A LOT with Audra

What does it actually take to leave behind everything you've built — your career, your country, your circle — and start over from scratch? Carolina Freeman did exactly that when she moved from Argentina to Wichita, and what she found on the other side is a story about identity, resilience, and the courage to finally live life on your own terms. Carolina is the chef and owner of Argentina's Empanadas in Wichita, Kansas — and she is one of those rare people whose wisdom hits you soul deep. In this conversation, we talk about the grief of starting over, the surprising difficulty of making friends as an adult, and why the journey itself is the actual reward.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Why moving around as a child builds the kind of resilience that sticks with you into adulthood — and how to give kids that same gift without leaving the country
• The emotional reality of immigrating as an adult: leaving behind a career, a neighborhood, a university identity, and friendships — and arriving somewhere no one knows your story
• Why making friends past 35 is genuinely hard (and why it has nothing to do with you)
• The two types of people you'll find after 40: those who are completely settled, and those who are just starting to discover who they really are
• How Carolina left a career in HR to build a business that bridges her past and her present
• Why the second act isn't about age — it's about waking up and taking agency over the life you actually want
• The difference between chasing an end result and learning to find reward in the daily process
• The emotional nakedness of entrepreneurship — and why feeling your emotions is not weakness, it's data
• The concept of "emotional agility" from Harvard psychologist Susan David and how using emotions as information can guide better decisions
• Why success, for Carolina, means freedom, harmony, and peace — not a yacht
• How small, consistent action — a "grain of salt" every day — is what builds something big over time

CHAPTERS

• 0:00 — Welcome
• 1:50 — Second Acts and Identity
• 3:25 — Moving to Wichita
• 4:35 — Culture Shock and Language
• 5:35 — Resilience Through Change
• 7:22 — Making Friends as Adults
• 9:46 — Defining the Second Act
• 10:57 — From HR to Empanadas
• 13:02 — Authenticity and Acceptance
• 14:15 — Loneliness and Starting Over
• 16:22 — Community-Driven Business
• 17:39 — Taking the Leap
• 19:07 — Journey Over Outcome
• 20:34 — Live How You Want
• 22:26 — Show Up Daily
• 24:05 — Support and Emotions
• 27:32 — Emotional Agility Tools
• 29:42 — Redefining Success
• 31:17 — Freedom and Brand Legacy
• 33:09 — What's Next and Where to Follow

RESOURCES MENTIONED

•  Argentina's Empanadas — Instagram | Facebook | Location: Clifton Square, College Hill, Wichita, KS | Food truck at the Saturday Farmer's Market

Want to learn more?

The Thread

Be sure to follow me @audradinell on Instagram and LinkedIn

This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network.

Disclaimer: we may receive a small commission on any products purchased through the links used in this episode. I only recommend tools and resources I actually use and find valuable.

What if your birthday celebration wasn't really about your birthday at all? Jen Christian turned 40 with one of the most intentional, fun, and friendship-forward celebrations I've ever seen — and it started not with a party plan, but with a personal reckoning. After navigating a postpartum fog that hit during COVID, Jen found herself asking: Who am I now? What do I value? And who are my people for this next decade? The answers led her to create "40 Things for 40" — a curated list of experiences, meals, adventures, and connections she organized into a Google site and sent to the people she loves most. No pressure. No spotlight. Just an open invitation to show up and share life together. If you're approaching a milestone birthday — or honestly any season of life where you're ready to come back to yourself — this conversation is going to spark something in you.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Jen shares how coming out of postpartum and the COVID season prompted her to ask the big questions: who am I, what do I value, and who are my people?
• Why loneliness can sneak up on you even when you're surrounded by wonderful people — and what to do about it
• How Jen's eclectic friend group actually inspired the format of her celebration
• The four "buckets" she used to organize her 40 things: places to dine, things she loves most, things to discover, and an evolution of Jen
• Why she chose a Google Site to host the list (hint: her husband's class reunion inspired it)
• How a Google Form made logistics effortless and her social calendar full for the next decade
• Why celebration isn't about the spotlight — it's about pausing, reflecting, and connecting
• Jen's definition of celebration: "It's about pausing. It's about reflection. It's about accomplishment, and it's about connection and relationship."

CHAPTERS

0:00 – Welcome and Meet Jen

1:04 – Why Turning 40 Matters

3:10 – Reclaiming Identity After Motherhood

6:47 – Pulling Back and Finding Your People

9:57 – The 40 Things for 40 Idea

12:07 – Building the List and Buckets

17:03 – Sharing It Out and Timeline

20:11 – Favorite Picks From the 40

21:37 – Why Celebration Matters

23:05 – Template Offer and Wrap Up

RESOURCES

• Jen's "40 Things for 40" Template
• Saltwell Farm Kitchen — between Topeka and Lawrence, Kansas (https://www.saltwellfarmkitchen.com)
• Google Sites — the free platform Jen used to build and share her celebration list (https://sites.google.com)
• Google Forms — used for RSVPs and tracking signups (https://forms.google.com)
• ChatGPT — Jen used this to help brainstorm ideas for her final bucket of five (https://chat.openai.com)
• Pinterest — also used for inspiration while building the list (https://www.pinterest.com)

Want to learn more?

The Thread

Be sure to follow me @audradinell on Instagram and LinkedIn

This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network.

Disclaimer: we may receive a small commission on any products purchased through the links used in this episode. I only recommend tools and resources I actually use and find valuable.

What if the path that didn't work out was actually the one preparing you for exactly where you're supposed to be? Career and leadership coach Jenna Bottolfsen joins me for a conversation about the unexpected pivots, restarts, and pauses that shape us — and why the thing you thought was a setback might actually be the most important step in your story. Jenna went from 25 years in corporate HR to a failed first attempt at entrepreneurship right as COVID hit, back to corporate, and then into the unexpected opportunity of purchasing an established business. She now runs Wallace Associates, helping people navigate career transitions, clarify their value, and take confident next steps. This conversation is full of practical tools and permission-giving perspective for anyone sitting with uncertainty about what comes next.

Highlights

• Why "detours are signs too" — and how Cleo Wade's poem frames the entire conversation
• The difference between a failure and a learning opportunity, and why Jenna refuses to use the word failure
• How letting go of a corporate title is often the hardest — and most necessary — first step
• The role values and purpose play when someone feels stuck or out of alignment in their career
• Why Jenna starts every client conversation with, "What got you into this field in the first place?"
• The power of "five seconds of insane courage" — and how you don't have to be brave for long, just long enough
• Two practical tools: the "You Are Here" exercise and the Worst Case Scenario spiral
• Why "expectations are the killer of joy" — and how loosening them opens the door to forward movement
• The mindset shift from "this has to be forever" to "what's my next right step?"
• How a friend's grief over a missed promotion led to the realization that the job she didn't get was actually protecting what mattered most to her

Chapters

0:00 — Introduction & About Jenna

2:02 — Detours Are Signs (Cleo Wade poem)

2:44 — Milestone Catch-Up

3:44 — Jenna's COVID Leap & Return to Corporate

4:52 — Buying Wallace Associates

6:07 — Resilience After Setbacks

8:10 — Five Seconds of Courage

10:26 — Audra's First Business Lesson

12:35 — Detours & Alignment

15:39 — Questions for When You're Feeling Stuck

20:09 — Letting Go of Identity

24:55 — The "You Are Here" & Worst Case Scenario Tools

28:19 — The Next Right Step Mindset

31:33 — Closing: Loosen Your Expectations

Resources Mentioned

• In a World of Sunrises by Cleo Wade — the book Audra references and from which she reads the "Detours are signs too" poem
• Wallace Associates — Jenna Bottolfsen's career and leadership coaching business
• The Next Right Thing podcast 

Want to learn more?

The Thread

Be sure to follow me @audradinell on Instagram and LinkedIn

This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network.

Disclaimer: we may receive a small commission on any products purchased through the links used in this episode. I only recommend tools and resources I actually use and find valuable.

What if the most powerful lesson from the Olympics has nothing to do with the athletes?

Executive coach Jeana Marinelli joined me for a conversation straight from her last days in Florence, Italy — capping off nearly 90 days abroad that started as a one-week trip to the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. What began as a trip to see snowboarding turned into an extended season of rest, community, curiosity, and unexpected self-discovery. We talked about what it really means to be present in an experience, why we're all at risk of being passive consumers of our own lives, and how the smallest act of noticing — and then sharing what you notice — can change everything.

Highlights

• Jeana packed for one week and stayed for 86 days — following curiosity, awe, and wonder every step of the way
• Milano Cortina 2026 was the first gender-equal Winter Olympics (and Paris 2024 was the first gender-equal Summer Olympics) — and Jeana attended both
• The Olympic spectator experience is completely different from watching on TV: no commentators, no play-by-play, just raw emotion and crowd energy
• Jeana reframes "spectator" — she wasn't watching the Olympics, she was participating in a community
• The difference between consuming community and contributing to it is one of the episode's central threads
• A chance encounter with Jaelin Kauf's family at dual moguls — sparked by offering to take their photo — turned into a full day of celebration
• How "noticing + sharing what you notice" is a simple, accessible way to build connection anywhere
• Why slowing down is always the starting point for meaningful change — whether in personal life or organizational leadership
• Turning 40 and the lessons of living in the gray (not everything is black and white)
• The National Equity Project's definition of leadership: taking ownership over something that matters

Chapters

2:35 — Birthday Reflections

5:35 — From One Week to Ninety Days

7:52 — What the Trip Gave Her

10:29 — Handling Transition Seasons

12:37 — Spectator Experience Reframed

16:58 — Gender Equal Olympics

18:30 — Bringing It Home Through Writing

21:37 — Consumption Versus Contribution

29:38 — Noticing Wonder Daily

34:09 — Final Threads and Farewell

Resources Mentioned

• 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics

Want to learn more?

The Thread

Be sure to follow me @audradinell on Instagram and LinkedIn

This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network.

Disclaimer: we may receive a small commission on any products purchased through the links used in this episode. I only recommend tools and resources I actually use and find valuable.

What if becoming a mom didn't just change your schedule — it changed you at your core? 

I sat down with Taryn Zweygardt, a therapist specializing in perinatal mental health and co-owner of Flourish, to talk about the identity shifts, the mental load, the perfectionism, and the ADHD diagnoses that so many of us didn't see coming — until motherhood cracked us open and showed us what was really there.

This is a conversation for anyone who has ever wondered why it feels so hard, why they feel so different, or why the life they carefully organized before kids suddenly feels like it belongs to a stranger.

Highlights

• Motherhood often doesn't feel "natural" at first — and the shame that comes with that is real and incredibly common
• Becoming a mom can act like a rock thrown into a still pond, bringing everything that's settled at the bottom rising to the surface
• Society sells us a timeline — married, then kids, then house — but the cost of following that script without self-reflection can be high
• Both Taryn and Audra were diagnosed with ADHD after becoming mothers, and motherhood was the thing that illuminated it
• The mental load isn't just "feeling busy" — it's a specific and invisible weight that needs to be named, shared, and actively redistributed
• Asking for help requires being direct — "I'm overwhelmed" isn't enough; specific asks like "Can you handle dinner on Tuesdays?" are what actually shift the load
• The "hell yes or hell no" framework is a powerful filter for deciding what deserves your limited capacity
• Not every ball is glass — knowing which ones are plastic (and can bounce if dropped) is a game-changer for managing motherhood and business simultaneously
• Standards can and should shift with seasons — giving yourself permission to let the grass grow a little longer isn't failure, it's wisdom

Chapters

1:03 — Motherhood Changes Everything

2:08 — Expectations vs. Reality

3:02 — When It Doesn't Feel Natural

4:42 — Normalizing the Hard Parts

7:03 — Social Media and Real Life

8:45 — Identity After Becoming Mom

10:23 — Perfectionism and ADHD Revealed

11:53 — Her Motherhood Timeline

17:27 — The Pond Rock Metaphor

20:49 — Choosing Your Parenting Path

22:51 — Trust Your Parenting Gut

23:17 — ADHD Meets Business

24:38 — Capacity and Boundaries

26:48 — Hell Yes or Hell No

28:43 — Mental Load Reality

29:31 — Asking for Direct Help

31:36 — Sharing the Invisible Work

34:09 — Fair Play in Practice

36:58 — Glass vs. Plastic Balls

38:13 — Standards for This Season

39:06 — Closing Advice and Where to Find Her

Resources Mentioned

• Reproductively Speaking podcast — hosted by Taryn Zweygardt
• TZ Therapy — Taryn's therapy practice
• Flourish — Taryn's collective (also on Instagram: @flourishict)
• Taryn on Instagram: @tztherapy

Want to learn more?

The Thread

Be sure to follow me @audradinell on Instagram and LinkedIn

This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network.

Disclaimer: we may receive a small commission on any products purchased through the links used in this episode. I only recommend tools and resources I actually use and find valuable.

What does it actually take to wake up, choose differently, and become someone new?

Whether you're staring down a milestone birthday or quietly sensing it's time for a change, this conversation with Damon Young will meet you right where you are. Damon is a civic leader, executive mentor, public speaker, and founder of DK Young Consulting — and he sat down to talk candidly about what it looked like to go from heads-down in construction to stepping fully into his purpose as a connector of ideas and people. We covered the grief of letting dreams die, the power of writing something down with a shaking hand, and why 10% improvement might be the most radical thing you can do.

Highlights

• The "roots before fruit" framework — why focusing on the fruit actually prevents it from growing
• Why 10% improvement is more transformative than trying to nail it 90% of the time
• The real cost of living with intention — and what you have to let go of to get there
• How the 12 Week Year changed the trajectory of Damon's life and career
• The shaking-hand moment: writing down a buried dream for the first time in 15 years
• Why regret is a powerful motivator — if you let it illuminate instead of sink you
• Letting fantasies and alternative lives die so you can fully choose the one in front of you
• What Damon's son said at his rehearsal dinner that made all the intentional living worth it
• The Kia story: a small, symbolic decision that said everything about who Damon was becoming

Chapters

0:00 – Choosing to Wake Up

1:18 – Meet Damon Young

2:58 – Turning 40 and 50

4:30 – Kids Grow Fast

7:38 – Roots Before Fruit (don't focus on the fruit — get in the soil)

11:22 – Shiny Objects and Grace

13:37 – The Power of Ten Percent

16:17 – Advice for Your Forties

19:42 – Damon at Thirty-Five

27:40 – Stress and Self-Soothing

31:13 – The Cost of Intention

33:54 – Letting Dreams Die

35:48 – Marriage and Becoming

24:57 – Facing Regret in New Decades

25:56 – Regret and Finite Time

26:42 – Heidi and the 12 Week Year

27:52 – Writing Down the Dream

29:34 – From Baby Steps to Paid Speaking

31:15 – Assessments and Finding Your Magic

33:57 – Regret as Motivation and Experiments

36:28 – Letting Go of Comparison

42:35 – The Kia Identity Shift

44:30 – Kids Notice Your Growth

45:52 – Where to Find Damon

Resources Mentioned

• The 12 Week Year by Brian Moran & Michael Lennington — the goal-setting framework that helped Damon write down his dream for the first time: https://www.12weekyear.com
• Arthur Brooks — author and social scientist; Damon references his concept of the "reverse bucket list": https://www.arthurbrooks.com
• When Everyone Leads — https://kansasleadershipcenter.org/when-everyone-leads/
• Designing Your Life — Stanford framework referenced for experimenting and "renting" ideas before committing: https://designingyour.life
• DK Young Consulting — Damon's boutique consultancy focused on vision casting, executive mentoring, and public speaking: https://dkyconsulting.com
• Lead Wichita — civic leadership organization where Damon serves as contract CEO: https://leadwichita.org

Want to learn more?

The Thread

Be sure to follow me @audradinell on Instagram and LinkedIn

This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network.

Disclaimer: we may receive a small commission on any products purchased through the links used in this episode. I only recommend tools and resources I actually use and find valuable.

What if the most creative thing you ever did had nothing to do with a paintbrush? Creativity isn't reserved for the artists with the fancy titles — it's a way of moving through the world, and it might be the most powerful form of self-trust you have. I sat down with Wichita-based multidisciplinary artist Jill Nicole Luten to talk about what happens when you stop performing creativity and start practicing it honestly. We covered everything from how she stumbled into photography through a food blog, to why play is non-negotiable for a creative life, to the one-word-a-month self-portrait practice that changed how she sees herself.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Jill shares how she didn't recognize her own creativity until her late twenties — and why that's more common than we think
• The food blog that accidentally launched a photography career (and what her mom's unused camera had to do with it)
• Why other people's belief in you can unlock what you can't yet see in yourself
• How motherhood and therapy led Jill to claim the identity of "artist" for the first time
• The difference between seeing your own creativity and noticing creativity in the world around you — and why both matter
• Creativity isn't just for visual artists: Jill's definition — "something didn't exist, and now it does" — changes everything
• Why play is scientifically backed to improve self-confidence, intuition, and problem-solving — and why our culture makes it a battle to prioritize
• The pressure vs. play distinction: you can create under both, but only one fills you up
• How Jill gives herself big, bold projects (like a solo art show or a year of self-portraits) to force herself to share her work
• The one-word-a-month self-portrait practice — and how non-photographers can adapt it
• The biggest creative advice for anyone stepping into a second act: go after it loosely, boldly, and with low expectations

CHAPTERS

1:03 — Creativity as Self-Trust

1:54 — Meet Jill Nicole Luten

2:57 — Early Signs of Creativity

4:39 — Food Blog to Photography

6:46 — Others Reflect Your Gifts

9:39 — Motherhood, Therapy, and Core Self

11:26 — Seeing Creativity Everywhere

14:50 — Redefining What Counts

16:48 — Why Play Fuels Creativity

19:01 — Play as an Adult and Mom

20:14 — Books That Spark Play

21:34 — Pressure vs. Play

24:05 — Making Creativity Sustainable

26:39 — Trust Yourself and Share

29:36 — Going Big to Be Seen

30:16 — Year of Self-Portraits

30:54 — One Word a Month Method

32:30 — Non-Photographer Options

35:16 — Small Creative Practice

37:04 — Where to Find Jill

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert — https://www.elizabethgilbert.com/big-magic/
• Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness by Ingrid Fetell Lee — https://aestheticsofjoy.com/the-book/
• The War of Art by Steven Pressfield — https://stevenpressfield.com/books/the-war-of-art/
• Jill Nicole Luten on Instagram: @sincerelyjill and @jillnicoleluton
• Jill Nicole Luten's website: jillnicoleluton.com

Want to learn more?

The Thread

Be sure to follow me @audradinell on Instagram and LinkedIn

This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network.

Disclaimer: we may receive a small commission on any products purchased through the links used in this episode. I only recommend tools and resources I actually use and find valuable.

What does it look like when a leader stops splitting herself in two?

Ashley Bowen Cook, owner of Alpha Charlie — an aviation-focused marketing firm based in Wichita, Kansas — stepped into full business ownership in January 2026 after nearly 23 years with the agency. The moment she did, something unexpected happened: a candid photo of her and her 10-year-old son Charlie, taken on a snow day in her office, ended up on the cover of the Wichita Business Journal — and it sparked something much bigger than a rebrand announcement.

Women who saw it exhaled.

In this conversation, Ashley walks us through her three-year transition into ownership, the meaning behind the Alpha Charlie name (hint: it's deeply personal on multiple levels), and what it truly means to hold motherhood and ambition and leadership all at once — not in separate boxes, but together, exactly as they are. She shares how becoming a mom completely rewired her definition of success, why she leads her team with grit, grace, and gratitude, and the practical, tactical wisdom she's gathered for ambitious women who refuse to leave any part of themselves at the door.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Ashley purchased Greta Group — now rebranded as Alpha Charlie — from founder Sonya Greta after a deliberate three-year ownership transition plan
• The name Alpha Charlie carries layers of meaning: Ashley's own initials, a nod to "Air Capital," the concept of being a leader and a new beginning, a faith reference, and a tribute to her son Charlie
• A spontaneous snow-day photo with her son became the cover of the Wichita Business Journal — and sparked an outpouring of gratitude from women who felt seen
• Ashley shares how the photo communicated "permission to stop splitting ourselves in two" — a message she didn't even know she was sending
• Success, post-motherhood, looks like raising a kind human being who contributes positively to the world
• She reflects on the shift from women competing against each other to genuinely cheering each other on — and why that matters for leadership
• Motherhood has directly shaped how Ashley leads her team: empowerment over micromanagement, flexibility with accountability
• The Wichita Children's Business Fair became an unexpected classroom for teaching her son that losing is part of entrepreneurship
• Her non-negotiables: Sunday church, morning workouts with a mom friend group, and unstructured time just for herself
• Final wisdom: You don't have to own a business to be a leader — leadership is about impact, not management

CHAPTERS

0:00 — Meet Ashley Bowen Cook

2:05 — Second Act Ownership Leap

3:42 — The Three-Year Transition Plan

6:27 — Alpha Charlie Rebrand Story

7:06 — The Cover Photo With Charlie

9:50 — Permission to Be Whole

13:39 — Redefining Success as a Mom

15:06 — Dropping the Instagram Myth

16:16 — Women Supporting Women Shift

18:39 — Men and Caregiving Culture

22:12 — Raising a Leader Son

23:25 — Grit, Grace & Gratitude Lessons

26:03 — Flexibility With Accountability

28:36 — The Ambitious Motherhood Toolkit

32:06 — Non-Negotiables and Self-Care

35:07 — Final Leadership Wisdom

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Alpha Charlie — Ashley's aviation-focused marketing agency (formerly Greta Group), based in Wichita, Kansas
• Wichita Aero Club 
• WIBA (Wichita Independent Business Association)

Want to learn more?

The Thread

Be sure to follow me @audradinell on Instagram and LinkedIn

This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network.

Disclaimer: we may receive a small commission on any products purchased through the links used in this episode. I only recommend tools and resources I actually use and find valuable.

What if you could plant one seed today that would change everything about spring?

This episode is an invitation to slow down, breathe, and get intentional about what you want to grow over the next year. Inspired by a vision exercise from one of our cohorts at The Thread, I'm walking you through the Spring Ahead Vision — a 10-minute practice you can do with a journal and your favorite drink in hand. Whether you're new to seasonal living or have been tuning into the rhythms of the year for a while, this one is for you.

Highlights

• Seasonal living as a framework for self-care and intentional growth
• The Spring Ahead Vision exercise, originally created for The Thread cohort community
• A guided breathwork moment to settle in before the exercise
• The central question: What wants to grow next?
• Visualizing spring one year from now — what feels lighter, braver, and more alive
• Choosing your "seed word" or phrase to anchor your growth for the year
• The power of finding an accountability mirror — someone who reflects your effort back to you
• Committing to one small action this week to water your seed

Chapters

1:03 — Seasonal Living

1:34 — Spring Ahead Vision Setup

2:13 — Breathwork and Growth Question

2:53 — One Year Spring Visualization

3:26 — Choose Your Seed Word

4:16 — Accountability Mirror Text

5:40 — Commit to One Small Action

6:00 — Spring Mindset Closing

Want to learn more?

The Thread

Be sure to follow me @audradinell on Instagram and LinkedIn

This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network.

Disclaimer: we may receive a small commission on any products purchased through the links used in this episode. I only recommend tools and resources I actually use and find valuable.

What does it actually look like to shed the roles, rules, and expectations that no longer fit — and build something entirely your own? That's exactly what Amanda Mulsow did when she turned 40 in the middle of a global pandemic, a personal health crisis, and a mental health emergency with her daughter. Instead of falling apart, she chose a word, created a mantra, and started rewriting the story she had been living by for decades. Amanda is the founder of Grit Marketing and Strategy, a full-service agency helping small and local businesses grow through intentional, strategic marketing. Her story is one of unbecoming — and becoming more fully herself in the process.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Amanda's word of the year for 2020 was "life giving" — chosen before the world shut down, it turned out to be exactly what she needed

• She developed the mantra "No F*cks at 40" as a declaration to stop living for other people's opinions and expectations

• How COVID became an unexpected reset and opportunity for deep personal growth and self-investment

• The power of building your tribe — why community is the second lever alongside personal development

• A peer resource specialist's advice that changed Amanda's inner dialogue: "You would never talk to anybody else the way you talk to yourself"

• Why a solo retreat is one of the most powerful tools for quieting outside voices and getting clear on who you are and where you want to go

• Amanda's MS diagnosis in 2017 and how it forced her to finally prioritize rest and recovery

• The farm upbringing that ingrained "always be productive" — and the leaders who helped her unlearn it

• How three friends in one week told her she had "grit" — and how that became the foundation of her business name and brand

• GRIT as an acronym: Growth Requires Intention and Tenacity

• Why starting her own agency gave her deeper empathy for her clients and made her feel lighter, happier, and more confident

• The value of embracing an experimental mindset: "I don't fail — I learn"

• Perfectionism as a daily practice to rewrite — and why embracing a hobby you're bad at (hello, golf and watercolors) is a surprisingly powerful tool

CHAPTERS

0:00 – Introduction

1:03 – Meet Amanda Mulsow

2:21 – Turning 40 in Chaos

4:05 – Life Giving Boundaries

5:09 – COVID Reset and Growth

10:33 – No F*cks at 40

13:24 – Quieting Outside Voices

17:49 – Rewrite the Rules

20:45 – Pressure on High Achievers

21:47 – Motherhood and Boundaries

22:58 – Modeling Rest for Kids

24:07 – Blocking Time to Recharge

26:28 – Starting Grit Marketing

29:15 – Rebrand and Upleveling

30:02 – Live Boldly, Take Risks

33:15 – New Identity as Owner

34:51 – Failure, Learning, and Regret

38:39 – Rewriting Perfectionism

39:44 – Hobbies That Teach Imperfection

41:16 – Closing Thanks and Goodbye

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• The Hive (https://thehivewichita.com/) — the women's community Amanda joined during COVID for connection and support

• Grit Marketing and Strategy (https://gritmarketingks.net/) — Amanda's full-service marketing agency for small and local businesses

Want to learn more?

The Thread

Be sure to follow me @audradinell on Instagram and LinkedIn

This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network.

Disclaimer: we may receive a small commission on any products purchased through the links used in this episode. I only recommend tools and resources I actually use and find valuable.