The Commons with Karla

Cathy and I first bonded over our shared love of golf, but little did we know that in the near future we would be connected in an entirely new light--organ donation.

Cathy is a beautiful friend who shares so much about her life on the podcast today. Many of you will likely relate as she reminisces over fond memories from her childhood. Cathy shares her love of bikes and why she began biking, funny stories about her parents, and her struggle with kidney disease. Cathy has lived a full life with both ups and downs, yet her positive attitude doesn’t waver. I am grateful to have a friend like Cathy, and even more grateful that she has allowed me to share her story with you all today.

Welcome to The Commons with Karla, thank you for making us part of your day.

Episode Highlights:

• An overview of Cathy’s story from childhood to adulthood.
• Fun adventures with cherished friendships.
• A little background on her fondness for bikes.
• Cathy shares memories of her late parents and how those experiences shaped who she is today.
• Cathy’s diagnosis of kidney disease and how Karla became her donor.

 More on The Commons with Karla:

• Get 10% off your Jeanie Clip order with this link
• Subscribe to our weekly email HERE
• Learn more about building connections at thecommonswithkarla.com
• Curious for a peek into podcast guests' lives? Follow the show on IG: @thecommonswithkarla
• Find out more about coaching with Karla

Connect with Cathy:

• Connect with Cathy on Facebook and Instagram
• What is Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD)?
• PKD Foundation
• Jared J. Grantham, M.D. PKD Co-Founder and Cathy’s mentor
• Organ Donation

*Disclosure: Some links are Amazon affiliate links and a small portion of your purchase will come back to us while your cost remains the same.

My dear friend Elena Taneva is a servant hearted woman and nurse who lives in Florida. Elena was born in Bulgaria and today she shares her unique upbringing growing up in a communist country. Elena’s story is full of hardships, but when you listen to this episode, you will find yourself surprisingly encouraged and inspired as Elena shares how she tackles those hardships with complete wisdom and grace.

Elena doesn’t just view the world through a small lens, but a lens that is willing to see the world for all that it is--good, bad, and ugly. Be prepared to leave this episode with a fresh perspective on life. As always, you are welcome here at The Commons.

Episode Highlights:

• Elena’s upbringing while growing up in
• Her journey of discovering truth and her purpose in life.
• The importance of using your pain and struggles for good.
• The power of reading and learning from other’s stories.
• Choosing better instead of bitter.
• Overcoming hard.
• Always having something to look forward to.
• Using travel as a reward.
• Importance of education and living in a posture of learning.
• Recharging, encouragement, and impact are all explored.
• Information on Living Organ Donation or email [email protected]

Find More on Elena:

• Reach out to Elena if interested in Scuba diving or other adventuring.
• Connect with Elena on Facebook
• Book Elena mentions Make Your Own Bed by Admiral William H. McRaven
• Elena is inspired by many authors and leaders including Lysa Terkuerst and Amy Carmichael

 Find More on The Commons with Karla:

•  Get 10% off your Jeanie Clip order with the code KARLA10
• Subscribe to our weekly email HERE
• Find out more at thecommonswithkarla.com
• IG: @thecommonswithkarla

*Disclosure: Some links are Amazon affiliate links and a small portion of your purchase will come back to us while your cost remains the same.

Jessica is the founder of Jeanie Clip and one of less than 4% of solo female patent holders with two patents.  I am excited to share this conversation with Jessica as she not only shares many practical life applications, but she also shares the story behind her business, the challenges that have come with it, and why she feels so passionately about celebrating women and community over competition.

There are many different levels and dynamics to navigate through friendship and being a business owner certainly adds another layer to that. Join us in The Commons with Karla today to get inspired, feel connected, and take hold of the many takeaways from my refreshing conversation with Jessica.

Episode Highlights:

• A little bit about Jessica’s story.
• The disparity between social media life and real life.
• Challenges of working alone to make a new product.
• The different levels of friendships.
• How to deal with seasons of loneliness.
• The importance of surrounding yourself with the right people.
• The story behind Jessica’s business and the struggles that have come with it.
• The importance of community over competition.

Find more on Jessica:

• IG: @pattejm and @jeanieclip
• Website (use this link for 10% discount) JeanieClip

Find More on The Commons with Karla:

• Get 10% off your Jeanie Clip order with the code KARLA10
• Subscribe to our weekly email HERE
• Find out more at thecommonswithkarla.com
• IG: @thecommonswithkarla

*Disclosure: Some links are Amazon affiliate links and a small portion of your purchase will come back to us while your cost remains the same.

Kim has been a close friend for over twenty years, and I am elated to have her joining me on the podcast today. Kim is a wonderful friend who truly invests in the people that she surrounds herself with.

Today she shares so much of her life with us including her interests, her background, her strong suits as a friend, and even a bit on her grief journey after losing her husband. She has so much inner strength and has completely tapped into those strengths to impact the world and her community for the better.

Listen today for encouragement, connection, and inspiration--Kim so eloquently shares all of that and more in today’s episode!

Episode Highlights: 

• A little on Kim’s background.
• Qualities to look for in a friend.
• Kim’s story of losing her husband at an early age.
• How you can use your own journey to become more empathetic to others.
• Practical ways to manage grief.
• The importance of having friends who will meet you in your grief.
• The Samaritan App and what it is

Find More on The Commons with Karla: 

• Get 10% off your Jeanie Clip order with the code KARLA10
• Subscribe to our weekly email HERE
• Find out more at thecommonswithkarla.com
• IG: @thecommonswithkarla

Has anyone else felt a shift in how they are finding community or making friends during this crazy season of COVID?

Today, I am chatting with my friend Karen who I actually met during COVID through an online book club. We had a great conversation about the adjustments that we have been forced to make as all of our lives have changed in this last year. Making friends and even nurturing the current friendships that we have has become a lot more difficult than it was during life pre-COVID.

Today Karen shares with us how she has adjusted to those changes, what she is doing to find that connection even as an introvert, how she is leaning into this new season of friendships, and more! It was such a joy talking to Karen, especially because she is a fellow book lover. Stay until the end to hear what our current reads are, what we have on our “to be read” lists, and some great recommendations of books we have already read.

Things We Discussed In The Episode/Episode Highlights:

• How to start fresh in a new community
• Different activities to do while learning a new town
• How conversations and casual friendships have changed since COVID
• How leisure time has changed during COVID
• A fun discussion on books!

Important Links/Connect/Guest Contact Info:

•  Get 10% off your Jeanie Clip order with the code KARLA10
• Subscribe to our weekly email HERE
• Find out more at thecommonswithkarla.com
• IG: @thecommonswithkarla
• The Washington Post
• RJ Julia Bookstore in Madison, CT
• Karen Funfgeld email

Shows/Movies:

• Ozark
• Succession
• The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
• The Godfather
• The West Wing
• Mad Men

Books Mentioned:

• Personal History by Kathryn Graham
• The Push: A Novel by Ashley Audrain
• Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal
• Four Hundred Souls: A Community History by Ibram X. Kendi
• The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson

Have you ever yearned for connection while being surrounded by a group of people who were in a completely different phase of life than you?

Nicole is a mom, wife, and masters student and today she shares all the details about what it’s like to go back to school for her masters while also being in the next phase of life that comes after college. She shares her experience of having classmates that were more than a decade younger, how she dealt with connection in those moments, and ultimately how we can all still choose not to be isolated even when we are surrounded by people who might not end up being life-long friends.

In addition to all of that, Nicole shares so much of her life with us that many of you will relate to. She talks about everything from what it’s like to be a boy mom and raise a family through the pandemic to how we can intentionally choose to go deeper than surface level and choose to be good friends to those around us.

I am so grateful for Nicole and her beautiful heart that she shares with us today. I hope that through this conversation you find parts of Nicole’s story that you connect with.

Episode Highlights:

• Nicole’s background.
• How her family has adjusted to remote learning through the pandemic.
• What it means to be a “boy mom.”
• What it’s like to connect with people who are in different phases of life than you.
• Nicole’s realization about an unhealthy fear of missing out and what she did to overcome it.
• Ways that we can intentionally choose to be good friends.

Important Links/Connect/Guest Contact Info:

• Get 10% off your Jeanie Clip order with the code KARLA10
• Subscribe to our weekly email HERE
• Find out more at thecommonswithkarla.com
• IG: @thecommonswithkarla
• Connect with Nicole Zion on LinkedIn
• Cookies Nicole Mentioned

When you are in the face of lonely seasons, what do you do to get more intentional about finding connection? If you have found yourself in unknown places with a lack of community, what do you do to build those friendships?

Today on the podcast, we are discussing all of that and more with my dear friend Lauren. Lauren is a mom and wife, a home stager and designer, and she has so much depth to her story. Today she opens up and shares all about her childhood, what it was like being born with hearing loss, the impact a family that was not her own had on her life, how she dealt with loneliness when moving to her new college town and more.

Not to mention, Lauren actually shares some really tactical tips on how to find those friendships that we so often yearn for when we feel isolated.

Through this episode, we hope that you feel like you are pulling up a chair beside us and joining in on this conversation. There is always a place for you at The Commons!

Episode Highlights:

• The impact that people around us make on our lives and in turn the impact we can make on others.
• Lauren’s story of being born with hearing loss and her life journey with hearing loss.
• How to find connection in those seasons of loneliness.
• How to intentionally find friends.
• How Lauren’s home staging business came about.

Important Links/Connect/Guest Contact Info:

• Get 10% off your Jeanie Clip order with the code KARLA10
• Subscribe to our weekly email HERE
• Find out more at thecommonswithkarla.com
• IG: @thecommonswithkarla

Reach out to Lauren Diaz:

• IG @diazdesignandstaging
• www.stagingreno.com

Do you struggle to find the confidence to pursue authentic friendship with those around you?

Jennette Bratzler is a wife and mom of three. She is also an entrepreneur and a homeschool mom! In the midst of doing all of the things she does, she is still an unwavering and truly authentic friend, and I’m so glad to have her on the podcast today to pick her brain about friendship, how to push past the small talk, what it means to truly be intentional, and more!

Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter and find out more about what The Commons with Karla has to offer by clicking the links below!

Episode Highlights:

• What “home” means
• How to pursue friendship instead of waiting on the other person
• How to get past the “small talk” phase
• What it means to truly feel known in a relationship
• The importance of intentionality in friendship

Links Mentioned in the Episode:

• Get 10% off your Jeanie Clip order with the code KARLA10
• Subscribe to our weekly email HERE
• Find out more at www.thecommonswithkarla.com
• IG: @thecommonswithkarla

• IG: @pjbratzler Connect with Jennette

Wondering what the Commons with Karla is all about?! Listen to the official trailer to hear more about what you can expect from this podcast!

Whether you struggle with loneliness and are looking for connection or you simply get fired up by listening to the stories of others, one thing is for sure---you are always welcome here!

Episode Highlights:

• What is The Commons all About?
• Who is the host?
• Who is this podcast for?
• The heart behind The Commons
• What's Next?

Links Mentioned:

•  www.thecommonswithkarla.com
• www.thecommonswithkarla.com/guest
• IG: @thecommonswithkarla