"You don't have to live the life you inherited. You can design the one you want."

— Jay

About

JAYLABASTIEN.COM is an online platform created by Jay L.A. Bastien, dedicated to helping women thrive—completely, through intentional design.

The platform was born from a pattern that became impossible to ignore: brilliant, accomplished women living lives they never consciously chose. They followed the prescribed path—got the education, built the career, checked the boxes—only to look up one day and realize they were living someone else's blueprint.

These women weren't failing. They were moving through days dictated by obligation rather than intention. And the cost was staggering—burnout, resentment, the quiet grief of watching years pass without ever asking the fundamental question: Is this what I actually want?

The truth is, most women have never been taught that they can design their lives. That they can question the status quo. That thriving isn't about doing more or being better—it's about being intentional. About making deliberate choices that align with who they are and what they value, rather than who they're supposed to be.

We exist to change that.

Mission

Our mission is to help women thrive through intentional life design—building careers, businesses, and lives that reflect deliberate choice rather than default settings.

We provide the insights, strategies, and resources women need to step off autopilot, question what's working and what isn't, and create lives rooted in purpose, fulfillment, and freedom.

Thriving means having the financial security to make choices from strength, the career fulfillment to wake up energized, the wellness practices that sustain you, the community that supports you, and above all—the clarity and courage to design it all on your own terms.

Where Women Thrive™

Where Women Thrive™ is the flagship newsletter of JayLaBastien.com and the primary vehicle for delivering actionable insights to women navigating career, business, and lifestyle decisions.

Published weekly, the newsletter explores three core focus areas:

Career

Strategies for professional advancement, leadership development, workplace navigation, and building expertise that translates beyond a single role or company.

Business

Practical guidance on leveraging professional skills to create additional income streams, from consulting and freelancing to productizing expertise and building scalable ventures.

Lifestyle

Insights on wellness, mindset, productivity, and intentional living that support sustainable success across all areas of life.

Each edition provides concrete, implementable strategies designed for busy women who want meaningful results without empty motivation or surface-level advice. The content is research-informed, experience-tested, and tailored specifically for those who are already high-achievers looking to build on their success.

Subscribe to Where Women Thrive™ to receive weekly insights on building a career, business, and life designed for lasting fulfillment.

Read Where Women Thrive™

Philosophy

We operate on the principle that thriving is multidimensional. True success requires attention to several interconnected pillars:

  • Financial stability is not the sole focus of a thriving life, but it is an essential foundation.

    The reality is that many women face significant financial disparities that limit their choices and constrain their freedom.

    Women working full time earn approximately 81 cents for every dollar their male counterparts earn,¹ and women hold nearly two-thirds of outstanding student loan debt despite comprising 56 percent of college students.² These wage gaps compound over time, resulting in women having 32% less in retirement savings than men,³ with 51% of women nearing retirement age having less than $100,000 in assets.⁴

    Real financial security doesn't come from a single paycheck—no matter how substantial. It comes from cultivating multiple, diverse income streams that provide options, flexibility, and peace of mind.

    Many women find themselves in situations they would immediately leave if they had the financial means to do so. Part of women thriving is addressing this reality head-on.

    We help women leverage their professional expertise to create additional income pathways while maintaining the purpose-driven careers they value.

    The goal is to transform employment from necessity to choice—to reach the point where careers are selected from a position of security rather than financial constraint.

  • Career fulfillment goes beyond titles, salaries, and promotions. It's about cultivating work that aligns with personal values and provides genuine satisfaction.

    This pillar addresses how to navigate workplace dynamics, develop leadership capabilities, advocate for fair compensation, and build expertise that translates beyond any single role or company. It's also about recognizing when a career path no longer serves you and having the courage and strategy to pivot.

    We explore how to excel professionally while maintaining boundaries, how to position yourself for opportunities that align with your goals, and how to build a professional identity that opens doors rather than boxes you in.

  • Physical, mental, and emotional health are non-negotiable components of a thriving life. Without wellness, even the most impressive career achievements and financial success feel hollow.

    This pillar addresses sustainable self-care practices, stress management, the cultivation of resilience, and the development of mindsets that support long-term success. It's about learning to prioritize rest without guilt, establishing routines that energize rather than deplete, and building mental frameworks that help navigate challenges with clarity.

    We explore how to maintain wellness during demanding seasons, how to recognize burnout before it becomes debilitating, and how to create space for the activities and relationships that truly nourish you.

  • No woman thrives in isolation. Meaningful relationships, strong networks, and genuine community provide support, accountability, fresh perspectives, and opportunities for growth.

    This pillar emphasizes the importance of building authentic connections—both personally and professionally. It's about cultivating friendships that sustain you, professional networks that advocate for you, and communities where you can show up fully as yourself.

    We address how to find and nurture these relationships, how to contribute meaningfully to community, and how to leverage connection as a source of strength rather than obligation.

  • Perhaps the most transformative pillar is the practice of making deliberate choices about how to structure work, business, and life rather than defaulting to societal expectations or conventional paths.

    Intentional design means regularly assessing whether your current reality aligns with your values and vision. It means asking hard questions about how you spend your time, energy, and resources. It's about giving yourself permission to want different things than you once did, to change course when something isn't working, and to create a life that feels authentic rather than performative.

    This pillar is about agency—recognizing that while you can't control every circumstance, you have far more power to shape your life than you might believe.

These pillars inform every piece of content, every resource, and every recommendation shared through the platform.

About Jay

Jay L.A. Bastien brings more than two decades of expertise spanning business operations, product design, and organizational leadership. Currently serving as an Operations Executive overseeing a portfolio of nearly a billion dollars in assets, she bridges the worlds of corporate enterprise and entrepreneurial ventures with equal fluency. Beyond her executive role, Jay serves as President of a mission-focused women's career development organization and champions wellness initiatives across her work.

Through JayLaBastien.com, she demonstrates her commitment to democratizing the principles of sustainable success—making them available to all women seeking to intentionally shape their professional trajectories rather than simply following prescribed paths.

Jay divides her time between New York City and the Hudson Valley, NY region.

Plus

THE JOURNAL

Book recommendations, shopping guides, resource roundups, and reflections on faith, life, and the journey of building something meaningful. Consider it notes from Jay's desk—more intimate, more exploratory, and designed to share the person behind the platform.

Visit the Journal

THE SHOP

A curated collection of inspirational goods including planners, journals, canvas prints, and apparel created to support women on their journey toward intentional living.

Explore the Shop

Find me on your fav social network @jaylabastien