I met June on the set of a show called Marry Me in a wedding scene where we sat for hours with June making me laugh the entire day. I was drawn to her confidence, energy, humor and the way she owned the room. Years and multiple kids between us later June started to talk about opening a space where mothers/women could work, interact, collaborate and have a place for their children to play. The Jane Club was born into all its glory with women behind it that made the space feel comfortable, beautiful, inclusive and inspiring. Every detail was thought out from having ready to order meals that you can take home to your family, a nursery for babies, outdoor space and meeting areas. Encouraging women to be together, share space and collaborate while supporting one another is incredible and insanely rare. The Jane Club is now launching Connected Jane an online digital platform that hosts "daily meditations, ‘wine downs’ at night, writing workshops, astrology sessions, children’s music classes and talent shows, and a teach-in on Racial Justice in the time of coronavirus, our Janes are sharing fears, hopes, joy and laughter… together.”

I am honored to interview June as our Mama Muse and hear more about this shift to help women at home stay connected during such an unprecedented time. SWO xoxo

WHERE DID YOU GROW UP?

I grew up in Long Island in Rockville Centre. A mere half hour from New York City but worlds away in many ways!

I KNOW YOU HAVE LITTLE ONES CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR KIDS AND INSANELY FUNNY / CHARMING HUSBAND?

I have two boys (until they tell me otherwise) and I’m head over heels in love with them. Children are just…magical and I’m obsessed with them. Gus is 6 years old and Sam just turned 4. I’m so hesitant to write anything definitive about their personalities as I see them because ultimately they are in charge of their own stories. But I will say that I’m learning about empathy, sensitivity, and play from them! I think men receive a disproportionate amount of praise when they engage in domestic caretaking (whereas it’s expected from women) but THAT SAID my husband Paul is incredibly supportive of my mothering and my professional pursuits and I can't imagine being with someone who didn’t share truly feminist values.

WHAT CAME FIRST, WRITING OR ACTING?

Acting! I started writing with Casey Wilson because we wanted vehichles for ourselves to star in. In the very beginning it was as simple as wanting a sketch show to invite agents to in NYC. But what we soon realized was that being able to write parts and stories for ourselves gave us so much more agency over our careers.

HOW DID YOU KNOW YOU WANTED TO BE A WRITER?

I never wanted to be a writer! I did it very reluctantly because I wasn't getting acting parts or agency interest, so out of sheer ambition, I decided that I needed a backdoor way into the industry.

WHEN WE FIRST MET YOU WERE ACTING AND WRITING SHOWS AND FILM ALONG WITH YOUR WRITING PARTNER CASEY WILSON… WHAT LED YOU TO CREATING THE JANE CLUB?

I founded The Jane Club because at the time I had just given birth to my second child and was working on Grace and Frankie and in the midst of writing my book: Represent: The Women’s Guide to Running for Office and Changing the World. I was really struggling with having a new baby and working outside the home. I was either apologizing for working when I was with my children or apologizing for having children when I was working outside the home. I started to think about how much conversation there was around ONE woman balancing her professional dreams and home life and what this ONE woman does to make it all happen. And how little discussion there was around INSTITUTIONAL change. How we expect women to make the changes in who they are and how they manage their lives as opposed to asking institutions and systems to rework themselves to accommodate women. The Jane Club was founded to take care of the women that take care of everything and everyone else. We do that by honoring and supporting ALL the work that women do. From the unpaid (and paid for our Domestic Workers) labor of taking care of children to taking care of elderly parents and friends, to the professional work they do in their careers. We have created an entire (now digital) village of resources so that women and caretakers can come together to learn, connect, parent, and thrive.

I really needed a space that recognized the fullness of my life and honored and supported all parts. I needed a space that saw the political power of mothers. I needed a space that had a woman’s name on the door. I needed a space that committed to a culture wherein we could be our whole selves - across race, gender, sexuality, class, ability, and age. The Jane Club is that space and we are holding that mission.

DO YOU FEEL AS THOUGH BECOMING A MOTHER SHIFTED SOME OF YOUR DESIRES AND PRIORITIES?

Yes becoming a mother shifted EVERYTHING. In many ways, I think I have more to offer as an actress and writer. I have better access to my emotional reserves - my anger, fear, love. It’s just all right there. Motherhood has cracked me open in so many ways. So I think I want to perform much more than I did before because I feel I have more to say. The same goes for activism. Staring at my children’s future has motivated me and called me into the work of justice much more urgently than before.

HOW DID THE JANE CLUB COME TO LIFE?

My co-founder and I raised money from a group of women in our lives we lovingly call Original Janes. They financed our incubator space and got us started. From there we opened up our flagship location less than a year later. The Jane Club has truly been built with the support, financial investment and love of women in my life. It has been remarkable.

HOW DID THIS ALL CHANGE WHEN THE PANDEMIC HIT?

This past March we temporarily closed our space and launched our online village and The Connected Jane membership. Since then we’ve nearly doubled our membership! And have included Janes from over 23 states and counting including DC and the UK and Canada! It’s been an incredible way to take our mission, to take care of the women who take care of everyone and everything else, across the country and internationally.

I LOVE THE CONNECTED JANE CONCEPT, CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THIS SHIFT AND HOW WOMEN CAN GET INVOLVED?

Oh, it’s been incredible. The Connected Jane membership includes daily meditations and morning connections with the community to writing workshops and astrology sessions, children’s music classes, and talent shows, and teach-ins on justice. Our Janes are sharing their hopes, fears, joy, and laughter…together. We also have a robust platform where Janes connect and share together throughout the day. We encourage women to show up as they are and are committed to creating a culture and community where women can be their whole selves. Head to janeclub.com to join (memberships start at $40/month). Zen Mamas can use my special code INSIDERJANEFF for $10 off their first month :)

Learn more about the Jane club

I LOVE THAT ALL WOMEN CAN FIND A HOME HERE, WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM THE JANE CLUB IN THE FUTURE?

We are so inspired by how the community has come together during such a challenging time and are planning on building out a bigger digital platform. We are also getting ready to launch Jane Media, which will focus on telling women’s stories that honor their bodies, their diversity and their lives.

I WOULD LIKE TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR BOOK, CAN YOU TELL US WHAT INSPIRED YOU WRITING ‘REPRESENT: THE WOMAN’S GUIDE TO RUNNING FOR OFFICE AND CHANGING THE WORLD’?

After the 2016 election, I was feeling so depressed and embarrassed about Hillary’s loss and Donald Trump’s theft of the presidency. I was genuinely wondering if I was making the most of my talent/time/energy. And I wondered if I should take a major life pivot and run for office. I realized that I didn't know the first step. And that there wasn’t that much information out there. For a country that prides itself on being“we the people,” running for office is usually seen as best left to others to do. Usually older, retired, white men with law degrees and lots of money. I set out with my co-author Kate Black to write a comprehensive, accessible guide to demystify the process so that every woman could consider a run for office as something she might do.

Buy Represent book

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE UPCOMING ELECTION AND IF YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO SPEAK TO GIRLS ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHO ARE GETTING THE CHANCE TO VOTE FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE THEM?

I’m excited and energized about Kamala Harris and for the first time in some time feel a lot of hope! I can't wait to vote for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and get Trump the f out of office. My advice to young women voting for the first time is get your mail-in ballot NOW and make sure you are registered and as soon as you are make sure you register at least 5 friends!

THIS IS NOT A QUESTION BUT I JUST HAVE TO SAY, I SAW THAT YOU WERE ARRESTED AT JANE FONDA’S CLIMATE CHANGE PROTEST IN D.C. AT THE END OF LAST YEAR. I KNOW THIS FEELS LIKE A LIFETIME AGO WITH EVERYTHING THAT HAS GONE ON IN THE WORLD BUT YOUR ACTIVISM FOR WOMEN, FOR MOTHERS, FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE, FOR THE PLANET IS INSPIRING AND DOES NOT GO UNNOTICED.

Oh wow. Thank you so much Sarah. So much of my work and learning toward justice has been a part of the collectivist education I’ve received from so many women in my life - and specifically women of color.

WHAT DOES SELF CARE LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?

Bravo. Baths. Books!

WHAT ARE YOU WATCHING RIGHT NOW?

90 Day Fiance (sadly). Unsolved Mysteries!

WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO? DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE ALBUM OR PODCAST?

Right now I’m listening to WAP on repeat. My favorite album is Joni Mitchell’s Blue (I realize these are two very different genres)

WHAT ARE YOU READING?

Our last Jane Club Book Club book was Stamped From The Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America. It was an incredible and long read. So I’m taking a breather for a beat. But I highly recommend that book. It should be a mandatory text book for every 6th grader in this country.

DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR A NEW MAMA?

You are doing great. If you can’t or don’t want to breastfeed then don’t. Reach out to the women in your life for help. And also…you are doing great.

Mama Muse with June Diane Raphael; Activist, Actor, Author