At age seven Eden Jarrin was re-decorating every surface of her tree house. At age ten she was dragging branches and twigs from the forest to build her own four-poster bed. In college she was decorating her friends' dorm rooms. So what's left for a thirty something "do-it-yourselfer" to do?

In 2003 Jarrin teamed up with Heidi Baker to create Be Jane, the first and largest women's home improvement resource and online community for "do-it-yourself" projects. Jarrin and Baker are The Janes.

"When we first got started we were constantly called "Jacks of all trades," says Jarrin. "We felt that because women are multi-taskers by nature we believed ‘Jane of all trades' just fit better. Every woman out there wants to be a part of our community because after all, any woman can be an empowered woman and any woman can Be Jane."

The other half of The Janes was not a home-improvement expert. Baker admits before she took on her first "fixer upper," the closest she got to a power tool was running a garbage disposal. Now Baker is comfortable sporting a tool belt and operating a compound miter saw.

"We were women who felt very much alone in the very masculine world of home improvement," says Baker. "Women are easy targets for getting ripped off by so-called ‘workmen' who come into your homes and quote outrageous rates."

The Janes took matters into their own hands and now they're talking tools, home makeovers and quick fixes with hundreds of thousands of women across the world. Be Jane provides a place for women to get help and share their projects, stories and events.

The first question most women ask is "I'm not sure where to start, can you help?" The most popular project? Painting. Baker says you shouldn't get discouraged even if you've never picked up a paintbrush.

"We say to believe in the possibility that you can do this. Others will doubt you and don't be surprised if you doubt yourself. Start small. With each project you take on, your confidence will grow and you'll realize you can do this! Next thing you know, you'll be renovating your entire home and wondering, "Why did I ever think I couldn't do this?"

Jarrin adds, "The satisfaction of knowing that we are helping so many women not only take care of their homes, but through the process of home improvement we're helping to empower them to change their lives. The comments we receive are a reminder of the reason why we started this business in the first place."

That business now includes an on-line television show on MSN, numerous public appearances and a new book titled Be Jane's Guide to Home Empowerment.

Mid-Southerners can meet The Janes in person at the Southern Women's Show March 9 - 11. For more information call 1-800-849-0248 or log onto http://www.southernwomensshow.com/. You can join the Jane Network at http://www.bejane.com/.

Appeared in:

• Memphis Woman Magazine