Jennifer: 0:24

Welcome to another episode of Behind the Dreamers. I'm Jennifer Loehding and we are talking to the achievers, the creators, the magic makers and the dreamers. These are our friends, these are your friends and they are living the extraordinary Well. I am so excited about my guest today. She is a lot of fun. I've enjoyed getting to know her and what she's doing to make a difference in the world. But, she says, years ago, while dealing with teen substance abuse, she lost her voice, her drive, and shame and judgment ruled her life. She was consumed with trying to fix, manage and control others. When she started to share her story on small stages online and on podcasts, she realized she wasn't alone in her pain. This is when she found her soul's purpose and her mission became to share her vulnerable story more openly. So I'm so excited to chat with her and have her share a little bit about what she's going through and what she's doing now and how she's making a difference. But before we do that, we need to do a quick shout out to our sponsor.

Jennifer: 1:18

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Jennifer: 3:01

And so, with that, we want to get our guests on the show Super excited Marsha Vanwynsberghe. She is a storytelling business coach, a speaker, a multi-published author and the host of her own podcast, own your Choices, own your Life. And so, marsha, welcome to the show. I am so excited to chat with you today.

Marsha: 3:21

Oh, thank you so much for having me, Jennifer. I'm thrilled to be here.

Jennifer: 3:25

And you made it through that whole intro. You did a great job. I always feel like the intros are, you know, because on this show we don't do an intro outside and so we have to do it each time on the show and I've got this thing down. I feel like we just rattle this thing off every single time. But we got the guests on here and that is you, and we are so excited to hear what you are doing and about your story, and so again, welcome to the show. I'm happy to have you here.

Marsha: 3:53

Thank you so much for having me. I'm like grateful to pour into your audience and share part of my story that can support somebody. It always supports somebody.

Jennifer: 4:02

I agree, I agree, alright. So let's open this up, because you are a storytelling business coach. You've got multiple things going on, you've done multiple books, you're a podcast, so tell us a little bit about what is going on in your world, what you're doing with your clients right now.

Marsha: 4:18

Right now is a different story than what it was like three years ago or even six years ago. Right now, I am in the process of helping multiple people write and share their vulnerable stories, so I tend to attract a lot of people who have those difficult stories but they don't know how to share them, but they know that they can do something really good in the world with them. And so we're working with a whole selection of authors right now to write their books, and we're also in the process of actually publishing. We're now branching into publishing, which is is was such a big thing, but at the same time, it really does make sense because of what we do and we can support our authors as best as we can.

Marsha: 4:59

And then, on this side, I also am an NLP neuro linguistic programming trainer, so I actually train and run my own coaching certification to support people in using those tools to like understand the power of your thoughts and your beliefs and subconscious free programming and healing really from the inside. And I stumbled onto those tools three years ago when I realized that you know you can push as hard as you want to change your story and to have the results that you want to create, but you can't skip over stages of healing and it does take work to do it, but this is the work that I get to do and I get to do both of them and they actually mesh together. I have a number of people that join both programs, so those are the main programs, but then the podcast is growing like crazy too, so it really does all boil down to learning how to like, own and share vulnerable stories.

Jennifer: 5:51

Yeah and no, I went on your website. I was kind of get you know, to get a feel for what you're doing. So I saw all this on there and it's really neat because I just got off of a call with another gal. That is kind of a serial, I hate to say, like serial entrepreneur, because I think everything that we do sort of overlaps, like you're saying. It's just we get a lot of things going because we're passionate about what we do and so we find tools and resources and things that really fit in alignment with what our messaging is. And so I was looking at a lot of your stuff and I saw in there that you know you were in fitness and dealing with some things on that and how you are really kind of multifaceted, I think, in what you do and I think that's a really neat ability to be able to do all those different things.

Marsha: 6:29

Yeah, thank you.

Marsha: 6:29

I spent 27 years as a registered kinesiologist, so I really helped people to rehab post surgery, post injuries, and it wasn't until I looked at it afterwards that I went oh, I've actually been coaching for like 30 years because, you know, when you've got people who are coming out of these kinds of physical issues and some learning to walk again, that is literally what I was doing, was doing some coaching in that area and then, probably about a decade ago, when life really started to change For us, I started to branch into sharing my story.

Marsha: 7:03

I was still working as my full time job and when the pandemic came, it was my job was gone overnight, never came back, was literally like you know, talk about changing identities, of a 27 year career overnight gone, was very interesting dynamics to learn. And then branched into this online space and went Okay, this is the time to figure it out, how we're going to do this and you know, pivoting at 50 and learning all of these things. It was Now you get to put your tools and lessons like into practice. Actually, right, we can talk the talk, but all of a sudden it's like no, you've got to actually figure this out now. So it's been quite the journey.

Jennifer: 7:40

Yeah, and it's interesting because you brought up a very good point is this whole pivot we had to do during COVID and there's so many messages in this and the fact that you had this long career that ended right being in the more mature stage of life, where you had this, is your sort of your identity. And now you have to come into this and be like, oh my gosh, I got to make a pivotal change right, and, like you, you know it's interesting because when you talked about the coaching and having done that and coming into the new space, I was in Mary Kay for 22 years, so that was kind of my identity. And when I moved into the coaching space, I realized that even though I didn't have a formal, say, coaching title, yeah, that's what I did. I was working with women for 22 years building teams, and I think anytime we're working with women, we're doing some kind of coaching right, like I always like a coach.

Jennifer: 8:24

That's what it was, and I realized that it was when I started to merge out of that and kind of go into my space. It was not that big of a transition as far as having to do something. I didn't know that I had already done, but it was still. That was my identity, like that was what I was tied to, and then to have to come in and go Okay, now I got to do something different, and then we had coded come in, which forced us to even make another shift, right like now we're not out, so we're going to the online and how do we merge? And and some really I think beautiful things have come out of that, because I think it forced us to really remodel our businesses in a sense.

Marsha: 8:58

I completely agree. I do I completely agree and I think that, even though those years were transition and I still think there's some transitions that are happening I do believe it was exactly what was supposed to happen. I believe, like, what I'm doing now is exactly what I was supposed to be doing and it just took a pandemic to basically say, oh okay, this is how it's going to happen, you're literally done now and you're going to start. Because, probably for the last two years, before I left, before my job ended, I was a space of feeling like there was more. You know, I loved, I did love my job, I love my clients. It was one of those things that I could do pretty much in my sleep. I don't mean to say it that way, it was just very. It was easy, there was not a lot of challenge, it was very simple and I know I was helping people, but I still felt like there was something more and I couldn't figure out how to make that transition into full time, coaching, growing business, etc. And sometimes you know the universe says, okay, then this is how it's going to happen and it's. I believe that's literally what happened. It was just gone and I had to figure it out.

Marsha: 10:04

And I woke up the next day I remember because I dove right into it and my husband saying, okay, like are you going to take a couple days, like just. And I said you know what my gut? I said from the very first day this is not going to be two weeks. I know it's not going to be two weeks. This is, this is just not going to be. And I don't want to regret not using this time. That was a big thing for me. I didn't want to have any regrets. I want to be able to say I gave it everything that I had and that's literally what I was going to do and that's literally how it unfolded. So I'm grateful for all of that. But it's been. It certainly has been a journey.

Jennifer: 10:36

Yeah, and that's the way it is right like that. That's just the way it is when we're doing these things. So your story because obviously you, you know I think your story is great you have your big thing with the storytelling coaches that you're trying to help people now share their stories, which is a big part of your life, because you did have a story and you found that, you know, when you started being vulnerable and opening up, obviously people can resonate with this right, and so maybe you don't have to go Into detail but give it a little back insight to our guests because they're going okay. So what led you to this? The inspiration behind all that?

Marsha: 11:06

Yeah, absolutely. It was one of those things. Again, I look back in the dots connect now. They didn't make sense at the time, but probably about 12 years ago we were parents who were dealing with teen substance abuse. Our kids were young, really young, and it was a time of, you know, not experimentation, far past experimentation, and it was coming to a point where it was affecting every single aspect of their lives and ours as well, and so we were getting counseling, we were trying to get some support, we were having connections with the school, trying to figure out like, what do we do? How do we make this work? And Really, I think, to be completely honest, as a mom, my role, how I saw myself them, was my job Was to fix, manage and control everything right, fix it, be the fixer and do it.

Marsha: 11:52

And a lot of moms I feel that we sign this Un like this contract doesn't exist, that we think it's our job to fix every single thing in the household, and that was the pressure that I put on myself until I hit a point where it was like I literally almost lost myself in the process and nothing was changing. And it was through a counselor, a Lot of work, through counseling and support, where they were saying you know you need to be a springboard for your kids. If your kids come back to you, you've got to be a springboard. And you're nothing but a pile of quicksand right now. You can't even support yourself. And, as harsh as that sounds, it was very true. I really didn't have. I Hadn't even made myself a priority of any kind. I was literally just trying to do everything else and deflecting and taking care of everyone else and in the process, that's really how it kind of started. It's like okay, how can I take better care of myself?

Marsha: 12:43

And the other piece was that during that time I'm gonna say back almost 10 years ago, maybe nine, ten years ago Nobody was talking about these stories. I mean, it's really. We talk a lot about vulnerability now, but ten years ago social media was incredibly curated. It was perfect looking, there was no issues and Everybody's life looked really rosy. And I kept thinking like how can we be the only people in the world who are struggling with this? But that's what it felt like.

Marsha: 13:10

In no matter where I went, I couldn't find anyone else who was talking about it, and so, through a couple of very serendipitous Dippinus experiences, I found myself in small groups sharing a vulnerable story and being in a Facebook group finding other moms and like lots of other moms who were struggling, and it started to open up my eyes that, wait, this is a lot bigger problem than I thought it was, but like nobody's saying anything, well, how can we fix this? And I remember my counselor saying maybe that's because you're supposed to. And I do remember thinking that is absolutely insane idea. And what if it's not? What if it's not? I had it did have this little bit of a flutter right. You have those moments in your life when it's like an idea comes in and you think that's crazy. But what if it's not?

Marsha: 13:56

And I found myself in that space where I started to share and, scary as those first couple of talks were, it was amazing how many people like to say. I would be bombarded afterwards by moms who would say, oh my god, that's my story and I've never told a soul like I've gone for 40 years and never told anybody. And I was watching so many people Buried in these shame stories and I just went wait a minute, like this is, like this is bigger than I thought it was. And so what happened is as I started to find my voice, and the more that they shared with me, the more fire it gave me that I feel like we need to do something, to start talking about these difficult stories, and that's where my first big talks came. Then I had a couple of collaborative books that I wrote my own solo book in 2017 and it's called when she stopped asking why because the why was killing me. Right. Why is only important when you're working towards a goal. It doesn't matter when you're looking back at why of something.

Marsha: 14:56

And During that time I went we're still not seeing, even in 2017, we're still not seeing a lot of stories, difficult stories come out, and I went maybe I'll start a podcast too. And it was just this. My family thought I was crazy, people thought I was crazy, but I felt this call, that I feel like this is something that I'm supposed to do. I need to normalize these conversations and that's literally where it started. I mean, the podcast were well, well into 650 episodes now and in the top 1.5% podcast globally.

Marsha: 15:29

It's grown like crazy. It's been an unbelievable experience and it has led the way for a lot of the things that are unfolding in my life now and the people that I get to meet along the way. So my big message here is our stories. We think we're the only people in the world who are struggling. We're not. We're so much more connected, so much more alike than we think we are, and it's not the details of the story. It's what we experience, the lessons, the emotions. That's what connects us. We're literally all walking very similar, very similar paths.

Jennifer: 16:00

That's so good, that's okay. I so I had a mentor that used to always say you know that, which is that, which, something like that, which is most personal, is most general, because when we're in something, we always think that we're the only one going through something right and, like you said, it's so many great things there when you start to share in your story and you start finding that, yes, there are more people that can resonate with those stories. But I think and you can probably speak to your own on this you know when we're going through things because we've gone through things in our house I think we all do right.

Jennifer: 16:28

We have kids, we're all going through things and I feel like there is a lot of. We don't want to be vulnerable, we don't always want to share those things, right, it's not something that we go, I just want to put those out there. But I think there's power in some of that because, to your point, what you're doing, there are people that need to hear this. They need to know there are others out there. They're not alone, they're not the only ones having to deal with this stuff and and I think it also helps people heal and grow and move past it.

Marsha: 16:57

It does it. I mean the level of healing I could have never, ever predicted I really couldn't have. And it really becomes this space that the people that I have in my life today Weren't here six years ago. Seven years ago they weren't here at all. They're brand new people, they're incredible people and through the process of sharing and being vulnerable, you get to build those connections and you know, we think it's like the perfect things in our life that actually allow us to connect with people.

Marsha: 17:24

And these shame stories and a shame story is like we all have them, all we all do but when you feed that shame story, you're literally taking your own personal power and You're giving it to the story.

Marsha: 17:35

When you start to own your voice and like, learn how to become Outspoken, move through those blocks, find the confidence to share it, you really do start to see that you're not even close to the only person who is struggling with what you're walking through. And I think that it's those pieces that allow us to build the connections with people now and we can help so many other people like I really think it comes down to we are so equipped to help the person that we once were Like when I think back to me 10, 12 years ago, searching online in the middle of the night looking for anybody who was struggling, like what do I do? There was nothing available. So when I feel like, okay, I can't, this is like, can I keep doing this? But I've never had that feeling. I've always felt very called to keep going. I often think there's that younger version of me, like there's a lot of people out there who were that younger version of me, who were praying to know that they were not the only people who were struggling.

Jennifer: 18:32

That's good and that's a big message. And I just had somebody on I think it was last week or the week before that said that we were talking about and he's like who do I serve? And I go back to, I'm looking for the person who I was like where I was at the time. And so, you're right, we can speak through our own pain in our own the thing. That's why I was thinking, when I talk to people about businesses, it's so when I feel people have something that they're really, really passionate about, it's because they've been through it and they know, and so now they're speaking it and it comes from a different place than it's. Just I'm not saying that don't start a business because you wanna do something, but I think there is power when you've actually had to physically go through something and you're trying to fix the thing, to figure out the way to heal the problem. That was a problem for you. Whatever, that is right.

Marsha: 19:15

You're so right and I think that's the pieces is that I could have read thousands of books on what we walk through. There's no book that would have prepared me for what we walk through. Yes, books helped. It's what you like, what you learned firsthand, what I learned firsthand. There's no book that would have taught me that.

Marsha: 19:31

And I think that as we do this, we think of those as like our imperfections, or we're not qualified, or like who am I to do this, when actually the things that you're walking through are actually the things that make you qualified to help the person that you once were. And I think if we could all take that approach, we could do a lot more good in the world. I know that sounds very like I'll say woo-woo, but it sounds like it. But I think that we could really make a big difference. And there's a lot of people who are hurting and a lot of people who are struggling and, at the end of the day, some of us are only a couple of decisions away from being in someone else's shoes, like it's very easy to sit and think, oh well, look at, they did this to themselves, or this is what happened. You know what there's. I always say you never know someone's story. The second you think you know their story. You don't. You know what they are allowing you to see and I'll guarantee you online yeah, online space. You were seeing the two minute snippets of a person's day that they want you to see.

Marsha: 20:28

There's a lot of people who are walking through really difficult times and I feel like this could be a lesson for all of us of more like, more grace, more compassion, more understanding and knowing that really good people are going through some really difficult times.

Marsha: 20:41

So you could do something good in the world and it's made a massive difference for me. It allowed me to get out of my own headspace and stop making it about me and be able to help other people to share their stories. So now, as I see the stories that are coming in, I tend to attract some really big, difficult, trauma type stories and I'm here for it. Like it's actually something that fuels me, and my husband always says to me like wow, how do you, how do you handle that? I'm like, because I'm not carrying it, I feel like I'm facilitating, and I think it's a very different thing. The more I work on myself, the more I can heal myself always working on it. I don't have to carry it, I just get to facilitate and help somebody, and when they can start to see the impact and the purpose of what their story can do for somebody else, it really is a beautiful thing.

Jennifer: 21:30

Yeah, you said so many great things there and I think, even going through your own, I think the best way to heal is to help other people. When you start finding you've kind of said this in so many different ways throughout this whole episode so far about the healing comes when you're able to help other people, and that comes through whatever form that is, whether it's in your podcast, whether it's the coaching right. That's how we learn ourselves and I think it speaks volumes, because now we have the testimony to say here's what I did when I was going through this hard time. Let me be your, hold your hand and help you get through the time, your hard time right now. I love it, it's good, it's good.

Jennifer: 22:08

So I want to ask you, because obviously you're an entrepreneur and I know you mentioned in the very beginning and I know we talked off camera and how you would have never expected this to even grow to where it is right now, because you just got out there to share your story. That's what this was about. But I would love to know, because we do get these people that are coming on here and listening and they're entrepreneurs and they're creators and they're some of them are starting out. Some of them have been here a while but maybe share some of the things you had to really learn to overcome. You've said a lot already. I feel like you've told many of these, but maybe something additional that you had to overcome as an entrepreneur, maybe even just moving from the corporate space to entrepreneur space.

Marsha: 22:44

There's so many things. I think that it's really important to do the work on yourself and help yourself to see your own blind spots. I think mentorship is incredibly important. I do, however, believe we always have the answers. We just have to find ways to unblock ourselves, to just move through those limiting beliefs to be able to see the answers. But the biggest project you're ever gonna work on is yourself, and how you show up is what's gonna dictate what is possible in your life. So if I come on to this podcast, for example, and I do nothing but complain about my story, what I walk through, feel sorry for me, those pieces I lived in those spaces. I'm not judging that, but if I only did that, that's only gonna open up certain opportunities, different clients for me, because that's what I'm putting out there and that's what I will bring back. The more I learn to work on myself and see how it could serve a bigger purpose, I can now share it with a different lens, and that will bring other things into my life and business. So that's the first thing I'm going to say is like you are the number one priority in your business and find your blind spots and where your strengths are, and then surround yourself with people who can help you with those blind spots and the strengths, so that you get to do what lights you up and what your purpose is. And secondly, I don't think there's any rules. I'm going to say this I don't think there's any rules.

Marsha: 24:09

When I first started, I had a number of mentors say to me you cannot start a podcast and write a book and coach people. That's too confusing, it's too much for people. And I was like, see, I think again, I actually think again. And I have multiple mentors say, no, that's a crazy idea, no one's ever going to follow, it's going to be confusing. And I sat there with no experience at that time and I had the insight that it's like I think you're supposed to. I actually, marcia, I think you're supposed to. And so the podcast has helped me to grow my voice and get practice right, having conversations with people sharing stories. It led into the work that I do today.

Marsha: 24:45

I think I allowed the business to unfold and the opportunities unfold because I continued to work on myself and stay open to things that are out there. I didn't come out of the gate saying let's build this as a business. I didn't. I think it's a blessing. I actually think that's a blessing Not impossible, but I do think it was blessing. But I think that when you can do that, you can start to be open to different opportunities and stick with what you love. You might have to come to a space of putting some blinders on and stop watching what Susie's doing in her business and what they're doing in their business, because that might work for them. But if that's distracting for you and you can't stay focused on what it is that you love doing, then put blinders on mute accounts. Stay focused on what works for you.

Marsha: 25:34

I've had multiple mentors say to me you have got to stop the podcast because it's costing you time and energy and it's not leading anywhere. And I'm like it will one day you watch me, it will one day. I've known it and I've said it and I'm also very stubborn and persistent, but it was like I knew it and I mean some of the contracts and some of the people that I get to work with today with publishing and books. They've heard me on a podcast somewhere, so you don't know where.

Marsha: 26:00

Like to me, podcasting is one of the most beautiful modalities ever because it's a great way to speak and get better at sharing your message, and it's a great way to connect with other people. So you don't have to come on a podcast and like sell a service. That's actually that's actually the wrong way to do it, and I've had people do that. You need to be able to share what it is that you do and how you can support and help others. The right people will connect with you. So hopefully that gives you a few ideas of what I feel entrepreneurship can be like. It's an incredible thing. You're not meant to do it on your own, though. There was a lot of different ways.

Jennifer: 26:36

There was a lot of really good takeaways there. I like that you mentioned about being open, because I you know, I think sometimes we do we get. There are times when you need to put your blinders on, stop worrying about everybody around you, focus on your path, your journey, right. But I think also like to your point not being so down to the point where you listen to somebody and somebody strays away. You go with what your internal diet, whatever your insight, what is telling you to go? Because I think when you're intuition, when you start to become in tune with your intuition I'm not saying throughout all logic, right, we don't want to do that but I think when you start to learn to know your intuition, you know what feels right. It works itself out. I just feel like in most cases it works itself out. So you said a lot of really good things there, thank you.

Marsha: 27:20

You're welcome. You're welcome. I mean I just I would love to see more and more people in entrepreneurship. I really would. I think that it's it's a beautiful path. It's work, it is, but it's brought some of the best people into my life and I'm beyond grateful that I get to do the work that I feel can make a big difference and it can help a lot of people. So I think it's a beautiful path and I would love to see more and more Not just women, women and men be able to step into this space.

Jennifer: 27:47

Yeah, it's good stuff. So I want to ask you one final question them. I do some fun ones with you, but I'd love to ask you this question I haven't done in a while. I would love to know In your own words how you define success. What does that look like in your, in your world?

Marsha: 28:02

In my personal world how I will define success, and I actually think this is a fantastic question, jennifer. I think everybody shots himself this question Because you need to know what your own level, your definition, is. I want a business that is thriving and growing, but never at the expense of my health or my relationships. Ever, that's never is, it's not going to happen. So I believe, like one of the things I say and right every day, like as my business grows, my health thrives, my relationship thrive, like I have time, I have freedom in my life and that's more important to me.

Marsha: 28:35

So success is that it all gets to grow and my health is always a top value and my relationships are top value, and that when I finished my time on this earth, that I know I don't have regrets, I didn't let that little inner voice stop me from doing what I was here to do. And without the regrets, knowing that I use like I think it's the Irma Bombette quote like at the end of my time, I literally slide in and say I used it all, I used every single thing I had. Like that's, that's success to me is using my own gifts to make a difference and build that legacy.

Jennifer: 29:13

Well, you gave me chills, so you said the right words today.

Ad: 29:16

I love it.

Jennifer: 29:18

I used to ask that question.

Jennifer: 29:19

I, you know, and I was thinking the other day I was like you know, I haven't been asking that question and I love that question because I feel as though every time I ask this question, I get different verbiage right, different verbiage, but it's all kind of the same thing and I think I feel like you and I are like connected on different ways, because this is exactly how I look at success.

Jennifer: 29:38

To me, it is about, you know, doing what I love. It's about being able to make an impact and help others through the things that I've had to go through, but, at the same time, not compromising my values, and that my values are my health and my well-being and my relationships and all of those things that are important to me. Right, being able to do this on my terms. And I think that is what is so great about what we get to do as entrepreneurs is that we get the ability to do that. It doesn't mean we don't work hard, it doesn't mean we don't put in the grime, that we don't show up, but it means we do all these things on our terms, on our time.

Marsha: 30:11

You nailed it Like I couldn't agree with you more. I really couldn't. I don't know if my version of me in 2020 would have answered that way, and that's been the maybe you know. A couple years later, in age and maturity and just understanding the importance of values, I mean, I spent most of my life as the female entrepreneur that pushed hard to burn out and that was a badge of honor. That was like, see, look at what I did. And then, no matter how much I did, it was never enough. It was never enough. And what if I did burn out? I would shame myself for not doing enough, when, meanwhile, I'm doing five times what the average person is doing.

Marsha: 30:45

And finally, it hit a point where it was like, how many times are you going to live this cycle, marsha? Like, what are you doing? Like what are you really doing? And now it's. You know, I prioritize health, prioritize sleep. I my clients know I have really good boundaries, but I want to teach them that so they can do the same thing with their clients. And you know, if we don't do those things, we're going to build a business that we resent. And like, what's that? What purpose is that serving? That's not going to serve anything. So I won't compromise on those values anymore.

Jennifer: 31:12

I love it. Well, thank you for sharing that. Thank you for answering that question. I need to bring that one back. It's my favorite. I always get excited to hear what you guys say. I want to see if we're all thinking kind of the same things, and I'm so surprised, like I said, everybody that comes on here really has, like I said, the same message. They just express it in different ways. It's always kind of a universal thing. I think it's interesting. It is, I think it's a great.

Marsha: 31:33

It's a great question. I would really encourage anybody who's listening. Ask yourself that, because if we all have different definitions of it and if you're chasing someone else's definition, you're never going to find it Like. You're never going to find it. You have to. You have to have your own definition.

Jennifer: 31:46

There's the mic drop Marsha right there. But this has been so good, this has been awesome. Marsha, I do want to ask you a couple of fun questions either, just like off the cuff sort of questions, nothing to pertain, really, with what you're doing, but I always think that it shows the vulnerable side of us, the human condition side of us, right, and so I like to do this. I'm ready. So I would love to know, besides your awesome books that you've written because I know you've done collaboratives and you've done your own but maybe another book that you feel like has been profound in your life?

Marsha: 32:16

A number of Brene Brown's books. Let me look at which is the one that I read every single year. Why can't I not find it? I'd have to look at it, I'd just put it on the spot. Yeah, you put me on the spot the Brene Brown book. Why can't? Now that's going to drive me absolutely bonkers, because I read it like once a year. I read it once a year. I also read Rebecca Campbell Life is a New Black. I love that book. And then recently I read the Mountain is you and that is fantastic. It's a fantastic book because I do believe we are the mountain in our own lives at all time.

Jennifer: 32:58

Yeah, very good, all right, so you get up in the morning and get ready to go. What's the morning routine look like for you?

Marsha: 33:05

Morning routine looks like for me. I got up, brush my teeth, I do my like, I throw my workout clothes on, I do the things in the kitchen that need to be done, basic things to start the day start with, like green juice, my adaptogen teas, my lemon water. It's actually a bit of a concoction of a whole bunch of, like you know, health. Right, we're back to health again. Do my journaling, and I typically am listening to either a podcast or my subliminals and hypnosis that I listen to in the morning. That just starts my mindset and then I either work out first or I walk my dog. My walk my dog 45 minutes twice a day and that is just my. I work on those things before I really try and do anything else.

Marsha: 33:47

I also infiltrate transparency. Sometimes my creative time in business is first thing in the morning, so I'll get up and work an hour and just I could get a ton done in that time and then I shut it down and then I go do those things. But those parts for my own health values are right up there and I do the same thing at the end of the night. I try really hard to have computer office at a certain time. Walk my dog again, get out and unwind. It's like those high genes for morning and night. They made a big difference for me.

Jennifer: 34:14

I love it, I love it. Thank you for sharing that. I know that's kind of a personal one, but I like that one Cause, you know, I think a lot of times people are like what do these guys do? Like what does their morning routine look like? Right, and I share a lot of things like you do. In the morning too, I sort of have my, you know, my time, that's my time dedicated, like time for breakfast, my green tea, walk my dogs, do my workout, you know, have all my little things I do in order. Sometimes I deviate a little bit, but for the most part the routine is kind of set in place. So love that, All right. One other fun question, because I know you and I are into health, so I got to ask this one what is the one guilty pleasure food that you love that is not on the good list item?

Marsha: 34:50

Well, on a typical good list, I'm going to say dark chocolate. If you haven't told me I can't have dark chocolate, then I'd be like no, that's. I mean definitely, definitely dark chocolate. And I'm a little bit of a salty person when it comes to chips. I do quite like a crunch and salt, not sweet so much Chips and salsa.

Jennifer: 35:08

That's my, that's my downfall. I can eat chips and salsa, I think, for breakfast, lunch and dinner, like I don't even need meat, I don't need anything. Just bring me the. It's got to be good, though. They got to be good. Good salsa, good chips, and I'm good.

Marsha: 35:23

Absolutely, I'm okay if the bag's not open. Once that bag's open, yeah it's. It can be a little bit of a yeah, it's over, it's over.

Jennifer: 35:30

All right, marcia, this has been so much fun. If our audience wants to get in touch with you, maybe they want to pick up a copy of your book, check out your podcast, or maybe somebody's you know, in their own chaos or whatever they're going into right now and they want to reach out to you and say, hey, help, how do we want, where do we want to send them?

Marsha: 35:47

The easiest way to send them is you can even just start typing Google. It's Marcia Van W. Everything I have now is Marcia Van W, it's website, it's social media. It's like Instagram all the things. You'll find everything there. And my podcast is on your choices on your life.

Jennifer: 36:03

Perfect, all right. Well, this has been so awesome. Thank you for sharing your story, thank you for inspiring our audience, and I wish you continued success in all that you're doing and how you're helping. You know continue to help people change their lives and making a difference in the world. So thank you for all of that.

Marsha: 36:17

Thank you, jennifer. I don't say I loved. I love the conversation, I love being here. So thank you so much.

Jennifer: 36:23

Awesome. Of course, we do want to say to our audience if you enjoy the show, head on over to Apple, give us a review over there. You can follow us on YouTube. If you want video format, hit that subscribe button. And I want to leave you guys with the final thought that I always say in order to live the extraordinary, you must start. Every start begins with a decision. You guys, take care, be safe, be kind to one another, and we will see you next time.