Failing Forward Failing Forward

Peg Ruppert is caring, faith-driven and a seasoned leadership coach. But when her marriage of nearly 25 years ended, she questioned her identity. Now, Ruppert has used her experience to write a new book, “Rediscover You Post-Divorce.”

On episode 140—the last episode of this podcast—Peg and Sarah talk about how to pick yourself up after failure and embrace the unknown future. Peg is a big believer in focusing on the future without losing sight of the past. She shares three tips for moving on from hardship in a positive way to connect with your inherent self-worth.

Show Notes:
- Read Peg’s book “Rediscover You Post-Divorce”: https://www.amazon.com/Rediscover-YOU-post-divorce-confidence-Wonderful/dp/B0BW23RTL4
- Read and work through “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron: https://www.amazon.com/Artists-Way-25th-Anniversary/dp/0143129252

When she was 7 years old, Corrie Loeffler fell in love with the Scripps National Spelling Bee when her brother competed in a regional competition. Today, she is the executive director of the annual event. But first, she had her own run attempting to become the national champion.

On episode 139, Corrie shares how her shot at winning it all went south and how she ultimately learned the Bee is not about winning in the first place. Even after her competition days were over, Corrie volunteered and eventually was offered a job. She also talks about the evolution of the Bee to become more inclusive in recent years and how the organization weathered the pandemic.

Show Notes:
- Learn more about Scripps National Spelling Bee: https://spellingbee.com/
- Read about Zaila Avant-garde, the 2021 spelling bee champion: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/02/us/spelling-bee-zaila-avant-garde.html

One of Michelle Spoelstra’s first career aspirations was to be an interior designer. Ultimately, she found her way into clinical psychology. When the pandemic hit, she thought more and more about the importance of space, and today, Michelle is a healing interior designer.

On episode 138, Michelle explains what she does and why she created her business. She believes healing takes many forms, including through beauty and aesthetics. Through healing practices and clearing energy and clutter, Michelle helps her clients unlock the power of shifting their space. She also shares her infertility journey and discusses spirituality.

Show Notes:
- Learn more about Michelle and her work: https://www.michellespoelstra.com/
- Read “You Can Heal You Life” by Louise Hay: https://www.hayhouse.com/you-can-heal-your-life-paperback

Kelly Seelig started working at tech startups in Silicon Valley in the ’90s. She adapted to her male-dominated environment, but when she realized she was losing herself in the process, she decided to make a change.

On episode 137, Kelly discusses her experience as a woman in a male-dominated field and tells us about the dance class that changed her whole mindset. Her career journey inspired Kelly to write her book, “Right Brain Girl Left Brain World,” about how she found her voice and herself. She and Sarah also discuss psychological safety.

Show Notes:
- Read Kelly’s book “Right Brain Girl Left Brain World”: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08P1QQCP7
- Read “True North” by Bill George: https://billgeorge.org/book/true-north
- Read “The Go-Giver” by Bob Burg and John David Mann: https://thegogiver.com/the-go-giver/
- Read “Leadership Wisdom From the Monk Who Sold His Ferrari” by Robin Sharma: https://www.robinsharma.com/book/leadership-wisdom-from-the-monk-who-sold-his-ferrari

During the Christmas break of his junior year at college, Brian Joseph was home visiting his family when he experienced intense pain in his shoulder. Doctors couldn’t find an explanation, but the always-on-the-go Brian was bedridden for weeks and had to drop out of school. Recovering gave him the opportunity of a lifetime.


On episode 136, the former insurance salesman explains how introducing payroll deduction to his nationwide company led to a division vice president offer when he was 21 years old. Today, Brian is the co-founder of RevJen Group, which focuses on human and financial sustainability by helping support the business side of nonprofits. He and Sarah talk about success and significance, finding your path and what it means to get into the arena.

Show Notes:
- Read “Surrender” by Bono: https://surrendermemoir.com/
- Listen to Brené Brown’s interview with Bono on “Unlocking Us”: https://brenebrown.com/podcast/songs-of-surrender-and-carrying-the-weight-of-our-contradictions-part-1-of-2/
- Learn more about RevJen: https://revjen.com/

Six months after coming out of retirement to join Under Armour, Randy Harward didn’t feel right. Not on his morning run or all day at work. He went to the emergency room, and it turns out he was experiencing heart failure. The road to recovery has been long, and today, Randy contends he isn’t the same person he was.

On episode 135, Randy shares what it was like to return to work after double bypass surgery. He still experiences a fogginess, but his system for managing his confusion is one that anyone can adopt if you’re feeling stressed or anxious. Now a business advisor for Stanford and other organizations, Randy talks about the power of constraints, his years in the outdoor industry and why he always asks about brand’s long arcs.

Show Notes:
- Read “Getting Things Done” by David Allen: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/getting-things-done-david-allen/1101546710
- Learn about the Getting Things Done work management system: https://gettingthingsdone.com/