“You only have a fallback plan if you plan to fall back.” —Jeni Novak
When I was 12 years old, my cool older cousin was dating the coolest girl I’d ever met. She wore high heels, she was a dancer, and she would always do my hair and makeup when I saw her. That girl — woman — is Jeni Novak. We called her “Little Jen,” because she was teeny tiny, but today, Little Jen has gotten up to some big things: She went on to become a professional dancer, eventually dancing for Miley Cyrus and becoming not just her go-to dancer, but also one of her closest friends. (Jealous.) Jeni met her now-husband while dancing for Miley (my cousin went on to marry the other coolest girl I’ve ever met), so if you’re a Miley Cyrus fan (I am!), there are lots of fun Miley stories in this episode. Today, Jeni is a hair and makeup artist in Hollywood. She and her husband started their own creative agency and production company, Novak Entertainment, and their clients include Lululemon, Tone It Up, Reebok, and more. Jen has so many inspiring stories to share, so if you’re looking for someone to help whip you into shape and up your hustle game, you’ll get it in this episode.
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What you’ll get on this episode:
- Jeni recalls her early days as an aspiring professional dancer, and how she made her dance dreams come true — including the fateful way she ended up moving to Los Angeles for good (4:10)
- How Jeni has built her confidence, and whether she’s ever felt insecure in this industry (22:30)
- How Jeni ended up dancing for — and becoming close friends with — Miley Cyrus (25:15)
- How and why Jeni decided to start a production company (36:30)
- The big job Jeni was preparing for when we recorded this episode (48:40)
- How Jeni made her way into the health and wellness space (1:00:10)
What we mention on this episode:
Miley Cyrus performing Melancholy Hill
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One Response
Have to be honest, this was the first episode of yours I didn’t like. She rambled…and rambled…. and rambled. Yes, she’s close with Miley and her family. You barely asked questions! Or could you just not get a word in? Honestly I looooove your podcast but frankly, this was painful. Couldn’t make it through.