Push past self-doubt to build a life you dream of and help others. The Empowerhood Podcast just released its first three episodes!! The lineup starts with Nora Matthew from Her Strength Studio. Next up is Jennifer Peters from My life coach Jen and finishing the launch is Kyla Schmidt from Mom starts Here. We talk about postpartum recovery, domestic abuse, and unplanned pregnancy in these three episodes. Go download them NOW! With that being said I want to take this opportunity to tell you a little bit about my past year, and my journey to a podcast! Read about how I pushed past self-doubt, and make sure to read all the way to the bottom because although I am telling you about me, Empowerhood is about ALL of YOU.
Sometimes the right thing is the hardest to do.
Reflecting back on my trip around the sun as a 38 year old is daunting but necessary. Truth be told, 38 was the hardest, most challenging year of my life, for me and my family. The mountains, setbacks and failures felt endless. The feelings of self-doubt, depression, stress, and defeat were a constant battle. Putting my feelings aside, head down, hard work, focus on the process of each day, looking past my own emotional turmoil to be there for my family’s needs. I knew God would not put me in a situation that I could not handle. I had to push past self-doubt.
If you had told me last year I would be launching a podcast called “Empowerhood” made up solely of uncomfortable conversations, I would have told you you’re crazy! My whole life I have pretty much avoided being uncomfortable, choosing the easy way over everything. However, I realized my calling within this platform as I navigated this past year building a new business, and finding myself within a completely different industry. Along with working from home for the first time, pushing my body past its limitations, making new friends in a whole new state, taking blow after blow of criticism and setbacks. I discovered that maybe uncomfortable is where I’m supposed to be, and I’m much stronger than I think I am.
The Empowerhood Podcast was created from…
Since it was extremely hard I figured it must be right. Last Saturday June 17th was my 39th birthday and I started the day by reading my cousin Erin’s write up for my newsletter, and I was literally in tears. After months of interviews, my husband and I were vigorously working on getting the podcast approved and launched by the end of June, and as I read Erin’s story I just broke down because all this hard work and struggle isn’t just about me, and this made so much sense. This is a building block to a community of honest women with one mission, to lift each other up. A year ago I went from leaving a business of pure vanity and outward success to getting as deep as you can go, for a purpose so much bigger than myself, and that is EVERYTHING.
The Empowerhood newsletter started as a curiosity of what experience has made you into the mom you are today? I started to see a pattern… mamas speaking out about REALLY hard things that I personally had no idea they even went through. Having experienced this first hand postpartum and feeling isolated within my struggles, I wondered, “Why did we have to go through this alone?”. This needs to be heard so no one else has to feel shame, and alone through these hardships.
The right thing is the hardest. Each brave mom I have interviewed has said to me, “If my story can help one person, then it is worth it for me to talk about it.”. I have started to say to myself before each interview in my bathroom mirror(holding my power pose), “even though I am uncomfortable, if this podcast helps one woman, then it is 100% worth my discomfort.”.
Comfort zone, vulnerability, self-doubt and brick walls.
My pastor said last Sunday in church, “ When you are doing the right thing you will be tested.”. I would love to say that my 39th year around the sun will be easier but it probably won’t be. Because I am doing the “right”(hard) thing for once in my life, outside my comfort zone, vulnerable. Learning so many new things each day, wide eyed at how capable my body and mind actually are. Really this is just the start of my journey!
Empowerhood is proof that the mountains, valleys, brick walls of obstacles are what make us who we are. They aren’t ever going to stop coming so we can either speak out and evolve with them or stay in the stagnant darkness alone. My mission is to inspire and encourage you, and give you all the support and resources you need to get over that mountain. Let go of shame, come out of hiding behind our imperfect life and live the life we are meant to live. Not the perfect life but the honest one.
Empowerhood is TRUTH.
Truth be told, we all struggle. The struggle is necessary to get stronger. You don’t go to the gym to lift foam weights, you go to lift something heavy, something hard. If I hadn’t gone through the past year I have had I would not be right here with you. I wouldn’t be releasing The Empowerhood Podcast today on Apple(insane I have a podcast on apple!!) to inspire that one person.
Stop waiting for it to get easy. Sorry, but it’s not going to happen. My advice to you, If it feels hard it’s most likely right. Start taking action and push past self-doubt. Talk about it, put it out there for the world to hear. Ask for help. Find what lights you up(even if it’s hard). I can tell you from experience(just in the past year) and also from all of the interviews I have done so far, even in our darkest moments we are CAPABLE, STRONG, and WORTHY.
Listen in here on Apple or Spotify. Download and share. Please pay it forward and leave us a review(this is the easiest way for other women to find the podcast). Remember you can help one person.
Thank you for being here and supporting me through my journey. It means the world to me and I truly hope I touch your life in some way.
Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much
Helen Keller
Read more!
A fun Q & A with Annie Hartigan
Read the Empowerhood Mission
Be the first to comment