Friday Feelings

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In this powerful episode of Friday Feelings, Jenelle Friday sits down with executive coach and business strategist Nils Vinje to explore what it really takes to find inner peace when life feels like it’s spiraling. From startup pressure and family chaos to major life transitions, Nils vulnerably shares his personal story including the moment a single coaching question changed everything.

You'll learn how to reframe stress through metaphor, the neuroscience behind emotional self-regulation, and tactical ways to reconnect with calm amidst the storm. Whether you're navigating personal change or professional upheaval, this conversation offers grounded, practical wisdom rooted in emotional intelligence, mindfulness, and choice.

Key Takeaways:

• How to identify chaos you can control and what to do about it
• The metaphor that helped Nils find peace and perspective
• Practical grounding techniques like the 5-4-3-2-1 method and Butterfly Hug
• Why change doesn’t take time, but the decision to change does
• A gentle reminder that peace is not passive, it’s intentional

📍 Tune in and be reminded: peace isn’t found in perfection—it’s built in your mindset.

Resources:

• Connect with Nils! https://www.linkedin.com/in/nilsvinje/
• https://www.nilsvinje.com/

Referenced Materials:

• "Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ" by Daniel Goleman (https://amzn.to/439hMHL)
• "Who Moved My Cheese?" by Spencer Johnson
  (https://amzn.to/430SRFi)
• "Awaken the Giant Within" by Tony Robbins
  (https://amzn.to/42OISnL)
• "The Miracle of Mindfulness" by Thich Nhat Hanh
  (https://amzn.to/42TORGr)
• "Daring Greatly" by Brené Brown
  (https://amzn.to/3YtqBd0)

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In this episode of Friday Feelings, we’re digging deep into what it means to live an extraordinary life.  It's not by chasing perfection or external validation, but by making intentional, emotionally intelligent choices every single day.

Jenelle sits down with leadership coach and business strategist David Bush for a powerful, honest conversation about the mindset shift from “good enough” to above and beyond. David shares his journey from aspiring pro athlete to transformational coach, and the principles he now teaches to help others unlock significance, not just success.

Together, they explore the difference between implanted, imprinted, and inspired beliefs, and how breaking free from old stories is the key to creating new truth trenches. You’ll learn how the words you speak reshape your brain, how failure is a necessary bridge to growth, and why small consistent actions, like drinking water in the morning, can change everything.

Whether you feel stuck in average or are climbing toward something more, this episode will inspire you to “drop the shovel,” challenge your limiting beliefs, and begin building a life that’s anything but ordinary.

🛠️ Key takeaways:

• How to identify when you’re living in “average mode”
• Why belief systems shape your ceiling and how to rewrite them
• The 5 actions that influence transformation (watching, reading, listening, writing, and talking)
• How to build your mindset and daily habits around the extraordinary

🎧 Listen now and take the first step toward the life you choose to live.

Resources:

• Connect with David! https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-bush-4875248/
• https://www.bdr.ai/
• The Extraordinary Life Planner:
  • Free resource at theextraordinarylife.com.

Referenced Materials:

• Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (https://amzn.to/4jORtfG)
• Atomic Habits (https://amzn.to/42uGN00)

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What happens when the person you trusted most becomes the source of your deepest wounds?

In this unforgettable and profoundly personal episode of Friday Feelings, Jenelle sits down with her mother for a raw conversation about what it means to forgive the unforgivable. With courage, clarity, and compassion, they unravel a story marked by betrayal, generational trauma, and the long road to emotional liberation.

This is more than a story of survival, it’s a blueprint for healing.

Together, they talk through what Emotional Intelligence really looks like when the stakes are soul-deep: not the polished kind you read in a leadership book, but the kind forged in the fires of heartbreak, injustice, and loss. And yet, what emerges is not bitterness, but beauty.

💔 From infidelity and financial deception to devastating truths that emerged years later, Jenelle’s mother shares how she walked through a season of unimaginable pain…and made a decision not to let that pain define her future.

This episode is a masterclass in emotional courage, self-awareness, and the true meaning of self-management when triggered. It invites you into the hard truth: forgiveness is not weakness, it’s emotional mastery.

💡 In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

• Why forgiveness is not the same as forgetting, condoning, or reconciling
• How rage and heartbreak physically manifest in the body and how to listen to those signals
• The difference between numbing emotions and navigating them with EQ
• What it means to actively forgive someone who continues to cause harm
• How to know if you’re still holding on to pain by asking: “Do I still need or  something from this person?”
• The power of choosing peace over retribution, because forgiveness isn’t for them, it’s for you
• Practical steps to begin your own forgiveness process no matter how fresh or how old the wound

“Forgiveness doesn’t change the past. But it frees your future.”

Whether you’re spiritual, religious, or not at all, this episode speaks to the universal human experience of being hurt… and the extraordinary resilience it takes to let go.

If you’ve ever whispered to yourself, I don’t know if I can move on from this - this episode is your invitation to believe that you can.

🎧 Tune in now, and take the first step toward forgiving, and purposely living in peace and redemption.

🔗 Linked Resources from This Episode

Forgiveness isn’t forgetting. It’s choosing to stop carrying what was never yours to hold. These tools, books, and resources support the journey of processing pain, reclaiming your peace, and healing from the inside out.

📖 Books & Foundational Teachings

• The Book of Forgiving by Desmond Tutu & Mpho Tutu: https://amzn.to/4cCPhoZ
• Forgiving What You Can’t Forget by Lysa TerKeurst: https://amzn.to/42ChW9h
• Radical Forgiveness by Colin Tipping: https://amzn.to/42GbIFz

🧠 EQ + Healing Tools

• I AM Statements for Healing
  Create personal, powerful truths to combat shame, rewrite self-worth, and take back your identity.
  ➤ Try: I am healing. I am worthy of peace. I am no longer a prisoner of what hurt me.
  ➤ Need help writing your own? Download a free I AM Starter Pack (coming soon—want me to build this for you?)
• Journaling Prompt (from the episode)
  ➤ What does forgiveness look like to me—not for them, but for me?
  ➤ What burden am I still carrying, and what would it feel like to set it down—even if they never say sorry?

🔊 Faith & Emotional Healing

• Scriptures for Emotional Release & Forgiveness
  ➤ Ephesians 4:31-32 – “Let all bitterness… be put away from you… forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

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Healthy boundaries are often misunderstood.  They are either seen as walls that keep people out or as selfish ultimatums. But what if boundaries are actually bridges to stronger relationships, better communication, and deeper emotional resilience?

In this powerful episode of Friday Feelings, host Jenelle Friday welcomes guest Suzy Goodwin, a health educator, marathon mom of four, and boundary-setting expert, for a deeply honest and tactical conversation about what it really means to set boundaries that honor your worth. Suzy shares her personal journey from burnout to balance, including how a time audit helped her stop people-pleasing and reclaim her energy. Together, they explore the emotional intelligence behind boundary-setting, how to differentiate between self-preservation and selfishness, and how to handle the guilt that often shows up when we start saying “no.”

You’ll learn:

• How to identify your personal and professional boundary needs
• What a time audit is and how to use it to gain clarity
• A script you can use when saying no (without apologizing!)
• Why boundary-setting is an act of kindness—for yourself and others
• How to deal with emotional energy drains before they lead to burnout

If you're tired of stretching yourself too thin, saying yes when you mean no, or navigating relationships that leave you depleted, this episode is the reset you’ve been waiting for.

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In this episode of Friday Feelings, host Jenelle Friday sits down with transformational storyteller, voiceover artist, and creative mentor Marc Wendt for a powerful conversation about the emotional intelligence of awe—and how it can ground us, inspire us, and guide us back to what matters most.

Together, Jenelle and Marc explore what it means to live wide awake in a world that moves too fast. They talk about what happens when we give ourselves permission to pause, to get quiet, and to fully notice the beauty in ordinary moments. This episode is an invitation to step outside your mental noise and reconnect with the emotional clarity that awe can bring.

Marc opens up about his personal journey as an artist, storyteller, and seeker—including the impact of slowing down, the healing power of stillness, and why awe isn’t just a nice feeling—it’s an EQ strategy. Through personal stories, practical wisdom, and creative insight, Jenelle and Marc highlight the importance of presence, perspective-shifting, and living with intention.

🔑 In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why awe is a powerful tool for emotional regulation and creative reset
• How to reconnect with your inner child and stay grounded in gratitude
• How slowing down invites healing and presence
• The relationship between curiosity, mindfulness, and emotional intelligence
• Why we must pursue emotional truth in order to grow

Whether you’re craving peace, inspiration, or a renewed sense of connection—this episode will meet you where you are and gently guide you back to yourself.

🎧 Tune in now and start your journey back to presence, purpose, and awe.

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What if the secret to deep connection, trust, and impactful conversations lies in what happens before we speak?

In this powerful episode of Friday Feelings, host Jenelle Friday welcomes Geoffrey Owen, a thoughtful leader and deeply reflective communicator, to explore how emotional intelligence is most effective when it begins before the first interaction. Together, they dive into the art and science of emotional preparation—researching, reading the room before stepping into it, and truly seeing people for who they are before the conversation even starts.

Geoffrey shares how his approach to “pre-conversation listening” has transformed his professional and personal relationships. This practice—rooted in empathy, respect, and intentionality—has helped him create meaningful connections from the very beginning. By understanding someone's story, values, and background ahead of time, Geoffrey is able to lead with curiosity and compassion rather than assumptions or control. It's not about being overly strategic or manipulative; it’s about honoring the other person’s humanity through active, unseen listening.

Throughout the conversation, Jenelle and Geoffrey discuss how this EQ-driven mindset opens the door to trust, minimizes misunderstandings, and equips us to navigate challenging dynamics with grace. They explore how slowing down, observing patterns, and listening with your eyes, intuition, and attention creates safer environments for dialogue and growth.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

• Listening Begins Before Speaking: How reading between the lines—emails, LinkedIn posts, team behavior—can help you enter conversations with greater clarity and purpose.
• Emotional Preparedness is a Trust Tool: Being intentional before a conversation shows you value the other person’s time, energy, and emotions.
• Empathy Over Control: Leading with empathy means letting go of the need to steer the conversation and instead allowing the other person’s truth to guide the way.
• See First, Then Speak: “If you’re not seen, you can’t hear anything.” Geoffrey unpacks this profound truth and how being seen (and helping others feel seen) radically shifts communication.
• Self-Awareness and Personal Growth: Both Jenelle and Geoffrey reflect on moments where EQ required them to pause, unlearn old behavior, and make emotionally courageous choices.
• Emotional Safety is the Foundation: How creating a space where others can bring their full selves—especially in leadership and customer-facing roles—is essential to building rapport.

This episode is more than a conversation about listening—it’s a masterclass in how to prepare emotionally, mentally, and relationally to make every interaction more human, more honest, and more impactful.

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Life is unpredictable, but how we navigate change defines our resilience and growth. In this episode of Friday Feelings, we welcome Rachel Provan, leadership expert and founder of the CS Leadership Academy, to dive deep into the power of emotional agility—the ability to pivot, adapt, and thrive even in uncertain times.

Together, we explore the psychology behind emotional agility, why resilience often feels uncomfortable, and how rewiring your thoughts can transform your ability to handle challenges. Rachel shares raw personal experiences, insights into how our brain resists change, and practical strategies for building emotional flexibility in both professional and personal life.

Key Takeaways from This Episode:
⚡ Emotional Agility vs. Emotional Rigidity—why adaptability is key to success
🧠 How your brain resists change and what you can do about it
🔄 Mindset shifts to help you pivot when life throws unexpected curveballs
🚫 How to stop self-sabotaging thoughts and replace them with empowering ones
💬 Practical tools to help you manage stress, anxiety, and uncertainty

🎙 Guest Spotlight: Rachel Provan, leadership coach and host of Psychology of Customer Success, shares invaluable lessons on self-awareness, growth, and the power of shifting your internal narrative.

This episode will challenge you to examine your thoughts, break old patterns, and embrace uncertainty with confidence.

🎧 Tune in now and learn how to move through change with grace, clarity, and emotional strength!

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What if your emotions could serve as a compass, guiding you toward your true purpose? In this episode of Friday Feelings, we sit down with the powerhouse behind Women in the Arena, Audra Agen, to explore how emotional intelligence fuels purpose, clarity, and transformation.

From navigating career shifts to embracing change, Audra shares her deeply personal journey of self-discovery—how she turned frustration into action, grief into growth, and uncertainty into unwavering purpose. We’ll unpack the mind-body connection, the power of self-awareness, and why getting out of your comfort zone is the first step toward unlocking your true potential.

This episode is a raw, real, and inspiring deep dive into emotional resilience, self-reflection, and stepping boldly into the unknown.

Key Takeaways from This Episode:
🔥 Why emotions are the key to uncovering purpose and vision
🌱 The power of self-awareness in processing transitions and moving forward
💡 How to reframe fear, grief, or uncertainty into personal growth
🚴 The mind-body connection—why movement can shift your emotional state
💭 Practical strategies for aligning your emotions with meaningful action

🎙 Guest Spotlight: Audra Agen, host of Women in the Arena, shares how she turned her emotions into action, built a thriving platform for women’s voices, and transformed her personal and professional life in the process.

Whether you’re navigating a season of transition, seeking clarity, or looking for motivation to take the next step, this episode will leave you inspired, empowered, and ready to embrace your next chapter.

🎧 Listen now and step into your own arena with confidence!

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In this insightful episode of Friday Feelings, host Jenelle Friday explores the power of self-reflection with special guest Carly Agar, a customer success career coach and the host of the Customer Success Career Coach podcast. Together, they delve into how self-reflection can unlock emotional intelligence, leading to personal and professional growth.    

Carly shares her personal journey of leaving her customer success job to start her own business, highlighting how self-reflection helped her overcome fear and perfectionism.  Jenelle and Carly discuss practical strategies for incorporating self-reflection into daily life, such as journaling prompts and simple exercises.    

Key Takeaways:

• Discover the importance of self-reflection in understanding your emotions, behaviors, and thought patterns.    
• Learn how self-reflection can help you identify and challenge limiting beliefs, leading to greater self-awareness and personal growth.    
• Find out how Carly used self-reflection to overcome her fear of judgment and take the leap to start her own business.    
• Gain practical tips for incorporating self-reflection into your daily routine, even if you're not a writer.    

This episode offers valuable insights for anyone seeking to deepen their self-understanding, overcome challenges, and create a more fulfilling life. 🎙️ Listen now and embark on your journey of self-reflection!

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Imposter syndrome can creep into the minds of even the most capable individuals, casting shadows of doubt over their abilities and achievements. In this episode, we take a deep dive into how emotional intelligence can be a powerful tool for overcoming imposter syndrome. Together with our guest, Bayron Toruno we unpack the emotional and psychological roots of imposter syndrome and explore how EQ can help reframe self-doubt into confidence and clarity.

Bayron shares his personal journey of navigating imposter syndrome before and after the LionHeartCS EQ Bootcamp, offering practical insights into how emotional intelligence has played a transformative role in his success. From understanding emotional triggers to developing self-awareness and resilience, this episode provides actionable strategies to help you silence your inner critic and embrace your authentic self.

This discussion is filled with tools like mindfulness practices, reframing negative self-talk, and building supportive connections to boost self-worth. By the end of this episode, you’ll feel empowered to harness your emotions, challenge limiting beliefs, and step into your potential with unwavering assurance.

Key Highlights:

• Identifying emotional patterns and triggers linked to imposter syndrome
• Practical applications of EQ for building confidence and self-awareness
• Techniques for reframing doubt into opportunities for growth

Guest Contributions:

• Personal stories of overcoming imposter syndrome through emotional intelligence
• Proven tools and strategies to build self-validation and self-confidence
• Insightful takeaways to inspire deeper self-awareness and resilience

Join us for a powerful conversation with Bayron Turuno and learn how to use the power of emotional intelligence to embrace your worth, celebrate your achievements, and take bold strides toward your goals.