Anything but routine: Jax Coco founder Jane Gottschalk takes opportunities as they come along

Born in Kuala Lumpur and raised in India and England, Jane Gottschalk has always been a bit of a rebel. The founder of Jax Coco coconut water company, she is also creative director of sportswear brand Perfect Moment and director of probiotic chocolate brand Ohso. Gottschalk lived in Delhi for four years, before being sent to a "very traditional" British boarding school. "I didn't enjoy boarding school very much. I rebelled against the system and being told what to do, what to learn, how to learn it and what to think," she says. "I didn't like living by those rules and being shut in a box and not being able to get out."

After making her way through a series of boarding schools, a year in Switzerland, and university in England and Germany, she threw herself into the fast-paced world of finance. "I couldn't wait to get into work life, city life - to have that freedom to do what you wanted to do and explore. I was very open for adventure," says Gottschalk, who worked in private client stockbroking and for a hedge fund.

After meeting her husband Max, co-founder of Gottex Fund Management, Gottschalk decided to take a break from the City. Soon, she was married with four young daughters - and energy to burn. "I found there were a lot of ex-professionals, really bright girls at home with kids, and some who were thinking of starting their own businesses," she says. "I loved that - connecting people, bouncing around ideas, watching them grow and their businesses grow. So I started working with other people, for friends, and then it just progressed from there."

After getting her feet wet with Perfect Moment and Ohso, Gottschalk invested in an American coconut water brand. It was after watching the sector boom and then moving to Hong Kong in 2011 that she decided to launch Jax (a combination of "Jane" and "Max") Coco. Originally created to fill a gap in the Hong Kong market, the company has recently expanded to the United States, Canada and parts of Europe and the Middle East. Managing an international business - coupled with 16 rescue dogs and the impending arrival of her fifth child, a son - has forced Gottschalk to focus more on time management.

"I've always hated routine," she admits. "However, I have learned that you have to have some structure to your day, or it gets a bit overwhelming." When she's not working, Gottschalk tries to make time every day for breakfast with her daughters, a run up the Wilson Trail or Dragon's Back, and quality time with her husband. She also works with Animals Asia to raise awareness of animal cruelty and the bear bile industry, and is never too busy for friends.

With plans to build a factory in the Philippines, and roll out coconut oil and a children's lunchbox range, Gottschalk appears to be having the time of her life. "I think I'm very much of the moment, and sort of grab opportunities as they come along," she says. "While it's a lot, I think you have to remember it's your choice and to enjoy it. Otherwise, there is no point."