Hello lovey humans,

Every Second Harvester's story begins the same way — with a moment of truth. This is Jen Dary's story.

Lemon-sized Wakeup Call

About ten years ago, Jen went in for what she thought was a routine MRI. The scan revealed she had a brain tumor.

At the time, she was nursing her second child. As a successful Silicon Valley coach deep in motherhood, Jen was suddenly staring down decisions no one feels ready to make. She shut down her business. Weaned her youngest. Got ready for brain surgery. And, in true Jen fashion, she didn’t just follow the medical playbook — she also started calling on the ancestors, chasing psychics, and digging through old Bibles in the attic. When your life cracks open like that, you grab whatever feels true.

In Jen's telling, what followed was messy and, at times, very funny. There were moments of fear and exhaustion, but also unexpected magic. She had a growing sense that she wasn’t doing this alone. Through surgery, recovery, returning to parenting, rebuilding her business, and learning to trust a spiritual safety net, Jen’s world expanded.

"I'm still becoming"

Throughout this chaotic experience, Jen endeavored to write it all down. For a long time, Jen’s goal for writing was simple. She wanted to put herself into a book for her sons, just in case she didn’t get the chance to be there as they grew up. She wanted them to have her voice. Her stories. Her thoughts. Her love. A version of her that would endure.

​I Believe in Everything is the result. It’s honest and smart and genuinely funny. I was cry-laughing several times. It's a book about illness and motherhood, but also about unconditional love, mystery, and what happens when you stop pretending you can control everything. It’s the kind of story that reminds you that resilience doesn’t always look strong… sometimes it's just the willing to believe a little more than you used to.

As someone who had always wanted to write, the book flowed from Jen's scarred head to paper. But as she got closer to the end, the goal of a published book seemed to be slipping away.

When Devon and me saw Jen a year ago, she was very frustrated. The book publishing process wasn’t easy. She was tired. Overwhelmed by the years of recovery, agents opinions, and publisher's pushback. In spite of these challenges, Jen had a undeniable knowing that the book that wanted to exist in the world. And then something clicked. She realized she didn’t need permission.

She didn’t need someone else’s "yes" to bring inspiration into the world. She could publish the book herself and assemble a dream team of friends and supporters to promote the book. She could make the thing real on her own terms.

After patiently waiting for so long, the unbearable truth that life is short pushed her over the edge and...

...she did the damn thing herself!

I Believe in Everything, is not just a memoir. It’s a companion. Written for moments when life feels impossibly complicated. When you’re processing a diagnosis, navigating the exhaustion of parenting young children, or simply running up against the limits of what you can carry.

Jen’s life reflects that same steady courage. She is a leadership coach, entrepreneur, brain tumor survivor, podcast host, and mother. Through her experience with near-death, she has brought a higher level of care and compassion to the hundreds of organizations she has coached. Her work lives at the intersection of clarity and care.

Jen hopes that when people read it, they feel her nodding, and giggling, along with them. Life may be complicated, but it’s easier when you know someone is in your corner. This book is that someone. Jen didn’t wait to be rescued by approval. She chose authorship — of her work, her story, and her next chapter. She built something meaningful not because it was easy, but because it mattered.

This is what we mean by Second Harvest. Not pushing harder, or acting tougher, but choosing to create something that will bring you the sense of self worth that carries you forward.

You can follow Jen on IG: @jendarywriter or learn more about her coaching business, Plucky on IG: @bepluckster. Jen's book I Believe in Everything: A Memoir of Illness, Motherhood and Magic is available wherever you buy your books. Jen lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and two young sons. You can read more about her and her extraordinary journey at: jendarywriter.com​

More stories like this soon.

— Richard & Devon