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A Balancing Act: Jane Friedman, President and CEO of HarperCollins

Jane Friedman is the President and CEO of HarperCollins Publishers Worldwide. In 2006, Friedman was honored as Publishers Weekly Person of the Year. Here Jane takes time to reflect on her experience balancing life as a mother to Stefan, 31, Bradley, 25 and Stepkids, Dylan, 25 and Morgan, 23 with her wildly successful and demanding career.

Samantha: Now that your children are adults, do you look back and wish you had done anything differently?
Jane: I do not wish I had done anything differently with or for my children. Particularly now that I see what exceptional young men they have become.

Samantha: Were there any women that served as your role models?
Jane: There were no women who served as my role model on how to manage my multiple demanding rolls. And my situation was exaggerated by my being a single mother. I had to make it up as I went along.

Samantha: What was your childcare situation like?
Jane: It was the best it could possibly be. I hired a professional nanny, who happened to look like my mother (coincidentally something Bruno Bettelheim told me would work in my favor), who signed on for 3 months (after the birth of my older son, Stefan) and stayed for 26 years. This is indeed unusual.

Samantha: Did you ever feel envious of your nanny?
Jane: I never felt envious of Ms. Hoydis. When my children, Stefan and Bradley, were very young, (and this also included my semi-step children, Dylan and Morgan Stone) I decided that many of the decisions would be hers -- what they wore each day; what they ate each day; what time they went to bed, and so forth. We developed a true partnership.

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