Chasing Courage

The year 2020 impacted us all and for my guest and friend, Amy Traugh, it changed her life. Amy took a voluntary furlough from a career in physical therapy to home school her children during that time and then build her first business.

In this conversation we discuss that journey of building her first successful business which in turn helped her discover an even deeper passion, empowering women with the skills to do the same.

Amy is a mother of 2, the founder of the community Moms on a Mission, host of The Motivated Mompreneur (with over 200 episodes in 1 year!) and a Business Mentor.

I am so excited to share this time management method / idea that came to me last week.

In real time I've only been practicing it for a few days but I wanted to put this out there for you all to try ALONG with me, because while it ultimately may NOT work for me, it may be just the mindset or structure shake up that you needed.

The basis concept is dividing up your day into 4 quarters with a halftime in the middle. For all the details and how I'm specifically implementing this with my schedule as a work from home entrepreneur and a mom you will just have to listen in. :)

So many of you shared with me that you struggle with comparison and or the fear of missing out.

...and in tune with that, for today's episode, I do some story-telling surrounding a hard decision that I made to opt out of one event in order to attend another.

Are you in a place in your life or business where you are having to choose between 2 or 3 things? Are you comparing what you are or ARENT doing to those you follow on social?

If you are and if you hang tight through the story-telling; there are some powerful tools that you can utilize to help you tackle the FOMO or the comparison head on.

I personally feel FOMO in not being able to attend the PowerHouse Women conference, not being able to attend or even apply to attend Kacia's Peach house retreats, or Kacia's EmpowerHer live for year 2. And then I feel the comparison trap of being behind in the planning of my own in person retreats or events. Women all around me are hosting their first retreats and or in person events and I just can't do that right now, I'm 6 months pregnant.

4 Tips to battle the FOMO or Comparison

1. Be aware of your triggers and avoid those triggers if possible

2. Journal it out - what are you afraid to miss out on, who/ what your comparing yourself to and how that makes you feel

3. Focus on what you DO have, what you CAN do

4. Use the FOMO / Comparison as motivation

If you found today's episode insightful or helpful I invite you to share it! Share it your social media stories or send it to a fellow mom friend or business bestie. 

Ready to go to church in the middle of the week? Today's interview is one that if you don't have goosebumps around/by minute 21-24 I will be SHOCKED ;)

Join me as a sit down with the owner of a BODY by Erica, a Holistic Wellness Spa in Sandusky Ohio. Erica Taylor is a friend and local entrepreneur who is working full-time as a HR specialist for the city WHILE ALSO participating on boards and building her spa business. She is a wife, mama of 3 and grandma to 1.

We discuss:

1. What is the role that your spouse / partner plays in the ability for you to chase your dreams
2. She shows some amazing appreciation for her husband - who cooks + cleans!
3. The role that faith has played in her blooming business and marriage
4. Challenges she has overcome as a black woman - having a baby at 15 and still building a life and business that is valued and successful.
5. What it means to be a 20 gallon woman

Please note that the event Erica and I discuss may have been postponed or cancelled since our recording. Please reach out to Erica for details or with interest.

Ashley Stahl is a career coach, podcast host, keynote speaker and the author of You Turn, one of the BEST books I've ever read on clarity in choosing your career path < in my opinion!

I was humbled and OVER the moon excited when I asked Ashley to come onto my podcast after reading her book and she agreed, she also saw it was my birthday and sent me a Happy Birthday voice memo, I mean HOW SWEET! Ashely's story and her message is so important for women like you, women like me; who don't want to settle for less than when it comes to the work we do on a daily basis. And she understands that it's all about experimenting. 

If you are someone who is trying to figure out who you are, what you should do, if you should take a professional "you turn," I highly recommend this podcast episode and I even more so HIGHLY recommend Ashley's book and her podcast.

Some of my favorite mic drop moments from our conversation

"You don't know yourself until you do and you don't know what fits until you try it on"

"What's key is that you are able to, very clearly, express how you used your skill of the past and how it's translating into the direction of the future. "

"There is a lot of purpose in contribution"

"I'm heading into a place in my life where security sounds better than adventure"

"I'm not afraid to make less money being who i am, I'm not afraid to make a lot of money being who I am"

If you are ready for more of Ashely

"My child is, my children are my world"

Have you heard this said before, have you read it on a social media posts or seen it inside of a Pinterest quote? I know I have. 

+ both before I had a child or my own and now that I do have an almost 5 year old with another on the way, that saying doesn't resonate with me, it actually gives me anxiety. 

This is solely my opinion but if any part of your life, if any single person in your life is given that much weight, what happens to you and to your life once that person or that thing is gone?

I know this is not something we want to think about, losing someone, in any manner, especially if it wasn't expected or is out of our control is THE WORST.

If you are married to the person who is your best friend, your partner in crime, your soulmate and then for whatever reason you get a divorce after 25 years; is your life suddenly over? Don't you still have purpose?

If your world rotates around the tiny humans that you are raising right now what are you going to do, who are you going to be when they are 13, 18, 28 and they begin to have interests and lives outside of the one you built for them?

I TRULY don't say any of this to sound harsh, I say it out of love and I would and WILL say and explain it to my sons one day when they are older. It is a HUGE belief of mine that while giving up our life, metaphorically, for those we love is a great act of love, allowing ourselves to LIVE is an even GREATER ACT OF Love. 

"What if a responsible mother isn't one who slowly dies and calls that love, what if a responsible mother is one who shows their child how to fight and be wildly alive?" - author Glennon Doyle

- - - - - - - - - 

Have you ever felt like when the rest of the world goes right you want to go left? Like everyone is on this bandwagon but something is just telling you to not get on it?

Maybe you are someone who truly has it in her heart to have many kids, a big family or maybe you are a woman who is child-free by choice?

In a society like we live in today any of the above can be considered "going against the grain" but is the grain a bad thing? I think it all just depends on your mindset. 

For today's interview I sat down with Kelly Bluth, a teacher, a holistic nutritionist, a podcaster and one of my friends and we deep dive into 2 areas of her life where Kelly has and continues to "go against the grain;" electing to be a married woman who is child-free by choice and by opting out of a partnership with a popular gut supplement company because it didn't feel in alignment with her.

2 Fun facts>

1. Kelly and I both attended the same college, Otterbein University, but didn't meet each other until years later in a zoom room.

Yes you could run a marathon, yes you could scale your business, yes you could make a homemade gift for the housewarming party you are going to. 

BUT SHOULD YOU?

You maybe have run a marathon in the past, you maybe in able to fit the marathon into your schedule but is it during your child's busy season at school? 

You could scale your business, take on another client but you also could maintain, you also could honor the fact that you have been in a hustle season the past 6 months and so the next 6 months you want to slow down. 

You could make a cute XYZ for your neighbors housewarming party, but say work is crazy right now, or you are just coming out of a season of cold and flu in your house and it would be much easier to go buy a candle and hand towels from Target. 

I'm coming in with some spice today! Get ready to go to church on a Friday!

After 14 months away from this podcast we are back. 

I spent a year pouring into another podcast, Confetti Worthy Women, totally go check out the content there! BUT I'm being drawn back to Courage, to mental health to motherhood and personal development as my focus. 

Vicky Huff is one fierce female!!

Vicky and I met online in a personal development community and podcasting course, SheGoes Podcasting with Kacia Fitzgerald. 

Vicky lives in Houston Texas. She is married and a mama to two littles, 3 and (almost) 2 years old. And in addition to that she also....

I'm going through a season of change, a period of time where my patience is being tested and my priorities are shifting. 

If you are going through some uncertainty right now, or if you feel like you are super confused or if you just don't want to feel like you are the only person who is a hot mess express than press play. 

I wish I had some tips for you but I don't because I am in the thick of it myself, I can promise however that whenever I make up my mind you all will be the first to know and I appreciate you all listening to me as I process my thoughts over the mic with you :)

Sam is a Registered Dietitian who is anti diet culture and resides in Florida. 

We got a fierce one today!

Are things good but you want great? Is there a burning in your belly that you want more out of your career? Does your gut tell you that your relationship(s) could be turned up a notch? If so, than this one is for you!

Quotes

"You don't have to fit in the box that the world has created for you"

"If it's in you (a dream, a goal, a gut feeling) it's there for a reason"

"People on their death beds talk about the things that they never attempted but wish they would have"

Resources

What do you do when you have had a bad day? When work has stressed you out or your to do list is just too overwhelming?

Do you reach for a glass of wine, binge eat, scroll on social to zone out...?

We all have things that we do to cope with hard or tough feelings, but it's important to choose positive over negative coping mechanisms. DUH Courtney! i know i know, just press play on this episode to get a big more of a break down on what I mean and how you should identify your own personal numbing/coping methods.

Quote

"The more we love ourselves the less we will use [food] to cope with our lives" - Corinne Crabtree
[insert your negative numbing mechanism here]

References

In this BONUS episode you will hear:

• What it means to subscribe to a podcast
• How to leave a review within apple podcasts
• The OFFICIAL launch date for the Chasing Courage membership community!!
• What is self-trust? Do you keep or more commonly; break promises you make to yourself?

Resources

no intro, no extro ….just some real, transparent words and thoughts from myself to my almost 3 year old son. 

He won't listen to this message anytime soon. But one day, when I feel the moment is right I will have him listen and I hope and I pray that it gives him the reassurance of how much I love him, despite my short comings as a mother. I hope that it captures how truly hard but also how incredibly joyful raising a child can be. 

Claude Racine Valinsky was born outside of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She began dancing at the age of 7 and moved to the states (AZ) with her family when she was 8. At 20 years old Claude moved to LA to pursue dance; some of the credits to her name include: touring with Avril Lavigne, appearing in music videos for everyone from JLo, Chris Brown and Blink 182. She has been in musicals such as the Ten Commandments with Val Kilmer and done commercials for Disney and Dr. Scholl's. Claude has choreographed for Glee, Fuller House and Will & Grace! And you may recognize her as a cast member from Beachbody's 21 Day Fix or 9 Week Control Freak.

Claude currently resides in Las Vegas with her husband Noah and their 15 month old son, Nova. While Claude's presence on Beachbody on Demand is caught my eye, her transparency in sharing her journey into motherhood and battle with her post-baby body and postpartum is what caught my soul's attention. 

Listen in to this raw story of postpartum depression, anxiety, grief of what was, appreciation for what is and the mentality to never settle!

Resources referenced in the interview

Park, Reverse, Neutral & Drive

What gear are you currently selecting for your life?

Drive- the only transmission position most people select for forward progress

Reverse (Verb) - to move backward (Noun) - a complete change of direction or action

Neutral - a disengaged position of gears in which the engine is disconnected from the driven parts

Park (Verb - as it pertains to motoring) - to bring a vehicle that is driving to a halt and leave it temporarily

I am sooo happy to be back with you all!!! 6 weeks was too long!

But we have a heavy topic to talk about today... Binge Eating Disorder. I'll let you listen for all of the details but here are the 2 lists that I work through throughout the episode as well as the websites and books referenced.

A BED episode occurs when at least 3 of the following 5 things happen:

1. Consuming food faster than normal
2. Consuming food until you are uncomfortably full or sick
3. Consuming lots of food even when you are not hungry
4. Consuming food alone due to embarrassment of what or how much you are eating
5. Feeling disgusted, depressed or guilty after eating

BED is NOT the following:

1. It is not just about the weight (# on the scale) BED can occur in normal, overweight or obese adults
2. It is not a lack of willpower! Research shows that BED can be caused from brain chemicals, stressful life events or through genetics
3. It is not just overeating. BED episodes are classified as those that occur 1 or more times per week for 3 or more months 

* another disclaimer that I have not been diagnosed by a medical professional with this disorder

Hey Hey!!! Big things are happening for us, yes you and I!

Click play to find out how I plan to connect with you on a deeper level and build community with young women and badass moms all across the globe :)

To anyone who has played a part in my journey thus far, thank you so much! Every person who I interviewed on Chasing Courage gets a special shout out in today's episode - so listen for your name or the name of your favorite interviewee!

AND if you have been cheering me on behind the scenes; sending me DM's, sharing the podcast on social media... it truly means the world and it gives me the COURAGE to keep showing up each day. 

Jamie Schoepke
Resides in Fox Valley, WI and she and her husband have an (almost) 3 year old daughter. Jamie is a health nut; an online & group fitness instructor and coffee lover!

Jules Philippi
Resides about 30 minutes from her sister in Wisconsin. She and her husband have an (almost) 3 year old son who is just 15 days apart from his cousin. Jules is a group fitness manager and online fitness coach.

What is a vision board? A collection of images, notes and words on some type of (digital or physical) canvas

What do you get when you take 2 mamas who identify as an Enneagram 2's and are obsessed with personal growth?!
THIS energy filled interview!!!

Sarah Jac is a mom of 2 girls, ages 8 and 13. She is a newly wed, #covidbride, is a business owner and podcast host of Experience Life with Sarah Jac! She loves to run, read and write; she is even working on writing a book [like for real, right now!!]

This interview is all about Sarah's LOVE for Mondays, the importance of identifying where our energy goes and the REAL talk that you need to have your OWN time and routine, outside of your babies or significant other!

This conversation has so many "quotable" takeaways from Sarah; here are just a few of my FAVS:

• "Life is a marathon...each weekend is a rehydration station"
• "If your kids are your alarm clock, you're SCREWED!" (note we said kids/ toddlers, not babies or newborns :)
• "The meaning of life lies within your EXPERIENCES"
• "It's your life, your script!"

I got to interview the most handsome man I know, my husband!!

This conversation is a "highlight reel" of our story, from meeting in early 2014 to being a married for almost 4 years with a 2.5 year old. Find out ALL (Well MOST) the details about when and how we met, where we went on our first date, when we knew we loved each other, how Rob proposed, some favorite wedding day highlights and the birth of our son. 

Rob - Thank you babe for being you and overcoming your nerves to get behind the mic with me! :)

Some resources / references from the episode

In this episode I share with you 10 of the podcast that I listen to (or at least try to!) on a regular basis. 

In no particular order:

1. The Rachel Hollis Podcast w/ Rachel Hollis
2. Straight Up w/ Trent Shelton
3. EmpowerHER w/ Kacia Fitzgerald
4. Full Out w/ Samantha Jo Harvey
5. The Real Marriage Podcast w/ Griffin & Heather Gilstrap
6. Rock Your Best Life w/ Becca Halverson
7. The Price of Avocado Toast w/ Haley & Justin Brown-Woods
8. The Kind Mind Project w/ Emily Helderman
9. From Jen to Zen w/ Jen Emswiler
10. Relatable Much w/ Becky Whelchel
11. (Bonus) Mind Your Hormones w/ Corinne Angelica

Emily Helderman is a spunky, beautiful 26 year old who resides in Columbus, OH. She has a master degree in social work and works as a crisis therapist in a well-known hospital system counseling adolescents who have struggled with or attempted suicide. 

Emily also hosts a weekly podcast called The Kind Mind Project, it is a must listen for ladies looking to throw out the nasty self talk and "move the mountains we were made to FREAKING MOVE!"

Today's episode, an interview with my sister, takes us through her battle with addiction. 

It all began at the age of 13 with alcohol, experimenting with pain medication a few years later and progressed into her 20's with heroin. 

Drug addiction, or addiction of any kind is a disease. This disease tore our family apart but in some ways brought us closer together and by the GRACE of GOD Kassie didn't lose her life or her freedom to the drugs. Kass is one of the lucky ones, she didn't end in jail or 6 feet in the ground but after a decade of in-patient rehab, out-patient therapy and dozens of relapse she made the decision for HERSELF that she wanted to be clean.

If you or someone you love is battling drug or alcohol addiction reach out for help. Some resources are listed below.