She Leads with Intention

Kristen Ivanov
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Biweekly

She Leads with Intention is a podcast for the ambitious woman of faith who is learning to lead herself, and her business or career, well. Each episode delivers real truth, practical tools, and faith-integrated conversations designed to help you break through the identity blocks holding back your income, and stop living by default so you can start living by design.  With nineteen years as an entrepreneur, twenty-one years dedicated to her own growth, and over $500,000 invested in personal and professional development, Kristen brings both the lived experience and the practical tools to help you build a business or career and a life that actually reflects who God created you to be. This is not surface-level motivation. This is deep, faith-integrated work that touches your mindset, identity, income, and every relationship in between. If you're ready to go deeper and break through the ceiling that strategy could never fix, this is perfect for you!  Choose Brave. Lead with Intention!

  1. 3d ago

    Waiting Seasons: How to Wait Well!

    Episode 18 — Waiting Seasons: How to Wait Well  You have prayed. You have shown up faithfully. You have done the work. And the breakthrough, the answer, the thing you have been believing for, is nowhere to be found. Just crickets. In this deeply personal and honest episode, Kristen speaks directly to the woman in the middle of a hard waiting season. Not from a place of having it all figured out — but from the middle of the waiting herself. With real vulnerability, genuine faith, and five practical tools for waiting well. This episode also makes an important distinction: some waiting seasons are the result of correction or consequence, and if you feel conviction about something specific, that is worth addressing. But the waiting seasons Kristen focuses on here are the ones where you are doing everything right and God seems quiet. Those seasons are not punishment. They are preparation. In this episode you will discover: The important distinction between waiting seasons that are corrections and waiting seasons that are preparation Scripture’s greatest waiting stories, Joseph, Abraham and Sarah, David, Hannah, reveal about what God is doing in your waiting Five things your waiting season is producing in you when you navigate it well What Isaiah 40:31, Psalm 27:14, and Lamentations 3:25 say about God’s faithfulness in the waiting Why the Lord is described as good right now, even in the middle of the not yet Five practical ways to wait well, including staying close to God, guarding your mouth, pursuing excellence in what is in front of you, finding community, and remembering His past faithfulness A reference to Episode 10 on Praying God’s Word Over Your Life as a companion practice A personal prayer spoken directly over every woman listening Five things your waiting season is producing: Genuine faith — the deep, tested kind that learns to trust God when it cannot trace Him Character — patience, perseverance, and the ability to stay faithful under pressure Clarity — the waiting refines what you truly desire and aligns your will more deeply with His Compassion — your waiting equips you to walk alongside others in theirs Testimony — the story of how you waited and what God did becomes one of the most powerful things you carry Five ways to wait well: Stay close to God, press in rather than pulling back. Daily Word, worship, prayer, and communion Stay faithful and excellent in what is in front of you, Joseph was faithful in the prison before the palace Guard your mouth, speak faith not defeat. Read scripture over your life daily Find community, do not isolate. Find at least one trusted woman who will pray with you and refuse to let you quit Remember what He has already done, gratitude for past faithfulness builds faith for present waiting Scriptures referenced in this episode: Isaiah 40:31 — Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint. Psalm 27:14 — Wait for the Lord. Be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Lamentations 3:25 — The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him. Also mentioned in this episode: Episode 10 — Praying God’s Word Over Your Life Private 1:1 Coaching with Kristen — contact@kristenivanov.com Connect with Kristen on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn Visit kristenivanov.com Did this episode encourage you? Share it with a woman in your life who is in a hard waiting season. And if you are enjoying She Leads with Intention, a review on Apple Podcasts helps more women find this show. Thank you so much for being here. Choose Brave. Lead with Intention.

  2. 6d ago

    Taking Responsibility, It's Empowering!

    Episode 17 — Taking Responsibility: The Most Empowering Decision You Will Ever Make Taking responsibility is not about blame or shame. And, it is not about beating yourself up for anything that has already happened. In this episode Kristen reframes personal responsibility as one of the most freeing and empowering decisions a woman can make. Because when you take genuine ownership of who you are, where you are, and what you are going to do next, you reclaim the agency that was always yours. This conversation is for the woman who has been waiting for circumstances to change or waiting for someone else to go first. This episode will challenge you to stop waiting and start deciding. Because the life you want does not happen through waiting on someone else. It happens through you choosing. In this episode you will discover: The critical difference between blame and genuine personal responsibility Why taking responsibility is forward facing and produces power rather than shame What it means to take full ownership of your healing and your inner work Four specific things that become available when you take full ownership of your life What Galatians 6:4-5 says about carrying your own load and the freedom that brings Why Proverbs 4:23 calls guarding your heart an active daily responsibility What James 1:22 says about the difference between hearing the Word and actually doing it Why the gap between where you are and where you want to be is likely a responsibility problem not a resource problem Three honest ownership questions to help you identify where to begin You stop letting life dictate your decisions and start directing your own life Emotional ownership produces the maturity that transforms how you show up Women who move consistently produce different results than women who wait Confidence is built through the consistent act of showing up for yourself and following through Partnering with God rather than passively waiting for Him to move without you Your Three Ownership Questions: Where in my life have I been waiting for someone or something outside of myself to change before I allow my life to change? What belief or pattern have I been holding that has contributed to where I am right now? What is one decision I can make today that reflects full ownership of my life and my future? Scriptures referenced in this episode: Galatians 6:4-5 (Amplified) — Each one must carefully scrutinize his own work, examining his actions, attitudes, and behavior, and then he can have the personal satisfaction and inner joy of doing something commendable without comparing himself to another. Proverbs 4:23 (Amplified) — Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life. James 1:22 (Amplified) — But prove yourselves doers of the word, actively and continually obeying God’s precepts, and not merely listeners who hear the word but fail to internalize it. 2 Peter 1:3 (Amplified) — For His divine power has bestowed on us absolutely everything necessary for a dynamic spiritual life and godliness through true and personal knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. Mentioned in this episode: Private 1:1 Coaching with Kristen — contact@kristenivanov.com Connect with Kristen on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn Visit kristenivanov.com Your action step from this episode: Work through the three ownership questions this week. Write your answers honestly. Then make one clear decision that says you are no longer waiting. You are choosing. You are moving. Starting today. Did this episode challenge you? Share it with a woman in your life who is ready for her next level. And if you are enjoying She Leads with Intention, a review on Apple Podcasts helps more women find this show. Thank you so much for being here. Choose Brave. Lead with Intention.

  3. Aug 6

    Gratitude & How It Can Rewire Your Brain!

    Episode 16 — Gratitude as a Spiritual Practice: How Thankfulness Rewires Your Brain and Your Faith You have probably heard that keeping a gratitude list is a good practice. And it is. But in this episode Kristen  takes gratitude somewhere deeper, into the difference between listing and truly receiving, the neuroscience behind how genuine thankfulness rewires the brain, and the profound faith dimension of giving thanks not just when life is good but in the middle of the hard things too. Kristen also shares something deeply personal in this episode, a real and moving example of what it looks like when gratitude moves beyond a list and lands fully in the heart. It is one of the most genuine moments she has shared on the podcast. In this episode you will discover: The profound difference between listing things you are grateful for and truly receiving them What neuroplasticity is and how consistent gratitude literally rewires the brain over time Why regular gratitude is associated with increased positive emotions, greater compassion, stronger immune function, and deeper resilience How science has caught up to what Scripture has been saying for thousands of years What 1 Thessalonians 5:18 means when it says give thanks in ALL circumstances The critical distinction between being grateful FOR hard things versus grateful IN them Why gratitude and grief are not opposites and how they can coexist as an AND How gratitude is part of the pathway to the peace described in Philippians 4:6-7 A three-step gratitude practice that moves from listing to genuine receiving Your Three-Step Gratitude Practice: Step 1: Choose one thing, not five, not ten, just one, and sit with it for two full minutes. Feel what it would mean to not have it. Let the weight of it land in your heart not just your mind. Step 2: Talk to God about it specifically, a real conversation not a general thank you. And if it is a person, consider telling them directly. Step 3: Find the AND in a hard thing, what goodness exists IN this difficult season even while the difficulty is real? Name it. Not to minimize the hard but to refuse to let it be the only thing. Scriptures referenced in this episode: 1 Thessalonians 5:18 — Give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 — Do not be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Mentioned in this episode: Private 1:1 Coaching with Kristen — contact@kristenivanov.com Connect with Kristen on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn Visit kristenivanov.com Your action step from this episode: Practice the three steps this week. Choose one thing. Receive it. Talk to God about it specifically. And find the AND in something hard. Give thanks in all circumstances. Not because everything is good. But because God is good. In all of it. Always. Did this episode move you? Share it with a woman in your life who needs a deeper gratitude practice. And if you are enjoying She Leads with Intention, a review on Apple Podcasts helps more women find this show. Thank you so much for being here. Choose Brave. Lead with Intention.

  4. Aug 3

    The Power of Play

    Episode 15 — The Power of Play: Giving Yourself Permission to Have Fun You are really good at working. Really good at serving. Really good at showing up for everyone around you and getting things done. But when did you last do something purely because it was fun? In this lighter and life-giving episode, Kristen makes a compelling and science-backed case for why play is not frivolous, it is essential to your health, your creativity, your relationships, and your ability to lead well. She also brings faith into the conversation in a way that will make you laugh and think at the same time. Joy is mentioned over 300 times in Scripture. A cheerful heart is called good medicine. And you were not created to endure your life. You were created to live it. In this episode you will discover: Why ambitious women lose play without realizing it and why it matters The real science behind what play does to your body and brain What Dr. Stuart Brown of the National Institute for Play says about why play is a biological necessity How play reduces cortisol, releases dopamine and endorphins, and improves cardiovascular health Why joy appears over 300 times in Scripture and what that tells us What Proverbs 17:22 and Nehemiah 8:10 say about the spiritual necessity of a cheerful heart Why Jesus himself modeled celebration, laughter, and joy throughout the Gospels Two honest reflection questions to help you identify where your joy lives Four practical invitations for reclaiming play this week What play and laughter actually do to your body and brain: Reduce cortisol, the primary stress hormone Activate the brain’s reward system releasing dopamine which improves mood, motivation, and focus Trigger the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals Improve cardiovascular health and lower blood pressure Expand creativity and produce clearer thinking and better problem solving Deepen relationships through shared laughter and genuine presence Replenish energy reserves that routine depletes Your two reflection questions: What used to bring you genuine joy that you have stopped making time for? What would you do this week if you had two unscheduled hours and your phone was put away? Your four practical invitations for this week: Leave your phone behind for one outing,  be fully present without notifications Do something spontaneous with your people, unplanned and fully enjoyed Try something new, a class, a place, a hobby you have been curious about Schedule time with girlfriends, put it on the calendar with the same seriousness as a work appointment Scriptures referenced in this episode: Proverbs 17:22 — A cheerful heart is good medicine. Nehemiah 8:10 — The joy of the Lord is your strength. Mentioned in this episode: Dr. Stuart Brown — National Institute for Play Private 1:1 Coaching with Kristen — contact@kristenivanov.com Connect with Kristen on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn Visit kristenivanov.com Your action step from this episode: Answer the two reflection questions honestly. Then choose one of the four practical invitations and do it this week. Not someday. This week. A cheerful heart is good medicine.  Did this episode encourage you? Share it with a woman in your life who needs permission to have more fun. And if you are enjoying She Leads with Intention, a review on Apple Podcasts helps more women find this show. Thank you so much for being here. Choose Brave. Lead with Intention.

  5. Jul 30

    The Father Wound

    Your earliest relationship with your father, or the absence of one, shaped something fundamental in you. Your sense of what you are worth. Whether you are safe in the world. What you believe you deserve. And in the deepest and most significant way, what you believe about your Heavenly Father. In this deeply personal and faith-rooted episode, Kristen addresses the father wound with the same compassion and clarity she brought to the mother wound in Episode 13. This conversation is not about dishonoring our fathers. It is about bringing what was formed in us into the light so we can receive the healing that is available and step into the fullness of who God created us to be. Kristen shares honestly from her own ongoing journey with this work, names the specific ways the father wound shows up in worth, income, relationships, and faith, and offers a five-step healing practice that includes a spoken declaration of forgiveness and a reminder of who you truly are: a Daughter of the King. In this episode you will discover: What the father wound is and how it forms, even in relationships where your father was present How the absence of a father creates its own profound wound The most significant dimension of the father wound, how it shapes your relationship with God as Father How each type of father wound creates a specific filter through which you approach God What Psalm 68:5 and Romans 8:15 declare about who God is as your Father How the father wound shows up in your income, your relationships, your ambition, and your relationship with authority Five powerful things that become available when you begin healing the father wound A five-step healing practice including a spoken declaration of forgiveness for your father and for yourself How the father wound may be shaping your relationship with God: Critical or hard to please father, striving endlessly to earn God’s approval Absent or emotionally unavailable father, difficulty trusting that God is truly present and paying attention Harsh or frightening father, approaching God with fear rather than love Inconsistent father, fluctuating faith that never quite settles into deep trust Father who left or abandoned, deep unconscious fear that God will do the same Your Five-Step Healing Practice: Step 1: Name what was there and what was missing, journal honestly about what was present and absent in your relationship with your father Step 2: Trace how it has shown up, identify where the father wound is visible in your relationship with God, your worth, abundance, love, and authority Step 3: Separate the wound from the truth, his limitations were not the truth about your worth Step 4: Let God refather you, bring your specific wounds to God in prayer and read Psalm 68:5 and Romans 8:15 out loud over yourself Step 5: Extend honor and release, say out loud: Dad, I forgive you for... Today I am choosing to forgive you, release you and bless you. Then: I forgive myself for partnering with those hurts. I forgive myself, I release myself and bless myself. Scriptures referenced in this episode: Psalm 68:5 — A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. Romans 8:15 — The Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, Abba, Father. Mentioned in this episode: Episode 13 — The Mother Wound: Healing What Shapes How You Love, Lead, and Connect Private 1:1 Coaching with Kristen — contact@kristenivanov.com Connect with Kristen on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn Visit kristenivanov.com Your action step from this episode: Work through the five-step healing practice this week. Be gentle with yourself. Speak the forgiveness declarations out loud — for your father and for you. And remember: whatever your earthly father was or was not, your Heavenly Father has never stopped seeing you, delighting in you, and calling you His own. That has never changed. And it never will. Did this episode move you? Share it with a woman in your life who needs to hear this. And if you are enjoying She Leads with Intention, a review on Apple Podcasts helps more women find this show. Thank you so much for being here. Choose Brave. Lead with Intention.

  6. Jul 27

    The Mother Wound

    Episode 13 — The Mother Wound: Healing What Shapes How You Love, Lead, and Connect Your earliest female relationship became the template through which you understand love, worth, belonging, and what it means to be in relationship with another woman. When that relationship carried pain, unmet needs, or simply the limitations of a mother who could not give what she never received, those gaps do not just disappear. They travel forward into every area of your life. In this deeply tender and honest episode, Kristen Ivanov addresses the mother wound with compassion, clarity, and genuine hope. This is not a conversation about blame or dishonoring your mother. It is about understanding what you absorbed, naming where it has been showing up, and receiving the healing that is fully available to you. Whether your mother did her very best and still left gaps, or whether her absence or harm was real and significant — this episode holds space for all of it. And it ends with one of the most powerful declarations you will ever speak over yourself and over her. In this episode you will discover: What the mother wound is and how it forms — even in relationships where your mother loved you deeply Why most mothers passed down what they themselves received or did not receive Eight specific ways the mother wound shows up quietly in your daily life How the mother wound shapes your relationship with sisterhood and other women Why the longing for genuine female connection is not naive — it is what you were created for Five powerful things that become available when you heal the mother wound Why healing this wound is legacy work that stops generational cycles with you A five-step healing practice including a spoken declaration of forgiveness for your mother and for yourself Eight ways the mother wound may be showing up in your life: People pleasing — keeping others happy as a strategy for staying safe or approved of Difficulty receiving — deflecting compliments, love, abundance, and help Perfectionism — performing excellence to feel worthy of love and belonging Difficulty with female authority — feeling disproportionately triggered by female leaders Chronic self-criticism — the internalized voice of a critical or absent mother Difficulty with boundaries — setting them feels unsafe or deeply uncomfortable Compulsive caretaking — pouring into others while running on empty yourself A complicated relationship with your own femininity — shaped by how your mother carried hers Your Five-Step Healing Practice: Step 1: Identify the messages — what did you learn about your worth, your voice, and your place from your earliest female relationship? Step 2: Trace the patterns — where do you see the mother wound showing up in your life right now? Step 3: Separate the wound from the woman — her limitations were not the truth about you Step 4: Invite God into the healing — ask Him to remother the parts of you that were left unmothered Step 5: Extend compassion and forgiveness — say out loud: Mom, I forgive you. I release you and I bless you. Then: I am so sorry I partnered with those things. I forgive myself now, I release me from these patterns and I bless myself. Scripture referenced in this episode: Isaiah 66:13 — As a mother comforts her child so I will comfort you. Mentioned in this episode: Private 1:1 Coaching with Kristen — contact@kristenivanov.com Connect with Kristen on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn Visit kristenivanov.com Your action step from this episode: Work through the five-step healing practice this week. Take your time with each step. Be gentle with yourself. Speak the forgiveness declarations out loud — for her and for you. The healing you do today is your new legacy. Did this episode move you? Share it with a woman in your life who needs to hear this. And if you are enjoying She Leads with Intention, a review on Apple Podcasts helps more women find this show. Thank you so much for being here. Choose Brave. Lead with Intention.

  7. Jul 23

    Building Emotional Resilience

    Hard seasons are not a sign that something has gone wrong. They are part of every woman’s story. The question is not whether you will face them but whether you have the faith, the tools, and the daily practices to carry you through them without losing yourself in the process. In this deeply practical and faith-rooted episode, Kristen redefines what emotional resilience actually is and gives you eight specific practices for navigating a challenging season with your faith and your sense of self fully intact. Kristen draws a clear distinction between toughness — which disconnects you from what you are feeling — and genuine resilience, which allows you to feel what is real, process it with honesty and grace, and keep moving forward. Hard seasons navigated well do not just leave you surviving. They leave you with more depth, more wisdom, more compassion, and more capacity than you had going in. In this episode you will discover: What emotional resilience actually is and what it is not Why toughness and resilience are not the same thing Five powerful things that become available when you build genuine resilience What James 1:2-4 reveals about the purpose of trials in your life Why Isaiah 43:2 promises God’s presence through the hard season, not around it How Romans 8:28 reframes difficulty as purposeful rather than simply painful Eight specific daily practices to carry you through a challenging season Your Eight Practices for a Challenging Season: Pray — a real, honest, unhurried conversation with God about exactly where you are Communion — a physical declaration of faith that what He did is sufficient for exactly what you are walking through Journal — get what is inside of you onto paper so it can be seen, processed, and brought to God specifically Gratitude — name three to five specific things you are genuinely grateful for every single day Surround yourself with great people and ask for help — isolation makes hard seasons harder, community makes them survivable Walk outside without sunglasses — natural light genuinely shifts your mood, energy, and emotional state Sleep — protect it with the same intentionality you would protect any other non-negotiable in your life Be your very best friend — speak to yourself with the patience, kindness, and compassion you would offer a woman you deeply love Scriptures referenced in this episode: James 1:2-4 — Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds because the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Isaiah 43:2 — When you pass through the waters I will be with you. When you walk through the fire you will not be burned. Romans 8:28 — In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Mentioned in this episode: Private 1:1 Coaching with Kristen — contact@kristenivanov.com Connect with Kristen on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn Visit kristenivanov.com Did this episode encourage you? Share it with a woman in your life who is walking through a hard season right now. And if you are enjoying She Leads with Intention, a review on Apple Podcasts helps more women find this show. Thank you so much for being here. Choose Brave. Lead with Intention.

  8. Jul 20

    Forgiving Yourself!

    Episode 11 — Forgiving Yourself You extend grace to everyone around you. But when was the last time you genuinely extended it to yourself? In this very honest episode, Kristen addresses one of the most powerful keys to freedom available to any woman, forgiving yourself. Not minimizing what happened, but making the clear decision to release yourself from carrying what God has already covered. Kristen opens with refreshing honesty: we are human. We say dumb things, do dumb things, make decisions we wish we could undo, and sometimes fail the people we love, including ourselves. Self-forgiveness is not for a select few women with particularly dramatic pasts. It is for every woman who has ever judged herself and kept that judgment running in the background of her life. In this episode you will discover: What self-forgiveness actually is and what it is not Why every ambitious woman who holds herself to a high standard needs this work The specific ways self-unforgiveness shows up in perfectionism, people pleasing, and self-sabotage Five powerful things that become available to you when you forgive yourself What Romans 8:1, 1 John 1:9, and Lamentations 3:22-23 say about your freedom Why receiving God’s forgiveness without forgiving yourself creates a gap that quietly costs you everything The four-step Self-Forgiveness Practice to walk you from awareness to genuine release Your Four-Step Self-Forgiveness Practice: Step 1: Name it honestly — write down specifically what you have been holding against yourself Step 2: Acknowledge the real impact without exaggerating it — separate truth from guilt’s additions Step 3: Receive His forgiveness before you extend your own — pray specifically and read Romans 8:1 and 1 John 1:9 out loud over yourself Step 4: Make the decision — say out loud: I forgive myself for this. I release myself from carrying this any further. I agree with what God says about me. Scriptures referenced in this episode: Romans 8:1 — There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 1 John 1:9 — If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Lamentations 3:22-23 — The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. They are new every single morning. Mentioned in this episode: Private 1:1 Coaching with Kristen — contact@kristenivanov.com Connect with Kristen on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn Visit kristenivanov.com Your action step from this episode: Work through the four-step Self-Forgiveness Practice this week. Take your time with each step. Be gentle with yourself. And remember — He already declared no condemnation. All that remains is for you to agree with Him. Did this episode move you? Share it with a woman in your life who needs permission to put down something she has been carrying too long. And if you are enjoying She Leads with Intention, a review on Apple Podcasts helps more women find this show. Thank you so much for being here. Choose Brave. Lead with Intention.

See All (18)

Ratings & Reviews

About

She Leads with Intention is a podcast for the ambitious woman of faith who is learning to lead herself, and her business or career, well. Each episode delivers real truth, practical tools, and faith-integrated conversations designed to help you break through the identity blocks holding back your income, and stop living by default so you can start living by design.  With nineteen years as an entrepreneur, twenty-one years dedicated to her own growth, and over $500,000 invested in personal and professional development, Kristen brings both the lived experience and the practical tools to help you build a business or career and a life that actually reflects who God created you to be. This is not surface-level motivation. This is deep, faith-integrated work that touches your mindset, identity, income, and every relationship in between. If you're ready to go deeper and break through the ceiling that strategy could never fix, this is perfect for you!  Choose Brave. Lead with Intention!

Information

  • Creator
    Kristen Ivanov
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    18
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    She Leads with Intention