Women Inspired! | Weekly Interviews With Some Of The World's Most Inspiring Women!

Be honest, when you think about your current job, is it fulfilling? Does it light you up? Is it aligned with your goals, passions, talents, and strengths? Do you like going to work on Monday morning? If you’ve answered ‘no’ to at least one of those questions, you’re not alone. The majority of Americans are not engaged at their jobs. Essentially, they’re phoning it in. Slogging it out until Friday comes and they can have a little fun and freedom. What if I told you that it didn’t have to be that way?! That is exactly what we’re talking about on this week’s episode! The road toward a job and a life that you love involves making intentional, informed choices. Trying jobs that might work for you & quitting ones that don’t. Constant testing, learning, and adjustment is what can eventually align your work (and your life) around your goals, passions, talents, and strengths. This is intentional life design, and it is the focus of our episode this week!! This week, we’re chatting with Kerstin Martin, a flight atte

Each of us was given one and only one finite life to live, and because of that, the time we have is a precious gift. One of the ways to make the most of that gift is to spend our time doing things that align with our passions. Easier said than done, right? So many times, we succumb to the desire to stagnate and stay the same. Avoiding change feels safe and comfortable. We avoid asking ourselves whether the things we’re doing still align with our soul, and in doing so, we don’t live the life we are truly meant to live. Instead, what if you asked yourself the hard questions? Is this job still right for me? Does that relationship still serve me? Am I still happy doing ____? And, in addition to asking yourself those questions, what if you ACTUALLY ANSWERED THEM…..HONESTLY? Terrifying, right? Second, what if we abandoned the notion that life is black and white? You either work at a traditional job OR you’re an entrepreneur. You either inhabit a cubical, OR you pursue your passion project. What if that “or” was an

I want to let you in on a little secret: you absolutely can do extraordinary things! Don't believe me? Think about this: every single person who ever achieved something extraordinary, was just an ordinary person. They were an ordinary person with a passion that drove them to learn, push, work, and persist until they achieved their goal. Ordinary people ABSOLUTELY can do extraordinary things! That's what we're focusing on this week. This week, you will meet Vindya Vee. Vindya is an internationally renowned High-Performance Coach who works with the world’s top 1% of talent. Her clients include business owners, executives and managers servicing Fortune 1000 companies and business owners, working across 13 countries. She is known for her unique skills in achieving impossible goals, impactful leadership, identifying unique talent, and deep impactful coaching. Vindya has a strong vision and great passion for supporting remarkable women create extraordinary success and exponential results! In our convers

Each of us has been given one and only one life to live. We have a finite amount of time on this planet to live out the precious gift of life that we've been given, and so many of us choose to live a half-life. We live a half-life when we allow fear to paralyze us and keep us from doing what we truly want to do. One of my biggest goals with this podcast and this website is to help you live unlicensed. By that, I mean, I don't want anything to hold you back from living the biggest, boldest, most vibrant, fulfilling, aligned life you can possibly live. Because of that, in today's mini-episode of the podcast, I'm focusing on fear. Specifically, I'll give you 3 ways to overcome your fears so that you can move past them and experience life in a brand new way. If you have ever let fear hold you back, you owe it to yourself to listen to today's episode. It can literally change your life. Also, I'd love to hear from you! If you tried out the techniques in this episode, drop me a note &

As I look back on the last 5-10 years of my life, I am amazed at how much my life has changed. These days my life feels so aligned. I feel in control, and I know that I have the power to influence the way that I spend my time. I feel more self confident, present, and centered than I ever have before. I credit 2 things to helping me get here: Life design Personal development I began to make intentional decisions and subtle changes that shifted the trajectory of my life until it fell in line with my true personality and my goals and values. I also dove head-first into the personal development literature and began applying what I was learning.  The change is almost unbelievable.  This week, you're going to meet a woman who is helping other people experience the type of shift that I have gone through, and she's doing it via a monthly self love subscription box. Sharon Podobnik is a multi-passionate entrepreneur, executive leadership coach, and professor. She is the founder of Go Love Yourself, a company

When I first met the man who would eventually become my husband, I did something I had never done before.... I was myself. As in, my WHOLE self. Yup, I let him see me for exactly who I was. I didn't worry about trying to impress him, say the right thing, wait the right number of days before calling, or texting just the right, flirty message. I was just....myself. And guess what, he dug it! He liked me for ME! And that relationship turned into something better than I could have ever imagined.  This week on the podcast, we're focusing on the importance of falling in love with yourself, being 100% authentic, and the way it can impact your romantic relationships. Emyrald Sinclaire is an acclaimed inspirational speaker, love and relationship coach, and author. She helps her clients learn to love themselves first, manifest more joy in their lives, and authentically attract the exact right romantic partner into their lives.  During our conversation we touched on: The importance of authenticity in attracting

For a little while now, I have been working behind the scenes to develop some new content and new areas within, and outside of, the Women Inspired brand and AprilSeifert.com. I'm so excited to share this new work with the world, but I'm also feeling a bit stuck. It's that old, familiar script: "April, are you sure you're skilled enough to pull something like this off?" "Lots of people try and fail at things like this." "I doubt anyone will even be interested in what you're putting out there." Bring on the self-limiting beliefs! While I'm definitely not immune to the same self-limiting beliefs that everyone else experiences, I refuse to be held back by them. I decided to find some support to help me through this process, and wow did the universe deliver! Just as I was looking for a business coach to help me during this transition phase, the universe sent me Jasna Burza, and I am thrilled to share her with you on this week's episode. Jasna Burza is a life and

When was the last time you had to have a difficult conversation with someone? Maybe you had to deliver negative feedback. Maybe you had to ask someone to change their behavior or respect a boundary you'd set. Whatever it is, very few of us enjoy those conversations or even feel at all comfortable having them.  This week's guest is here to help us approach difficult conversations with kindness and compassion so that, ultimately, they are more successful.  Amy E. Smith is a certified confidence coach, masterful speaker, and personal empowerment expert. Founder of TheJoyJunkie.com, Amy uses her roles as coach, writer, podcaster, and speaker to move individuals to a place of radical personal empowerment and self-love. Amy had some incredible insight and value to share with us. Specifically, we cover: The critical role that authenticity plays as we connect with other people. How to successfully have difficult conversations with other people by approaching them with compassion and kindness. The role that &

Once in a while, lightning strikes, and the right person waltzes into our lives at exactly the right time, and things are never the same again. This week, you get to meet an incredible woman who was one of those lightning bolts for me. Gretchen Heinen is someone who doesn't settle for mediocre. She has changed careers three times in pursuit of a life that has worth and value while simultaneously serving in areas her heart is passionate about. She was a microbiologist, registered nurse and now entrepreneur helping people improve their health and finances. She believes that good financial health is imperative to health in the rest of the areas of life. She helps run a free Facebook group called Find Your Fit and also is the host of the podcast Net Worth It where she interviews people who have radically changed their life and how they view money to improve their net worth.  Her episode is one of the meatiest, most value-packed episodes I've ever released. You are not going to want to miss it! Here ar

Can I be honest for a second? Not a week goes by where I don't find myself questioning my own parenting abilities. Am I doing it right? Is there a better way to handle a difficult situation with my daughter?  Kids don't come with an instruction manual, but my guest this week is bringing the next best thing.  Samantha Moe is the founder of Mad 2 Glad, an 8-week parent training program that she developed using her years of training and experience working with kids with sensory disorders. Samantha and I had an amazing conversation about how we all can parent a bit better, including her 3 biggest parenting tips that we dive into: Calm your own fire. Be aware of what adds to the fire. Make it exciting! Her episode also includes a valuable conversation about: Asking others for help when you don't have all of the answers. How to move forward when you feel like you "just can't" right now. What it looks like to reinvent yourself after a difficult childhood. This interview was so valuable to

When you see an injustice, someone in need of help, or a gap you could fill, how do you respond? This week, you'll meet a woman who learned about the massive literacy problem in her state, and she has devoted her career to closing that gap. Deb Mallin is the founder of Literacy Matters, a non-profit organization that aims to help children read proficiently by Grade 3. In her words, as kids transition from Grade 3 to Grade 4, they stop "learning to read" and begin "reading to learn." Kids who can't read at their grade level are likely to be at a disadvantage for their entire lives.  I am so thrilled to share this interview with Deb because her organization was just selected to receive a 2:1 donation match from the Bazinet Charitable Foundation in Minneapolis. Through October 31, all donations will be matched 2:1 up to $150,000!!  If you are at all moved by Deb's passion and this important cause, I encourage you to use the button on the right to donate.  Donations will be used to get

Your mind can be your biggest asset or your biggest barrier, and the choice is up to you.  Deep inside all of our minds is our subconscious. This is the old part of our brain that operates below our awareness, yet it exerts a powerful influence on the way we perceive the world and operate within it.  Keeping your subconscious mind healthy, in check, and working for you can be incredibly difficult. But it doesn't have to be.... This week, I sit down with Carolin Hauser-Carson, a Humanistic Psychologist, Family Constellations Facilitator, and the author of the book The Pleasure IQ. Carolin helps women connect to their life’s mission that spurs truly fulfilling careers, amazing contributions, and abundance in the areas of health and relationships.  This interview is incredibly interesting and powerful for so many reasons: Family Constellations - I learned about a new methodology for uncovering subconscious blocks called "family constellations." It has incredibly interesting connections to Cognitive

We all likely know what it's like to look around at our life and want to make some changes.  This week's guest takes that notion to an entirely new, courageous level. For 12 years Nichole Carlson had the American Dream with the husband, house, and career – but she was miserable. It wasn’t until after her mom passed away at only 47 she realized life was short. She got a divorce and sold her house. One day she quit her job, sold her car an hour later and the next day she was on a one-way ticket to Spain and traveled for the next 10 years. She even got to the point where she was homeless and eating out of dumpsters. She was standing in line at a soup kitchen when she thought, “I’ve had it all and I was unhappy and empty. I have nothing and I’m happy. And now that I know what it takes to truly be happy, I can rebuild my life on my terms.” She went back and intentionally rebuilt her life.  This episode is packed with incredibly deep discussions about the topics that we all need to keep in mind: Life is

 Let's be honest. For so many of us, the mere idea of networking makes us curl up our lip in revolt.  The idea of milling around in a room, full of people wearing "Hello, my name is..." name tags, trying to muster up the confidence to had your business card to the V.P. of So-and-So who is standing across the room. If we're being really honest, that sense of dread arises because we're so focused on what we can get out of the situation. This week's guest asks you to flip the script. Rather than thinking about networking as a way to get something, she suggests approaching it as a way to give something. As a way to cultivate real, authentic connections. Imagine that. Jennifer Kroiss is a networking expert, and an entrepreneurial business coach. During our conversation, we hit on so many amazing topics, including: How to approach networking from a place of service. Asking yourself, "How can I be of value to this person?" rather than, "What can I get out of this person?" We

It's not often that we get to sit down with someone we have admired for a long time. This week, I'm sharing an interview that resulted from my opportunity to do exactly that. I have admired Nancy Lyons, CEO of Clockwork, for quite a few years. She is all of the good stuff, wrapped up together in one person. Strong? CHECK! Opinionated? CHECK! Gumption and self-confidence for days? CHECK! Gives good hugs? DOUBLE-CHECK! You are not going to want to miss this episode of the podcast. Nancy shared so much wisdom with us all, including: How she cultivated all of that gumption The impact of our actions on the next generation Why we're so unengaged at work and how to fix it The importance of living life to the fullest How to practice and cultivate positivity The importance of silencing your inner critic The impact of women supporting women I'm beyond thrilled to introduce you all to Nancy Lyons! Here are a few more details about her: Nancy Lyons is a CEO, entrepreneur, and all around good human who s

You've probably heard it before. That little voice in your head that gets louder and louder, the more you step out of your comfort zone. The voice of your inner critic. Maybe it sounds something like this, "Do you think you have enough experience for that?" Or, maybe it's more like, "No one is going to take you seriously." Or, my personal favorite, "Do you really think you can pull it off? You're not going to succeed, and you'll end up wasting all that time." I'll let you in on a little secret. I battle the voice of my inner critic every single day.  I was thrilled to come across a book called "Playing Big: Finding Your Voice, Your Mission, Your Message." This book contains a number of exercises that I have found to be so transformative. In today's episode, I'm going to walk you through one of those exercises designed to silence your inner critic. I'll walk you through the exercise, and then bare my soul a bit and introduce you to Ron, my inner c

This week's episode is all about women supporting other women using the power of the all-mighty dollar.  Did you know that if we simply bought our tampons (JUST TAMPONS!) from women-owned businesses, it would drive $2.7 BILLION more into women-owned businesses than all of venture capital in 2017?! Those are some powerful tampons!! Those of you who have taken big leaps know how scary it can be to go after your dreams, and you probably also know how amazing it is to have the support of those around you. Support and tribe make all the difference. It is this reason why I am so excited about what Kateri Ruiz and Angel Rowell are doing with their new venture, Maia! Maia is a directory of women-owned businesses, and Kateri and Angel created it to help connect these businesses with consumers who want to support businesses that align with their values. Our dollars are powerful! Kateri and Angel are giving away a free premium listing on Maia to one lucky listener who rates & reviews the podcast on iTunes and sc

Have you ever considered the link between authenticity and confidence? It is so hard to be confident when we’re masking who we really are. In other words, it is hard to be confident when our insides don’t match our outsides. This is one of the key topics we’re exploring in this week’s podcast episode. This week you’re going to meet Susan Denk. Susan is a 38-year veteran of the construction industry and is the owner and general manager of White Crane Construction LLC, founded in 2002.  Susan's confidence radiates from her during this interview, and she sheds light on exactly where that confidence came from. She worked hard to reconcile her outward identity with the woman inside of her, and it was only when she was able to live authentically that she was able to cultivate her strong sense of confidence. We also talked about her dedication to mentorship and the impact it has had on her life and on the lives of the women she mentors. What an important topic for us to talk about in the context of starting b

Many of us are familiar with the powerful work of Brene Brown. She truly pioneered the notion that our vulnerability is not a weakness to be hidden, but rather, a powerful way for humans to authentically live their lives and connect with one another. What does that look like for you? Are there times when you find yourself feeling consistently vulnerable? How do you respond in those situations? Do you allow yourself to feel the authentic feelings that are coming up, or do you feel compelled to hide your vulnerability. Have you ever even stopped to take note of those times to understand them at a deeper level?  This week, I am speaking with Silvia Turonova, an inspirational life coach who used her own difficult life circumstances as motivation and fuel to create the fulfilling life she lives today.  Silvia immigrated to the U.S. 6 years ago from Slovakia with $500 in her pocket. Her desire to create more opportunities for herself and for her mother is what drove her to take such a big leap to start her life ove

Unfortunately, it's a near certainty that every single one of us will face some serious adversity in our lives. That might come in the form of a medical diagnosis, an accident, the loss of a job or a loved one, or something else. The fact that the adverse situation happens to us is one thing, what we choose to do afterward, is another thing entirely. What if you could THRIVE after adversity? What if an adverse event could be the very thing that reignites the passion in your soul and realigns you to what is really important? I certainly experienced that on two separate occasions in my life, and this week's guest had the very same experience after she received a serious health diagnosis.  This week, you will meet Karen Magill. She woke up one morning to near crippling levels of paralysis, with no idea what was happening to her.  Eventually, she got her diagnosis: Multiple Sclerosis. Because of the effects of MS, she was forced to leave the work force in the year 2000 and had go on private disability....