In this heartfelt episode of Your Story is Your Portal, Julie Ann welcomes back Jennifer Nagel—therapist, author, and co-creator of the Soul Compass Retreats. Together, they explore how our life stories are not random, but instead guiding compasses pointing us toward soul alignment and purpose.
Jennifer shares her personal journey of navigating her husband’s cancer diagnosis, her own MS diagnosis, and how these pivotal experiences became beacons for resilience, grace, and transformation. Julie Ann opens up about her dyslexia and how revealing hidden stories can unlock new levels of freedom and connection.
They discuss why changing environments (like retreats in nature) helps us access deeper truths, how storytelling is medicine for the soul, and why vulnerability—not surface narratives—creates the real magic. This conversation lays the foundation for the transformational experiences at the upcoming Soul Compass Retreats in Sayulita, Mexico, where story becomes the portal to purpose.
Key Takeaways
- Your story is your compass—every experience, even the painful ones, is guiding you toward your soul’s true north.
- Trauma holds medicine—by safely exploring our past, we uncover resilience and wisdom we didn’t know we carried.
- The body remembers—our stories live in our cells; somatic work helps release what’s stuck and amplify joy and strength.
- Environment matters—stepping into nature and sacred space opens new possibilities for self-discovery.
- Vulnerability is power—surface stories don’t serve; true healing comes from courageously sharing our real story.
- Retreats create portals—safe containers and community amplify breakthroughs, opening doorways to life purpose.
Resources Mentioned
Retreat: www.tinyurl.com/soulcompassretreats
Episode 4
Featured Guest: Jennifer Nagel
Jennifer Nagel is a soul-centered counsellor, international facilitator, and best-selling author who has spent over two decades helping people navigate chaos, reconnect with their inner wisdom, and create meaningful, authentic lives. Deeply rooted in the Satir Model and experiential approaches to transformation, Jennifer brings a grounded presence, sharp insight, and a deep trust in the resources of the human spirit.
Her work spans continents and cultures — she has led programs and trainings in Canada, China, Kenya, Thailand, and Mexico, and currently serves as Director of Trainer Development with the Satir Institute of the Pacific. She is also senior faculty with the Banmen Satir China Management Centre.
Jennifer is the author of Magic in the Muck: Finding Grace in Chaos, co-author of Virginia Satir’s Evolving Legacy, and founder and co-author of the collaborative books Therapists Are Human Too and The Healing Journey to Authenticity, created through book-writing retreats she co-facilitated in Mexico.
Through her podcast, Magic in the Muck: A Soul’s Compass for Change, Jennifer offers honest, embodied conversations on healing, growth, and the soul’s journey — inviting you to navigate uncertainty with strength, purpose, and presence.
Follow Jennifer:
Website: http://www.jennifernagelcounselling.com
Retreat: www.tinyurl.com/soulcompassretreats
Meet the Host: Julie Ann
Julie Ann is a publishing oracle and storytelling midwife who helps soul-led leaders birth books that awaken, heal, and transform.
With over 17 years in the publishing industry, she has guided more than 300 authors to write and publish nonfiction works that shift paradigms and reclaim truth. She is the founder of Influence Publishing, now evolved into The House of Story Medicine — Her gift is sacred listening — not just to words, but to what lives beneath them. She perceives the deeper current beneath your story, attuned to the moments where your voice trembles with truth. She is the eye of soul — the one who sees the unseen, holds the unspoken, and midwifes your message into clarity
Julie Ann is the host of the podcast Your Story is Your Portal, a sacred container for storytellers, seekers, and soul-led leaders ready to speak the story they were born to tell.
These are not interviews. These are activations.
Each episode is a portal — a moment of recognition, a mirror of becoming, a reclamation of voice and Soul Purpose.
Her TEDx talk has reached over 100,000 viewers, and she’s been featured on international television, radio, and in major press for her visionary work in authorship, voice activation, and transformational publishing.
She is also the author of Around the World in Seven Years, a bestselling memoir chronicling her global pilgrimage of personal awakening and soul-led leadership.
Connect with the Host:
Website: www.influencepublishing.com/
Facebook: facebook.com/InfluencePublishing
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/julieannpv
Instagram: instagram.com/julieinspires
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