Courage Queen- Christian Entrepreneur, Sales Confidence, Faith & Growth, Devotionals for Women

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Its love month and this week's episode my husband Nathan Wenzel joined to talk about marriage, date night ideas, some of our most hilarious moments PLUS  answering some of the questions you wrote in. 
In this candid conversation we hope that you will feel encouraged with some tangible tips and wisdom from the heart as well as laugh with us while we entertain each others moments or better yet... my husbands dad jokes. 


Podcast Music: Laura Eister 

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Confidence and Self Love:

How my moms growing confidence impacted me. 
Your kids watch you, people watch you. What are they catching/experiencing between you and your spouse, your friends, your business practices, your self talk etc.

True Confidence is your belief in my ability to figure things out, its your heart, the quiet place within you. knowing who you are in Gods eyes and that your strength comes from him. 

What is false confidence?  physical, having the most friends, doing the most activities and social events- what you look like and how you act. Its not rooted in anything with a strong foundation and it doesn’t last.

 2020 to get back to my authentic presence because real confidence isn’t structured- its freedom and flowing spontaneously. 

*Big difference between changing who you are and EMBRACING as you grow into the fullness of who you are and becoming. 

Sharing the wisdom of  Brittany Packnett says that “Confidence is the necessary spark before everything that follows"

3 ways to crack the code of confidence: Permission, Community, Curiosity… 

My aunt at a young age gave me permission… I share this personal story.

Permission :permission births confidence, its  permission to defy expectations of you to blend in and do what’s expected.

*My entrepreneur journey with personal story and what it taught me.

Community: nurtures your confidence was propped up in sisterhood and friends 

 Curiosity: affirms confidence. 

*I see daily as I coach women specifically that if I gave them a “confidence pill” SOO much would and could change in their lives.  

Let go of  labels people put on you 
You gotta stand in front of your goals and dreams every day TRUSTING that everything you need is ALREADY in you- its your job to unlock it and STEP into it- confidence is in ACTION. 

We often underestimate the importance of and as Brittany says “we see it as “a nice to have instead of a must have” 

Only ways to build confidence 

1.)Ask for what you want- There is a big correlation between asking what you want and asking for it.
2. Say no- it builds confidence when you can be more specific and align yourself with the great opportunities instead of going after all the “good” ones.  

3. Stop apologizing for your opinion- It’s simply owning your right to see things differently than others. 
4. Be a dare devil - go after your goal, take a risk
5. expand your circle -more people who know where you want to go the faster you can team up and get there.

6. Bonus: Change your story/narrative- ask the hard questions 

Self Love

Self-love is an appreciation for yourself that grows from actions that are supporting our physical, psychological and spiritual growth. 

Dr. Shainna Ali: Make sure you are tailoring your coping strategies based on your situation because you can cope preventatively OR when triggered there is reactive coping- the after i experienced a stressor. 

for example: An adaptive  way to handle high anxiety might be to go to therapy, another way is maladaptive may be avoidance, consistently and you compartmentalize and don’t deal the feelings. 

A cornerstone to self love is understanding your meaning and purpose 

Your boundaries being a form of self love come in different forms- 

Are you willing to respect your own boundaries FIRST 

Boundaries have to be  intrapersonal first so you can work on the interpersonal boundaries. Gave tips for self love. 

1. More Mindfulness 
2. Act on what you need rather than what you want. 
3. Forgive yourself
4. Live intentionally. 

"I saw my differences as a weakness rather than a strength”

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Our guest this week is Rick Werry. Rick gets vulnerable and transparent in sharing his life changing story after an injury that left him paralyzed from the chest down. Rick's perspective on life and its challenges are inspiring and leave you with a feeling that you can adapt and shift your perspective when life gets hard, that you can through hard work, never giving up and keeping the faith, you can do something today - that you couldn't do yesterday. 

About Rick:
Rick Werry was born in a small town in Utah. The youngest of 4 kids growing up on a dairy farm. As a teenager Rick loved sports and being outdoors. 
In 2007 Rick married his college sweetheart Tara. One year later while building their house, Rick was in a construction accident and broke his neck. His life changed that day as Rick became paralyzed from the chest down. Rick was scared, sad and unsure what the future holds when a nurse came into his hospital room. The nurse was holding a red pen and a calendar. She told Rick that any time you accomplish something you couldn't do yesterday we will write it down and call it a "Red Letter Day"
Rick has taken that nurses advice not only for recovering from a spinal cord injury, but also as a life lesson. In ricks "wheelchair life" Rick has accomplished so many amazing things. Rick has a handcycle and rides long distances, plays wheelchair Rugby and is always hunting. Rick and Tara now have twin boys that are their whole life. Rick is a great dad and always playing with the "boys"
Rick has started to compile his life lessons and "Red letter Days" into a memoir, and plans to have it published.

Rick's Instagram: Rickfromroe
Facebook: Rick Werry 

Podcast Music: Laura Eister

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This weeks topic is strategy, verbiage and harnessing the power of "NO". Whether a friend is asking you for a personal favor, declining a social gathering you’d rather not attend,  boss is asking you to take on extra work and so many more examples, Justine gives you her power words to feel confident in your NO and have the courage to put YOU first. 

Following these strategies help:
Be clear when saying no. Saying things like “maybe” or “I’ll think about it” comes across as wishy-washy and uncertain.

Be honest about saying no. Lying about why you’re saying no to someone’s request can make you feel guilty and nothings worse than getting caught in it.

Don’t procrastinate. By telling someone no right away, you allow the other person to make other plans, just do the right thing girl.

Don’t make excuses or defend yourself. Remember that you have the right to say no.
Stop asking permission. An assertive no is not preceded with “Do you mind if I don’t . . . “ or “Will you be mad if I say no?, "Is this okay?"

Strengthen your no. If you’ve been saying yes to most requests for a long time, people likely won’t accept your refusal the first time you say no and they may push for a yes. Respond with a strong refusal, such as, “No, as I’ve said, I’m not willing to do that”.

As children we are also taught not to go against authority, we fear that if we don’t obey we will be punished so that starts the cycle of desire to please and be loved and we carry  into adulthood. 

Psychologically the inability to say no is directly linked to the need to seek this approval from others. Somewhere along the line we did not feel we could get love simply by being ourselves. 

Inability to say no it can lead to” Bad relationships (manipulation), passive aggressive behavior.
Is a person who always says yes healthy themselves? codependent? 

Lets Normalize no without feeling guilty or saying Sorry. 

Justine's verbiage...

“I’m so excited for you, have a fabulous time, I’ll be thinking of you even though I’m not able to be there”  OR I won’t be able to make it, Im grateful for the invite and its not a no forever but it is a no for right now. 

“That sounds amazing, its just not something I can commit to right now” OR “Im not comfortable doing that”

Setting Boundaries at work, To your boss: 

“Thank you so much for thinking of me for the project, i was planning on spending the rest of week working on the other two projects you’ve given me that are due really soon but Im happy to re-prioritize if you let me know which is most urgent"

To a co-worker:

Thanks for thinking of me to help plan the work fundraiser, it sounds really fun. Unfortunately Im at my capacity for the week but maybe one of the other coworkers is free to help

When someone says something racist or hateful: “No, thats not ok. Or just "WOW" with silence. Don’t waste words on someone who deserves your silence. Sometimes the most powerful things to say are nothing at all. 

OR  "Lets choose something else to talk about”

If this is a repeated matter :“As I have shared before the answer is no, I thank you in advance for respecting my wishes to Not bring this up again. “

Last tips: 

-Practice Saying “no” in small; unimportant situations like not buying something at a store.

-Before you say yes , “ I would like a couple days to pray/think on this and assess my priorities and schedule so I can give it my absolute best, may I will let you know within 24 hours."

- Ask yourself how bad the anxiety, guilt and disappointment etc you might feel if you don’t do what is being asked of you? Can you tolerate them? 

-Seek a healthy mentor to share the decision 

Podcast Photography

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This weeks episode dives into difficult conversation regarding grief. In the world we live in today people are grieving in many ways but we are not taught to grieve and how to best support the ones entrusted to us and our circle. 
We interview Michelle Weston who shares very transparent experience of how she experienced and navigated the loss of a father, a child etc. How to support others well who you love and want to stand in the gap for while they are grieving and tangible tips for how to guide children in these experiences as well. 

About Michelle:
Michelle as she states "puts the cray-cray in crazy. No, but for real. I’m an ENFP, and enneagram 2w3, that has anxiety and ADHD." Her saving grace is Jesus and her art. She throws paint and ink around and hopes for the best as she says . You can find her over at @saltylemonstudio on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. She is also Mike’s better half and proud Mama to 3 kiddos. She states " I am far from perfect and I make lots of mistakes, but I like it that way." She documents all her  shenanigans over on Instagram @michellewes10. From Michelle: "Even though I love new friends!...beware: I believe Jesus is Lord, love getting tattoos, speak my mind, believe kindness matters, love to read, and have an unhealthy obsession with being vulnerable."
Thats what we love about her!

Whether you have Lost someone and want to hear something that touches your heart so you know that you ARE NOT ALONE, Navigating the loss of someone currently, Wanting to be a better friend to someone you is, or just want some incredible and real wisdom on how to navigate it with more love and acceptance for yourself when you do experience this which we ALL will. This episode will reach into your heart and truly move you. Enjoy. 

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Justine shares 5 tips for healthy management of comparison on and offline. In our society today social comparison has skyrocketed and taken a toll on body image, self confidence and self worth. Everyone says not to compare while also sharing their great motivational quotes but do they ever really help? Get tangible tips that you can start integrating in to have more healthy boundaries, growth strategies and curiosity so you can focus on your life and what really matters. Included are some great reflection and journaling questions that allow the listener to look within and assess whether they are living their life making decisions casually influenced or truly for themselves. 

Thanks for listening. Follow us on @couragequeenpod on instagram for conversation, community weekly tips. 

Cover Art: Captured by Jenilee
Podcast Music: Laura "Larcy" Eister

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This week's guest is Val Jones  a former elite figure skater. She has shared the medal podium with Olympians Kristi Yamaguchi, Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan.  Her own Olympic dream was crushed when she sustained a career-ending knee injury. 

In recent years, Val has had 8 major surgeries in 9 years and contracted a potentially deadly complication after the 5th surgery.  She has not only survived these but has found a way to thrive in spite of them.

Taken from her own experiences, Val has proven approaches on how to overcome obstacles, persist through problems and come out on the other side even stronger.  

I am proud to introduce to you the only human on the planet who can perform a triple lutz but does not know how to ride a bike, Val Jones.

We hope you enjoy the conversation! 

Check out @couragequeenpod on instagram for the photo of Val on the medal podium where she says "That is me on the left and Kristy Yamaguchi in the middle.  It was the year of blue dresses, I guess!"

To watch the Book trailer: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtBLKJQLT50&fbclid=IwAR38mSXK2qmLA0g9Z_f17la1RimJ9IzFoRKEA8BdM7Dhsx2gIADqdr7d6nw

To Order Val's Book " Sharpen Your Edge"

https://smile.amazon.com/Sharpen-Your-Edge-Val-Jones/dp/1952255198/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=sharpen+your+edge&qid=1606311824&s=books&sr=1-1


Episode Cover Photo: Captured by Jenilee
Episode Music by: Laura (Larcy) Eister 

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In this episode Justine talks about new years resolutions and how only one of the many stuck last year but the one that stuck changed everything. She shares a very personal story about how 2020 taught her things she NEVER had planned. Her biggest secret is out and she has been working on healing all year. She will give tips for how to go into 2020 with more peace, not carrying the baggage of 2020 through her personal experiences. Other topics include healing from trauma, setting goals that serve you, picking a word for the new year, overcoming fear, surrendering your plans, getting real with yourself, creating a development plan, leveling up your community and habit stacking.She shares her story in hopes that someone can feel less alone, more encouraged and determined to become their best in 2021. Subscribe to Courage Queen Podcast on all platforms so you never miss a new  episode. 


Music by Laura (Larcy) Eister

Photographs by Captured by Jenilee
 Episode Instagram Photo: Nina Piccini

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This week Kelsey Krueger,  a licensed mental health counselor with a foundation in clinical psychology and research joins me for a raw interview. We have transparent and unscripted conversation about the challenges of Covid 19 and navigating holidays/traditions, managing stress and anxiety as well as how to develop better boundaries with many tangible tips. Personal stories give depth and real value to listeners that want clarity on how this season  love themselves well, respect others, while keeping the hope and fun within the season. This is an episode for the times and one you won't want to miss. 


More on Kelsey:
Kelsey's therapy practice mostly focuses on patients with anxiety and depression, and those struggling with the effects of toxic relationships, past and present. Kelsey is accepting new patients virtually via Zoom! You can find her on Instagram @kelseykruegerlmhc or view her profile on Psychology Today to connect.


Podcast music by Laura (Larcy) Eister 
Photographs by Captured by Jenilee 

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In this episode Justine is incredibly vulnerable and transparent in sharing her biggest failure. She shares tips on how to rewire your brain from past failures, how to deal with disappointments and how she trained herself to flip the perspective on what it looks like to fail forward. Justine shares some of her favorite tangible tips and truths for getting out of your own way and being the person people don't expect you to be in order to live your most authentic life with grace and love for yourself. Join the conversation on instagram @couragequeenpod. New episodes every week.