Welcome to the Radiant Soul Sisters Podcast!
Episode #10
Today my guest is Jessica Bargenquast, Founder, Lady Changemakers
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If you want to read the transcript, check it out below:
Susan
Oh, my goodness, I am so excited to have my friend and the Radiant Soul Sister, Jessica Bargenquast here with me today. Jessica lives in Phoenix, Arizona, and I met her during COVID through a networking group and I have been so excited to get to know her and to watch her on her journey as she has built Lady Changemakers. I will tell you, I am one of her founding members of her platform which supports women in all kinds of businesses so that we can build each other up and purchase from one another and grow our businesses. I also love that Jessica and I think a lot and have delved into the Enneagram. As you know, I’m an Enneagram two your typical nurturer. And Jessica is an Enneagram five. The other thing I love about Jessica is she really is an introvert. And she has had to learn to step into her power, which is one of the reasons I think we see her radiant soul shine. Jessica, I am so glad you’re here today.
Jessica
Thank you so much. That’s such a beautiful introduction. I think that’s been my favorite introduction so far. Thank you so much for that.
Susan
You’re welcome. Well, just know it’s heartfelt, and it’s the truth. And just tell me real quick. Enneagram five, what are a few things about you there.
Jessica
Enneagram five is the investigator we love, love, love to research. Introverts are very much an Enneagram. Five. We love to be visionaries and innovative and we’re really open minded.
Susan
You know that? You’ve nailed it. That’s exactly what you’re doing with Lady Changemakers, right? That’s working, working right into who you are deep down into the core. And also, as I heard you say you love to research. I’m like, oh, that’s where Jessica gets all those great numbers and all that great information that she shares with us about business on your socials.
Jessica
Yeah, I love to do research on women owned businesses and just equality for women and love to share that information with my audience.
Susan
You know, and you do that, and you do it very well. But the other thing that I love about it is it’s almost like you’re giving mini State of the Union addresses about business. And yes, it does focus on women and business inequality. However, I never feel like you’re trying to pressure or trying to make someone feel guilty. It’s more that you’re trying to bring stuff to light and to help people understand.
Jessica
Education, I mean if people are educated, we can make better decisions. And that’s all – yeah, that’s just the mission. So I love that that’s coming across the way I want it to. I don’t want anyone to feel guilty. I just want everyone to feel supported and heard.
Susan
Absolutely. Absolutely. So Jessica, before we get into a couple of things about your radiant soul and work life harmony, I have one question for you. I love to hear about different ways that we grew up or different things that have happened in our life. And can you tell me what is a great childhood memory that you’ve had?
Jessica
I, the first one that comes to mind is playing cards with my grandparents. I got so excited when I was younger about kindergarten, my grandparents would pick me up from school in their RV and I just felt like the coolest kid ever. And then my grandpa would drive the RV and me and my grandma would sit at the little kitchenette in the RV and play cards on the way to their house and that was like the cool thing I got to do when I was younger and then just playing cards with them. They taught me Blackjack, they taught me Rummy and all those fun games that I still like today.
Susan
Oh my goodness and go fish. I play Go Fish all the time with my grandchildren. And you know what a great connection and a great story and memory with your grandparents. I think just making those memories with grandparents, friends, wherever they come from are so nice and just sort of warm up our heart. Well, Jessica, also know that you’ve been in corporate. You’ve worked in other positions, but you’ve also started this amazing platform Lady Changemakers and you’re an entrepreneur. I also know you got started with your great idea of working at one way and then you had to fall back and kind of regroup and you’ve come out with this amazing platform. So what is one lesson that you have learned about being an entrepreneur in yourself?
Jessica
I think when I felt like I was a true entrepreneur, is when I finally understood myself. Really getting to know myself and really being able to be confident in who I was. That really helped change everything for me.
Susan
Yeah, oh, I love that. Because, you know, I spent a lot of time, a lot of years, a lot more years than you trying to be someone other than who I really was, or not working into my own powers. And I just, I think that is such a great lesson and how wonderful you learned it at an earlier age.
Jessica
Yeah I feel like when you’re, you’re in corporate environments, you’re kind of expected to, or at least we perceive it we’re expected to act a certain way. And especially being an introvert, I get told that I need to speak up a lot more. So it was really hard being in a corporate environment and being told that you’re not going to advance because you don’t speak up enough, even though you do all the work that’s required, and you excel at everything you’re doing and you know you’re amazing. But I really have gotten to step into being an introvert and showing people that you can still be confident and be an introvert and be on a podcast and be an introvert. And last year, I spoke on stage while being an introvert. Still possible to be confident and be an introvert.
Susan
Absolutely, absolutely. So you know, as entrepreneurs, oftentimes life gets out of balance and gets wonky, right. And what I like to think about is, I like to think about work life harmony, you know, there’s times that you might be playing one instrument a little bit louder than the other, we have to shift. But all the time, you can have this beautiful symphony going on. So what do you know about work life harmony? Or how have you learned to keep your life in work life harmony?
Jessica
Yeah, it’s definitely hard. Sometimes, just like you said, sometimes you need to put more focus in a certain area, and then something else in your life takes a little bit of a backburner. But as long as you can realize when that’s happening, and you know, you’ll get to that other thing you’ve been neglecting, eventually. So that kind of helps create that balance. I don’t think there’s ever this like perfect work life balance where work is 50% personal life is 50%. It’s going to be give and take here and there. Some things I’ve done is I’m very structured and I love a routine. I actually have autism. So that requires me just recently diagnosed in 2022 in February, so it’s been a really big life lesson for me. So I’m always getting to know myself. Yeah, it’s really interesting, but I thrive with a good structure in place. So I have a morning routine that I rarely ever miss out on. And that really sets my day and like the tone for my day. So that’s really important to me to set the kind of the tone for the day by having that morning routine.
Susan
So you know, I know you set that morning routine, you live a pretty structured life, you know, I know you understand sometimes you have to move over shift a little one way or the other to accomplish all that you want to accomplish. What are some other things that you do every day to make your radiant soul shine?
Jessica
So I am a dog mom and I love my puppies so much. So I take dog breaks when I need them, if I’m getting stressed out they are the ones that help calm me down. And just making sure I make time for my partner. Me and my partner, Nick, just want to make sure we spend our end of the day when we’re both done with work, we spend some time together. So that’s really important to help unwind at the end of the day.
Susan
So, I love it. I had a conversation with Sara Meyer. I know you know Sarah out in Phoenix as well. She too loves her pup Parker the boxer pup. We were talking a little bit about our dog Hazel is actually right here behind us snoozing. I usually don’t let her in here when I’m recording podcasts because I’m so afraid she’s gonna jump up and bark. But our dogs, our furry friends can just be just that they’re just great friends, right? And they can help you release stress or be that confident that you can talk to and release it. So I love that you take dog breaks with your two pups. Oh, Jessica, it is always a pleasure to chat with you and to spend time with you. And I do have one question left. But before we get to that, I know that you have brought something for our listeners that they can be prepared to register for or watch out for. Tell us about that and tell us where we can find you.
Jessica
Yeah, you can find everything for Lady changemakers at LadyChangemakers.com. We do monthly giveaways which you are a part of and they can get those delicious honey snaps that I love so much. So we give away a box. It’s valued at well over two hundred and fifty bucks, and it’s full of women owned products from the women in our platform. So it gives you a really good introduction to the amazing women who have started this platform that we now have, which is a marketplace for women owned businesses. So you can find all of that at LadyChangemakers.com And we’re mostly present on Instagram and Tiktok @ladychangemakers.
Susan
Okay, nice. I didn’t know about TikTok. I don’t hang out there but I keep going do I go do or not? Do I go, do I not you know, but Instagram, I definitely see you there in the welcome box or the giveaway box. It is amazing. So listeners be sure and look for the giveaway on the socials @ladychangemakers so you can be a part of it and put your name in there to hopefully receive one of these amazing boxes. You know if this episode has you thinking about how to put yourself first or how to delve into who you are so that you can live your life on purpose while creating work life harmony. Be sure to connect with me on all of my socials @SusanCrewsCo. Also if you would like to reach out and chat or if you’d like to learn more about bringing the Radiant Soul Sister to one of your events as a speaker, check me out at SusanCrewsCo.com. So Jessica, this episode, you just have dropped some golden nuggets. And I love that you have discovered who you are and how to step into your power as an introvert and let your radiant soul shine because you do. And looking back thinking about the episode today. I know there is still one golden nugget that you might like to share with our listeners, what would be your biggest piece of advice or tip that you would like to leave us with?
Jessica
I would say really get to know who you are. And I know we talked about the Enneagram before our episode started, but I mean, the Enneagram changed everything for me. It was the one we were saying before the personality tests that we could really relate to. Because there’s just so many nuances to it that it just made so much sense when I finally learned about who I really was. And then being able to step into that person has just been a game changing for me. So once I learned it and once I could learn my strengths and the opportunities that I have to grow. Everyone really saw that confidence growing in me and it just changed the game for me.
Susan
We did you know we did have the conversation before the show about the Enneagram because that is one of mine and Jessica’s loves and game changer as Jessica said it’s a game changer for both of us. When I learned more about me being a nurturer. I knew I was a nurturer. I’ve seen it in money patterns. I’ve seen it in different things in life. But when I really got into the Enneagram it totally made sense. And I can see when I step out into unhealthy habits. And so Jessica had an Enneagram coach that has really worked hard with her and that’s awesome. Check it out!
Jessica
She has actually so it’s Tracy O’Malley and she’s actually on our platform as well. So if anyone’s interested you can head to LadyChangemakers.com and search for Tracy O’Malley and she is absolutely wonderful and will help change your entire life.
Susan
Thank you. Thank you so much for sharing that. I really appreciate that and I appreciate you being here today. Listeners if you have enjoyed this episode of the Radiant Soul Sisters be sure and tune in to the next episode when we will shine the light on another one of our radiant soul sisters who is doing epic things, and striving and living in work life harmony. Till then I’m your host, Susan crews. And for all the episode resources in our community be sure and check it out at SusanCrewsCo.com.
