In this episode of Courage is Built Here, Justine sits down with grief speaker, advocate, and author Leslie Weirich to talk about Pathway Five, Do the Work, and what it means to choose courage through grief and loss. Leslie shares how losing her son Austin to suicide shaped her work, how courage has led her into military suicide prevention, and why doing the next thing, capturing old narratives, and choosing connection can help people hold on through their darkest moments.

What if loving others well starts by letting go of the need to fix everyone? In this episode of Courage is Built Here, Justine sits down with Nancy Leonard to talk about Pathway Four, Love Others Well, and how courage begins by doing the work within yourself first. Nancy shares how the training changed the way she approaches empathy, trust, self-talk, and connection at work and at home, and why learning to stop fixing, honor her limits, and ask for what she needs has helped her show up with more authenticity and care.

What happens when someone you trust tells you that your greatest gift is nothing more than luck and connections? In this episode of Courage is Built Here, Justine and Alison Niermann, Founder and Managing Partner of Tilley Workforce Solutions, talk about what it looks like to reclaim the gifts and talents you were told you did not have. Alison shares how a defining moment at twelve years old on a stage in front of fifteen thousand people was followed by words that nearly extinguished her light, and how she eventually chose to return to the stage, trust her gifts, and stop letting someone else control her light switch. Together they explore vulnerability, authenticity, encouragement, and what it means to show up fully as who you were created to be.

In this episode of Courage is Built Here, Justine sits down with therapist, life and mindset coach, and owner of Sea Change Wellness, Lauren-Ashleigh Whitaker (LA), to talk about what it really looks like to stop hustling and start healing. LA shares her health journey living with endometriosis, how grit culture kept her pushing past her limits, and what finally shifted when she stopped performing self care and started practicing it from a place of genuine self-worth and self-love.

In this episode of Courage is Built Here, Justine opens Pathway One, Feel It All, and sits down with her friend Barry Engelhardt to talk about the difference between reacting and responding when emotions hijack the brain. Barry shares a memorable moment with his wife that became a wake-up call about stress spilling from work into home life, plus what it was like growing up without language for feelings and how he and his wife are raising their two sons differently. Together, they explore values as a starting point, the “slow is smooth, smooth is fast” mindset, and what it looks like to become one person everywhere you go.

In this episode of Courage is Built Here, Justine opens Pathway Five, Do the Work, and sits down with professional calligrapher and small business owner Leah Spiros. Together they talk about how old stories can keep us stuck to what feels familiar, why “the next step” matters more than the perfect step, and how intentionality, kindness, and joy shape the way Leah shows up in her business and her relationships.

In this episode of Courage Is Built Here, Justine opens Pathway Four, Love Others Well, with executive leader and advisor Rose Thompson. Together, they explore how accountability, empathy, boundaries, and vulnerability are essential to caring for and leading others well. Rose shares stories from her leadership journey about one-to-one connection, holding people accountable with love, navigating boundaries at work and at home, and choosing curiosity over judgment, even in difficult conversations.

In this episode of Courage Is Built Here, Justine opens Pathway Three, Be Fully You, and sits down with educator and superintendent Amy Ruzicka to talk about imposter syndrome, leadership, and the courage it takes to step forward before you feel ready. Amy shares how self-doubt, authenticity, boundaries, and embracing joy have shaped her leadership journey, including her decision to apply for superintendent and her commitment to leading through influence rather than power.

In this episode of Courage Is Built Here, Justine opens Pathway Two, Embody Again, and sits down with leadership consultant and coach Gretchen Pettet to talk about how caring for yourself is not selfish, it is how you show up well for others. Gretchen shares how the sudden loss of her mom became the catalyst for slowing down, prioritizing self-care, and building intentional practices that transformed her relationships, leadership, and sense of presence at home and work.  

In this episode of Courage is Built Here, Justine opens Pathway One, Feel It All, with her friend and guest Becki Feldmann. Becki shares her story of walking through secondary infertility, grief, and loss, and how faith, values clarity, and emotional honesty helped her come home to herself. Together, they explore what it means to feel deeply, name misalignment, reclaim self worth, and choose courage in everyday moments.