mm hmm. Thank you for tuning your heart's in for another episode of the Hearts Rise up podcast. I'm carol chapman, your host along with my co host and Siri and Concetta antonelli. We share our own personal experiences, tips and strategies along with powerful stories and compelling insights from guest interviews. We're here to inspire and empower your conscious evolution, help you tap into your inner wisdom and rise to your heart centered higher self Together we can rise to a higher level of consciousness, an elevated state of being and experience more love, joy and freedom. Yes, I'm so excited to introduce a special guest on the show today, Jennifer Spore, jennifer spore is a transformational coach, spiritual mentor, intuitive writer and host of the awake and on purpose podcast.

Despite having checked all the boxes off the list of what society teaches us it means to achieve success. Jennifer was unfulfilled in her career and life and feeling called to make a bigger difference in the world she was existing and not really living. It was her own journey of awakening and her mother's terminal illness that served as the catalyst for dedicating her life to the work she does today, helping others break through fear and confusion tap into the inner power they've always had and pursue their dreams of making an impact in the world. Jennifer Welcome to the show. Thanks so much for the warm welcome. I'm excited to be here. This is awesome and I just love the work that you're doing. It literally gives me goose bumps because I feel like we're kindred spirits here walking a similar path on earth. And I'm fascinated to learn more about your personal journey first.

So there's a saying on your website, there's a statement that you have and it's on your, your story page and it's the very first statement. Your time is precious. Don't waste it on a life. You're not in love with. So many people struggle with that very issue today. Can you share more about that? And, and I'd love you to dig into the challenges that you've went through that led to your awakening? Yeah, that's a big question. I'll try to keep it short. Okay. Yeah. I mean, I know you alluded to this in my introduction, but it was really my own journey that inspired me to do the work that I'm doing today. I was someone who had worked really hard to get to where I was in my prior career. I was well established there. I had checked all the boxes off the list of what a lot of us are taught to believe that it means to achieve success.

Many of us are taught to chase external things right? Or to look outside of ourselves to achieve fulfillment and happiness and joy for our lives and that's precisely what I did. I did that. And then one day I ran out of boxes to check off, I, there were no more promotions um for me to receive in my work. I had hit a ceiling in my career and it prompted me to go within, that's essentially when this fog that I was living in a sense, you know, started to lift, I started feeling like I wanted to do something more. I I wanted to make a bigger difference in the world. I did love my job for a long time. And so before to back up a little bit before I started my coaching practice, Uh, and went through my journey of awakening and transition. I worked in the retail industry for over 23 years and I loved it.

What I loved about it okay, was that I got to help people, I was able to coach and train and mentor and help people, you know, be the best that they could be right. And I loved interacting with the consumer. Um but there was this other part of my job, especially as I worked my way up the corporate ladder because I had started out as a sales associate in a store At 19 and worked for a couple of different companies and ended up towards the end of my career as a director of operations, overseeing 1200 stores, just to kind of put into perspective where I started and where I ended. And so towards the end of my career, as I worked my way up that ladder, there was just more and more bureaucracy, more and more politics, more and more things that I that I felt that I had to do as part of my job that I didn't feel in integrity with and so once I ran out of promotions, once I ran out of things to learn and check off the list, it put me into a state of reflections.

I really believe that we have to experience a certain level of contrast in order to receive true clarity for our lives. So that's really what happened. But I didn't take action right away. Okay. I like so many people, I was feeling that call to change to do something to make a bigger difference again, and I didn't take action because of fear. I was almost 40, I think at that point and I wondered I've been doing the same thing for so long, you know, could I do anything else? And was I good enough to do anything else? And would I make as much money as I was making, you know, at that time? And and all those questions were swirling around. And so what happened with me and what happens with so many people that are feeling called to make a change is they feel overwhelmed right by all the questions and they're not sure where to start.

So they just end up doing nothing and that's what happened. I did nothing. But that call would go away. It got stronger. Yeah, it sort of becomes an analysis paralysis. It is really, it really is the same story just keeps running through your mind over and over and over. Yes. And so I kept prioritizing my career above everything else. I was also a chronic people pleaser. So even when I wasn't at work, I spent most of my time doing things that everyone else wanted to do right. So I love my loved ones and friends don't get me wrong, you know? But having realized that I realized that I didn't really know me, I didn't really know what my own values were and who I was. And so all of those things began to swirl around and I did nothing and then About a year or two later, my mom, I was diagnosed with stage four cancer and she was living on the opposite end of the country from me at the time and it's hard for me to even describe at what level that experience impacted me.

I believe our relationships, our greatest teacher and I was flying back and forth, you know, trying to manage my work and to spend what I knew were going to be, you know, some of the last moments with her and there was a moment, specifically one day when I was by her bedside visiting her and giving her medication, doing whatever I was doing. And then, you know, my phone was blowing up from my job and I salt like in that moment that I had to choose between my job and being present with my mom and it was at that moment was really just kind of the straw that broke, right. It was like I I am not trapped. I'm not stuck in my life. I don't have to do this anymore. I don't want to do this anymore. And that was the beginning of the end. You know, I didn't fly home and quit my job the next day there was a transition.

That's a whole other story in itself. But but that was the beginning of the end of that chapter of my life. And so mm hmm. At the time I didn't know I was going to start a business and all of these other things that unfolded. I just knew that I didn't want to be where I was at anymore. And at that moment my courage exceeded my fear. Yes saying it's enough enough. You know, And it sounds like that your intuition was the power behind you. You were following your intuition and your heart but your heart was I was saying to you or singing out to you whatever what you needed to do. Yeah. It's like something has to give. Yeah. Because a lot of times when we're bursting at the seams and we're not sure, you know, something does have to give to kind of loosen the pressure in the cooker, so to speak. Because otherwise we're just going to implode and you knew that you couldn't allow that to happen because your mother needed you and you needed your mother.

Well, I mean, it was the end. I mean, she, I think she she died a few days later. Oh, wow. But it prompted me to rethink things, You know, I I did move, I moved, I was living in New Jersey, I moved back out to Idaho, which is where she was, which is where I'm at now to be closer at the time, it was to be closer to my remaining family members, but that is a whole leather journey in itself. I mean, it sounds like a sounds like a country song, but I, you know, literally rented out my house, packed up my car and drove out west, wow. So this has really been sort of a transitional kind of awakening for you. It wasn't something that just like some huge epiphany, but it was a series of incremental things that occurred in your life that have kind of moved you, that this direction, Would that be correct?

Oh, yes, that's correct. A lot of synchronicities, a lot of synchronicities. So is there anything in particular that really stands out for you that was a real learning experience and that really set you on the course to focus on what you're doing today? Yeah, so I moved and at the time I didn't know I was going to start a business, I thought I would find another job somewhere else because working remote wasn't part of the culture at the company I was at at the time. I had a series of interesting, just very kind of anomaly sort of scenarios when I interviewed with a couple of companies that indicated to me that I wasn't meant to continue on doing the same kind of work that I had been doing and so that put me into reflection as well. And then it occurred to me that I needed to do my own thing, you know, start start my own business.

And it was interesting how it happened because I had received an email one day from the place where I studied because I did, I studied for a year, a coaching program when I decided I wanted to get into coaching and I had received an email from this place and I wasn't on their email list really, so that was a clear sign um and I'm very intuitive as well, you know what, I'm always looking for signs and everything and that was a very clear sign. And then shortly after that I, when I started the training pretty much right away, it came out that I needed to help people support people who were going through a similar journey of what I was going through because I felt so I felt so passionate about it because when I was going through that several years ago, the coaching industry podcast, personal development, it was out there, but it isn't what it is today, you know, I felt very alone.

I felt like I was on an island and despite having people in my life that truly love me, you know, some of them are kind of like why are you leaving your six figure job? That's right, Well, that's you know, that's what people are used to because they exactly, they don't want to get out of their comfort zone and quite honestly, they don't really understand it because they haven't been through it or taking the steps, you know, to do that deep reflection that you did. Yeah. And so getting into starting the business and then in terms of, you know, you get kind of getting back to the question of you asked me what I had learned. I mean, like I'm still learning. I think the journey of learning is never done. We're all eternal students. But it is very amazing to me, the human spirit and how resilient we are and what we can accomplish if we're determined to do something, because I thought it took a hell of a lot of courage for me to leave my career and my life behind, which it did.

But then when I made the decision to have an online business that was a whole other level of courage and resolve and despite having been this high level leader, right, this corporate leader in my previous job, leaning into my vulnerability, is allowing myself to be seen online sharing the most intimate details of my life in the world, you know, out there in the ethers was was very scary. Yeah, it was very scary. So in terms of what I've learned, it's just learning that, you know, our purpose is so much bigger than just us than just our individual fears, right? And that is what a lot of what kept me going. You know, and learning that our struggles are just that they're ours, you know, we create them as a result of our disconnect from the divine.

Mhm. So were there any practices or techniques that you used to help you move through with with the courage, particularly not only leaving a comfy corporate environment, but entering into the world of, you know, online digital space and all the technology and all of the things that you have to do. I mean, that's a whole new skill set in many respects. Two have to navigate and learn. So what any practices or you know, what helped you through that? Well, I mean, the technology and some of that for me was minor in terms of what what I would say we're my practices because I was already on, I was someone who was already on social media just as a person, you know, before I started my business, that was really just learning strategy.

You know, the importance of showing up consistently the importance of being clear in your message because a misstep that happens with so many people that are starting a business, especially online is because, you know, they want to help everybody that that they help everybody. And the truth is we're we're all not meant to help everybody. We all have a specific mission, a specific purpose, specific people that were meant to serve. So being visible by being clear in your messaging is really important. That is a huge thing, you know, strategically that I learned and in being in the online space and and and how to reach your people right? Because that's so important. The single biggest practice and that still continues to be for me today is prayer and meditation. I always say that prayer is the asking and meditation is the getting the answer.

Yeah. But that's really what has kept me centered and focused on my path. I mean I started doing meditation before my mom got sick. You know when I was talking about when that fog started to lift, That's when I started doing meditation. Yeah, meditation really gives us such an opportunity to just quiet the mind and become more introspective and kind of find the space between the thoughts and gives us that sense of really connectedness to a higher power within us. So I definitely can attest to how meditation has such a profound effect. I just wish more and more people were open to it in this day and age and also learning that everything is energy that is the other thing. Let's talk about that. Let's talk about your experience with that.

I'd love to just dive into that if you're open to it. Oh yeah, I'm an open book. So that was life changing for me. I've always been a person who strived to think positive, right? But learning that everything was energy, the training program that I took when I decided I wanted to get into coaching is a universal law of attraction based program. It's a spiritual program. So there are all kinds of books and learning that we had to experience as part of the curriculum, right, in order to be certified. And one of the first books I read about that was asking it is given by Abraham Hicks and the first time I read that book, my mind was blown. I was just like, wow, yeah, so much makes sense. You know, from reading this, so many people kind of just go throughout life being a victim of circumstance, having kind of a victim type of mentality.

So, you know, this happened to me that happened to me. Well, nothing happens to you. Everything actually happens for you and whether you look at it from a spiritual perspective or a scientific one, everything is cause and effect. So learning that was completely life changing. Learning that I was empowered to control my circumstances, to control my emotions and my actions, I could create, you know, whatever I wanted create your own reality and have the power to forge your own path. Yeah, it was empowering, but at the same time allow it to unfold and in a way that it works for you based on how you're perceiving things. So I can see how you were thinking about and experiencing the world in a new way as a result of that training. Yeah, it was amazing.

And so, you know, that is a component of what I now teach other people in my practice today, because there are different realities, right? And when we want something and we're not where we want to be in that place, there, it's simply just a different version of ourselves. We simply have to become an energetic match for that version of ourselves. And so it then becomes okay, well what is holding you back and it always goes back to a belief that is holding us back from being where we want to be. And those beliefs are things that have been conditioned over years and years and years or some sort of event that was deeply embedded at one point in our lives that has, you know, caused that to just stick with us. So how do you support others and really finding their own powered and using their own intuition and aligning themselves to the reality that they want to create when I'm working with someone, you know, I provide private coaching and mentoring when I'm working with a client, we start with, what is it that you want?

Where do you want to be right? Whether it's you want to get back your joy and sense of purpose. You're feeling called to do X, Y and Z. We determine what is stopping them right for that today. And so it starts with identifying what are those beliefs that are blocking them, right? That are causing those blocks. We not only identify them, we identify the root cause of them. And then I work with them to put the right tools in place moving forward to shift them. So I believe in providing a cure not a band aid to the problem. And when we heal from those beliefs that are holding us back when we're able to shift that mindset, that brings us so much clarity around how move forward, you know, clarity that we couldn't see before. And then I at that point then I teach how to forge a deeper connection with your intuition with your own intuitive abilities to learn how to recognize your intuition as guidance.

So every one of us has intuitive abilities. It's just tapping into those, you know, tapping into what those are learning how it comes through for us individually and how to tell the difference right between that guidance and the fear based mind chatter. That is a huge confidence builder in terms of ability to make decisions and move forward onto a new unknown path and then from there I work with them to align their time actions and mindset with the goals that they want to achieve. So I work with them on how to live intentionally, how to set intentions, how to manifest? Oh, I love that because I think there's so many people in the world that don't realize that all power is not external to them. Power really rests within us and we just have to dig deep enough and when we go through the process of clearing out the limiting beliefs and going through the healing that sort of, for lack of a better term, lifts the veil and leads to clarity, as you were saying, gives people much more clarity.

And then once they have that clarity, then that gives them the opportunity to have that deeper connection or find that deeper connection, experience that deeper connection to themselves over time, the intuitive inner guidance that provides them the path forward and it's not so much just the how, but it's really just knowing the what and the why behind it and believing in it. Yes, exactly, and you do that for others. I think this is just fascinating. Are there any success stories that you'd like to share with clients that you've worked with any particular success story? There are many, the overarching theme is that there is a deep healing that takes place that has allowed them to get back their joy and sense of purpose. The anger is gone, The pain is gone and they have clarity and confidence moving forward.

I've had clients that have, you know, moved on to start their own businesses to write books to become a speaker, to become a coach, but like I said, the overarching theme is that they are aligned with they're higher path and taking the time to do this in her work is what leads them to that clarity and alignment. Yes, consistency and commitment is imperative. It's completely it's completely necessary. There is no magic bullet. You know, you have to be somebody who wants a better life. You have to be someone who wants to make a difference in the world, who wants to make a bigger impact. Who cares about being happy. There has to be a desire for that. Mm hmm. So, I'm curious to know what advice you have for others to really dig deep and find their, you know, dig deep for their own clarity and to rise up to their higher purpose.

What would be the one piece of advice would you have above all? I know there's lots of things that they need to do, but if there's one piece of advice start by getting honest with yourself about what you really want regardless of whether or not you think it's possible? So no judgment there no judgment. Don't judge yourself. No. Because all of us by default. Okay. All of us, you and me included have limited perceptions of what is or isn't possible because of our conditioning? What you when I say you I'm saying to the listeners right? What you really want may not exist today, but it might tomorrow, you know, our job is not to know how the whole light switch works. Its just to know and trust that it works. Our job is to set that vision is to surrender to align to get honest with what brings us joy with what we really want to do and then the universe brings us the how behind that.

So if you get honest with yourself about what you really want and then create space for yourself, you know through journaling or through meditation to start allowing that to come through, then the floodgates are gonna open. You know, the universe is going to start sending you people opportunities signs guidance around what to do, where to go and what your next move is as humans, we have free will. So we have to be the ones to open the gate. That's right, We can't be unhappy in our lives and then wake up one day and the answer is there, we have to make a decision that we I want the answer and we have to trust that the answers are within us. They're not outside of us. Yes, we have to give ourselves the space right to have those insights. I really just can't say enough about meditation, it was life changing for me when I implemented it and a lot of people say, you know, you hear some people say they can't do it, but meditation is a practice and as with anything else, you have to be committed to be consistent with it for it to benefit you more and more, it's not like a one and done type of deal.

Exactly, I mean it's just like healthy eating or fitness routine, you gotta work at it and you've got to be with it each and every day if you want to see the results and if you don't then start to slip and then you start to see changes back in your body, reversing what you were doing. And so meditation and developing your spiritual, it's like a spiritual muscle, you need to work it like you said it is, Yes, it is absolutely. Now I understand you have a podcast, I love the title of it, the awake and on purpose podcast share a little bit more about that. Yes, awaken on purpose, why did you start the podcast? It's a passion project. That's a great question. Why did I start it? I launched it last august and it wasn't even on my list of goals for last year to do, it was a complete divine download what how it was born is that I was just experimenting with having these video conversations with some of my connections on linkedin and we would have these video conversations and then I would share them online and the feedback was really positive and so I thought, you know what, I could do the same thing, but on a podcast and reach more people and a theme of the conversations in the theme of my podcast this today is I have a different guest each week and they share their story about how they had an awakening, took a leap of faith and followed their dreams and brought those dreams into reality.

And so I share a different story each week of someone else who is doing it. I feel very passionate about that. As I said, it's it was my own journey of feeling alone and like I was on an island when I was going through all those changes and I think it helps to be able to share different stories of other people that are doing it too, so that those that are listening who are at a crossroads in their own lives, right, can see that there are so many other people out there. Yes, that's the one piece of feedback that I've gotten on this podcast is that people really enjoy hearing the stories of others and their challenges and their struggles and how they overcame them and what they learned from them. And there's so much, I mean everyone loves a good story, a story that they can learn from and so many people today are looking to experience more purpose in their lives. So, the fact that your podcast is focused on spotlighting showcasing individuals that have done that or are in the process, you know there, it's always a work in progress, isn't it?

But at least you're giving people hope and inspiration through the connection and the stories that you're sharing on your podcast. So I think that's just wonderful. So that's how the podcast was born. Well, you know, I'm not surprised you were open to allowing the universe to just open you to whatever you needed to do next once you were, you know, doing what you were doing and then you realize, well, I can reach a wider audience by putting this into a podcast format. You understood what you needed to do and you allow the universe to take care of the house. I love that. How can others connect with you and learn more about you? The best place to go is really my website, jennifer spore dot com, That's J E N N I F E R S P O R dot com. Where you can learn more about me, my story, the type of work I'm doing today. And there is also a page for my podcast, on my website where you can binge on all the episodes and listen to all the different stories.

I'm also very active on social media. I am the most active on linkedin, but I, I'm on linkedin facebook twitter instagram. Yeah, I would go to my website and you can also reach out to me on linkedin sounds great and what we'll do is we'll make sure we capture all of this in our show notes so that people can see what those links are, and they can go directly to them if they prefer to just do that through the show notes. And of course, we want to point them to your website so they can learn more about you. Is there anything else you'd like to share? Any parting comments you'd like to offer to our listeners? I just want to say that those dreams that you have on your heart, that call, that you're feeling to make a bigger impact. It is you you are important and God doesn't put dreams on our heart that aren't meant to be achieved. I love that. I think that is a wonderful ending to the whole conversation that this podcast is focused on and I think that you're an inspiration jennifer to everyone out there that is really looking to find the clarity in their life and really connect with their higher purpose and flow with it and feel confident.

Thank you so much. I'm honored to have been a guest today. Thank you so much for coming on the show. And I look forward to your continued success. And so we'll let you go for now. Thank you. Thank you carol. Mm hmm. We hope today's show helped to bring a bit more joy and happiness into your heart. We hope it inspired you to unleash your inner power and rise up to your best and loving heart centered highest self, We'd be grateful if you'd leave us a review on ITunes. Those reviews are important to spreading this valuable message. We'd love for you to subscribe to our podcast and share the show with others, visit hearts rise up dot com for heart centered courses, guided meditations and are popular notes from your higher self until next time, keep rising up and may all that you love thrive.