Jen Sincero

Jen Sincero is an American writer, speaker, and success coach who was born on August 7, 1965. Raised in Westchester, New York, she is the daughter of Susan Sincero and Domenico Sincero, an Italian-born doctor. After graduating from Briarcliff High School, Sincero attended Colorado College, where she earned a BA in English in 1987. During the 1990s, she worked in the marketing department at CBS/Epic Records and co-founded her first band, Crotch. This background in corporate marketing and independent music shaped her early professional years. She moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 1996, where she started the Jenny Clinkscales Band and later performed a solo project called 60 Foot Queenie.

In 2000, Sincero relocated to Los Angeles, California, and began working as a freelance writer. She wrote marketing materials for the recording industry, produced magazine articles and blogs, and performed spoken word. These diverse writing jobs led to her first book in 2003, a semi-autobiographical novel about a rock band titled Don't Sleep With Your Drummer. She followed this in 2005 with The Straight Girl's Guide to Sleeping With Chicks. By 2008, Sincero began facilitating business development workshops for the women's entrepreneurial organization, Ladies Who Launch, and subsequently established her own private practice as a success coach.

The Badass Series

Sincero is best known for her third book, You Are A Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life, which was published in 2013. The book became a massive hit, selling over 5 million copies. It reached number one on the New York Times bestseller list in 2015 and remained in the top ten for over five years. Sincero narrated the audiobook herself, winning an Audie Award for her performance in 2014. She built on this success with several follow-up books, including You Are a Badass at Making Money in 2017, You Are a Badass Everyday in 2018, and Badass Habits in 2020, which was a finalist for a 2022 Audie Award.

Sincero's direct, humorous, and encouraging advice continues to connect with people who want to change their daily habits and build confidence. Her writing focuses on dismantling self-doubt and letting go of external judgment. This perspective is clear in her advice to readers: "What other people think about you has nothing to do with you and everything to do with them." By encouraging people to stop apologizing for who they are, Sincero's words remain highly relevant for anyone striving to live more boldly.