The Power of Storytelling - Episode 18
Welcome back to The Power of Storytelling!
Joanna, Jeff and Ashley - thank you for sharing your stories, your words, and your journey with all of us.
This month’s episode reminded me that there are always going to be moments in our lives that challenge us, that ask us to re-examine who we are, and who we want to be. These moments will stop us in our tracks, often appearing as a wake up call of sorts. But here’s the thing, we all have the power and the ability to turn any roadblock, setback, and moment of adversity into a stepping stone on the path of our choosing. We just have to have the courage to move forward, one step at a time.
It’s truly my honor to share the stories and provide the space here to share a little bit more about the women and men behind these words. I encourage you to check out Joanna, Jeff and Ashley after you listen to this week’s new episode.
*Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Seek The Joy Podcast.
Joanna Lovering is the Founder and CEO of Copper + Rise, a style coaching service based in NYC dedicated to personal and professional empowerment. Joanna is an accomplished style coach with extensive style experience and a master’s degree in organizational psychology and leadership development. She pairs her seasonal sensibilities with leadership development techniques to help clients rise to the next level. Over her career she helped transform the employee experience at companies like L’Oréal USA, JetBlue, and Daily Burn, to name a few.
In this week’s new episode Joanna shares a deeply personal and vulnerable story of losing her mother on Mother’s Day in 2007. Through weight gains and losses, both fantastic and poor career choices, and relationships come and gone, Joanna has spent the last 12 years on a path of self-discovery, acceptance, and thoughtful inquiry. Through some tough reflection (and an amazing therapist), she’s now landed in a place where she can truly call home: a femmentrepreneur with a business that sparks her passions and also gives her the chance to honor her mother’s legacy. It’s beautiful, raw, and touching - and Joanna’s story and words will leave you reflecting on the relationships in your life, and the impact they’ve had on your life and your journey. Today, not only does Joanna find joy in coaching others through her business, and over the years the pain of her mother’s memory has turned into the joy of remembrance.
“I will admit that it took quite some time for the sadness to flip and to feel joy with remembrance, but now that I’ve put the puzzle pieces together in my authentic light, I know that I’m doing the right thing. I know that she’s up there rooting for me too. I love you mom, thanks for all the gifts you gave me. ”
Jeff Kuhn is the author of the Amazon best-selling new book, “Blue Sky Lighting: How to Survive and Thrive When Life Blindsides You.” In his book, he shares the story of his own life-threatening injury and illness. In this week’s episode, Jeff shares the story of how he survived burns that covered over 80% of his body. Emergency Room Doctor’s told him and his family that he had no chance of survival, but thanks to the hard work of two of the most gifted burn doctors in the world, and an incredible desire to survive, Jeff started to turn the corner after a few days in the intensive care unit. Two years and 18 surgeries later, Jeff was back on his feet and stronger than ever until a year and a half later, when lightning struck again. He came down with a neuromuscular disease which caused more pain than the burn injuries.
Jeff’s two near death experiences left him more mentally and physically stronger. His message is for survivors, fighters, and the individuals who have gone through unspeakable trauma, and his words will remind you that we all have an inner fire that can and will propel us forward. He tells his story with grit and determination, revisiting his experiences to give readers and listeners hope. Never backing down from the uncomfortable task of reliving his trauma, Jeff has used his story to illustrate the difficulty of overcoming tremendous odds. An inspiration for anyone facing difficulty, Jeff’s words will give you insight and clarity about how trauma can make all of us into powerful warriors, fighting back against tremendous odds.
“No matter what difficulty you’re facing or will face, you do have the power inside you to persevere and make it to the other side of a serious setback. Any major comeback in life may require a significant amount of time to accomplish, and a laser like focus on your ultimate goal. ”
Ashley Perkins is a Master Life & Success Coach for millennial women who are ready to activate their higher-self and consciously create their life and business. Through a powerful blend of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and intuitive strategy, Ashely helps others banish the limiting beliefs keeping them stuck in their life and business, lean into their highest-self with confidence, and show up like the CEO that you are!
Ashley spent years playing small, and she came to coaching through her own experiences. Creating a life of fulfillment often comes with a lot of discomfort, but you have the power to create a reality that you love, that’s fulfilling. The turning point in Ashley’s journey was when she fainted at brunch with her boyfriend. She was burned out, suffering from adrenal fatigue, and it wasn’t until she was sitting in the hospital completely depleted, ashamed, and stressed that she realized something needed to shift - ASAP. She was craving freedom and creativity, and this is when she found Neuro-Linguistic Programming. She immediately became obsessed because of the power that it holds and all of the techniques under its umbrella to impact permanent long-lasting and instant change on an identity level. Ashley’s story and words will remind you to take a chance on yourself, and challenge yourself to change the way you approach your life and your business.
“If you can imagine it, if you can conceive it in your mind, then you can create it in your life. If you desire it, it’s desiring you too. My role in your story truly in its essence is to ignite that within you and to hold you through those high and low waves of becoming your best self, in life and in business. ”
To connect with Joanna and learn more about Copper + Rise and her services visit her website www.copperandrise.com on Instagram @copperandrise and Facebook @copperandrise and Twitter @copperandrise
To connect with Jeff and to learn more about his book “Blue Sky Lightning” and to grab your copy visit https://blueskybolt.com and on Twitter @jmkuhn99
To connect with Ashley and learn more about her work visit her website www.ashleyperkins.co and on Instagram @ashleyperkins.co and Ashley is currently offering a limited number of 2-hour breakthrough sessions to help you create instant subconscious shifts and empower you to quantum leap towards the life and business of your dreams. To learn more and reserve your session, visit: https://ashleyperkins.as.me/breakthrough
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