Second Chances with Christy Belz

Christy Belz
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Second Chances with Christy Belz is a showcase of women’s stories of second chances, life-changing choices and perspectives to support our listeners and their journey. Enjoy our vast array of guests who stand for the empowerment of women. We are an upbeat and casual format, interacting with our listeners and guests. NEW You is a safe place for exploration and possibilities.   Learn more about Christy Belz: Website: https://christybelz.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christybelz/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christybelzcoach/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristyBelzCoach/ Join Christy Belz for a 8-week UPROOT course, designed to help you powerfully partake in your life, finding greater purpose and fulfillment in relationships, work and leadership. Course: https://christybelz.com/uproot/ 

  1. 1d ago

    The Open Window: Dafna Michaelson Jenet on Faith and Reinvention

    Christy Belz sits down with Dafna Michaelson Jenet — author, TEDx founder, former Colorado state senator, and 2026 Girl Scouts of Colorado Woman of Distinction — for a story about courage, faith, and second chances. A legislator turned advocate, Dafna shares how a decade of open windows led her from the statehouse to confronting antisemitism full-time, and why she keeps choosing to jump through them. Key Takeaways  A Grocery Store Conversation: After a lottery ticket didn't win, a conversation with her boyfriend about what she'd do with the money led Dafna to commit to 50 states in 52 weeks, meeting 500+ community changemakers. The First TEDx Women License in Colorado: TED New York agreed to Dafna's women-only event, but only if men were included — she held one with eight women and two men, and got the license a month later. Deciding to Run: Dafna didn't set out to run for the state legislature — a city councilman's ask nudged her toward city council, and a different ask, from a Democrat who'd lost her seat, redirected her to the House instead.A Family Crisis Becomes Policy: After her son's mental health crisis at age nine exposed gaps in care for kids with unmet needs, Dafna advocated for free youth mental health care for any Colorado student.Leaving the Legislature: After a decade in office and antisemitism she experienced directly, Dafna left this year to lead the David Merage Foundation for Confronting Antisemitism. Connect with Dafna Michaelson Jenet:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dafnamichaelson  Website: https://journeyinstitute.org  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DafnaMichaelson/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dafnam  Connect with Christy Belz:  Website: https://christybelz.com  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christybelz/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christybelzcoach/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristyBelzCoach/  UPROOT Course: https://christybelz.com/uproot/  Book: https://christybelz.com/influencer/  The Brick & The Sponge: https://a.co/d/0acCxcX5  The Brick & The Spong- Friendships, Feelings, and Finding Your Voice: https://a.co/d/0amPIULN

    The Open Window: Dafna Michaelson Jenet on Faith and Reinvention

  2. Sep 3

    Health Care Is a Right: Annie Lee on Medicaid, Equity, and Staying in the Room

    Christy Belz welcomes Annie H. Lee, JD — president and CEO of Colorado Access, the state’s largest Medicaid health plan, and the first woman and first person of color to lead the organization. A first-generation Korean-American and daughter of immigrants, Annie’s path from watching her family navigate a health care system not built for them to running one of Colorado’s most consequential health organizations is equal parts personal and profound. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, YouTube or wherever you get podcasts! Key Takeaways  Your origin story shapes your purpose: Annie didn’t find health equity through a policy paper — she found it at the grocery store watching her mother struggle to be understood, then imagining that same mother trying to communicate her symptoms to a doctor. That fear became her career.Health care requires a sacred exchange: When language, culture, or bias interrupts the moment between patient and provider, the damage runs deep. Annie watched it happen with her grandmother in Houston first — and spent the rest of her life making sure it happened less.Know who Medicaid actually serves: Most enrollees work. The rest are caregivers, people with disabilities, kids in poverty, and people in transition. Once you know who’s actually in the program, the word “deserve” gets a lot harder to throw around.Coalitions are the only path forward: Annie and Donna Lynne aren’t talking big picture in the abstract — they’re working through enrollment funding, briefing the next governor, and building the cross-org advocacy the moment demands. No single organization absorbs what’s coming alone.Connect with Annie H. Lee, JD:  Website: https://www.coaccess.com  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-l-70a9a938  Connect with Christy Belz:  Website: https://christybelz.com  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christybelz/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christybelzcoach/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristyBelzCoach/  UPROOT Course: https://christybelz.com/uproot/

    Health Care Is a Right: Annie Lee on Medicaid, Equity, and Staying in the Room

  3. Jul 30

    Seeing Takes Time: Nancy Sharp on Grief, Healing, and the Stories That Set Us Free

    Christy Belz welcomes Nancy Sharp — award-winning author, TEDx speaker, story coach, and resilience expert — for a conversation that begins with one of life’s most unimaginable collisions: the day Nancy gave birth to premature twins and learned her husband’s cancer had returned. What followed were years of caregiving, grief, and ultimately the courage to begin again — moving across the country, opening her heart to love, and building a life centered on purpose and storytelling. This is a warm, honest, and deeply moving conversation about living in the gray space, choosing hope, and reclaiming your story as a path to healing. Key Takeaways  The Day Everything Changed: On the same day Nancy gave birth to premature twins, her husband Brett got the call — his cancer was back everywhere. She knew in that moment he was going to die, and the years that followed would reshape everything.Living in the Gray Space: Releasing the pressure to have life be black or white gave Nancy permission to take chances again — and it became the philosophy she now teaches others navigating their own hard seasons.Putting Yourself in the Path of Opportunity: Every second act in Nancy’s life — love, career, platform — traces back to one deliberate choice to show up and stay open, even when the outcome was uncertain.Write Like a Mother******: Cheryl Strayed’s advice changed how Nancy thinks about creative practice — you don’t have to write every day, but when you do, make it count.You’re Never Truly Stuck: No matter the circumstances, there are always options and always a next step — and true resilience isn’t bouncing back, it’s reframing your experience so you can grow, move forward, and choose hope.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ Connect with Nancy Sharp:  Website: https://www.writeyourlifeletter.com/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancysharp  Book/s: https://www.writeyourlifeletter.com/books  Email: nsharp@nancysharp.net  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nancystorymuse/  Connect with Christy Belz:  Website: https://christybelz.com  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christybelz/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christybelzcoach/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristyBelzCoach/  UPROOT Course: https://christybelz.com/uproot/

    Seeing Takes Time: Nancy Sharp on Grief, Healing, and the Stories That Set Us Free

  4. Jul 23

    Nelisha Firestone: a story about crisis, presence, and the unfinished business of women and wealth.

    Christy Belz sits down with Nelisha Firestone — founder and CEO of Firestone Financial Group — for a story about crisis, presence, and the unfinished business of women and wealth. A financial strategist who's spent two decades helping business owners plan their futures, Nelisha shares how a sudden brain bleed on a Colorado mountainside reordered her priorities, and why she's convinced women are sitting on more financial power than they realize. Key Takeaways  The Roots of the Work: Her father's rocky business exit and her grandmother's sudden widowhood at 49 shaped Nelisha's path into financial planning. The Day Everything Changed: A pre-season ski day in Breckenridge turned into a sudden subarachnoid hemorrhage and an eight-day hospital stay — landing her in the lucky third who recover fully. What Survival Reframed: Coming that close to not making it back to her daughters left Nelisha more present and acutely aware that any day can shift on a dime. Women and the Wealth Gap: With women projected to control 40-45% of retail assets by 2030, Nelisha says the real barrier is discomfort talking about money, not access to it. The 80% Problem: Most business owners exit with no plan, per Exit Planning Institute research — Nelisha guides clients through valuation and balance sheet strategy years ahead of any sale. Define the Next Chapter First: Owners who exit without a clear picture of what's next, Nelisha's seen, often end up walking back into the business they left. Connect with Nelisha Firestone:  Website: https://www.firestonefingroup.com/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nelisha-firestone  Connect with Christy Belz:  Website: https://christybelz.com  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christybelz/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christybelzcoach/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristyBelzCoach/  UPROOT Course: https://christybelz.com/uproot/  Book: https://christybelz.com/influencer/  The Brick & The Sponge: https://a.co/d/0acCxcX5

    Nelisha Firestone: a story about crisis, presence, and the unfinished business of women and wealth.

  5. Jul 16

    Second Chances with Renee Ferrufino on Corporate Walls, Nonprofit Purpose, and Latina Leadership

    Christy Belz welcomes Renee Ferrufino — president, CEO, and first Latina to lead the Women’s Foundation of Colorado — for a conversation about humble beginnings, corporate walls, and the leadership role she kept turning down because she didn’t feel ready. From Sterling, Colorado to the helm of one of the state’s most powerful foundations, Renee’s story is honest, grounded, and fiercely values-driven. This is a conversation about what it really takes to say yes to yourself — and what happens when you finally do. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, YouTube or wherever you get podcasts! Key Takeaways  First in the Family: Renee grew up in Sterling, Colorado — the first of 70-plus cousins to go to college — figuring it out largely alone, with a thousand-page scholarship book and no roadmap.Pushed Out for Being a Mother: Four months into a hard-earned promotion, Renee got pregnant — and her president made clear that women in her position had wives who stayed home. Being forced out opened the door to everything that followed.The CEO Role She Almost Said No To: Renee turned down CEO offers for years, waiting to feel ready. Her reframe: women wait for 100%, men jump in at 60% — and you can’t become a CEO without actually becoming one.Values Under Pressure: She started January 6th, 2025. Twenty days in, the federal DEI rollbacks began. Her response: stay rooted, because the community’s risk is far greater than the foundation’s.The Danger of Self-Exclusion: As a mixed-race, non-bilingual Latina, Renee quietly distanced herself from the Latin community before they could reject her. Belonging, she learned, starts with the story you tell yourself. Connect with Renee Ferrufino:  Website: https://www.wfco.org  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/renee-ferrufino-340415a  Connect with Christy Belz:  Website: https://christybelz.com  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christybelz/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christybelzcoach/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristyBelzCoach/  UPROOT Course: https://christybelz.com/uproot/

    Second Chances with Renee Ferrufino on Corporate Walls, Nonprofit Purpose, and Latina Leadership

  6. Jul 2

    Built on Second Chances: Mindy Watrous on Trauma, Foster Care, and Leading with Heart

    Christy Belz welcomes her friend and fellow Colorado advocate Mindy Watrous, President and CEO of the Tennyson Center for Children, for a conversation that moves between the personal and the profound. From becoming a foster parent at 23 to leading one of Colorado's most impactful children's nonprofits, Mindy's path was never planned — it was pulled, thread by thread, by a love for kids the world too often overlooks. This is a warm, candid conversation about trauma-informed care, the courage to follow your passion, and why second chances aren't just a philosophy at Tennyson — they're the whole point. Key Takeaways  One Choice That Changed Everything: Mindy traces her entire career — and her family — back to an accidental placement at a therapeutic foster care agency at age 23.What Trauma Actually Looks Like: She breaks down how trauma shows up in children — from acting out to complete withdrawal — and why something as simple as a closed door can send a child into crisis.When the Building Itself Heals: Mindy shares how Tennyson partnered with trauma-informed architectural firm Shopworks to design a space where everything — colors, textures, open doors — communicates safety.Second Chances as a Practice: She explains how Tennyson operationalizes second chances for kids and staff alike, through restorative justice and incident debriefs.The Mistake That Reshaped Her Leadership: Mindy opens up about a high-stakes error at Special Olympics, and how a board mentor's grace — and a story about a semi-truck full of outdated stationery — permanently changed the way she leads. Resources Mentioned:  Crossroads Event – Journey of Rebecoming: https://visitdenver.com/event/crossroads%3A-the-journey-of-rebecoming/138692/  Connect with Mindy Watrous:  Website: https://www.tennysoncenter.org/  Email: mindy.w@tennysoncenter.org  Paths to Healing Spring Luncheon: https://e.givesmart.com/events/Mlh/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mindy-watrous-9833195  Connect with Christy Belz:  Website: https://christybelz.com  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christybelz/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christybelzcoach/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristyBelzCoach/

    Built on Second Chances: Mindy Watrous on Trauma, Foster Care, and Leading with Heart

  7. Jun 18

    Full Circle: Cristal Torres DeHerrera on Service, Leadership, and Coming Home

    Christy Belz welcomes longtime friend and civic leader Cristal Torres DeHerrera, Chief Operating Officer of the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance, for a conversation that spans decades of friendship and a career that defies a straight line. From M&A law to city government to one of the country's busiest airports — and finally, to the zoo that always felt like home — Cristal's story is about returning, again and again, to the values her parents instilled in her. This is a warm, honest conversation about mentorship, courage, and what it looks like to choose your family when it matters most. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, YouTube or wherever you get podcasts! Key Takeaways  Community as a Foundation: Cristal shares how her parents' deep involvement in social justice movements shaped her belief that true success means lifting others, not just yourself. The Power of Honest Feedback: She reflects on a pivotal moment at Brownstein where seeking brutal, unfiltered feedback from a mentor completely transformed her career trajectory. Mentor, Sponsor, and Board of Directors: Cristal breaks down the three types of advocates every woman needs and explains why each one plays a distinct and irreplaceable role. Courage to Leave the Law: She opens up about how stepping away from her legal identity — first for city government, then the airport, then the zoo — required more courage than any career achievement. Conservation as Community: Cristal talks about why leading the Denver Zoo feels like a full-circle return to her core values of belonging, equity, and uplifting communities. Connect with Cristal Torres DeHerrera:  Website: https://denverzoo.org/  Glowing Wild: https://denverzoo.org/events/glowing-wild/  Email:  Connect with Christy Belz:  Website: https://christybelz.com  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christybelz/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christybelzcoach/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristyBelzCoach/

    Full Circle: Cristal Torres DeHerrera on Service, Leadership, and Coming Home

  8. Jun 4

    SECOND CHANCES Kami Guildner: What Is Happening Is for Me

    What does it look like to lose everything you built — and discover it was actually a gift? Kami Guildner spent over two decades in the oil and gas industry before an unexpected layoff cracked her life open. What followed was a spiritual awakening, a career reinvention, and an unlikely set of teachers: horses. Today she's the founder of the Extraordinary Women Ignite Conference, host of the award-winning Extraordinary Women Radio, and a business coach helping high-achieving women find their voice, their vision, and their next level. In this episode, Kami shares what the corporate world taught her, what the horses showed her, and why the moment everything falls apart might be exactly the moment you've been waiting for. What We Cover How losing her job of 20+ years became the best gift she never asked forThe spiritual awakening that followed — and how horses became her greatest teachersWhat equine-assisted coaching actually looks like, and why it worksHow to shift from "this is happening to me" to "this is happening for me"Why community isn't just a nice-to-have for women entrepreneurs — it's the whole strategyThis Week's Guest: Kami Guildner Business coach, storyteller, and founder of the Extraordinary Women Ignite Conference and Extraordinary Women Radio. Cami combines soul and strategy to help women entrepreneurs raise their voices, expand their visibility, and build businesses that actually light them up. https://www.kamiguildner.com If This Episode Moved You Share it with a woman who's standing at a crossroads and calling it a crisis. And if you're ready to find your voice and your people, look into what Kami is building — it exists because she refused to let a layoff be the end of her story. Connect with Christy Belz:  Website: https://christybelz.com  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christybelz/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christybelzcoach/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristyBelzCoach/

    SECOND CHANCES Kami Guildner: What Is Happening Is for Me
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Second Chances with Christy Belz is a showcase of women’s stories of second chances, life-changing choices and perspectives to support our listeners and their journey. Enjoy our vast array of guests who stand for the empowerment of women. We are an upbeat and casual format, interacting with our listeners and guests. NEW You is a safe place for exploration and possibilities.   Learn more about Christy Belz: Website: https://christybelz.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christybelz/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christybelzcoach/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristyBelzCoach/ Join Christy Belz for a 8-week UPROOT course, designed to help you powerfully partake in your life, finding greater purpose and fulfillment in relationships, work and leadership. Course: https://christybelz.com/uproot/ 

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