The Courage Coalition

Corree Roofener
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Solocasts and Guest Interviews for inspiring, educating and empowering listeners to embrace courage in all aspects of their lives. Fostering a coalition of individuals who are committed to living authentically and fearlessly in their dreams! This is not a polished highlight reel it’s real stories, raw truth, and the kind of courage that changes lives. Each week, host Corree Roofener brings you unfiltered conversations and heartfelt solocasts that remind you you’re not alone in the climb. From navigating money and mental health to breaking cycles in foster care and redefining success, every episode is about choosing faith over fear and taking your next brave step. The Courage Coalition is more than a podcast it’s a community of dreamers and doers who are ready to live authentically, even when it’s hard.

  1. 3D AGO

    Foster Care Isn’t a Program — It’s People with Judi Martin

    My heart was so full recording this episode of The Courage Coalition with my dear friend Judy Martin and when I say dear friend, I mean lifeline. Judy was our certifier when Chad and I became foster parents, but she was so much more than a checkbox on a system form. She’s also an adoptee, an adoptive mom, and she’s spent years inside the foster care system as a caseworker and certifier. And when you hear her story the truth of what trauma does, the way it lives in the body, the way it shows up even when a child is “safe” you can’t un-hear it. We have to stop telling ourselves the lie that “they won’t remember” or “it was before birth so it doesn’t count.” Trauma doesn’t ask permission. It doesn’t wait for a first breath. It’s real, it’s biological, it’s spiritual, and it leaves scars that don’t disappear just because we wish love could outwork it. What hit me hardest is this: we keep trying to fix foster care with policies and statistics, while forgetting the human standing in front of us. We create laws that force timelines and placements like kids are paperwork, not souls. And then we wonder why teens spiral after 12 homes, why foster parents burn out in 18 months, why families fall apart under the weight of a system that doesn’t train them for reality. Judy said something that I’ll carry forever what kids need most is consistency, and that consistency doesn’t always have to be a foster parent. It can be a coach, a neighbor, a church family, a grandpa, a mentor… someone who doesn’t disappear. Someone who becomes a constant. Because the truth is, when a child only knows chaos, chaos becomes their safety and they will recreate it inside calm because calm feels like danger. We have to stop being shocked by that and start being equipped for it. And here’s the part I want you to sit with: what if everyone said yes to one child? Not even forever. Not even adoption. Just one. Or what if ten families ten businesses, ten women, ten church friends said, “We’re going to support one foster family. We’re going to be the village.” One person brings dinner. One person drives to practice. One person folds laundry. One person listens without trying to fix. One person becomes respite. One person becomes the safe adult a child can count on. The crisis is not bigger than what we’re capable of we’ve just convinced ourselves we’re powerless, so we do nothing… and nothing changes. Maybe courage isn’t climbing a mountain today. Maybe courage is a single step toward showing up for one human. Because around here, you know what we believe: if it changed the life of one, would you do it? Contact Corree or find out more about Corree and learn about all the ways she does not choose to stay in one lane go here: https://correeroofener.com/ To Purchase Emotional Money click here: Emotional Money Are you ready to walk with us for https:/https://fosteringthesummit.org  Join us as we change the statistics for children aging out of foster care. Also, follow me on https://www.instagram.com/correeroofenercoach/ for more inspiration and practical wisdom for your business and life.  Until next time, keep shining bright! - Corree

    1h 8m

  2. MAY 18

    The Courage to See Yourself First with Anne Peshka

    We spend so much of our lives chasing the checklist. Performing. Achieving. Becoming who we think we’re supposed to be so we can finally feel accepted. But what if the real question was never “What do you do?” What if the real question has always been “Who are you?” Because from the moment we take our first breath, we are taught—subtly and loudly—that love, safety, and belonging are earned through behavior. Be good. Be quiet. Be what we need you to be. And without even realizing it, we build our identity around those expectations… until one day we wake up and realize we don’t even know who we are underneath it all.  What struck me most in this conversation is how deeply we are wired for acceptance—and how often we look for it everywhere except within. We wait for someone else to see us, validate us, choose us. But the truth is, real acceptance is an inside job. And that’s not fluffy or easy—it’s gritty. It’s the work. It’s peeling back the labels, the trauma, the stories, and asking yourself, “What is actually mine?” Because when we don’t do that work, we abandon ourselves first. We break our own hearts trying to fit into spaces that were never meant for us. And then we wonder why we feel empty, disconnected, or unseen. But here’s the hope—and it’s a powerful one. Change doesn’t come from someone else forcing you to be different. It comes from a moment, sometimes the smallest moment, where something shifts inside of you. A glance. A word. A connection. A tiny thread of belief that maybe… just maybe… you are not what you thought you were. And when that thread is nurtured, it becomes something bigger. Not overnight. Not perfectly. But steadily. That’s where courage lives. Not in becoming someone new, but in finally seeing, accepting, and loving who you’ve been all along. Find Anne Peshka here: https://annepeshka.com/ Contact Corree or find out more about Corree and learn about all the ways she does not choose to stay in one lane go here: https://correeroofener.com/ To Purchase Emotional Money click here: Emotional Money Are you ready to walk with us for https:/https://fosteringthesummit.org  Join us as we change the statistics for children aging out of foster care. Also, follow me on https://www.instagram.com/correeroofenercoach/ for more inspiration and practical wisdom for your business and life.  Until next time, keep shining bright! - Corree

    46 min

  3. MAY 11

    Healing, Hope and The Power of Being Held with Heather Gibson

    Some conversations do more than inform us, they remind us that healing rarely looks the way we expect it to. My conversation with Heather Gibson was one of those. What struck me most was not just that we share the foster and adoptive journey, but that her story reveals something so many people miss: behind foster care is trauma, and behind trauma is often a desperate need for connection, safety, and unconditional love. Heather’s path into foster care was not some grand, polished plan. It was a quiet nudge, built through personal heartbreak, compassion, and the kind of life experience that teaches you to notice the lonely person in the room. And that matters, because so often the people most called to this work are not responding to a spotlight moment, hey are responding to a holy ache they cannot ignore. What moved me deeply in this conversation was the way Heather began to see that animals were not just companions, but bridges to healing. When her daughter, carrying layers of profound trauma, could not find words for what she was feeling, she could talk to the cat. That moment says so much. It reminds us that healing is not always linear, clinical, or wrapped in something the world easily understands. Sometimes healing begins in the quiet presence of something that asks nothing from you except to be loved. For children who have been moved, uprooted, unseen, and left carrying invisible disabilities born of trauma, that kind of unconditional connection can be life-changing. It can regulate what feels unregulatable. It can soften fear. It can create safety where trust has been fractured again and again. This conversation also held a bigger invitation: to look beyond judgment and ask better questions. Better questions about foster care. Better questions about biological families. Better questions about trauma. And yes, even better questions about breeding animals with purpose and care when the goal is support, stability, and healing. Heather’s work is rooted in understanding that the right animal can offer hope in ways many traditional paths cannot. That is not a small thing. It is sacred work. And what I hope listeners take from this episode is that courage often looks like listening to the heartbreak in front of you and choosing not to look away. Sometimes that heartbreak becomes your purpose. Sometimes it becomes the very thing that teaches you how to help others feel seen, safe, and loved. And that kind of courage changes lives. As always remember, Love you meant it. Find out more about Heather here: https://www.instagram.com/bigheartedbreeders/ Find here guidebook to dogs and fostercare go here:  Contact Corree or find out more about Corree and learn about all the ways she does not choose to stay in one lane go here: https://correeroofener.com/ To Purchase Emotional Money click here: Emotional Money Are you ready to walk with us for https:/https://fosteringthesummit.org  Join us as we change the statistics for children aging out of foster care. Also, follow me on https://www.instagram.com/correeroofenercoach/ for more inspiration and practical wisdom for your business and life.  Until next time, keep shining bright! - Corree

    49 min

  4. MAY 4

    The Invisible Children We Have Learned Not To See

    There are over 400,000 children in foster care in the United States right nowand if we’re honest, most of us don’t feel that number… because we’ve learned not to. We’ve learned how to look past it, how to believe it’s too big, too broken, too far removed from our own lives to matter. But here’s the truth: these are not statistics. These are children, children who have been moved, uprooted, and reshaped by trauma in ways most of us will never fully understand. Children whose behaviors we question instead of asking what happened to them. Children who age out of the system every year thousands of them without family, without support, without someone saying, I see you, you matter. And we wonder why they fall into every other system we’re trying to fix.  The hardest part of this conversation is recognizing that the system isn’t broken because of one thing it’s broken because we keep trying to fix it the same way. More policy. More funding. More homes. And yes, we need more foster homes but what we actually need are prepared homes. Supported homes. Trauma-informed homes. Because placing a child who has lived in survival mode into a house without the tools to hold that reality doesn’t heal anything it continues the cycle. We have to stop asking, What’s wrong with these kids? and start asking, What has happened to them? And even deeper than that what has happened to us as a society that we’ve allowed this to become normal? But this is where the conversation shifts from overwhelming to personal. Because it’s easy to say, this is too big, I can’t fix this. And you’re right you can’t fix all of it. Neither can I. But we can do something. We can support the foster family down the street. We can start a conversation. We can mentor, donate, show up, ask better questions. Because change doesn’t start with systems it starts with people willing to care enough to act. The ripple always begins with one. And maybe the real question isn’t how we fix foster care… maybe it’s whether we’re willing to stop looking away long enough to see these children for who they are: not invisible, not broken but worthy of love, support, and a different story. Contact Corree or find out more about Corree and learn about all the ways she does not choose to stay in one lane go here: https://correeroofener.com/ To Purchase Emotional Money click here: Emotional Money Are you ready to walk with us for https:/https://fosteringthesummit.org  Join us as we change the statistics for children aging out of foster care. Also, follow me on https://www.instagram.com/correeroofenercoach/ for more inspiration and practical wisdom for your business and life.  Until next time, keep shining bright! - Corree

    27 min

  5. APR 29

    Emotional Money Chapter 10 11 and 12

    There’s a moment, if you’re willing to sit in it, where you realize this was never just about money. It was never just about the numbers, the accounts, or the strategy. It was about safety. It was about what you were taught, what you witnessed, and the quiet beliefs you built along the way about what you are allowed to have. For so many of us, growing money feels overwhelming not because we aren’t capable, but because no one ever showed us how in a way that felt human, accessible, or aligned. And somewhere along the line, we absorbed the idea that wanting more meant we were greedy or selfish. But what if more simply meant living in deeper alignment with your values? What if more meant freedom, peace, and choice? The truth is, change doesn’t come from one big, dramatic moment. It comes from the smallest, most intentional steps repeated over time. It’s choosing to look at your bank account when you’ve been avoiding it. It’s putting away $20 when it feels insignificant. It’s asking a better question: What is one thing I can do today? Because readiness isn’t something you wait for it’s something you create through action. Every small step builds evidence. Every aligned decision shifts your identity. And over time, those quiet, consistent choices become the foundation of a completely different life. Not perfect. Not predictable. But intentional and yours. And this is where it all lands living the story you are choosing. Not the one you inherited. Not the one shaped by fear, scarcity, or silence. Your money story will evolve, just like you will. There will be pivots, setbacks, and moments where old patterns resurface. That’s not failure that’s information. The work is to stay conscious, stay compassionate, and stay willing to choose again. Because nothing changes until something changes… and you are the something. You are the answer. So the question isn’t whether you’re ready. The question is: What is the one thing you’re willing to do this week to begin? Contact Corree or find out more about Corree and learn about all the ways she does not choose to stay in one lane go here: https://correeroofener.com/ To Purchase Emotional Money click here: Emotional Money Are you ready to walk with us for https:/https://fosteringthesummit.org  Join us as we change the statistics for children aging out of foster care. Also, follow me on https://www.instagram.com/correeroofenercoach/ for more inspiration and practical wisdom for your business and life.  Until next time, keep shining bright! - Corree

    29 min

  6. APR 27

    What You Can Build, When You Stop Waiting with Diana Gleason

    There are some conversations that remind you why courage matters so much, and this one with Diana Gleason was exactly that. What struck me most was not just the success she has built a thriving remote bookkeeping firm with a powerful team and strong revenue but the path she took to get there. She did not begin in accounting. She began as a dancer. A creative. A woman who knew what it meant to be told no again and again and still get back up. And honestly, that is what I hope more people hear when they listen to this episode: the thing that makes you “different” may be the very thing that equips you to build something extraordinary. Diana’s story is a reminder that resilience, courage, and the willingness to do things scared matter just as much as credentials. Maybe more. What also made this conversation so powerful was how deeply it aligned with something I believe with my whole heart: values are not extra, they are the foundation. Diana spoke about authenticity, family, connection, impact, and growth not as pretty words, but as the actual framework she uses to build her life and her business. That matters. Because so many people are building businesses they secretly do not even enjoy living inside of. They are chasing revenue while losing themselves. They are saying yes to things that do not fit, tolerating relationships that drain them, and calling it success. But success without alignment will always feel off. This episode is an invitation to ask a better question: does the life I am building actually reflect what matters most to me? And maybe my favorite thread through the whole conversation was this truth: you do not have to have it all figured out before you begin. You do not need perfect systems, perfect confidence, or a perfect plan. You need willingness. You need honesty. You need the courage to take the next step before you feel fully ready. Diana’s story, and honestly both of our stories in different ways, speaks to the reality that growth is messy, business is built in layers, and courage often looks like simply refusing to break your own heart by quitting on the thing that keeps calling you forward. If this episode gives you anything, I hope it gives you permission to trust what is in you, to build more intentionally, and to do the thing scared anyway. Find out more about Diana Gleason and DG Accounting here: https://www.instagram.com/dianagleason/ Contact Corree or find out more about Corree and learn about all the ways she does not choose to stay in one lane go here: https://correeroofener.com/ To Purchase Emotional Money click here: Emotional Money Are you ready to walk with us for https:/https://fosteringthesummit.org  Join us as we change the statistics for children aging out of foster care. Also, follow me on https://www.instagram.com/correeroofenercoach/ for more inspiration and practical wisdom for your business and life.  Until next time, keep shining bright! - Corree

    48 min

  7. APR 22

    Emotional Money Chapter 8

    The word budget has been misunderstood for far too long. For most people, it immediately brings up feelings of restriction what do I have to give up, what do I have to go without, what does this say about me? But what if we flipped that entirely? What if a budget wasn’t about limitation, but about direction? Because when your money has no job, it creates anxiety. It leaves you reacting instead of choosing. But when you begin to tell your money where to go intentionally, honestly, in alignment with what matters, you create something most people are actually craving: clarity. And clarity doesn’t restrict you. It grounds you. It gives you the ability to live a life that reflects your values instead of one that just happens to you.  This is where so many people get stuck, though. Because structure can feel like control. It can feel like deprivation, especially if you’ve lived through seasons of not having enough. It can feel overwhelming if you’ve been avoiding your numbers altogether. And sometimes, it can feel pointless because if there’s not enough money coming in, a budget doesn’t magically fix that. But that doesn’t make it useless. It makes it honest. And honesty is where change begins. Because when you can clearly see where your money is going, you can finally ask better questions. Not “Why can’t I get ahead?” but “What is this showing me?” That’s where agency comes back. That’s where you stop living in reaction and start living in alignment.  And here’s the truth I want you to hold onto: this isn’t about perfection. It’s not about creating the perfect spreadsheet or getting every category right. It’s about awareness and intention. One small shift at a time. One category brought back into alignment. One decision that supports the life you actually want to live. Because when you give your money a job, you’re not just organizing your finances you’re choosing your life. You’re deciding what matters enough to be protected, what needs to change, and where you’re ready to grow. And that, more than anything, is real financial freedom—the ability to see clearly, choose intentionally, and build a life that finally feels like your own. Contact Corree or find out more about Corree and learn about all the ways she does not choose to stay in one lane go here: https://correeroofener.com/ To Purchase Emotional Money click here: Emotional Money Are you ready to walk with us for https:/https://fosteringthesummit.org  Join us as we change the statistics for children aging out of foster care. Also, follow me on https://www.instagram.com/correeroofenercoach/ for more inspiration and practical wisdom for your business and life.  Until next time, keep shining bright! - Corree

    21 min

  8. APR 20

    Emotional Money: Chapter 6 & 7

    We spend so much time judging how we spend money that we rarely stop to ask a deeper, more honest question: what is my money actually trying to tell me? Because spending isn’t failure—it’s evidence. Every purchase holds a mirror up to something beneath the surface. A need, a belief, a fear, a desire to belong, a moment of survival. And when we rush to label it as “bad,” we miss the opportunity to understand it. The late-night Amazon order, the takeout when you’re exhausted, the course you signed up for hoping it would finally be the thing none of it is random. It’s information. And when you begin to look at your spending with curiosity instead of judgment, you start to see patterns. Not to shame yourself, but to understand yourself. Because real change doesn’t come from control it comes from awareness.  But here’s where the conversation gets deeper… because it’s not just about what you’re spending. It’s also about what your earning is costing you. We’ve been taught to look at income as the goal—the number, the salary, the proof that we’re doing it “right.” But money is never just money. The way you earn carries a cost far beyond your paycheck. It can cost you your energy, your health, your creativity, your relationships, your sense of self. And the hardest truth? You can be making “good money” and still be living in a kind of poverty where you’re depleted, disconnected, and just getting through the day. That’s not wealth. That’s survival dressed up as success.  So if spending is the evidence, earning is the environment. One shows you what you’re reaching for. The other reveals what you’re tolerating. And somewhere in the middle is your life asking for alignment. Not perfection, not a complete overhaul, not burning everything down. Just awareness. Just the willingness to ask: Does the way I spend reflect what I truly value? And does the way I earn support the life I actually want to live? Because you are allowed to want more—not from a place of lack, but from a place of truth. And when you give yourself permission to see both sides of your money the spending and the earning—you don’t just create financial change. You create a life that finally feels like it belongs to you. Contact Corree or find out more about Corree and learn about all the ways she does not choose to stay in one lane go here: https://correeroofener.com/ To Purchase Emotional Money click here: Emotional Money Are you ready to walk with us for https:/https://fosteringthesummit.org  Join us as we change the statistics for children aging out of foster care. Also, follow me on https://www.instagram.com/correeroofenercoach/ for more inspiration and practical wisdom for your business and life.  Until next time, keep shining bright! - Corree

    42 min
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About

Solocasts and Guest Interviews for inspiring, educating and empowering listeners to embrace courage in all aspects of their lives. Fostering a coalition of individuals who are committed to living authentically and fearlessly in their dreams! This is not a polished highlight reel it’s real stories, raw truth, and the kind of courage that changes lives. Each week, host Corree Roofener brings you unfiltered conversations and heartfelt solocasts that remind you you’re not alone in the climb. From navigating money and mental health to breaking cycles in foster care and redefining success, every episode is about choosing faith over fear and taking your next brave step. The Courage Coalition is more than a podcast it’s a community of dreamers and doers who are ready to live authentically, even when it’s hard.

Information

  • Creator
    Corree Roofener
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    169
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Courage Coalition
  • Show Website
    The Courage Coalition