping the ABC for autonomy
Find out how Jane Hutcheon is treading a new freelance path, after 25 years at the ABC. Now ‘creator-in-chief’ of her own projects, Jane has written and performed a one-woman stage show and released a book on the art of conversation.
Jane Hutcheon was a familiar face on our TV screens for 25 years. During her stellar career at the ABC, she was a foreign correspondent, a news presenter and the host of popular interview show One Plus One.
But in 2019, Jane announced her decision to leave the national broadcaster… driven by a sense that life was getting short and there was more she wanted to do.
Jane had been doing an annual stocktake in the years leading up to her decision – reflecting on where she was at, what she enjoyed doing and whether she was happy – and this helped her realise it was time to tread a different path, as ‘creator-in-chief’ of her own projects.
Jane has since gone on to write and perform her first theatre show called Lost in Shanghai, and she’s released a new book, Rebel Talk, about the art of conversation and finding your voice.
In this episode, Jane talks to host Jacqui Ooi about:
Why she was drawn to the magic of TV and what she loved about hosting One Plus One
How she made the difficult decision to leave the ABC after 25 years
Her career identity and the shift from ‘TV Jane’ to working for herself
How she now chooses which opportunities to say yes to and which ones to let go
Her best tips and recommendations for aspiring career changers
Photo credit: Marton Dobras
Listen to this episode
Never miss an episode.
Listen and subscribe in your favourite podcast app