“I wanted to live my very best life. I wanted to know who I really am.” – Jan Docherty

Do you ever wonder who you really are? Today’s guest, Jan Docherty, did. She wanted to know who she really is and what she could accomplish living as her true self. Jan came to the Hoffman Process to find the answers to these questions. She left knowing herself and loving herself, too.

Jan joined Sadie for this forthright conversation about self-knowledge, passion, and healing. Jan is passionate about life. Adopted early on, life was unconventional in many ways. Now, as she looks ahead to her later years (she’s just become a senior citizen), Jan is fully focused on her business, Merridale Cidery and Distillery. For her, business is personal. It’s where she gets to bring her true self and full-on passion she discovered at the Hoffman Process. It’s where she gets to support and build community in meaningful ways.

With hard-earned wisdom, Jan shares what she’s learned about facing the painful moments in life. In a candid moment, she touches on one of the most painful moments in her Process. A mother of three, Jan speaks of the estrangement she’s experiencing with one of her children and how she’s navigating that since graduating from the Process. During her Process, Jan realized that, by living out her patterns, she harmed others, including her children, due to Negative Love. She learned that it is critically important to hold herself with both honesty and grace. She learned to be honest with herself and take responsibility for the harm, but also not to derail from her own healing. Jan knows that she did the best she could with what she had at the time. It is in this that she finds the grace to move forward.

Be aware that this conversation contains mentions of sexual abuse and child sexual abuse. Please use your discretion.

Jan Docherty is a Vancouver-born entrepreneur. Unconventional beginnings and a deep commitment to growth, resilience, and community have shaped her life. Adopted into a small, compassionate family, she was raised with strong values while navigating early life challenges that would later inform her perspective and strength. Jan’s childhood followed an unconventional path when she successfully auditioned for a CBC television series. She spent several years singing and dancing. As a result, much of her learning took place beyond the traditional classroom. Despite this unconventional path, Jan went on to earn a business degree from UBC. This grounded her in practical skills and a strong understanding of financial stewardship – lessons first instilled by her adoptive father. In her 30s, she connected with her birth parents, expanding her sense of identity with roots in both Toronto and Mexico.

Jan’s professional journey spans multiple chapters, from building residential homes alongside her partner to leading a thriving for-profit social enterprise in the food, beverage, and tourism industry for over 25 years. Today, she is the driving force behind Merridale Cidery and Distillery. Merridale is a values-based business set in an apple orchard, where a cidery, distillery, and eatery come together to create space for people to slow down and connect. Jan’s work is guided by a belief in integrity, both in the products she creates and the culture she fosters for her team, guests, and broader community. A mother of three and grandmother of two, Jan considers family, connection, and purpose to be her greatest achievements. Now at 65, she embraces this stage of life as her most meaningful yet: an ongoing adventure rooted in authenticity, contribution, and joy.

Vertical Integration (Vertically Integrated Business)

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