From 68 Jobs to Recovery: A Journey of Grit, Humor, and No Regrets

Hello and welcome to The Universal Laws with Kristy Sturdivant podcast.What does a life look like when it spans 68 different jobs across 55 years? If you ask Janet Heron, author of the upcoming memoir Blood, Sweat, and No Regrets, it looks messy, colorful, exhausting, and entirely worth living.In the latest episode of the podcast, host Kristy Sturdivant sat down with Janet to dive into her unbelievable life story. From babysitting at age 13 to working as a household manager for billionaires, a radio disc jockey, a postal worker, and a decorated school teacher, Janet has lived a dozen lives in one.Here are a few key takeaways and profound lessons from her extraordinary journey.1. Categorizing a Lifetime of WorkWhen preparing her memoir, Janet broke her 68 jobs down into four distinct categories:Jobs to grow a backbone on: Early responsibilities that forced quick maturity, like babysitting neighborhood kids for 50 cents an hour.Jobs performed to eat and survive: Essential hustle during tough times, including housekeeping, dishwashing, hostessing, and farm labor.Jobs that didn't feel like work: Fun adventures, like running a local health store or supervising concert cleanup crews at Red Rocks.Jobs signaling adult success: Major milestones, such as winning Teacher of the Year awards.Looking at work through these phases reveals how every single job—no matter how small or grueling—serves a unique purpose in shaping who we become.2. Navigating Addiction and Finding ResilienceBeneath the wide array of employment was a persistent underlying thread: Janet’s battle with addiction. For years, holding down jobs was partially about funding her habit. Yet, through recovery, Janet found a deep well of resilience.Her takeaway on handling life’s hardest moments is simple: Don't stay down."Sometimes when you get put down on the ground, you have to stand back up. If I wanted to survive, if I wanted to eat... I just had to stand back up if I got hit." — Janet HeronJanet emphasizes the importance of refusing to let past traumas or struggles define your future. Rather than adopting a victim mindset or asking "Why me?", she chose to take each day with gratitude and keep moving forward.3. The Art of Not Taking Yourself Too SeriouslyWhether detailing her mishaps as a certified household manager in Jackson Hole or reflecting on her brief stint selli