The Powerful Way To Handle Overwhelm When You’re Exhausted: I share how I surrender, reset my priorities, and find clarity when life feels like too much. I almost didn’t record this episode.

Honestly, everything felt like too much.

Too much to do. Too many people needing something. Too many responsibilities competing for my attention.

And if you’ve ever been in a season where you’re carrying so much that you don’t even know where to begin, this episode is for you.

I’m sharing this one in real time because overwhelm happens to all of us, even when the things filling our lives are good things.

Between leading multiple teams, serving my coaching clients, Wholeness Journey, ministry, relationships, and everyday life, I had to remind myself of something important:

I was never meant to carry all of this alone.

In this episode, I’m walking you through exactly what I did to move from overwhelmed and exhausted to feeling clear about my next step.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What I do when everything feels like too much

• Why overwhelm doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong

• How I release control and reconnect with God

• Why a simple brain dump can create immediate clarity

• How I decide what actually needs to happen today

• Why not everything on your list is urgent

• How I decide what to delegate and what only I can do

• Why I focus on just three priorities at a time

• How I’m learning to build capacity without carrying everything myself

One of the biggest reminders I needed today was this:

Not everything is for today.

You don’t have to solve everything right now.

Release. Give it to God. Get filled up. Write everything down. Choose the three things that matter today, and release the rest.

Then go rest. Go play. Go do something that fills you back up.

If you’re carrying a lot right now, I hope you know you’re not alone. I’m rooting for you.

And if someone in your life is carrying a lot too, send them a message today. Remind them that you see them and that they’re supported.

If this episode resonated with you, please take a moment to:

⭐ Leave a 5 review on Apple Podcasts

📱 Share this episode with someone who needs this reminder

🎧 Follow the podcast so you never miss an episode

Your support helps more people discover these conversations.

Resources & Links

• Connect with Jess: JessDahl.com
• Learn about Dreams to Reality Mastermind
• Learn about Wholeness Journey

Follow Jess on Instagram for weekly encouragement and behind-the-scenes updates.

The Powerful Truth About Building Wealth With Intention

What does it really mean to build wealth without losing yourself in the process?

In this episode of the Say Yes Anyway Podcast, Jess sits down with wealth strategist and Live Wealthy author Dawn Dahlby for a powerful conversation about money, purpose, values, financial freedom, generosity, and what it means to live a wealthy life.

Dawn shares why building wealth isn't only about increasing your bank account. It's also about building internal wealth, understanding your values, creating financial alignment, and recognizing when you have enough.

Together, Jess and Dawn unpack the mindset shifts that can change the way you approach money, including letting go of scarcity, making intentional decisions, and taking action before you feel completely confident.

Dawn also shares how she left hospitality at 30, entered financial planning, and pushed through a difficult first six months before believing she had made the right decision. Her story is a reminder that sometimes you have to say yes before you have all the answers.

In This Episode

• Building internal and external wealth

• Why financial and emotional wealth both matter

• Discovering what "enough" means for you

• Money, values, purpose, and alignment

• Taking action before confidence

• Making financial decisions based on your values

• Generosity and building wealth

• How scarcity affects our relationship with money

• The difference between a budget and a spending plan

• How wealth can create more opportunities to give

Key Takeaways

✨ Wealth is more than money. True wealth includes the internal work of managing your thoughts, emotions, and responses while building financial wealth.

✨ Your money should reflect your values. Your financial decisions should support the life you actually want to live.

✨ You don't have to believe in yourself before you begin. Sometimes belief comes after you take the first step.

✨ Generosity is part of wealth. Financial freedom can create opportunities to give your money, time, and resources in meaningful ways.

✨ Your version of a wealthy life is personal. Financial freedom isn't about someone else's definition of success. It's about creating the freedom to live according to what matters most to you.

Faith, Money & Purpose

Dawn shares how her Christian faith shapes her view of money and generosity. For her, financial success isn't simply about accumulating more. It's about having the freedom to live fully, support the people you love, give generously, and make choices aligned with your values.

Connect With Jess

🌐 Website: https://jessdahl.com

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessdahl_

❤️ Wholeness Journey: https://wholenessjourney.org

Learn more about Jess's coaching, speaking, retreats, and resources at jessdahl.com.

Connect With Dawn

Dawn Dahlby is the author of Live Wealthy and the founder of a financial planning practice focused on creating greater alignment between wealth and the life you want to live.

📸 Instagram: dawndahlbyfiduciary

🌐 Live Wealthy: https://relevefinancialgroup.com/

Enjoyed This Episode?

❤️ Follow the Say Yes Anyway Podcast

⭐ Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

📩 Share this episode with someone who needs a fresh perspective on money, wealth, purpose, or financial freedom.

Every share helps us reach more people ready to say yes to the life they were created for.

Coming Next

More conversations about saying yes to the things that matter, stepping into your next season, and creating a life rooted in faith, purpose, wholeness, and alignment.

This episode is sponsored by Dreams to Reality Mastermind.

Dreams to Reality Mastermind is a transformational community for women leaders, visionaries, and purpose-driven entrepreneurs ready to stop playing small, gain clarity, and confidently build the life and business God is calling them to create.

Ready to turn your God-given vision into reality? Visit jessdahl.com or DM Jess on Instagram with the word DREAM.

EP. 85 | What No One Tells You After a Major Life Milestone | The Identity Gap & Your Made for More Season

Everybody celebrates the milestone.

Almost no one talks about what happens after.

After months away from the podcast, Jess is back for an honest conversation about the season that changed everything.

Following her wedding, a cross-country move, international mission trips, profound grief, healing from a serious car accident, and stepping into an entirely new chapter of life, Jess found herself asking a question many of us eventually face:

Who am I now that the thing I prayed for is finally here?

In this deeply personal episode, Jess shares why the podcast went quiet, what was happening behind the scenes, and why every major milestone invites us into an identity shift.

Whether you've recently gotten married, started a business, graduated, reached a financial goal, experienced loss, or simply know you're entering a new season, this conversation will remind you that feeling disoriented doesn't mean you're doing something wrong.

It often means you're becoming someone new.

This episode also marks the beginning of the Made for More season of the Say Yes Anyway Podcast, where we'll explore what it really looks like to grow into the life you're being called to live.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why reaching a milestone can feel unexpectedly confusing

• The hidden "identity gap" nobody prepares us for

• Why grief and joy can exist at the same time

• What Jess learned through marriage, loss, healing, and rebuilding

• How to recognize when you've outgrown an old version of yourself

• Why healing is essential before sustainable impact

• What it means to step into your "Made for More" season

• How saying yes before you're fully ready continues to change everything

If this episode resonated with you...

If you're navigating a life transition, rebuilding after loss, or stepping into a new chapter, I'd love to hear your story.

Send me a DM or connect with me through my website. Let me know what "Made for More" means to you and what season you're currently walking through.

And if this conversation encouraged you, please take a moment to:

Leave a 5-star review

  Share this episode with someone stepping into a new season

  Follow the podcast so you never miss an episode

Your support helps more people discover these conversations. I would so appreciate it! Thank you!

Resources & Links

Connect with Jess: JessDahl.com

Learn about Dreams to Reality Mastermind

Learn about Wholeness Journey

Follow Jess on Instagram for weekly encouragement and behind-the-scenes updates.

What is a newlywed marriage really like after the wedding?

In this episode of the Say Yes Anyway Podcast, Char and I answer your biggest questions about our first six months of marriage. We're sharing the honest conversations, unexpected challenges, powerful lessons, and surprising miracles that have shaped our journey as newlyweds.

From navigating long-distance love and financial stress to learning each other's communication styles, talking about kids, balancing social media, and trusting God through every unknown, nothing is off limits.

Marriage hasn't been perfect, but it has been deeply refining. We've discovered that the strongest relationships aren't built because life gets easier. They're built when two people choose faith over fear, grace over perfection, and commitment over comfort.

Whether you're dating, engaged, newly married, or simply hoping to build healthier relationships, we hope this conversation reminds you that God often does His greatest work in the middle of life's most unexpected seasons.

In this Episode

• The biggest lessons we've learned during our first six whirlwind months of marriage

• How long-distance dating prepared us for married life

• The greatest challenges we've faced before and after saying "I do"

• Learning to navigate finances with different money personalities

• How healthy communication has strengthened our relationship

• Our honest conversation about having children

• Why trusting God has carried us through uncertainty

• How we protect our marriage while sharing life publicly

• The biggest misconceptions people have about our relationship

• The surprising miracles we've experienced in our first season of marriage

• Why choosing faith every day has changed the way we build our future together

Key Takeaways

✨ Healthy marriages aren't built on perfection. They're built on intentionality.

✨ God's greatest miracles often happen in seasons that feel uncertain.

✨ Honest communication creates deeper trust and stronger relationships.

✨ Marriage is less about changing your spouse and more about growing together.

✨ Faith gives you the courage to keep saying yes, even when you can't see what's ahead.

Connect with Me

🌐 Website: https://jessdahl.com

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessdahl_

❤️ Wholeness Journey: https://wholenessjourney.org

If you're ready to grow in wholeness, discover your purpose, and build a life aligned with who you're created you to be, I'd love to support you. Learn more about my coaching, speaking, retreats, and resources at jessdahl.com.

Enjoyed this Episode?

If this conversation encouraged you:

❤️ Follow the Say Yes Anyway Podcast

⭐ Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

📩 Share this episode with your spouse, a friend, or someone preparing for marriage.

Every share and review helps us reach more people with conversations that inspire faith, healing, healthy relationships, and the courage to keep saying yes anyway.

Coming Next

In the next episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on why I stepped away from the podcast for six months. I'll share the personal journey that led to this new season, the identity shifts God walked me through, and why I believe you're made for more than the life you've settled for.

Dreams to Reality Mastermind is a transformational community for women leaders, visionaries, and purpose-driven entrepreneurs who are ready to stop playing small, gain clarity, and confidently build the life and business God is calling them to create.

If you're ready to turn your God-given vision into reality, visit jessdahl.com or send me a DM on Instagram with the word DREAM to learn more and save your seat.

Can God write something beautiful in the middle of heartbreak, healing, and uncertainty?

In this special episode of the Say Yes Anyway Podcast, I'm joined by my husband, Char, as we share our love story publicly for the very first time.

After reconnecting more than ten years after we first met, our relationship began during one of the hardest seasons of our lives. I was recovering from a devastating car accident that forced me to step away from my work, while Char was rebuilding after divorce, a stroke, financial loss, and later, unexpected seizures.

On paper, nothing about our story made sense. We lived on different continents, faced countless unknowns, and had every reason to walk away. Instead, we chose to trust God's timing over our circumstances.

This conversation isn't just about how we fell in love. It's about healing after trauma, faith during difficult seasons, healthy relationships, and learning to say yes even when life doesn't make sense.

If you've ever wondered whether God can redeem your story, restore what's been broken, or lead you into something greater than you imagined, I hope this episode reminds you that your hardest season doesn't have to be the end of your story.

Sometimes it's the beginning of something even more beautiful.

• How Char and I reconnected more than ten years after we first met

• Why our relationship began during one of the hardest seasons of our lives

• What I learned while recovering from a life-changing car accident

• How Char navigated divorce, a stroke, seizures, and financial loss

• Why we chose to trust God's timing instead of our circumstances

• The mindset shift that helped me stop living in the "what ifs"

• What long-distance dating taught us about intentional relationships

• The unexpected moment I knew I could trust this relationship

• Why healthy love often feels more like peace than perfection

• How saying yes changed the course of both of our lives

✨ God often does His greatest work in seasons that feel uncertain.

✨ Healing isn't something you have to finish before you're worthy of love.

✨ Healthy relationships are built on honesty, faith, and intentionality.

✨ Fear focuses on "what if." Faith chooses the next step.

✨ God's plans rarely look the way we expect, but they're always worth trusting.

🌐 Website: https://jessdahl.com

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessdahl_

❤️ Wholeness Journey: https://wholenessjourney.org

If you're ready to step into your next season with greater clarity, confidence, and purpose, I'd love to support you. You can learn more about my coaching programs, speaking, and resources at jessdahl.com.

If this conversation encouraged you:

❤️ Follow the Say Yes Anyway Podcast

⭐ Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

📩 Share this episode with someone who needs hope in the middle of a difficult season.

Your support helps me continue having conversations that encourage people to keep saying yes to the life they were created for.

In Part 2, Char and I share what happened after we got engaged, how we navigated even more unexpected challenges, and what we're continuing to learn about building a marriage rooted in faith, healing, community, impact and purpose.

This episode is sponsored by Dreams to Reality Mastermind! It’s a transformative space for women leaders, visionaries, and impact-driven entrepreneurs who are ready to stop shrinking, step into their brilliance, and bring their boldest dreams to life. If you're tired of circling around your calling and you're ready to build the future you've been imagining from the most aligned version of you, this is where everything begins. DM me @jessdahl_ or visit jessdahl.com to learn more and save your seat.

🔥 Join the waitlist for Dreams to Reality Mastermind

It's a powerful space for women leaders, visionaries, and dreamers who are ready to stop playing small and bring their biggest visions to life. If you’re ready to stop circling around your calling and finally build the future you've been imagining, the Dreams to Reality Mastermind is where it begins. DM me @jessdahl_ or visit [email protected] to learn more and save your seat.

In this powerful episode of the Say Yes Anyway podcast, I had the joy of talking with my friend Wonderful Morrison — brand strategist for women entrepreneurs, CEO of Lead Her Strategy Company, and podcast host who helps women rise with clarity and confidence.

We explored:

1. The transformative journey of aging and how Wonderful now embraces midlife with wisdom, comfort, and authenticity

2. Her story of betrayal when a family friend stole the business she and her husband had built for 20 years and how forgiveness became the key to healing and growth

3. Why storytelling is at the heart of branding, creating trust and authentic connections in business and life

4. The importance of knowing your worth and how to translate it into a powerful personal brand

5. Practical steps for women entrepreneurs to craft a brand that resonates through storytelling, vulnerability, and connection

Wonderful’s story is one of resilience, courage, and rediscovering the power of identity through life’s challenges. This episode will inspire you to embrace your own journey and confidently share your story.

Where you can find Wonderful:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wonderful_morrison/

Website: https://leadheracademy.com/

Where you can find me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessdahl_/

Website: https://www.jessdahl.com

It would mean the world if you can share this episode with a friend who’s ready to step into her zone of genius and create lasting transformation. One brave YES can change everything.

If you're interested in jumping into the Dreams to Reality Mastermind, this is your time. Get in contact with me and let's see if it's an aligned fit.

If you liked it, share it with a friend or on social media and tag @jessdahl_ and @wonderfulmorrison.

🔥 Get on the waitlist for the next round of Dreams to Reality Mastermind! This round is officially closed! But it's not too late to jump into the next.

It's a powerful space for women leaders, visionaries, and dreamers who are ready to stop playing small and bring their biggest visions to life. If you’re ready to stop circling around your calling and finally build the future you've been imagining, the Dreams to Reality Mastermind is where it begins. DM me @jessdahl_ or visit [email protected] to learn more and save your seat.

In this episode of the Say Yes Anyway podcast, I had the joy of speaking with Kylee Chandler—a mother, wife, entrepreneur, founder of The Podcast Hub, and host of the Podcast Growth Tools podcast. Kylee has been in the podcasting world for nearly a decade and is passionate about helping female entrepreneurs use podcasts as powerful growth engines.

We explored:

1. The profound life lessons Kylee has learned from her two-and-a-half-year-old daughter and how they’ve shaped her parenting and business journey

2. Her family’s adventurous decision to live full-time on the road in a truck camper, with all its challenges and rewards

3. Her pivotal role on Amy Porterfield’s team, helping grow a podcast to over a million downloads

4. Why podcasts are one of the most powerful trust-building tools for entrepreneurs

5. Practical strategies for using podcasts as marketing tools, including lead magnets, quizzes, and content that converts

6. The importance of consistency, strong intros/outros, and cover art in attracting and keeping listeners

7. How podcasts can both entertain and fuel long-term business growth

Kylee’s story is a reminder that saying yes to adventure, community, and creativity can open doors to both personal and professional transformation.

Where you can find Kylee:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kyleejchandler/

Listen to her Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/podcast-growth-tools-podcast-marketing-seo-and/id1790335826

Where you can find me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessdahl_/

Website: https://www.jessdahl.com

It would mean the world if you can share this episode with a friend who’s ready to step into her zone of genius and create lasting transformation. One brave YES can change everything.

If you're interested in jumping into the Dreams to Reality Mastermind, this is your time. Get in contact with me and let's see if it's an aligned fit.

If you liked it, share it with a friend or on social media and tag @jessdahl_ and @kyleejchandler.

HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT! We are officially relaunching the Say Yes Anyway podcast with fresh new branding, colors, and all the things! Follow us on Instagram @sayyesanywaypodcast_

Download your FREE Envision Your Vision workbook:

• DM me on Instagram: @jessdahl_
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: jessdahl.com

This is for anybody that wants to go into the new year fresh and new. It doesn't matter where you are—whether you're in momentum riding a rocket ship or feeling stuck with no idea what you want with your life. The good news? You can start today. You don't have to wait for tomorrow or next year.

In this episode, I'm sharing:

1. My real-time story of finding our dream home in Santa Barbara - how holding down a vision while taking massive action led Char and me to the perfect place just days before our January 1st move-in date

2. The 4-Phase Envision Your Vision Process - the exact framework I've used for years to transform my life and that I teach my clients, team, and community

3. Phase 1: Monthly Inventory & Reflection - how going through every month of 2025 revealed the fullness of my life, even through $25,000 in medical debt and physical pain from a car accident

4. Phase 2: Deep Reflection Questions - why most people are afraid of stillness and how getting still changed everything for me (plus the 3 pages of questions that will help you gain clarity)

5. Phase 3: Letting Go - what habits, beliefs, people, and things I'm releasing in 2026, including hard realizations about friendships and what I actually value in relationships

6. Phase 4: Calling In 2026 - why I don't believe in New Year's resolutions and what actually works instead (hint: it's about becoming the person, not just doing the things)

7. My 3 Intention Words for 2026 - EXPANSION, CHILDLIKE, and MEMORIES, and how I use these daily to guide my decisions and actions

8. The power of allowing yourself to dream - from rocket ship big dreams to day-to-day adventures like dancing with Char anytime, anywhere

This episode is packed with real stories, practical wisdom, and actionable steps to help you start 2026 with clarity, courage, and intention.

Where you can find me:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessdahl_/
• Website: https://www.jessdahl.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sayyesanywaypodcast_/

Upcoming Opportunities:

• 6th Camino Retreat - May 2026 (DM me for details!)
• Couples Wholeness Journey (epic surprises coming soon)
• Vision Board Event (details coming)

It would mean the world if you can share this episode with a friend who's ready to step into the new year with intention and clarity. One brave YES can change everything.

If you're interested in doing the Envision Your Vision workbook with me or want to talk about coaching, get in contact with me and let's see if it's an aligned fit.

If you liked it, share it with a friend or on social media and tag @jessdahl_ and @sayyesanywaypodcast_

Leave us a review because it helps so much, especially now that we're relaunching the Say Yes Anyway podcast. I love you guys. Thank you. See you at the next one.

🔥 Get on the waitlist for the next round of Dreams to Reality Mastermind! This round is officially closed! But it's not too late to jump into the next.

It's a powerful space for women leaders, visionaries, and dreamers who are ready to stop playing small and bring their biggest visions to life. If you’re ready to stop circling around your calling and finally build the future you've been imagining, the Dreams to Reality Mastermind is where it begins. DM me @jessdahl_ or visit [email protected] to learn more and save your seat.

In this inspiring episode of the Say Yes Anyway podcast, I sat down with Bridget Battles, a powerhouse speaker, strategist, and leader who is on a mission to help women step into confidence and embrace transformation.

We explored:

1. Bridget’s power word of the year, “contagious,” and how she is embodying confidence in every area of her life
2. The mindset tools that have shaped her journey—journaling, affirmations, clarity, and surrounding herself with inspiring people
3. How resilience, even through divorce and the loss of her father, became fuel for her growth and success
4. Why executive presence matters and how Bridget helps leaders elevate through wardrobe, personal branding, and confidence strategies
5. Her exciting new venture, Coffee and Confidence, designed to inspire boldness in every sip

Bridget’s story is packed with resilience, purpose, and practical wisdom that will encourage you to rise higher and pursue your dreams with clarity and courage.

Where you can find Bridget:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bridgettbattles/
Website: https://www.thebbexperience.com/

Where you can find me:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessdahl_/
Website: https://www.jessdahl.com

It would mean the world if you can share this episode with a friend who’s ready to step into her zone of genius and create lasting transformation. One brave YES can change everything.

If you're interested in jumping into the Dreams to Reality Mastermind, this is your time. Get in contact with me and let's see if it's an aligned fit.

If you liked it, share it with a friend or on social media and tag @jessdahl_ and @bridgettbattles.

In this deeply personal episode of the Say Yes Anyway Podcast, I open up about one of the most important and heartbreaking topics I’ve ever explored—human trafficking. As I record this episode from Thailand, a country known for both its beauty and its dark realities surrounding exploitation, I reflect on the journey that led me to dedicate my life to raising awareness and creating change.

I share how my awakening to this issue began over 16 years ago in Seattle when I first learned about trafficking happening right in my own community. That discovery ignited a lifelong mission that has since taken me around the world—from Los Angeles to Thailand—working alongside organizations fighting for freedom and restoration.

We explored:

• The global realities and human stories behind sex trafficking in Thailand and beyond

• The emotional and psychological manipulation that keeps individuals trapped in exploitation

• The power of compassion and radical love as tools for transformation and justice

• My experiences serving women on the streets of Los Angeles and what those encounters taught me about resilience and hope

• The heart behind Wholeness Journey and how it brings healing, identity, and community to survivors

• Why it’s time for all of us to step up, speak up, and become changemakers in our own ways

  
  

This episode is a call to action—to see, to care, and to do something. Change starts when we say yes to awareness and allow compassion to move us toward action. Together, we can create a ripple effect of hope and healing.

It would mean the world if you can share this episode with a friend who’s ready to step into her zone of genius and create lasting transformation. One brave YES can change everything.

If you liked it, download and share it with a friend or on social media and tag @jessdahl_. Follow along our impact work @wholenessjourney