I feel like I'm doing everything right. I meditate. I have boundaries. My life is actually pretty good. So why do I still feel burnt out? Why can't I keep up with my business the way I want to? Why does it feel like something's still off?

If that sounds like you, this episode is going to connect some dots you didn't even know needed connecting.

Jen Yundt Coles is a functional medicine health coach, SIBO specialist, and someone who literally had a heart attack from stress she didn't even realize was stress. In this conversation, we talk about the hidden stressors that are quietly sabotaging your business with chronic illness—and what to do about it.

We talk about:

• Why your gut health is directly messing with your business decisions, your creativity, and your energy
• The types of stress you're not even counting (and how they're stacking up in your body)
• What happens when you keep pushing through until your body literally forces you to stop

This episode is for you if:

• You disappear when you don't feel well and then feel like you're starting all over again every time you come back
• You can't keep up with the pace everyone says you should be moving at
• You know you need better systems but strategy alone isn't fixing what's actually wrong

Listen for:

• Why your body might be in fight-or-flight mode even when your life looks fine on paper
• The question Jen asks herself every single morning that changed how she runs her sustainable business
• How to actually run a business with chronic illness without feeling like you're always proving yourself

The truth: You're not broken. You're not lazy. Your body is trying to tell you something—and when you finally listen, building your business gets so much easier.

🎧 Want to learn more about today’s guest?

Visit CraftedToThrive.com for guest details, key takeaways, and extra links mentioned in this episode.

🌿 If you’re navigating entrepreneurship and chronic illness, or simply craving a more sustainable way to grow your business without sacrificing your health, energy, or self-care priorities, explore Chronically You & Profitable (CYAP).

CYAP is my voice-first business system designed for women entrepreneurs, creatives, and women with chronic illness who want sustainable growth and burnout support while keeping life and wellness first.

It helps you use your voice and story to build a business with systems and strategies that run smoothly, so your work supports your life, not the other way around.

⭐ Enjoyed this conversation? Leave a review and share it with another CEO woman or creative entrepreneur growing a health-first, sustainable business.

📱 Stay connected: Follow me on Instagram.

And after all of these things that have, you know, literally

2

hit me on the head to make me slow

down, I've finally realized even in

3

the last few years that I don't have to

hustle to prove my worthiness anymore.

4

I can own my expertise, I can speak my

truth, my real talk, tell it like it is.

5

I don't have to be buffered or filtered.

6

Right.

7

Those people who get that are gonna be

the ones who are attracted to my business.

8

Speaker 5: Welcome to Business

with Chronic Illness, the Globally

9

Ranked podcast for women living

with chronic illness who want to

10

start and grow a business online.

11

I'm your host, Nikita Williams and I

went from living a normal life to all

12

of a sudden being in constant pain

with no answers to being diagnosed

13

with multiple chronic illnesses.

14

And trying to make a livable income.

15

I faced the challenge of adapting

traditional business advice to fit

16

my unique circumstances with chronic

illness, feeling frustrated and more

17

burned out than I already was while

managing my chronic illness to becoming

18

an award-winning coach or the flexible,

sustainable online coaching business.

19

I found the surprisingly simple

steps to starting growing a

20

profitable business without

compromising my health or my peace.

21

Since then, I've helped dozens of women

just like you learn how to do the same.

22

If you're ready to create a thriving

business that aligns with your lifestyle

23

and wellbeing, you're in the right place.

24

Together, we're shifting the narrative

of what's possible for women with

25

chronic illness and how we make a living.

26

This is business with chronic illness.

27

Hey everybody.

28

I am really excited to

have Jen on the show.

29

We are going to talk about burnout

and we're gonna talk about some

30

other things in your health and

your gut and all of that jazz.

31

But Jen, before we get in, I'd

love for you to like introduce

32

yourself as if someone were to ask

you, like, what is it that you do?

33

Jen Coles: Yeah.

34

Hey Nikita, I'm so glad to be here

and I'm glad that we finally connected

35

after rescheduling a few times, which I

think is the name of the game sometimes

36

when you're dealing with business

and chronic illness, by the way.

37

Absolutely.

38

So, so yeah.

39

My name is Jen Coles.

40

I am a functional medicine health coach.

41

I'm also the SIBO coach, so I'm

a gut health strategist, and

42

that's sort of like my do, right?

43

But I also like to, you know.

44

I think about other things

that I like to do that I don't

45

put myself in that single box.

46

Yeah.

47

So not to just completely label myself,

but I'm also an aspiring brocker.

48

I'm a writer.

49

Cool.

50

I'm a home renovator.

51

I'm a gluten-free baker.

52

I'm a mama to two college kids, and I'm

somebody who's just been on a personal

53

mission to not only overcome my own

chronic health issues, but to really

54

inspire my fellow go-getter women.

55

To internalize this idea of the gut brain

performance and creativity connection.

56

So maybe we can talk about that today too.

57

Absolutely.

58

But's just a little bit about me.

59

Well, that is

60

Speaker 5: first of all, rocker.

61

Cool.

62

I'm one of my best friends.

63

She's like, I feel like

she's like a secret rocker.

64

Like in the sense of like, yeah, she's

like very soft spoken, but if you put

65

some like real hardcore rock, rock

music eighties, she's like in it.

66

Right.

67

And I feel like, I'm like, when you said

that, I'm like, I kind of get the vibe.

68

I kind of get the vibe.

69

Jen Coles: Yeah.

70

Yeah.

71

So I play guitar.

72

That's kind of my sanity.

73

That's awesome.

74

And I've been writing my own songs

for several years now, and who

75

knows, maybe one day I'll be brave

and and sing them out to somebody.

76

But for right now, I'm just,

like I said, I'm kind of a secret

77

rocker too, like in my bedroom.

78

Speaker 5: I love that.

79

I love that.

80

How long have you been playing the guitar?

81

Jen Coles: Oh gosh.

82

Well.

83

Probably since my late teens.

84

I had a boyfriend in high

school and we were in a band

85

together, so that was really fun.

86

And we just made all kinds of

noise and then years went by, I

87

was having babies and all of that

kind of stuff, how life changes.

88

And my husband ended up actually

buying me an acoustic guitar.

89

So I started to write, you know, try

to relearn to actually learn how to

90

play instead of just making noise.

91

Both: Yeah.

92

And

93

Jen Coles: also I just, I grew up

with my dad playing guitar, so it

94

was always something that I really.

95

Admired and wanted to learn how to do too.

96

So that's kind of where I'm at with that.

97

Speaker 5: Yeah.

98

That's so cool.

99

I feel, to your point, you were

mentioning about creativity and I feel

100

like creativity is such a huge aspect

of healing, of growing, of coping,

101

exploring, like it's such a thing,

uh, powerful tool, even if you're not

102

like the traditional creative, I guess

whatever people would call traditional.

103

Yeah.

104

But I'd love to hear about how did you.

105

To like, how did being a SIBO coach,

how did this love of what you do

106

and finding those, those different

nuances, they're very niche.

107

So what led you to this path?

108

Jen Coles: Yeah, yeah.

109

So like, I'm sure most of your

guests, I got here from my

110

own personal journey, right?

111

And so that was a, you know, a lifelong

decades long struggles with digestive

112

health, digestive issues, rather.

113

And you know, kind of first started

off of like chronic constipation

114

pretty much my whole childhood

and teen years and continued into

115

my first part of my marriage.

116

I had been in a couple of car accidents,

so really suffering from some chronic

117

pain syndromes as well, and really sort

of being dismissed or, you know, not

118

fully seen by my medical practitioners

and feeling frustrated and really sort

119

of ending up feeling isolated and alone.

120

And really depressed,

to tell you the truth.

121

Yeah,

122

Speaker 5: yeah.

123

Jen Coles: And, you know, finally

got to this place where it

124

was so much stress on my body.

125

'cause like I said, I'm kind

of a go-getter and I've got all

126

these things I wanna get done.

127

And at the time I owned a gluten-free

bakery and was really just like running

128

myself ragged, like getting up before the

sun and, and you know, raising elementary

129

school kids and all of that stuff.

130

Goes with all, you know, being a

mom and an entrepreneur and and

131

all that kind of chaos, right?

132

Yeah, yeah.

133

Eventually all those health issues

kind of compounded and I ended up

134

with broken heart syndrome, which is

essentially like having a heart attack,

135

a heart event, just from sheer stress.

136

Usually it happens to like elderly people

who have lost their spouse after a long

137

time 'cause it's just so heartbreaking.

138

You know, traumatic.

139

So that's what happened.

140

And that was kind of my, one

of my first wake up calls.

141

And after that was sort of my

first taste of functional medicine.

142

And that sort of led me to,

uh, learning about sibo.

143

That was my first introduction to that.

144

She's like, Hey, why don't you

test yourself for some SIBO here?

145

I was like, what's that?

146

Everyone just tells me I

have IBS like such a generic

147

catchall, you know, diagnosis.

148

And so that was kind of my first.

149

Dive into that whole world and

because I have sort of a science

150

research geek out type of brain.

151

Brain, yeah.

152

I just kind of went down my own

rabbit hole and tried to, to

153

help myself because there be,

you know, I got to a point where.

154

I was seeing my gastroenterologist and

she was like, Jen, I think you know

155

more about SIBO than I do at this point.

156

I dunno how to help you.

157

Here are some antidepressants.

158

So I was like, no, thank you.

159

That's not what I need.

160

Although obviously not passing

judgment on anyone who's using those,

161

you know, to get through their day.

162

But that was not the

answer for me personally.

163

That really motivated me to go

back to school, to go to health

164

coaching, go through a program,

and then I said, you know what?

165

I just need more science and I need more

evidence, and I need all the things.

166

So I decided to put myself through

functional medicine school while I

167

was coaching and you know, eventually

was able to help myself overcome the

168

sibo, which by the way, SIBO stands for

small intestinal bacterial overgrowth,

169

which is very niche like you said.

170

And word got out that I was

doing that helping myself and

171

other people in my practice.

172

So I decided to rebrand as the SIBO coach,

and that's kind of where I'm at now.

173

But to answer sort of the backdoor

question that you asked me was kind

174

of trying to implement or incorporate

creativity, enjoy activators into my

175

practice, teaching my clients, or you

know, helping guide them, I guess rather.

176

On how to sort of

uplevel their creativity.

177

It doesn't, you know, we don't

have to put a label on it.

178

You don't have to be a painter or a

musician, but there are so many ways

179

that we can incorporate more ways

of finding joy, resetting into our

180

parasympathetic nervous system and

all of that so that we can be more

181

successful in our healing journey.

182

Yeah.

183

And more successful in like daily

life or like, you know, whether

184

that's being an entrepreneur

or a mom or both, or whatever.

185

Did that answer your question?

186

Yeah, no, it did.

187

Speaker 5: I think, I think a lot of

us start on this journey to discover

188

what we are getting from wherever we're

getting the support from is not enough.

189

Right?

190

Yeah.

191

And we know, especially if we're,

we're researching, we're doing

192

everything that we need to figure out

in our own, in our own bodies, right?

193

Which is honestly.

194

Really our responsibility to do.

195

But it is also a lot of time and

it's a lot of, like, some of us

196

don't have that researchy brain.

197

It's overwhelming.

198

I think I'm thankful for AI these days

for like helping that aspect of my

199

health journey a little bit easier.

200

Mm-hmm.

201

To like, okay, I am researching this.

202

Can you say this in like

a 10th grade language?

203

Because I dunno what this

is saying to me right now.

204

I knew when I got my aromatherapy

certification, I was just like.

205

It took me a while because it's just a

different way of understanding words.

206

We just don't hear, and we're not taught

about our bodies in this way, in such a

207

detailed way, and it really has helped me.

208

So I'm curious, Jen, like in

your journey of being like going

209

through discovering you have sibo.

210

How I wanna phrase this is kind of

more around like how does affect how

211

you showed up in the world to support

your family financially as well as like

212

managing your health, because that's

like a full, I feel like sometimes it's

213

a double full-time job of trying to

figure out and learn and research and

214

be a doctor basically for yourself.

215

And you said you had a

gluten-free bakery business.

216

You have kids.

217

Like how did you manage that?

218

Jen Coles: That's a really good question.

219

And I think at the time I wasn't really

managing it, and that's why, and that's

220

why I ended up with Broken Heart syndrome.

221

Right.

222

Speaker 5: Yeah.

223

Jen Coles: But I think on the other

side of that, I think what I would say

224

was, or is, and this is what I do in

my practice now, I'm always going to.

225

Encourage you to be your own

best advocate, which I'm sure you

226

talk a lot about on your show.

227

Speaker 5: Absolutely.

228

Especially

229

Jen Coles: when you do have

chronic illness or do feel like

230

you're being dismissed or unseen

or unheard or unsupported.

231

It's important for you to understand

that yes, that is your responsibility.

232

And adults feel quite heavy sometimes,

but no one else is gonna come save you.

233

And once you kind of internalize that

idea, which is easier said than done.

234

I think that sort of

plants that seed, right?

235

And then you start doing little

things that start watering that seed.

236

So today I'm gonna make sure I go

to bed on time tomorrow I'm gonna

237

get up and get some sunshine in

my eyeballs as soon as I wake up.

238

Right?

239

Yeah.

240

Things like that.

241

Honestly, it's just the

really simple things.

242

Starting out with those, I think what

began to make the difference for me

243

when I sort of realized, okay, Jen.

244

The go, go, go is actually gonna kill you.

245

So you better slow down.

246

And I don't know if there have been

episodes of self-sabotage or the

247

universe just boning me on the head

and telling me, okay, slow down.

248

But I've had so many accidents and

brain injuries in the last like 10 years

249

where I finally figured out like, oh,

250

I need to pause before I propel.

251

So this is my thing now.

252

I'm trying to teach this, trying

to get this message out to the

253

importance of getting quiet, which is

something that we don't do very often

254

in this crazy world, especially as

women who are wearing multiple hats.

255

Getting quiet so we

can hear our intuition.

256

I think we've gotten to a place, and

hopefully, I feel like we're sort of

257

coming out of this now a little bit.

258

There's a shift, but we've been in this

place where we outsource our intuition.

259

Ooh, yes.

260

Mm-hmm.

261

Yeah, we do.

262

And we defer to what other people

say or do, or we take advice

263

from like online support groups

that really isn't customized.

264

Us in our, you know, you know,

unique situation or environment.

265

And I think that's really the key.

266

I think individualized

medicine, personalized medicine

267

is the way of the future.

268

And I think dialing up that sort of

feminine power that we have, understanding

269

that we have an innate ability

to heal ourselves, listening to

270

what our symptoms are telling

us, remember that's information.

271

When we're having some sort of

symptom and you know, sometimes I

272

just start talking Nikita and I'm

like, where am I going with this?

273

But no, I love it.

274

I think it's a, I think that's

kind of where my journey took me.

275

I started off with little simple

things and I'm still doing

276

those simple things, by the way.

277

Yeah.

278

You never really graduate from those.

279

You have to keep doing them.

280

They're foundational.

281

Sunshine and going on a walk and drinking

enough water and going to bed on time.

282

All those boring things that

we say because it's not like

283

a magic pill, but they were.

284

Yeah,

285

Speaker 5: yeah.

286

No, I, I hear you.

287

I think you're so right about

the outsourcing, our intuition.

288

I, I think we all have

at some point, and if.

289

If we're honest, have done it way more

and we can probably pinpoint when we've

290

done it and what the effects were and

how it has, we're still dealing with

291

the consequences of those things.

292

I'm curious, 'cause you know, you

mentioned, you know, experiencing

293

or having heart rate syndrome.

294

Do you think it was a collective of.

295

Choices.

296

Choices or life like a specific

scenario that happened that really just

297

impacted it or created that for you?

298

Jen Coles: I dunno that it was one thing.

299

I mean, I can kind of put my

finger on a couple things.

300

I think what I would say was, is.

301

Oh gosh.

302

I don't know if I can put

this in a nutshell, but

303

that's such a goofy question,

304

so I'll try really quickly

off the top of my head.

305

You know, one, like I said, I was

just driving myself into the ground.

306

Speaker 5: Can you tell me a little bit

more about when you say driving yourself,

307

because I think we say, um, I'm, I didn't

mean to interrupt, but I think Oh, no.

308

We hear, oh, I think people say,

I'm like, yeah, I burnt out.

309

I just was doing so much and I drove

myself and now I'm done and I'm better.

310

And I'm like, but wait a minute.

311

Like, can we name?

312

No, it doesn't work that way.

313

Like can we name what it was?

314

Because I think we all give

ourselves like these little excuses,

315

like, well, everybody does that.

316

I'm like, you can't not do it like that.

317

Like, you know what I'm saying?

318

So I'm curious too, like, okay, when

you say drive, you're driving yourself.

319

What did that look like on a day to day?

320

Jen Coles: Yeah.

321

I can tell you very specifically,

so like I said, I had two kids in

322

elementary school and they were in a

Montessori school, so I was trying to

323

be active at school, like participating

as a, you know, responsible parent.

324

I was also Reno.

325

Yeah.

326

Renovating my home at the time

doing updates because that's

327

just kind of like, I like to be

creative that way and do that.

328

I had started new, a new business,

which was my gluten-free bakery.

329

And so I had taken on more clients or you

know, businesses that would, you know,

330

wanna sell my products and all of that

kind of stuff than I probably should have.

331

I was getting up at like

three 30 every morning.

332

Wow.

333

To bake and deliver.

334

I was doing the deliveries myself.

335

And then I would go to the gym and work

out like crazy cardio and then come home

336

and get my kids ready for school and then

they'd be at school and then I'd be back

337

at the bakery baking for the next day.

338

Then I would be off at three because

I wanted to be the mom who was home

339

when their kids were home so that

I'd speed home and go pick them up.

340

And they were both involved in

travel sports, and of course I

341

was the mom who was like driving

them all around and really holding

342

that responsibility as well.

343

Both of my kids have gone through

emotional things at different points

344

in their life, and at that time,

my older son was going through a

345

depressive episode and tried to take

his life even at nine years old.

346

Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry.

347

So I held that as well, and at

the very same time, I was having

348

relationship issues in my marriage.

349

And having, you know, some disrupted

communication and, and other things

350

going on that I, you know, obviously

don't need to talk about here.

351

Yeah.

352

I think all of that tied together with

having these chronic digestive issues

353

and anxiety and worry all the time.

354

My microbes, my chemistry,

my biology was out whack.

355

I wasn't making myself.

356

You know, my chemistry was off and

it's no wonder that I ended up with

357

something like Broken heart syndrome.

358

So I, I hope that answers your question.

359

Yeah.

360

Like, very specifically,

that's what I was doing.

361

That's a

362

Speaker 5: lot woman.

363

I'm like, I'm like, oh my goodness.

364

I mean, just, I, I know there

are people that get up early, but

365

3:00 AM like that is, I'm like.

366

And I'm sure you weren't going to

bed at like five, so like Yeah, no,

367

Jen Coles: I wasn't.

368

And that's the thing.

369

It's like, I think we think we can

do it because for a while we can,

370

our bodies will function for a

while in that place, you know, in

371

a survival mode to just keep going.

372

But eventually we need to rest, you know?

373

And I just didn't see that for myself.

374

I had a really high standard of what I

thought success meant or looked like.

375

I felt like I had to reach,

reach that expectation.

376

Some of that was self, you know,

self-inflicted and other, you know,

377

some of it was also just put on

me by other people, I think, or

378

that I allowed to be put on me.

379

And there was just a disconnect.

380

I had kind of lost myself, you know?

381

I was busy being a mom and an

entrepreneur, and those were the labels

382

I was wearing, and I forgot who Jen was.

383

So I think that was the key.

384

Speaker 5: Yeah.

385

You mentioned chemistry was off.

386

Yeah.

387

Can you tell us a little bit more

about what that means for you?

388

Jen Coles: Yeah, so in my case, and,

and this is the lens that I'm looking

389

through as a gut health strategist, right?

390

We have a diverse microbiome in our gut.

391

And typically it's in the large colon.

392

I'm gonna geek out for a second here.

393

Okay.

394

I'm

395

Both: fine with it.

396

Jen Coles: We can, we can hang.

397

Um, yeah, so, so in our large colon we

typically have a diverse microbiome.

398

It contains bacteria, viruses,

fungi, can't, you know.

399

Viruses, all kinds of things.

400

And when they're like hanging out and

being friends and you know, that kind

401

of thing, it's not usually a problem.

402

But when there becomes a bully on the

playground, we start having like some

403

symptoms and they may be those things that

we hear as IBS, you know, constipation,

404

diarrhea, gas, bloating, whatever.

405

Here's the thing that I do in my practice.

406

So there are a number of reasons

which we could talk about if you want.

407

So many reasons why someone

would end up with a small

408

intestinal bacterial overgrowth.

409

So the small colon is not sterile,

but it's not really the party place

410

for microbes to hang out, right?

411

That's the place that we're supposed to be

digesting in, assimilating our nutrients.

412

So when we do have a bacterial overgrowth

there, for instance, or you know,

413

fungal overgrowth or whatever it is.

414

It's causing inflammation,

wear and tear on that system.

415

And it's mechanism of being

able to give us the nutrients we

416

need from our food is impaired.

417

Yeah.

418

And so that includes things like

minerals and uh, certain types

419

of vitamins that help us with our

methylation and our detoxification.

420

Those nutrients are required for

neurotransmitters which affect our

421

mood and our thinking patterns.

422

Not to mention sex hormone

production and all of that, right?

423

Our drive, our get up and go, our

cognitive clarity, all sorts of things.

424

And it can lead to body pain,

syndromes, depression, anxiety, panic

425

disorders, all sorts of things besides

just the typical digestive issues,

426

types, symptoms that we hear about.

427

And so that's what I'm talking about,

chemistry, when we aren't able to.

428

Absorb and utilize those key nutrients

from our food or our supplements because

429

of some sort of dysbiotic environment

in the colon or the small colon, rather,

430

then we're putting ourselves in this

place where we're becoming essentially

431

malnourished because you know, we can

be eating all the right foods, but it

432

doesn't matter because the bugs are

eating our food before we are right.

433

And so that's, that's the kicker.

434

People don't sometimes like,

you know, connect those dots.

435

And so it's really important for

us to understand that whatever's

436

going on in your gut, that is

your leadership right there.

437

That is your CEO business mindset.

438

It's inside your gut.

439

If it's dysregulated or impaired or

suboptimal in some way, everything

440

else in your life could be impaired.

441

That includes.

442

Your focus at work.

443

That includes your creativity, that

includes your connection with other people

444

because you don't feel like yourself.

445

And list goes on and

446

Speaker 5: yeah, I'm gonna take

it out of, out of the moment.

447

Jen Coles: Yeah.

448

Speaker 5: Only for a second because

I think we actually have to go back

449

to it because I'm thinking, I think

when we hear terms like burnout and

450

all of this kind of stuff, and I have

several episodes about burnout and

451

just conversations around capacity and

energy and all of these different kind

452

of things with chronic illness, not

with chronic illness running a business.

453

I wonder if how your

gut is functioning like.

454

What's going on with your, if

you're paying, give you clues.

455

You are on the, on the pathway to burnout.

456

You do need to slow down.

457

Yeah, you do need to take more time

and you need to just stop thinking,

458

oh, this is just 'cause I had a bad

day or a bad couple of weeks because

459

it's cumulative from what I've

learned about the gut and how it.

460

Its own little brain down there.

461

So like if someone is experiencing

burnout right now and they're physically

462

experiencing it, is the gut a place

they need to really pay attention to?

463

Jen Coles: Yeah, and I think

that's the obvious answer, right?

464

Like, you knew that asking me the

question, but I mean, of course

465

that's the lens I'm looking through.

466

That's my training.

467

That's functional medicine.

468

Functional medicine will say, you know,

90 something percent of any kind of

469

other issue in your body is probably,

you know, rooted in the, in the gut.

470

But it's true things like, you know,

if our microbes are imbalanced.

471

That's sending a constant signal

through the vagus nerve to

472

the brain that we're not safe.

473

Right.

474

And I'm sure you've talked about

this on your show as well, but

475

you know, your microbes are

constantly serving your environment.

476

Like, is this safe?

477

Are we cool?

478

You know, is everybody

chill doing their thing?

479

Or are we like in a chaotic state?

480

Are there bullies on the playground?

481

What's happening?

482

And so that's sending a direct message

to your brain, even if you don't.

483

You know, intelligently comprehensive.

484

You're not aware

485

Speaker 5: of that.

486

If you're not aware, if

you're not considering that.

487

Right.

488

It still happening.

489

Exactly.

490

Just because you don't see it

doesn't mean it's not happening.

491

Right.

492

Right.

493

Jen Coles: And so here's the thing.

494

Actually, I'll, I'll tell a little story.

495

So I've had, well, clients say this a lot,

but I'm thinking of one specific client.

496

You know, I, we were talking about

stress and her stress level and

497

her ability to manage it and what

her capacity was and everything.

498

She says, you know, my

life is really great.

499

I love my husband.

500

My kids are doing wonderful.

501

I like my job, and my boss is pretty cool.

502

And, you know, so I'm not stressed.

503

You know, I meditate every day and,

and she tells me all this stuff and I

504

said, well, here's the real talk of it.

505

If you have some sort of

imbalance in your gut.

506

That is a physiological stressor that

your brain is interpreting as danger.

507

So even if you don't see any

stress on the outside of your

508

life, it's going on in the inside.

509

Absolutely.

510

And that'll keep you stuck in that cycle

of fight or flight running from the tiger.

511

All those things that we all know

as chronic illness sufferers.

512

Right?

513

Speaker 5: Yeah.

514

Jen Coles: And that makes it

really difficult for us to get

515

outta that and reset ourselves.

516

And so first being aware

of that is the key.

517

Speaker 5: Yeah.

518

I love that you shared that story

because I think a lot of us think,

519

to her point, my life is good.

520

Like not, I don't hear a lot of

people saying, my life is great.

521

Nothing's wrong, but most who

feel like I know how to manage

522

my stress and dah, dah, dah, dah.

523

Something I've been doing

a lot of research on is the

524

allostatic load of stress.

525

It's cumulative.

526

Mm-hmm.

527

And what happens to our body over time.

528

Even though you may have gotten

through the thing, like you've gotten

529

through the thing you got through.

530

Your body is still, hasn't

dealt with that stress.

531

It's still stored in your energy and

your, like in your physical body,

532

in your lot and your and your cells.

533

So you could say all day long, I'm not

stressed, but your body's yelling often

534

through symptoms and things like that,

that you're just trying to deal with the

535

symptoms versus the root cause of this.

536

But to your point.

537

I'm sharing this to say,

when I first started dealing

538

with my chronic illness, no.

539

I had no awareness of this.

540

I had no knowledge of this.

541

Like this was not something that you

were told or talked, it's talked about.

542

Mm-hmm.

543

We hear stress is bad for

you, but we don't hear.

544

Stress is killing you.

545

Like, like, like in that, in that

way, whether you see it or not.

546

And I think I really started to understand

the gut aspect of things when I started

547

working with a functional medicine doctor.

548

I mean a practitioner who was

also happened to be an md.

549

But that power of realizing that

your gut is like telling you so

550

much information, it's powerful.

551

And I kind of wanna switch

this into like talking about

552

business for a moment because.

553

There's foundations in our business, just

like there's foundations for our health.

554

And the energy and capacity we

have in order to explore and heal

555

our health are things we have

to do in our businesses as well.

556

There's foundations that we have

to tweak to do differently for us

557

that may not work for someone else.

558

And so, Jen, I know you sharing

like your experience as.

559

A coach supporting clients, but building

a business, also, experiencing your

560

own health challenges, healing your

own like issues going on, being a mom.

561

What are some foundational things as

a business owner that you had to tweak

562

for your own customization to make

this even possible for you to grow?

563

Jen Coles: Yeah.

564

Yeah.

565

That's such a dynamic question.

566

And before I answer it, yeah.

567

I'm gonna like reflect on

something you just said.

568

Yeah.

569

I think it's really important, and

I'm sure you've talked about this

570

with other guests, but it's really

important, and this is something

571

I try to teach my clients that.

572

There are so many

different types of stress.

573

I think it all just gets

bundled into like work stress.

574

Yeah.

575

But there's so many other kinds

of stress, like environmental,

576

what you're being exposed to.

577

Like maybe you're in a moldy home and

you don't even know it 'cause it's

578

like lurking in the walls, you know?

579

Yeah.

580

Or like a conversation that you

had with someone, like either it

581

was your spouse or your coworker.

582

Those things.

583

Or your parents are, or your parents

like, so those are exposures and

584

they can be stressors to the body.

585

So I just wanna.

586

Point that out, right?

587

I know that that for me was also

one huge thing that I had to

588

internalize and become really aware

of what that effect was on my body.

589

I'm in a toxic environment, both because

there's mold in here, but also because I

590

can't have a conversation with my husband.

591

Right.

592

So like thinking about it that way.

593

Speaker 5: Yeah.

594

Okay.

595

Jen Coles: So now to go

back to your other question.

596

Speaker 5: No, that's a powerful, I

mean that's, that's very powerful.

597

I think you're right.

598

We don't put it into terms like that.

599

There's multiple different

kinds of stress and Yeah.

600

Jen Coles: Kinds of stress, right?

601

Awareness

602

Speaker 5: is everything

when it comes to stress,

603

Jen Coles: for sure.

604

100%.

605

And to your point, yes, it is

often stored in your cells, right?

606

And interestingly, and

of course you know this.

607

From studying the somatics and the

gut health and everything that, you

608

know, grief and loss can be stored in

the lungs and the large intestine and

609

sadness and loneliness and not being

able to express yourself is stored in

610

the heart and the small intestines.

611

Right?

612

And so there's such a.

613

A really interesting energetic connection

there between all of those things.

614

But anyway.

615

Okay, so things that I've done in my

own practice while I'm continuing to

616

heal, and I wanna be clear on that.

617

I'm what I call a

recovering perfectionist.

618

Speaker 5: I

619

Jen Coles: love that.

620

Are we all trying to be

621

Speaker 5: that

622

Jen Coles: so.

623

I've lived my life up until this point.

624

Right.

625

So like just trying to show up and

put my face on and be professional

626

that I have it all together and I

don't want anyone to see my dirty

627

laundry and all of this kind of stuff.

628

Right?

629

Speaker 5: Yes.

630

Jen Coles: And I realize that sharing

part of that is really important

631

for people, not only to feel like

I'm relatable, but also that, you

632

know, I'm approachable, right?

633

So that's one thing.

634

The other thing too is that.

635

That I was gonna say was, yes, I'm

still going through my healing journey.

636

Yes, I've overcome sibo, but

I'm still dealing with like

637

chronic pain from car accidents.

638

You know, still tr like you probably

notice, I trip up my words sometimes.

639

I'm still healing from traumatic

brain injury and so, you know, I'm

640

a real person going through my own

thing, trying to navigate my business

641

and help my fellow go-getters in

the world, do what they wanna do.

642

And so for me, I sort of, I guess I'll

say technically that looks like I put

643

more space between my clients now.

644

I used to have them back to

back, to back, to back to back.

645

Speaker 5: Yeah.

646

Jen Coles: So I schedule in extra

time, whether that looks like prepping

647

notes or, you know, sending notes.

648

But also it looks like

going outside for a minute.

649

It looks like doing some Qigong and like

releasing the energy that I just absorbed.

650

It looks like playing fetch real quick

with my dog before I have to come back in.

651

And it looks like, you know, did

we hit it this at the beginning?

652

I don't remember now.

653

Talking about joy activators.

654

Speaker 5: Yeah, we, I was gonna

talk about that a little bit more.

655

I, I know you mentioned like

rocking out listening to music,

656

you know, those kind of things.

657

Yeah.

658

Jen Coles: Yeah, so I mean, even

the other night, no one was here.

659

It was just me and my dog,

and I was like, you know what?

660

I'm gonna put on my mix.

661

I turned it way up and I just

danced around for like an hour,

662

and I was totally exhausted and

I slept like a baby that night.

663

I love

664

Speaker 5: that.

665

Yes.

666

Jen Coles: But just it, it doesn't

have to be crazy like that, right?

667

It can be.

668

I'm gonna stare out the

window for five minutes.

669

And reset my gaze and put

myself into parasympathetic.

670

I'm gonna schedule some time for myself

tonight to take a really hot bath because

671

that's what I want, and I'm gonna light

my candle, right, and something special.

672

I'm gonna carve out some time this

weekend to call my friend that I

673

haven't talked to in a while, because

that is so nourishing for me and sort

674

of thinking about things like that.

675

So every day now, Nikita, when I

get up, I say, what do I need today?

676

And how am I gonna get it?

677

I learned this from one of my

therapists a long time ago.

678

Speaker 5: Yeah,

679

Jen Coles: and that's the thing,

every morning it's different because

680

I never know how I'm gonna feel in

the morning as a result of some of

681

these chronic conditions I have.

682

Both: Yeah.

683

Jen Coles: And so it's

a little unpredictable.

684

I mean, I can make plans, and this

is where that perfectionism came in.

685

I have my plans and I have my calendar

blocked off, and it's all color coded,

686

but sometimes I have to realize.

687

Not today.

688

Yeah, I gotta push that till tomorrow.

689

And so understanding

that flexibility is key.

690

Having some grace for myself,

and then really being an

691

example of that to my clients.

692

Speaker 5: Yeah.

693

Jen, you said so much in that I wanna talk

a little bit more about the, you call them

694

joy motivators, is that what you call it?

695

Joy

696

Jen Coles: activators.

697

Activators,

698

Speaker 5: yeah.

699

So I read a book by a coach who is a

positive psychologist specialist, and

700

so I, I, I did a whole tour, two and a

half years of like researching positive

701

psychology and this is one of those

aspects I, yeah, the way I learned

702

it was like happiness triggers, but.

703

This has been such a huge thing that

I don't think many of us think about

704

because we're too busy trying, surviving.

705

We're too busy trying to

self-care it, if that makes sense.

706

We're too busy like doing the checkbox of

what everybody says self-care is versus

707

finding those activators for, how did

you discover what your happiness or your,

708

your joy activators were for you in the.

709

Honestly, all of the things that you've

shared with us with your experience,

710

like how did you come back to them?

711

Because it sounds like at some point

they were not things you activated

712

because they were forgotten and life

happened, and things happened too.

713

Now they're a very

intentional part of your life.

714

Jen Coles: Yeah, and that's such a

good point too, because in my life

715

I experienced this personally, but

I see it in my, in my practice a lot

716

where someone who has chronic illness.

717

Well, I mean, they're

kind of depressed, right?

718

Yeah.

719

They're anxious.

720

We're, let's be wrong, let's stop.

721

Like thinking and sort of like

stuck in a body that's not working

722

because I feel like we all have

these really strong spirits and

723

things that we wanna do, right?

724

And we have this drive and this

passion, but we feel kind of stuck in

725

a body that's not working properly.

726

And so understanding that and then

understanding the connection of.

727

Ourselves every once in a while.

728

It doesn't have to be 24 7, but the

key is just little seeds here and

729

there, and then, you know, eventually

you start connecting some of those.

730

And so they're in a chain, but.

731

The goal is to, you know, like in my case,

I was like, what did I used to like to do?

732

And the reason why I came up, came up

with this idea is because a therapist

733

told me I didn't come up with it myself.

734

Right.

735

Yeah.

736

You,

737

Speaker 5: you asked for help.

738

Yeah, I asked for help.

739

Yeah.

740

Yeah.

741

That's the first thing y'all,

and you didn't get that ask

742

for help because you cannot.

743

I think that's the thing.

744

We cannot.

745

We think we're doing it.

746

I, I know with my therapist,

she's like, that is not doing it.

747

Like, she's like, that

is not, that's not it.

748

That's not, no.

749

Sorry.

750

Let's try that again.

751

Let's rework This let's

you know, so I think.

752

That's a huge piece of it.

753

Like you have to admit that you're

not gonna be the perfectionist

754

that unerect yourself like.

755

Jen Coles: Right.

756

That's exactly right.

757

So that's so, that's so

complicated right there.

758

Right.

759

So you said, so first of all, we know

we have to be our own best advocate

760

and we have to be willing to ask for

help because oh my gosh, some of us are

761

just trying to freaking do all of it.

762

Right.

763

Me included.

764

I just realized I cannot

do this all by myself.

765

I need to go ask for someone.

766

If the person you're talking to isn't

a good listener and cannot reflect

767

back to you what you are saying so

that you can hear yourself or giving

768

you some, you know, real, actual tools

to use on a daily basis to try to

769

implement some of this for change, I

would say find somebody else, right?

770

You don't want someone who's just

gonna keep you in negativity.

771

But you also don't want someone who's

just gonna gloss over everything.

772

Right?

773

You want someone who's gonna call you out

like you just said, you're not doing it.

774

Yeah.

775

So she's like, what did

you used to like to do?

776

So I started thinking about that and

I said, well, you know, obviously

777

I love baking, but I accidentally

turned it into my business and

778

now I don't love it anymore.

779

So now for fun.

780

Yeah.

781

And music was huge.

782

I kind of lost that for a little while.

783

That ability to feel deeply a different

frequency, and then connecting with other

784

people who understand that about me.

785

Right?

786

Yeah.

787

They don't have to be liking the

same exact music, but they get,

788

you know, they hear the beat.

789

They get what you're saying when you're

like, oh my gosh, this song, right?

790

Yeah.

791

Or something like that.

792

So you feel like someone sees you.

793

For me, I, I figured out, so I study,

I started studying human design and

794

I figured out that I was a projector.

795

And two of my superpowers

is my heart and my throat.

796

Those are my centers

where my power is held.

797

And so it's really important for me to

express things from my heart vocally,

798

whether that's talking to myself all

day long when there's no one here.

799

Or recording my voice or singing

or humming or doing whatever

800

that's activating for me.

801

So it's important for you to figure out,

you know, what you used to like doing.

802

Yeah.

803

And then if it's changed, just kind of

figure out, well, you know, I used to like

804

painting, but now I like, you know, sewing

or I used to like going outside, but now I

805

like to walk down by the river, you know?

806

If it needs to change, that's okay.

807

It doesn't have to be what you

were doing when you were 12.

808

Right, right.

809

Speaker 5: You know,

that's such a good point.

810

I used to love to

crochet when I was a kid.

811

Like I used to crochet

like a crazy person.

812

I dunno why.

813

And then I like stopped and I

picked it back up a few years ago

814

just to try to see, and I realized

that for me, crocheting wasn't

815

necessarily like a fun thing.

816

It was an escape thing.

817

It was a survival thing.

818

And now as an adult and as I continue

to grow and heal, it actually is not

819

that thing that I would wanna do.

820

It's like not a thing that I find

solace and excitement or creativity,

821

and it feels like, like I'm gonna have a

panic attack if I start doing it right.

822

And so I'm like, I used to beat

myself up being like, well,

823

that's the thing I used to be.

824

I had to really work through

understanding, well, why was it

825

a thing that I did before and

why isn't it serving me now?

826

Yeah.

827

And I think that's a huge part of,

it's like creativity can change and

828

how you view yourself will change.

829

Don't hold yourself all the time to

like this standard that you old idea you

830

are, be okay with it being different.

831

Jen Coles: Yeah, 100%.

832

And I will say this, as someone who's

about to turn 51 and heading into

833

like the second half of my life, we

can always be reinventing ourselves.

834

There's no reason for us to stay stuck.

835

Yeah.

836

In some other story or label that either

we put on ourselves or someone else did,

837

there's no reason for that whatsoever.

838

And I think sometimes when we are

stuck in a chronic health, yeah.

839

You know, cycle.

840

It feels a little scary or a little

risky or a little vulnerable to try

841

something new or to revisit something old.

842

You know, there's all kinds

of fears wrapped around that.

843

So really, like you said, being aware.

844

Where we're in that moment and

what we need and how we can get it.

845

So yeah.

846

I love that you said that though.

847

That's a really good point.

848

Speaker 5: Yeah, and

it's a work in progress.

849

It's still something, I think for me

personally, and I'm sure you would

850

probably agree, it's like, I think it's

a narrative we hear so often about,

851

especially with women, how we're.

852

There's almost this expectations.

853

We're not allowed to change.

854

We're not allowed to be different.

855

We're not allowed to change our mind.

856

Or if we, if we do, we're being

flaky, we're being indecisive,

857

we're being all of these things.

858

Yeah.

859

And so it's a huge conditioning

that we're working again, and I will

860

say that when I say conditioning

more so these days, I say stressor.

861

It's a stressor that we're working

against to really like be who we're, and

862

I find that specifically in businesses.

863

Like I learned this aspect about myself

because of being a business owner, of

864

realizing, oh man, I am holding myself to

things that just don't even make sense.

865

That's unrealistic that it's

not even possible for my life.

866

And if it was, it has to look

different than what I thought someone

867

else said it should look like.

868

So I'm curious, Jen, how, I know you

mentioned earlier about like you run.

869

Your client work a little differently

as far as like you're giving

870

yourself space and things like that.

871

When it comes to marketing and sales for

your business, how is that look like for

872

you in the scope of seeing everyone else

and how they show up in market and sell?

873

Yeah.

874

When it comes to their business.

875

So

876

Jen Coles: this is such a loaded question.

877

Oh my gosh.

878

I keep asking all these

loaded questions today.

879

I'm going Y'all too deep.

880

Okay.

881

So I can really speak.

882

So deeply to this question.

883

Okay, good.

884

So this is something that I have

struggled with and I'm just being

885

honest and vulnerable here, right?

886

I think when people see me out

in the world or they go to my

887

website, they're like, oh my

gosh, she totally has it together.

888

Well, maybe like 80% of the time I

have together, but like there's a good

889

hefty 20% where I'm like, oh my gosh,

what am I doing and questioning, right?

890

But here's the thing, I've hired.

891

Numerous different business

coaches and marketing, you know,

892

teams and all this kind of stuff.

893

And after a while I started to

realize, wow, I'm spending so much

894

money on all of this stuff for someone

else to tell me how they would do

895

it and not how it needs to be done.

896

For me, I'm unique, I'm special,

and I have certain needs, right?

897

As a person who's still going

through a healing journey.

898

A lot of those typical, stereotypical

things out there that you

899

know, work or like help you be

successful, don't work for me.

900

And after all of these things that

have, you know, literally hit me on

901

the head to make me slow down, I've

finally realized even in the last

902

few years that I don't have to hustle

to prove my worthiness anymore.

903

I can own my expertise.

904

I can speak my, my real

talk, tell it like it is.

905

I don't have to be or filtered right.

906

Those people who get that are gonna be

the ones who are attracted to my business.

907

Now, like I said, this has been a process

and a long time coming for me, and so I'm

908

trying to lean into that more and more.

909

I used to have this whole thing like,

oh my gosh, I have to batch all my

910

content and I gotta schedule it.

911

And it's like every day I

gotta do this and make a reel.

912

And it was too stressful.

913

And I think the energy that was coming

out was like not effective because.

914

I think in the, in the frequency

of, of all of that, I feel

915

like people could feel that.

916

Like, oh, is she stressed out?

917

You know, like,

918

Speaker 5: like, I don't wanna go, I don't

like the feeling of, I don't wanna be on

919

that same rollercoaster, if you will, of

like, I need to heal myself at this pace.

920

Jen Coles: Right,

921

Speaker 5: right.

922

Yeah.

923

Jen Coles: Yeah.

924

And so now I'm just like, oh, well I feel

called to post, so now I'm gonna do it.

925

I kind of lean into that ebb and flow.

926

Now also, like I said, with

the understanding of being

927

a projector in human design.

928

I understand now.

929

So here's an analogy.

930

The majority of people in

the world running a business

931

are what we call generators.

932

They're out on their surfboard and they're

constantly paddling, looking for the next

933

wave, and then they get up on the wave

and they go and they start all over again.

934

As a projector, I'm on my

paddleboard, but I'm just chilling

935

until the wave gets there.

936

And then I get up on the wave and I

do my thing and I'm super productive

937

and then it's time to to rest

again or reset or just maintain.

938

And so now that I know that about

myself, I run my business that way.

939

I run my personal health that way.

940

That's what my day looks like.

941

I know that there has to be

some sort of ebb and flow.

942

Like today I'm at a high and I did

like three podcast interviews, right?

943

Woo.

944

But you know, next week,

probably not, right?

945

Yeah.

946

So I have to be mindful of

what that looks like for me

947

and not compare myself anymore.

948

But I'm not constantly paddling because

that doesn't, that doesn't work for me.

949

Speaker 5: Yeah.

950

Jen Coles: So to answer your question.

951

I think that was the

answer to your question.

952

Speaker 5: Yeah.

953

What I heard you say is like.

954

Finding like marketing and

sales and running your business.

955

It used to feel like I'm

following like the steps.

956

I'm checking all the boxes, I'm doing

all the things that they say I should

957

do, and I'm following someone's blueprint

that they said that I should follow.

958

Yeah.

959

And now I'm like, yeah, I get the

foundation of how this works, but

960

I also know myself that how I'm

going to do it, it's gonna look

961

different and I'm gonna give myself

permission, the space and the capacity

962

to do it the way that works for me.

963

And that's just what.

964

Gonna work.

965

And I have faith and I believe, and

I have evidence that people will

966

find me because they have already.

967

Jen Coles: Yeah.

968

Yeah.

969

And here's the thing too, and it's so

related because I do this in my practice.

970

When someone comes in, I

don't have a blanket protocol

971

ready to just hand them over.

972

There's no magic pill.

973

There's no like exact step

that everyone is taking.

974

And so I realized, oh my gosh,

I'm teaching this every day to

975

my clients about their health.

976

Why am I not internalizing the same

message for me and building my business

977

and working my business every day?

978

Yeah.

979

It has to be unique to

me and feel good to me.

980

So yeah, that has been the biggest

change, I think over the last few years.

981

Yeah.

982

Yeah.

983

It's sort of like a grand enlightenment.

984

Speaker 5: It's all like

clicking and making sense.

985

Yeah, and you know, I think.

986

As a person who, like as

myself, starting a business.

987

Having a couple years, like,

what the heck is going on?

988

I dunno what's happening to like creating

like a system and a framework that's

989

literally based off of how I work with

my body in the sense of living with

990

chronic illness and giving it space

and constantly, you know, adjusting

991

and giving, you know, realizing it's

not gonna be always the same every.

992

Single day or year, it's

gonna look different.

993

I have had to take that approach in my

business because my body dictated that

994

like, and so I found with my clients too,

that, especially as a business coach, the

995

idea that business is business is actually

harming the business owner versus that

996

business is personal in the context of how

you choose to run your business has to.

997

Jen Coles: Yeah.

998

Not the other way around.

999

Speaker 5: Not the other way around.

00:48:38,685 --> 00:48:39,015

Right.

00:48:39,315 --> 00:48:43,125

And so I love hearing you say that too,

especially when it comes to health.

00:48:43,125 --> 00:48:45,195

Because I talk about this all the time.

00:48:45,195 --> 00:48:48,135

I'm like the whole healthcare system,

and we know this, but in general

00:48:48,135 --> 00:48:52,695

is so siloed that of course it's

almost impossible to understand what

00:48:52,695 --> 00:48:54,525

is holistically happening to you.

00:48:54,525 --> 00:48:58,485

And so this is why we take on this

responsibility that it is our own

00:48:58,935 --> 00:49:00,855

to take this holistic point of view.

00:49:01,859 --> 00:49:03,779

Holistic doesn't mean perfect.

00:49:03,810 --> 00:49:05,879

It doesn't mean there's

not gonna be bumps.

00:49:05,879 --> 00:49:09,120

It doesn't mean that you're gonna

like get it right the first,

00:49:09,120 --> 00:49:10,470

second, or even third time.

00:49:12,089 --> 00:49:12,540

Yeah, exactly.

00:49:12,540 --> 00:49:15,029

It's some tweaking that has to

happen, especially if you're taking

00:49:15,029 --> 00:49:18,750

in all of this information and all

of this data and trying to apply

00:49:18,750 --> 00:49:20,325

it to your specific circumstance.

00:49:21,225 --> 00:49:28,805

And so as a coach, as a, as a mom, as

you know, as an expert in the space, how.

00:49:29,775 --> 00:49:33,915

Are you facilitating that with

your clients, helping them to

00:49:33,915 --> 00:49:38,775

feel more empowered by the fact

that, hey, this success story

00:49:38,775 --> 00:49:39,945

is not gonna look like yours?

00:49:40,455 --> 00:49:42,285

Jen Coles: Yeah, that's

a really good question.

00:49:42,465 --> 00:49:47,779

I think that it just, I mean, gosh,

it's such a vague answer, but like I

00:49:47,835 --> 00:49:50,025

think it depends on who I'm talking to.

00:49:50,745 --> 00:49:53,835

So certain women are just looking for.

00:49:54,435 --> 00:49:55,485

Straight answers.

00:49:55,995 --> 00:49:56,235

Right?

00:49:56,565 --> 00:49:58,845

They don't wanna be asked any questions.

00:49:58,845 --> 00:50:00,555

They don't wanna dive any deeper.

00:50:01,125 --> 00:50:01,245

Yeah.

00:50:01,245 --> 00:50:02,535

But this is my challenge, right?

00:50:02,535 --> 00:50:04,125

This is kind of my superpower.

00:50:04,125 --> 00:50:06,795

I'm a total questioner

and an investigator.

00:50:06,795 --> 00:50:09,825

I will leave no stone unturned

for one of my clients, right?

00:50:09,825 --> 00:50:14,415

I'm always gonna try my best to

be their best cheerleader and

00:50:14,415 --> 00:50:16,634

their advocate to help them.

00:50:16,935 --> 00:50:18,585

But I'm not doing the work, right?

00:50:18,585 --> 00:50:20,775

I'm the guide, and this has been a shift.

00:50:21,915 --> 00:50:24,915

Personally as well, understanding

that quote unquote, I'm not the fixer

00:50:24,915 --> 00:50:29,655

anymore, I'm the guide, I'm the educator,

I'm the empowerment coach, right?

00:50:31,095 --> 00:50:33,555

Speaker 5: Coming from a

recovering fixer who used to have

00:50:33,555 --> 00:50:35,895

a program called The Fix, like

00:50:38,595 --> 00:50:39,795

recovering fixer.

00:50:39,795 --> 00:50:40,335

I get it.

00:50:42,435 --> 00:50:44,325

Jen Coles: And this is

transformational, right?

00:50:44,325 --> 00:50:44,385

Yeah.

00:50:44,385 --> 00:50:47,955

And so once you're starting

to lead from that place.

00:50:48,900 --> 00:50:51,900

As an entrepreneur, as a coach,

or whatever you're doing.

00:50:52,500 --> 00:50:57,810

Once you start leading from that place

and embodying that idea and walking

00:50:57,810 --> 00:51:04,350

that talk yourself, sometimes just your

presence for someone is enough, right?

00:51:04,350 --> 00:51:07,710

And sometimes you have to dig a little

deeper, peel away the layers of the

00:51:07,710 --> 00:51:09,270

onion, especially with gut health.

00:51:09,270 --> 00:51:11,940

There's lots of things that are

hiding around in your body because

00:51:11,940 --> 00:51:16,680

of that, and you know, emotionally,

physically, all the things I think.

00:51:17,415 --> 00:51:24,015

Maybe the biggest thing is just

encouraging my clients to check in for

00:51:24,015 --> 00:51:26,415

themselves, listen to what they're saying.

00:51:26,415 --> 00:51:27,855

Don't just take my word for it.

00:51:27,855 --> 00:51:32,355

Yes, I might be a SIBO expertise,

you know, but I don't know 100% about

00:51:32,355 --> 00:51:34,545

every 100% of everything, right?

00:51:34,845 --> 00:51:37,694

And especially because you're

a unique body and so am I.

00:51:37,694 --> 00:51:39,615

And what works for me

doesn't work for you.

00:51:40,395 --> 00:51:44,325

So I try to ingrain

that idea in my clients.

00:51:44,774 --> 00:51:48,194

And like we talked about earlier,

just understanding what kind of

00:51:48,855 --> 00:51:54,105

practices or rituals or habits

can we change or rewire and just

00:51:54,105 --> 00:51:55,964

really just have grace for yourself.

00:51:55,964 --> 00:51:56,024

Yeah.

00:51:56,174 --> 00:52:00,495

I tell my clients upfront when we're gonna

go on a SIBO journey together, girlfriend,

00:52:00,495 --> 00:52:01,995

this is gonna be a rollercoaster.

00:52:01,995 --> 00:52:04,154

Hold on tight, right?

00:52:04,335 --> 00:52:04,634

Both: Yeah.

00:52:04,634 --> 00:52:05,024

Because

00:52:05,024 --> 00:52:07,305

Jen Coles: nothing is linear, you know?

00:52:07,305 --> 00:52:07,365

Yeah.

00:52:07,365 --> 00:52:10,665

I always say that We kind of spiral

down and we get to the bottom, and

00:52:10,665 --> 00:52:12,314

that's when people are asking for help.

00:52:12,314 --> 00:52:12,944

Finally.

00:52:13,515 --> 00:52:15,645

But then the goal is to spiral back up.

00:52:15,645 --> 00:52:17,565

And it's not a, it's not a straight line.

00:52:17,565 --> 00:52:20,565

It's not even a diagonal,

it's a spiral even upward.

00:52:21,015 --> 00:52:21,165

Yeah.

00:52:21,170 --> 00:52:24,944

Maybe that's an important thing to

remember that I try to teach my clients.

00:52:25,575 --> 00:52:30,105

Speaker 5: Yeah, that's a

really, really good way.

00:52:30,105 --> 00:52:33,404

Saying it's a spiral because it isn't,

but isn't it, it's, it really is like,

00:52:33,404 --> 00:52:37,515

you know, I used to get really frustrated

with myself personally when I would

00:52:38,085 --> 00:52:40,750

like, once you like found the thing like.

00:52:41,115 --> 00:52:41,805

Your health.

00:52:41,865 --> 00:52:45,075

Your health, and you're like, oh,

I figured out why it does this

00:52:45,075 --> 00:52:46,544

and why my body's doing this.

00:52:46,544 --> 00:52:47,625

And you're like, oh, great.

00:52:48,104 --> 00:52:51,375

And then a couple years go by

and then you're like, wait,

00:52:51,375 --> 00:52:53,384

this is, this is different.

00:52:54,314 --> 00:52:55,214

This is different.

00:52:55,214 --> 00:52:56,145

This is happening.

00:52:56,475 --> 00:52:57,464

What has changed?

00:52:57,464 --> 00:52:59,834

And then the thing that used

to work doesn't work now.

00:52:59,834 --> 00:52:59,895

Yeah.

00:53:00,225 --> 00:53:03,584

And I used to get so

frustrated about that and like.

00:53:04,655 --> 00:53:06,155

Almost it felt defeated.

00:53:06,155 --> 00:53:07,745

Like I thought I already

went through this.

00:53:07,745 --> 00:53:09,785

It's the same thing you go through

in therapy where you're like, I

00:53:09,785 --> 00:53:11,045

thought I already dealt with this.

00:53:11,045 --> 00:53:12,245

And then some new level.

00:53:12,905 --> 00:53:13,355

Exactly.

00:53:13,355 --> 00:53:14,405

Side conversation happens.

00:53:14,405 --> 00:53:15,875

You're like, I'm not over this.

00:53:16,325 --> 00:53:19,085

It's the same thing with our bodies.

00:53:19,475 --> 00:53:21,755

And I also feel like it's

the same thing with business.

00:53:21,755 --> 00:53:22,385

I think.

00:53:22,965 --> 00:53:26,295

There are things you think you get

and you understand, but things are

00:53:26,295 --> 00:53:32,445

constantly changing, constantly outside

of you, and so to expect yourself to

00:53:32,445 --> 00:53:38,415

like know all there is to know and

never have to learn something new or

00:53:38,415 --> 00:53:43,305

unlearn, something that you learn that's

not serving you anymore is a stress.

00:53:44,310 --> 00:53:48,450

That takes away from your joy, that takes

away from the things that you wanna do.

00:53:48,870 --> 00:53:51,750

If someone's listening to this

gin right now who's like, girl,

00:53:51,750 --> 00:53:54,149

I feel this conversation so much.

00:53:54,870 --> 00:53:58,529

First, happiness triggers or happiness,

activators, please tell me more.

00:53:58,919 --> 00:54:02,460

And two, I suspect maybe I have sibo.

00:54:02,490 --> 00:54:07,680

I suspect that maybe there is a connection

between what's happening in my life and

00:54:07,680 --> 00:54:09,779

in my business is happening in my stomach.

00:54:09,779 --> 00:54:11,190

So what is, where would you.

00:54:12,270 --> 00:54:14,189

Direct them to go or where to start.

00:54:14,910 --> 00:54:15,149

Jen Coles: Yeah.

00:54:15,149 --> 00:54:19,140

Thank you for asking and I just wanna

reflect back on something you said really

00:54:19,140 --> 00:54:23,520

quickly was that it's so important to

understand that in a healing journey,

00:54:23,520 --> 00:54:27,569

whether it's emotional, physical, in

your business, lessons we're learning.

00:54:27,569 --> 00:54:30,660

So that spiral that's going upward,

remember we're always gonna come

00:54:30,660 --> 00:54:33,540

around to like a similar point,

but we're like a level higher.

00:54:34,319 --> 00:54:37,080

So, yeah, there are things that we

still need to sort out that will

00:54:37,080 --> 00:54:40,080

come back, but that doesn't mean

that we're defeated or that we fail.

00:54:40,080 --> 00:54:43,140

It just means that we're on

our way because we're slowly

00:54:43,680 --> 00:54:44,940

going up the next level.

00:54:44,940 --> 00:54:47,580

We just gotta check in with

that one thing real quick again,

00:54:47,580 --> 00:54:48,930

and then keep going, right?

00:54:49,560 --> 00:54:49,620

Speaker 5: Yeah.

00:54:49,620 --> 00:54:49,830

Yes.

00:54:49,830 --> 00:54:50,549

So true.

00:54:50,555 --> 00:54:51,134

It's, and, and it happens.

00:54:51,234 --> 00:54:51,455

It.

00:54:52,425 --> 00:54:56,595

That transition is faster than if

when you were spiraling down, right?

00:54:56,595 --> 00:54:56,685

Yeah.

00:54:56,740 --> 00:54:57,380

Because yeah,

00:54:57,495 --> 00:54:57,885

Both: for sure.

00:54:57,885 --> 00:54:58,035

When

00:54:58,035 --> 00:55:00,255

Speaker 5: you're spiraling down, you're,

you have no idea what's happening.

00:55:00,255 --> 00:55:04,545

It's like, yeah, and when you're going up,

it's like going up and down stairs, right?

00:55:04,545 --> 00:55:08,865

Like going, you know, going upstairs

is, feels a little heavier because

00:55:08,865 --> 00:55:12,735

you're kind of, anyway, the idea

is it, it's easier, the opposite

00:55:12,735 --> 00:55:14,580

direction and it doesn't last as long.

00:55:15,615 --> 00:55:16,365

Jen Coles: Exactly.

00:55:16,365 --> 00:55:16,845

Exactly.

00:55:16,845 --> 00:55:20,565

And because we are in a more elevated

state, it's easier to process and

00:55:20,565 --> 00:55:22,665

have grace because we're expanding.

00:55:22,665 --> 00:55:26,745

Once you get to the top of the spiral,

you are, you know, so much more expanded.

00:55:27,435 --> 00:55:29,654

Okay, so how people can find me?

00:55:29,775 --> 00:55:32,475

Well, you can check me out on my website.

00:55:32,475 --> 00:55:36,345

It's www the cbo coach.com.

00:55:37,154 --> 00:55:40,935

And that's where you can learn about

my personal story, my programs.

00:55:40,935 --> 00:55:44,115

I have lots of free resources

on there, including a quiz

00:55:44,115 --> 00:55:46,245

that's called, do I Have sibo?

00:55:46,845 --> 00:55:50,174

There's also one on there that if you

already know you have SIBO and you've been

00:55:50,174 --> 00:55:54,884

around this block a few times and you need

next steps, that's a good quiz to take.

00:55:55,515 --> 00:55:58,845

And then I also have a VIP program

where you just sign up for a day.

00:55:58,845 --> 00:56:02,444

It's like a super crazy intensive

for those kind of go-getter women

00:56:02,444 --> 00:56:05,085

who are ready to just be like,

sit down, let's get this done.

00:56:05,879 --> 00:56:08,370

And that's something I'm really

excited about doing now, but

00:56:08,370 --> 00:56:09,839

that's the best way to find me.

00:56:09,930 --> 00:56:10,230

Yeah,

00:56:10,350 --> 00:56:11,160

Speaker 5: I love that.

00:56:11,790 --> 00:56:15,569

I've been asking everyone to wrap

up the conversation this question,

00:56:15,569 --> 00:56:22,319

which is if there is anything that

you thought was true when you began

00:56:22,319 --> 00:56:25,410

in your business specifically that.

00:56:25,815 --> 00:56:29,055

You are like, this is a hundred

percent how it has to be or how it is.

00:56:29,565 --> 00:56:31,665

And now that you've

been in it for a while.

00:56:31,665 --> 00:56:31,755

Yeah.

00:56:32,565 --> 00:56:32,715

Jen Coles: That

00:56:32,715 --> 00:56:33,765

Speaker 5: you're like, that ain't true.

00:56:33,945 --> 00:56:34,665

That is crazy.

00:56:34,665 --> 00:56:35,685

I can't believe I thought that.

00:56:35,685 --> 00:56:36,795

Like what is that thing?

00:56:37,665 --> 00:56:38,745

Jen Coles: Oh gosh.

00:56:38,745 --> 00:56:45,495

Well, I would say probably that I

used to think my gut was the problem.

00:56:46,275 --> 00:56:49,455

It was the thing holding me

back from being the person that

00:56:49,455 --> 00:56:50,805

I wanted to be professionally.

00:56:51,045 --> 00:56:51,315

Right?

00:56:51,315 --> 00:56:53,700

Because I was like, oh, these

freaking symptoms, you know.

00:56:54,900 --> 00:56:59,100

But what I realize now is that that

sensitivity and that information

00:56:59,100 --> 00:57:00,600

was actually my superpower.

00:57:00,600 --> 00:57:04,590

It got me to where I'm now, and

it helps me be more empathetic

00:57:05,130 --> 00:57:06,960

and empowering to my clients.

00:57:07,410 --> 00:57:11,910

I think owning what we used to think

is our weakness as our strength and

00:57:11,910 --> 00:57:16,500

kind of flipping the script a little

bit is what will transform our business

00:57:16,500 --> 00:57:21,240

from feeling like we're stuck or we're

playing small to really expanding into

00:57:21,240 --> 00:57:22,530

being the person that we wanna be.

00:57:23,400 --> 00:57:24,960

Yeah, so good question.

00:57:24,960 --> 00:57:27,090

I don't know that this kind of

came off the top of my head,

00:57:27,090 --> 00:57:28,049

so that was like perfect.

00:57:28,049 --> 00:57:30,360

Speaker 5: It's almost like you knew

that I was gonna ask that question.

00:57:30,360 --> 00:57:31,529

That was very well said.

00:57:32,730 --> 00:57:33,779

That was a total surprise.

00:57:33,930 --> 00:57:34,110

Thank you.