Stories of Inspiring Joy

Rachel Engstrom is a young woman who has survived one of the toughest tragedies one can face in life, that has come out on the other side wanting to help others. She lives in the Minneapolis/St.Paul area with her family and beloved dog Greta. By day she helps consumers get connected to mental health and substance abuse services, and on evenings and weekends she is a podcast guest, guest blog writer, and volunteer, when not spending time with family or friends. She’s the author of “Wife, Widow, Now What?”

In today’s episode, Rachel shares her journey navigating the cancer world and ultimately writing her memoir, “Wife, Widow, Now What?” When Rachel was 28 years old, her husband was diagnosed with leukemia. What they thought was the flu after working too many hours, turned out to be the life altering illness that would forever change everything they knew. Rachel became a cancer wife, manager, team cheerleader and expert juggler at life, while supporting her husband throughout his illness, until he died two days after she turned 31. She had to reboot her life and learn how to start over as a widow, without a map or guidebook to lead her. Rachel's humor, moxie and faith helped get her through the cancer world, and survive the calamity of errors that kept-on coming after he died. Today, Rachel’s hope is to provide you with some laughter, comfort, solace and guidance on your own journey, whether it be through the world of cancer, or any other life challenges.

To learn more and connect with Rachel visit her on Instagram @wifewidownowwhat Facebook @wife.widow.now.what and you can find her book on Amazon here

Stories of Inspiring Joy is a production of Seek The Joy Media and created by Sydney Weiss. To learn more and submit your story, click here.

*Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Stories of Inspiring Joy.

Louise is a JOY-fanatic! She brings her Southern charm and joyful inspiration as she encourages others to discover their own joy no matter where they are on their journey. As Louise navigated her own difficult valleys in life, she emerged with a strong message of joy to share with other women. Her inspiration comes alive with real-life stories of hope, love, and faith. JOY really is her superpower!

In today’s episode, Louise shares her journey to joy and how it became her lifeline. In her work she guides others to find their joy no matter where they are on their journey through life. Louise’s life plan shifted after her divorce. She was moving through the motions of life. There were moments of joy along the way, but it was just moments, until one Sunday morning when her minister spoke on joy. It felt like a new day, as if she had never thought about joy before. That was the day Louise began her journey to joy and she realized she could turn her own newfound joy into encouragement, kindness and new beginnings for other people too. From making a mental joy list to savoring moments of joy during the day, Louise’s reflections through sharing her story will remind you to focus on the joy in your life and share it with others.

To learn more and connect with Louise check out her website https://www.LouisePistole.com and Facebook @JOYatTheCoast Pinterest @JOYatTheCoast on LinkedIn here Instagram @joy_at_the_coast Twitter @LouisePistole on YouTube here and you can find her book here

Stories of Inspiring Joy is a production of Seek The Joy Media and created by Sydney Weiss. To learn more and submit your story, click here.

*Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Stories of Inspiring Joy.

Sue Hollis is a coach, adventurepreneur, motivator, guide, and author. Sue's story of having amazing "head" success - a big career, beautiful family, financial security, house, cars, and a life of adventure - yet still feeling empty, is inspiring and will challenge you to take a good look at your life. Where are you leading with your head and not your heart? What changes can you make? Who do you really want to be? 

Sue was a driven, Type-A overachiever and mega-successful business leader compelled to control everything in her life — her business, her eating habits, and her time. Her identity was tied to her job, and her work was her entire purpose. But despite her external success, Sue felt a deep sense of unhappiness. She left it all behind and decided to set off on an 83-day solo journey across North America on her motorcycle, Voodoo. Along the way she discovered "heart" success. She got to know herself in a whole new way, tapped back into her self-love, passion, and joy. She reclaimed her life and she began to heal. She opened her heart and stepped into the fullness of who she was meant to be. Sue's story of finding her self-love, letting go of perfectionism, and honoring herself is relatable, full of so much courage, vulnerable, and inspiring. 

To learn more about Sue and her new and inspiring book Riding Raw check out her website suehollis.com and make sure to follow her on Instagram @suehollis_ 

Stories of Inspiring Joy is a production of Seek The Joy Media and created by Sydney Weiss. To learn more and submit your story, click here.

*Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Stories of Inspiring Joy.

Manda Gannon is a certified practitioner teaching others the importance of energy (frequencies and vibrations), how to release suppressed & dense energies/emotions to consciously create the life we desire. Offering a unique perspective that fully embodies the metaphysical, physical, and spiritual world. By combining the science of energy and spirituality, Manda is dedicated to empowering the world to step into their power, claiming their birthright to consciously create.

Jacquelyn Mills is a licensed aesthetician and energy intuitive, with over thirty years of experience. Jacquelyn’s true passion is to educate and guide those through energy healings, cord cuttings, mirror work, child work, soul retrievals, distant healings, past life lessons, shamanic journeys and so much more all using Ancient healing techniques that is encompassed inenergy, frequency and vibrations.

Today’s episode is a beautiful exploration of Jacquelyn and Manda’s journey creating Ancient Vibrations, and stepping into the energy, frequency and vibrational modalities that they offer to guide others to heal and rebalance. They pride themselves in empowering others to step back into their power, to regain their authentic self, and consciously create the life that you want. Jacquelyn and Manda know this is our birth right, and it’s their honor to help guide you on your healing journey.

To learn more and connect with Manda and Jacquelyn check out their website https://www.ancient-vibrations.com and on Instagram @ancient__vibrations and TikTok @ancient__vibrations and via email here.

*Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Stories of Inspiring Joy.

Born and raised a Jayhawk, KT attended the University of Kansas, and graduated with a marketing degree from the school of business in 2019. Currently, she is a marketing assistant and podcast engineer/producer for Blue Tangerine. KT found her love for podcasting through the podcast ‘My Favorite Murder‘ by Karen Killgariff and Georgia Hardstark. After binging all the episodes she began to branch out and explore the podcast platforms. In other words, she found the vast world of podcasting to be fascinating, and loved the ability to find a podcast about pretty much anything you can imagine. She jumped at the opportunity to become a sound engineer and producer for the Home Builder Digital Marketing Podcast. As a result, KT quickly fell headfirst into the podcasting world.

Then, she started The Quest for New Inspiration at a time when she needed some inspiration herself. In today’s episode KT shares the inspiration behind her podcast and how it gave her the confidence to share her inspiration. About a year and a half ago KT lost her grandfather, and it hit her hard. He was dedicated to his community, work and family, and it’s hard to estimate the impact he had on KT”s life. When she saw he was nearing the end of his incredible 98 years of life, she knew she needed something else to inspire her. Her heart was breaking at the thought of losing him, and she knew she needed something to help her grow and step into her passions. KT’s love for audio started when she was experiencing migraines. It was too difficult for her to watch TV or movies, but she could still enjoy them and podcasts by just listening. Her love for audio is what inspired her to record her grandpa’s voice and his stories, and that started a series of recordings with friends and family to share their inspiring stories too. Today, KT’s goal is to share inspirational stories from all types of people, in hopes of inspiring anyone that presses play. By sharing this podcast, she is challenging herself to improve her confidence, while also growing her podcasting and networking skills.

To learn more and connect with KT connect with her on Instagram and LinkedIn. You can also check out her podcast at http://newinspirationpodcast.com/ and learn more about it here

Stories of Inspiring Joy is a production of Seek The Joy Media and created by Sydney Weiss. To learn more and submit your story, click here.

*Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Stories of Inspiring Joy.

Fran Dargaville is a Functional Nutritionist, Yoga teacher, and a true light and inspiration. In this week’s new episode, Fran shares with us her journey in health and life. Growing up Fran was into sailing and surfing, she loved being outdoors. At the age of 15, she developed chronic fatigue for the first time. She was always exhausted, and didn’t know what was wrong - and doctors weren’t much help either. When she was in her early 20’s, she developed chronic fatigue for the second time. Her work environment was negative and toxic, and she realized that she couldn’t handle it anymore. It was taking its toll on her health and well-being, and when you combine that with over training and under eating - she knew something needed to change. Fran found a functional practitioner - and for the first time, she felt seen and heard. But she knew she had to take matters into her own hands - and that’s exactly what she did.

Today, Fran has combined everything that she’s learned and she’s on a mission to help women get to the root cause of their symptoms and thrive with real food nutrition. We all receive messages from our bodies all the time that tell us something isn’t right (or that it is!). Fran is a firm believer that by discovering what’s really going on instead of just slapping another quick-fix bandaid over the symptoms, you’ll get the results you want. Fran is known for her practical, no-BS approach to nutrition - and that’s what she brings to every one of her consultations. Most days you can find her starting the day with a swim in the ocean and a nut mylk latte from her favorite cafe before she jumps online for consultations with virtual nutrition clients from all around the world.

To connect with Fran and learn more visit her on Instagram @frandargaville and on her website www.frandargaville.com and if you’d like to grab her Real Food Wellness Starter Kit with recipes and her top nutrition tips for free, head here https://frandargaville.com/starter-kit

Stories of Inspiring Joy is a production of Seek The Joy Media and created by Sydney Weiss. To learn more and submit your story, click here.

*Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Stories of Inspiring Joy.

Vanessa R. Sasson doesn't let academic life or cultural ideologies define her. How could she when most of her life she's been caught between worlds? Born and raised in Montreal in an Egyptian Jewish household, Vanessa's upbringing often left her feeling like an outsider. During the week she went to an Ashkenazi (European) Jewish school, but on the weekends, she lived her Egyptian heritage, wrapped up in its nostalgia and rosewater scented desserts. 

Vanessa's desire to speak her truth and embrace the imperfect human experience has bled into her academic life and inspired a work of creative fiction, her new novel, Yasodhara and the Buddha.

In today’s episode Vanessa shares what brings her joy, storytelling. She’s been enamored with stories her entire life and when Vanessa first started as an academic she thought to be a good scholar meant she had to look at stories and study them, analyze them, take them apart and reconstruct them in order to see what clues she could find underneath. When she was studying the story of the Buddha’s wife, it changed everything for her. Through this experience Vanessa began to realize that knowledge doesn’t have to fit into a particular box, and there isn’t a dividing line between scholarship and creativity.

To learn more and connect with Vanessa check out her website www.vanessarsasson.com on Instagram @vanessa_r._sasson Twitter @vrsasson and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/VanessaRSasson

Stories of Inspiring Joy is a production of Seek The Joy Media and created by Sydney Weiss. To learn more and submit your story, click here.

*Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Stories of Inspiring Joy.

Debbie Ausburn is a social worker turned lawyer who has served as a criminal prosecutor, foster parent, stepparent and adoptive parent. She has written about her journey with all of its challenges and rewards in "Raising Other People's Children: What Foster Parenting Taught Me About Bringing Together a Blended Family."

In today’s episode Debbie shares her journey as a foster parent and stepparent. Starting when she was a preteen, Debbie helped her parents with their summer camp and church ministries. In the years since, she has served as a juvenile court probation officer/social worker, but she soon burned out. From there, Debbie went to law school and in her legal career she has found her work with children to be indispensable and now her practice centers around serving the institutions that provide therapy, social work services, childcare, camping and residential placements for children. After law school Debbie served as a volunteer foster parent for emergency placements, which meant she only had kids for a short time, and her job was simple: keep them safe and provide whatever warmth, support, and compassion she could. From there, she worked as a federal prosecutor of child abuse and violent crimes, and served as a foster-parent for respite care and long-term placements of abused children and teenagers. Debbie’s story and commitment to advocating for and helping children is a beautiful testament to her journey and heart.

To learn more about Debbie and her work visit her website www.debbieausburn.com www.YouthServicesLaw.com and on Instagram @debbieausburn Twitter @debbieausburn and on Facebook here

Stories of Inspiring Joy is a production of Seek The Joy Media and created by Sydney Weiss. To learn more and submit your story, click here.

*Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Stories of Inspiring Joy.

Tim Young is a passionate marketer and entrepreneur. He has written 10 books (and counting). His books cover diverse topics ranging from business strategy to personal preparedness to self-sufficient farming. He has also launched several businesses, including one that earned a spot on the INC. 500 list as the 130th fastest growing company in America. Most recently, Tim launched Gratitude Garb with his wife and daughter. Gratitude Garb’s slogan is “spreading gratitude by wearing gratitude.” Their mission is to inspire people to incorporate gratitude into their daily lives.

In today’s episode Tim shares his story from a poor rural homestead, to the highs of corporate America, to realizing what his dream was. Quitting his corporate job didn’t make sense on paper, or to others, but what he really wanted was freedom. Freedom meant starting his own business, and he bootstrapped a marketing services business. Within five years, his startup grew from just him to 415 employees, offices in six countries, and Inc. Magazine named them 130th fastest-growing privately-held company in America. But there was a problem, he couldn’t explain to anyone what he actually did. He realized that his corporate dream wasn’t the dream he longed for. He walked away from it all. Tim and his wife Liz then started a sustainable livestock farm, and in 2015 they sold the farm business. He didn’t stop farming and his work today is running Small Farm Nation where he helps farmers with their marketing, writing, and building and creating Gratitude Garb with his wife and daughter. Together they’re on a mission of “spreading gratitude by wearing gratitude.” The story behind the start of the business, the gratitude tree, and how they brainstormed the idea together, is a powerful reminder that we can live joyfully on our terms, that life is meant to be lived with gratitude, and that we have the freedom to choose our path.

To learn more about Tim visit gratitudegarb.com and http://authortimyoung.com/ and on Facebook @timsmallfarmnation and LinkedIn here

Stories of Inspiring Joy is a production of Seek The Joy Media and created by Sydney Weiss. To learn more and submit your story, click here.

*Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Stories of Inspiring Joy.

Karen Struck is the author of the new children’s book, Three Paws. In this week’s new episode, Karen shares the hurdles in her life that became great motivators. From her journey attending nursing school, being kicked out of her home by her father, to hitting rock bottom - she shares the lessons she’s learned along the way, the perspective she gained, and her decision to keep focusing on her dreams. Her determination and her perseverance to become a nurse helped her endure the difficult years. Karen’s goal is to create unique, and entertaining characters who inspire children to dream big dreams, to focus on the positive aspects of their lives. As she shares in this week’s new episode, she discovered the joy of children's literature as she read to her daughter each night. By the time her daughter was close to graduating high school she discovered a new passion, a desire to write children’s books. Inspired by the Harry Potter book series, and decided to take writing courses through the Institute of Children's Literature. Last summer, she pulled out the story she wrote 12 years and decided it was time to get it published. Three Paws, her debut book, is the first book published in the Three Paws Series.

In Three Paws, Karen shares the story of Boots, a grizzly bear cub who faces new struggles after permanently injuring his paw. Rooted in friendship and acceptance, Boots’ journey of learning new skills as he navigates his disability as told through Three Paws is perfect for young children, whether they are learning to survive their own challenge or simply to understand those who may appear “different”. No matter our background, we can all relate to Boots and his story: one of perseverance and never giving up on our dreams, even if the odds are stacked against us. As Karen shares, like Boots we all have struggles in life that we must deal with in order to progress forward and grow. Life challenges can be both humbling and inspiring depending on your perspective but overall our experiences can help us gain compassion for others. Boots’ adventures in Three Paws encourages children to be bold and make new friends, all while allowing themselves the room to grow and learn new things. It promotes the importance of both independence and inclusivity, and how both together can function to provide acceptance, encouragement, and positive growth for a child.

To learn more about Karen and her new book you can connect with her on her website www.karenstruckauthor.com and via email [email protected] 

Stories of Inspiring Joy is a production of Seek The Joy Media and created by Sydney Weiss. To learn more and submit your story, click here.

*Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Stories of Inspiring Joy.