93: How accelerating Impact skyrockets your income with Jenn Kennedy (Enneagram 8)

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Welcome to the Becoming Bulletproof podcast. I am your host, Tracy o'. Malley. I'm a mom to millennials, an author, Enneagram expert and multi million dollar entrepreneur, and master performance and business coach. I've gone from rock bottom to building a bulletproof business and life. If you're looking for the unfiltered transparent truth and ethos, an extra kick in the ass, you will discover that here. Each week I'll be bringing you success stories of high level entrepreneurs as we discover how they became bulletproof and created their empire. You'll learn the story behind the glory along with Enneagram inspired truths so you can ignite your own purpose, profits and build your legacy. It's time for you to become bulletproof. Buckle up. Let's go. Foreign.

Welcome to another episode of the Becoming Bulletproof podcast. And I know there are so many of you. I mean, 2020 has taught us that like, nothing is off limits about like, what can happen. Like 2020 is the year of the blind side and nobody was discriminated against. And I think there's two separate camps. Either you're looking at it, it's like, okay, bring it, bring it. Hit me with your best shot. Go ahead, 2020. Bring it. And you're, you're almost. I mean, nobody's like loving this, but I think that you're either one of two people. Either you take a problem or an obstacle and you go down the pit of like, this sucks. Everything sucks. Fuck this. This, this is not like everything's happening to me. Or you're in the other camp. It's like, all right, this is not fun. This doesn't feel good. And what the hell am I going to use this for? This is going to be used for something much bigger than me. I'm in that camp and our guest is in that camp and actually she shows others how to be master problem solvers and handle adversity and handle shit shows that come at you. Because I don't care how much money you make or how pretty you are or how tight your ass is or any of the things like life is going to happen and it's going to hurt, but it's how you face it and overcome it and become resilient and resourceful in the face of that. When I met this little firecracker, Jen Kennedy, a couple like last just a couple weeks ago, we've been running in the same circles for a while. She reminds me of a little sister to me. Like, we're a lot alike. She's also an enneagram 8. We've determined we've got a similar upbringing. We're both Midwest girls. I could be her mama, that's for sure, which is crazy.

Very early pregnancy.

What were you born in 1990?

Well, yeah. 89.

Yeah.

Okay, then.

All right.

All righty, then.

So Ms. Jen Kennedy is an entrepreneur, coach, speaker, and CEO of Impact to Income. And she. Her history is in teaching. Listening to her. We were sitting around Campfire a couple weeks ago and just listening to her educational background and her drive to teach. And then, you know, her goal was to be a principal. And then didn't you want to be, like, the superintendent of, like. Yeah, like, her drive to succeed. Listening to her, I knew it wasn't about the accolades. I knew it wasn't. Even though, like, her drive for that, because as she kept achieving and achieving, it wasn't doing what she thought it would do. And so it's in that moment and in that drive to do all those things where she started to pivot. And she always just wanted to make an impact. It wasn't about the title. It wasn't about the money necessarily. She just wanted to make the biggest impact. And in the small little Midwest world that she lived in, she was the first to go to college. That's what's. What she thought was where she would make the biggest impact. But as she was doing this, she realized, oh, no. Oh, no, no, no, little girl, I'm going to make a much wider impact. And the way that she is doing that today is as an entrepreneur coach. My God, I learned so much from you. Just listening to you in a short amount of time that I got to listen to you, I was like, I need more of Jen Kennedy in my life.

You know, she grew up very similar to me. And you guys have been listening. You guys know what that looks like. It's rough. She had to grow up well beyond her years. She was like a mama to her little brother, like I was to my little sister early. Early on, and just became this resilient, resourceful, amazing woman that she is. And, you know, it's great to make a big income. And even as a superintendent, she would have made decent money. Like, it's not. It's not money to be frowned upon. But when she realized that, it was more about making the impact, and I know so many of you today, if 2020 has taught us nothing, it's like, it puts shit in perspective of what's really, really important. And I know many of you listening right now want to make an impact, and I am one of those believers that when you are doing what you were called to do and making the impact you're supposed to make, the abundance flows and the money rolls in. And our mutual friend Chris says, when good money, when good people make good money, they do great things.

Things.

And Jen is one of these facilitators that if you are wanting to dive into this, you're like, yeah, I've had enough. I am ready to. To just go do the things. This is your girl. My friend, Jen Kennedy. Hi.

Oh, my gosh. You're amazing. I'm like, you tell my story better than I do. Keep going, Keep going.

Oh, my gosh. I seriously, you know, I have a bullshit detector that is probably better than anybody. And I think, oh, yeah.

My dad always said you can't bullshit a bullshitter, right?

You spotted the guy, right? And I think growing up the way that we did, yeah, we had to learn early on what was safe, what wasn't, who was weak, who was strong, what side of the tracks we were gonna be on. Right? And so let people know, because we see the glory, but we don't always know the story behind it. And whenever there's glory, there's a huge story behind it. But behind any success or anybody that really just crushes and does amazing things in the world, there's quite the story behind it. So let's take us back to Michigan. And what does that look like for little Jen Kennedy? Yeah.

I love it. I'm so grateful to be here. And I just. Yes, you. Like you. And I am like, wow, you're just a twin. Just a little bit older.

Like, perfect.

This is great. So, yeah, I mean, it started way back. I always go back to when I was 5 years old and the parents sat me down, and they were like, we're getting a divorce. And I always remember that little girl who had no idea what that word meant. Like, I was like, what? No families? No families. Got a divorce. I didn't. I didn't know what it was. And no families that I knew of got a divorce. And all I knew was just everyone was unhappy. That's all I could tell, right? I was. I was at that empath from the beginning. I was like, so no one's happy. And very quickly, little Jen made it her job to just make sure that everyone was happy. Right? So, like my mom still says to this day, you are just the sunshine. You are my sunshine. You are everyone's sunshine. You are the sunshine. And that was my job my whole life, was to be the sunshine, was to be the sunshine and be the glue. Because we were then a broken family. And a broken family meant somebody needed to put it back together and just. And have hope. And that was me. That was my job. And so that just carried that job my whole life. I carried that job. And I didn't know any different. You know, I did. I went outside, we played. Thank goodness we lived in a neighborhood with so many, so many children because we got out to go out and play and do the whole thing. But I was always coming back home to the sunshine, to the glue, into making sure that everyone else was happy. And when you do that, you numb your own emotions. And when you do that, you shove the hard stuff aside and you bury it so that you can just make sure that no one else is hurting any longer. And shockingly enough, that develops into an eating disorder when you're a young woman. So I was the achiever all through, all through high school, first one to go to college, went to Michigan State University, Big ten school. And of course I didn't understand what a self, what self worth was, right? My idea of self worth was just making sure that everyone else was not, was surviving around me. And my self worth very quickly became what does my body look like? How do people view me? What do people think of me? And you know, as a little, as a, as an 18 year old who's never really drank a lot of alcohol and you know, has a lot of cafeteria food around her, you know, and gained 30 pounds freshman year. That developed into an eating disorder. And so, you know, there was a lot of very, very, very dark years of me abusing alco alcohol, of doing drugs, of me trying to overcome an eating disorder all on my own and trying to just think that I could just be stronger than the eating disorder and battling body image and battling confidence and blacking out because I wasn't confident and just all of those things. And it all kind of came to a stop when I always say, when I found CrossFit, I found an exercise modality that showed me that strength was not what I thought it was. Strength was not my physical body looking a certain way. Strength was not what other people thought about me. Strength was like overcoming something that I set out to be hard and I could overcome it. And strength was finding discipline that not because I was disciplined and I had to do it, but because I wanted to follow through with something and I wanted this for myself. And then pair that with meeting my husband who looked at me dead in the eye, almost broke up with him. The only reason I Had two glasses of wine and I couldn't drive home our first argument when he looked at me dead in the eye and really like, jen, strength is not doing it alone. It's opening up. It's letting me in and it's letting me help you. And I stopped and I was like. Like, that was like suffocating, right? I was like, no, it's not. Actually, you're wrong and you're stupid. Like, that is not what strength is. And that I woke up the next morning and I rolled over and I was like, okay, I can't break up with you. Like, you're my. You're my person. I can't do that. And that really, those, those couple, those two major events are really what catapulted me into self development and realizing that I didn't have to do it alone anymore and my self worth was the hell I wanted it to be. And my confidence could be true and it could shine and it could actually be something that helps other people. And so that was really the catapult that got me into the self development world, which then led me to what I get to do now, which is impacting and helping people. But I was a teacher before this, like you said. And at that time I just thought impacting was just. I didn't know how to impact people in another way. Like, I met a friend and she told me she was an entrepreneur. Okay. She said the word entrepreneur. I was too embarrassed to ask her what that word meant.

Try to Google entrepreneur if you've never spelt it. I know, I'm like.

You, no clue. So, you know, I thought the only way to impact and help people was being a teacher. And then I met her and she's like, oh, my God, are you kidding me? Look at this world. And it opened up my eyes to what impact really could do and that it actually could bring the abundance and the income in. And that was just two and a half years ago.

That is insane to me that it was just because, my God, you guys, you have. If you don't know this woman and you start following her.

At the Jen Kennedy on Instagram, like, seriously. And no bullshit, you know, I'm straight shooting, like one of the most brilliant heart led, like real fucking people and just tells it like it is, which that's an eight quality. Like so much of what you were saying, I'm like, yep, like that, that quality of taking one for the team as like as a little girl, like, discerning, like, well, this is now my role. Yeah, this is now my Role. This is how we keep people safe. This is how we protect and serve.

Yeah.

I was very much. I wasn't called Sunshine. I was almost like the quiet one behind the scenes. Just. I'd clean shit up. Nobody would really even know how it happened. I just would kind of, like, maneuver my way in.

I love what you said about Pat, your husband and.

Yeah.

Like, for somebody to say that to an 8, like, strength won't do it alone. Like, that's our. That's our code. Like, like, mission statement. Like, like, that's my blueprint. No, because seriously, like, we categorize everything. Every person, every. Everything is as strong as this week. And there's no gray area. Yeah. And so when you tell it in an enneagram 8 that you can't do it on strength alone, especially if we, like, haven't done some work yet.

Yeah.

Or enough work, we're like, yeah, go fuck yourself.

Literally.

Yeah.

It was like, I'm break up with you. I know how to do. I know how to get out of this. You're done.

And the same thing, like, the biggest desire for an enneagram 8 is to have that connection. And we. So we're actually the most sensitive. Even though we're very aggressive and domineering and commanding, sometimes we actually do. Like, our superpower is compassion and empathy, but we've worked really hard to protect that. So when he's saying that to you, you're like, yes, but do I trust you to really honor what that means to me?

Yeah.

And I know for me, I mean, I'm almost 50 years old, and only in the last few years, like, I've let people into here, like, arm's length. But it's only been in the last two years that I've fully surrendered to that. Within friendships and other people. Yeah. And I know how it's. So. It's still risky. Is there ever a moment that. I mean, you've been married, what, three years now?

Yeah. Together. Six. Married.

Three. That's amazing. Thank God you figured this out. A lot younger than I did. Like, thank God. But is there ever any time, maybe not with him, but with other people that you're like, yeah, I'm keeping you all at arm's length.

Yeah, for sure. I mean, there are even times with him, like, different.

You know, like I said, entrepreneurship. Literally two and a half years ago, that's when my journey started. And there have. There's been very quick growth and, like, this quick, you know, like, new networks and new mentors and this whole new world that I never knew existed. Like, genuinely never even understood. Didn't. Didn't.

It was like this.

Never even knew that it was there. And so there was a lot of really rapid growth and a lot of like, whoa, wait a second. Who am I in this rapid growth? You know, who is. Who am I now? And so there was a lot of, well, who are we now? Because we believe that we're a team and everything that we do. So even with the two of us over the past couple of years, there's been that rapid growth of. And it almost was, wait, wait, do I. Do I bring him this. Do I bring him this close? Do I keep him there? Because it's like my business, you know? And so there was a lot of those conversations with the two of us, but definitely with other people. You know, I think that especially with an upbringing like you and I have had, that trust is something that we don't really. It was never modeled. We don't really understand it, you know, And I can cultivate what I think that should be as an adult. And so even just that of trust, a really good girlfriend, that they're not going to do something with this information or they're not going to take it and run. You know, that has been something that I've really. I've really had had to work with and saying, wait a second. Okay, hold on. Did they do something to make me feel this way? Because maybe they did, right? Or is this on me? Is this me and not letting people in? And then I. I have to really work through that and then understand what is the role that I want this person in my life as and really kind of define that. Of, like, this is this role. This is this role. This is this role to make sure that I set those boundaries and that I then understand who to let in and who not to. But it is still hard.

Oh, my God, it will. And I think as we take our life to new levels, like new devils kind of creep up and try and say, alert, alert. Like, this is not safe. And little T and me is like, oh, abort mission immediately. Like, this is so scary, because you're right. The very people that were supposed to protect us, we couldn't trust them to do it. So why the fuck would we trust you?

Yep.

Right. So I want to talk about Pat a second, because I have a lot of male listeners as well, and a lot of strong women and men that want to support women. And I think what you said is so important. It's like, do we do this together? We're A team. Do I keep it separate? But, like, I don't want to emasculate him. I'm going to outearn him here in a second. Like in 5.2 seconds.

Literally immediately, almost.

I'm shaming.

Yep.

Not even remotely surprised. So, like. And I do a lot of work with couples too, and I see, like, if they're not growing together, it's. It's impossible. Yep, it is impossible. So how do you have that conversation? And. And what does that look like in the Kennedy household?

Yeah.

Of like, okay, this is where I'm going. Obviously, we're a team.

Yep.

What does this look like? And. And how receptive was he? And. And what was it about what he said? Modeled or told are the actions? Because I think the actions are the most important thing than just like the fucking lip. Lip service.

Yep.

What actions did he show that you were like, okay, yeah, we could be partners in this. And then, you know, really keep harmony. I don't think there's such thing as balance. But no, same, you know, keep it harmonious most days. Right?

Yeah. Yeah.

And what is it? Because I know for the men listening that want to support women or want to partner with women. Yeah. Like, what is it that he showed you that you're like. Because I know you don't trust easy even your husband like, okay, we're in. Yep. Yeah, yeah.

Such a good question. So, you know, from the beginning, my husband's very grounding. I am like a million miles a minute. And he is the. He is the. Jen, can we just, like, we go on walks, right? And I'm the one that's like, like. And he's just, hey, hey, let's just enjoy it. I'm like, enjoy it. It's a walk. Let's go. You know, and so from the get go, he's been like the yin to the Yang. He's been the very grounding one. And I think I've really gravitated. Cause I've no. I know that I've been needed that. And so also from the very beginning, he. He. He listens with his heart and he speaks with his heart. And it is so, so obvious. Like, anyone who meets Pat is like, wow, he is so grounding and so connecting. And I'm like, yep, that's my husband. And so those. That's just like his aura. That's just him, you know? And that's why I'm like. I'm like, hey, Pat, go take the enneagram. I want to see what you are.

But that.

That's just that, just who he is. And so I think from the beginning it was like, wow, I've never met a human like you. And you, from the get go, you fully believe in me and you fully support me, but you don't have, you don't have any expectations of it. Right? It wasn't anything. It was just, hey, you are meant for big things and I'm here to support you in those big things. And from the day that we started dating, we were, we decided that we were a team. And everyone's like, yeah, yeah, yeah, we're a team. Teamwork, whatever it is. But do you have a working definition of what your team is? Because if you don't have crystal clear communication and a definition around what that is, then what do you mean you're a team? Because I have a very different definition of what a team is than Pat does.

Same.

I'm a football fan, he's a hockey fan. Two different definitions of a team, right? And so with every new chapter of our lives, and there's been a lot of new chapters over the past few years, we stop and we take the time to redefine what our team looks like. So two and a half years ago, I started actually, it was, it was actually two years ago to like, right now in this moment to like, is when I hired my first business coach and I was working full time as a teacher. And in that time, my life was obviously a little crazy. Building a business and working full time as a teacher. And so we had to sit down and say, hey, like, I can't do, I can't do. I can't cook. I can't cook. I also can't even look at that laundry. And he was like, like, still, like, I don't want to excuse. I just hate laundry. And so he was like, well, me take this over, because the team is what we need to do and everything is shared. There's no, like, you do this, I do this. This is your responsibility, this is mine. Everything is shared. And so, you know, when I became a full time entrepreneur, when we, when he was traveling a lot for work, we just have that working definition of what it is. And we have a very strong vision of what our future entails. We are changing the generational future of our families. We know what that looks like, we know what that feels like. We've got the one, the three, the five year visions. And so every single thing that we do, our team needs to align to that. And there are times when, like right now, we're in the middle of moving out of a house. I'm in the middle of launching one of our programs. There are times where I'm going to be a little bit over here and then he's going to be more over here and in the front. And we're okay with that because it's whatever the team needs to do. And so he has made it very clear, continuously, very clear, that what he does is to enhance everything. Like, I'm not a words of affirmation person. Like, I'm not either. I'm like, I'm.

I don't trust them. I don't know.

It's a zero. It's a straight zero. Like, someone's like, I'm proud of you. Amazing. Congratulations. I'm like, you know, and so he, he, he will say all of those things and I'm just kind of like, whatever. I hear that, whatever it is. But he also knows that like, like my. Mine is quality service. Quality time, acts of service and in physical touch, same. Yep. Literally. Of course they are.

Of course.

And so he knows, like, okay, so this is the time where she's feeling a little bit, you know, her energy is here. What do I need to do for the house? What do I need to do for her? And then I will reciprocate that with, with whatever his love language is. But it really comes down to that crystal clear communication, Knowing each other and then having that shared vision and knowing what our team looks like in that vision. And there's no ego attached to it. He doesn't care that he is doing laundry. He's like, we need clean clothes. This is it. You know, we need clean clothes. And so it's, it's just, it's kind of a blend of all of that. And we've evolved so much, but we've had really good.

Really good conversations and experiences, the good and the bad that have gotten us here. But we're just, we know that we're dedicated to those, to those plans and to the visions that our future entails.

So I love sports. I've always been, you know, an athlete and love, like the teamwork that it takes to win to be champions. And yeah, it doesn't always mean you win, but like a champion character. Like, championship characteristics are really, really important. And I love that you are always reevaluating depending on what season you're in. Like, seasons are changing at Mach 10 speed.

Literally they are just the next day you're like, wow, winter already.

And it's. And it's like, like, I know, like the love languages are so huge. And what I love about the Enneagram, it's like the love language is on steroids. And it's so funny when you were explaining Pat and how he's heart centered, like for an enneagram 8, we need that. Because that's usually like we're so instinctual and we just go after it and we're super decisive and rush into things. Almost like we'd rush into a burning building. Like, no question.

Oh, literally. Yeah.

That's what I went to school for. I went to school to be a firefighter. I was like, I'm going to go charging into buildings and that's just what I'm going to do.

Of course.

And I think it really takes a heart centered man or woman, depending on whatever you are, to handle an 8. And you know, I'm. I'm dating somebody who's in the heart triad too. I bet. I bet Pat is too. And he's always like, what do I bring to the table? I'm like, you make me feel and you slow me down to feel things. Because you and I have been so tactical and instinctual our whole lives. Because we had to that having these supportive people in our life that make us slow down and feel even the scary things. Like it's scary as fuck to feel when we've just been going, going, going like that. But I love that, you know, you guys are on the same page. And the other thing I want to really recognize you for. And I know words of affirmations don't mean shit to you because same just lip service. But. But I know that you'll get this, that as strong ladies, this is so fucking important for you to listen to right now. And I don't know if you ever had an issue with this, but I had a huge issue. Looking back at my relationships, like, thank goodness you're as young as you are. But I, looking back, I realized how I would emasculate men.

Yes.

To keep them at arm's length. Like, you know, it wasn't that I would like, expect them to carry the weight, but I was like, I don't fucking need you. Like, it was, it was like, it was like that. So how do you catch yourself? Because you are so independent and resourceful and gritty and scrappy. Like, how do you allow somebody to hold that space for you?

Mm. So good. Yeah, that was my. That was my thing. And when we first started dating, we realized that we both are very quick tempered and we made it. We, like, we looked at each other one day we were like, let's promise that whenever we get into arguments, we are not disrespecting one another and we are not breaking trust. And that was like, from. That was like a foundation of. And I said. Because I was like, I know myself, I know the words that I can say, and I know. I know really, really, really well how to get in your head and really crush you. And I don't want to do that. I don't want to do that. And so that was something that we really worked on from the beginning. You know, we've never told him to fuck off. I've never told. I've never said fuck you to him. I've never, like, I've never ever, even though I've wanted to.

Wow, that's big for an eight.

Oh, that's hard.

I know. Hard.

That is hard. I've wanted to, you know, but I'm like, no, the trust and the love that I have for you is deeper than any of that. And so, you know, but I also have to be careful in day to day stuff because, because, you know, as an, as an eight, just in our, in our ground, in our lives, you know, I almost like the acts of service. I almost expect it sometimes. Like, I'm like, yeah, yep, it's called it. It's called housework, right? And like, and even with, even with, if he says something, he still will give me praise and words of affirmation. And I'm like, great, you know, and.

So I fold the laundry. Just fold the laundry. I don't need the atta girls.

Just give me a hug, you know? And so I have to stop and then think about him on the other side of it. Because that is what a relationship is, right? It's two humans coming together. And so I have to stop and think, what does he love? What fills his cup up? Because that's my job just as much as it's his job to make me feel loved. And so it's really, it's really going back and forth with that. And we, we like, we say crystal clear communication. Like there are times where he'll say, hey, when you said that the other day, it made me feel this way. And I just want to say it because I think a lot of it's on me. But I do want to let you know that like, this is what you did. And I'm like, touche. Yes.

And eight loves that. Like, I would. I think why you love him so much is that he had the balls to say to you at the very beginning, even though you wanted to, like, throat punch him. Like, Like, I think an eights definitely appreciate somebody go willing to go toe to toe with us, even though we can be scary sometimes. And I love that. I can't wait. Oh, yeah.

I, like, love a good argument, you know?

Oh, who? I mean, well, most people don't. Eights love it. We're like, all right. Intensity. That's, like, intimacy for us. Right?

This is great. This is fun. This is a Friday night. I love it.

And they're like, you're fucking crazy. I'm like, yes, but you love it.

But I won.

See? Yeah. It's so great. So two years ago. Yeah. Two and a half years ago. You're making the transition. And I know there's a lot of you listening right now that you're like, oh, my God, that sounds so dreamy. How do you just, like, kind of just go from that to like, rapid. Like, rapid. Rapid growth. Yeah. I mean, we're talking like, half a million or more a year growth.

Yes.

So somebody that's not wired like you.

Yeah.

And I know you're helping a lot of people do this. What was the first things? Like, what were. What are the first things you do? Because, I mean, I'm curious, too, because I know how decisive and. And just, like, go headfirst into shit. We do.

Yeah.

Like, did you have a plan? What did you do?

Yeah, a rough plan. I would say it was a nice little blueprint. No, I did. I. You know, about two and a half years ago is when I tried to do it on my own. Two and a half years ago. I was like, I know how to do this. I'll just. Because I was a nutrition coach before I was a business coach, and I was like, I'll just follow what everyone's doing on Instagram. And I literally had a notebook where I was, like, writing down, like, the posts that I found. Like, I was just trying to copy everyone else and, like, see what was working. And I was like, well, that could work for me too. And two years ago to this, like, this, this day, literally mid October, is when I reached out to a business coach. And I was like, listen, I believe in myself. I know that I can help people. I'm a really good teacher. I have two, really about six years of post graduate leadership degrees and leadership trainings. And I was like, I know how to lead. I know. I know that. I don't know business. I don't know sales. I don't know any of this shit. I need help. Like, I need help. And at that moment, I was really in a hard place because I didn't have money. And I came. I was a financial disaster. Credit card debt up the ass. Always, always had maxed out credit cards, like, to the point where I was like, I don't know if I can afford gas because all of my credit cards are maxed out, and I literally don't have any money. And that was just about. Really about eight years ago now, student loans that I was paying minimum payments on. So I was just. Just paying probably, you know, so much more. And, you know, I didn't have the money to invest in a coach. And he told me the amount was $8,000. And I was like, oh, yeah? Well, I just cleared off my credit cards, and I said I would never do this again. But my gut was like, jen, you can't do this alone. You can't. You cannot do this alone. So I charged it. I didn't tell my husband how much for three. Three months later, I didn't tell him how much. He was just like, okay, Jen, you do you. So I hired this coach, and I said, if I'm going to make this big investment, then I'm giving it my all. Of course I'm giving it my all. And in that moment, I called last school year, so that was the 1819 school year. And I busted my ass. My busted my ass. I looked at my husband, I was like, I'm gonna need help. This is what it's gonna look like. And I worked 40 hours as a teacher, and then like, 40 hours at night. And I knew that that was going to be a means to an end. I knew it was a sacrifice.

I knew.

Listen. Yes. I have to work all day Sunday. Yes. No, I'm not coming to your barbecue. I would love to. Can't come to your wedding either, because it's Saturday. And I got to work, you know, And I knew that it was a means to an end. And that was just my. It was tunnel vision. It was, let's go. And living in Michigan, I was a weirdo. I mean, you know this Tracy, the Midwest, right? Like, you. You're wasting money.

I know.

Yeah. You're wasting money on a coach. Like, what? You want to start a business. That's horrible. Just. You have a pension. Be happy with your pension.

Like, they respect the work ethic, but they don't respect, like, the outside of the box.

Thinking, literally, I was just going to say that work, the work ethic has to be within a box with a pension or a retirement attached to it.

Exactly.

And Insurance. Insurance, of course, of course, of course, of course. Because God knows what we.

My dad sold it for 35 years.

So yeah, of course. So I, I called, I called last school year. You know, I was like, that's it. Last school year. So many people. What the hell are you doing? You do not know what you're doing. Why are you putting that on social media? And then in June, I was at that point in time, I was making five figures a month consistently for five months in a row. Because I said I will not leave until I'm making $7,000 a month. And I know that it's going to stay. Well, I made $7,000 a month pretty quickly and then it was my five figure months for five months before I left. And you know, I'm loyal. I'm not going to leave mid school year. So June of 2019, I left and never even looked back. But you know, how do you do it? Is that you get help. Like we're not meant to do this alone. And I. And that's. And that's exactly what it is. I still am very close with my first business coach. I had coffee with him about a month ago and I was like, I still thank God for you every single day because if it weren't for you, I would not be here right now. You know, like, thank God that I overcame that fear of that investment and I did what I needed to do well.

And as an enneagram 8, it takes a lot for us to trust somebody enough to lead us to a certain thing. So, you know, now today, like, I agree, you know, knowing there's a means to an end for an Enneagram 8, that's like, that's why we can look like three sometimes. Right. Because we're so fixated on it. But like for you it's like, no, this is, I'm not going back to that.

Yeah.

And, and to trust somebody enough to say guide me here is very, very challenging for an 8. And I think that's why some of the greatness that. I mean, eights are meant to be like huge, massive, world changing leaders. But that, that, that fear of relying on somebody to take us there and stand in our way. And I'm glad that you didn't. Like today, now I have like a therapist and three different coaches.

Yeah.

I mean you think about somebody like Michael Jordan. Right? Like he has coaches.

Oh yeah.

The greatest basketball player of all time still has Oprah, has spiritual coaches. I mean, we all have to have help. And for enneagram8 in the past. I probably thought it was weak. I would like, oh, if you need that, you're weak, you're weak, right?

You spend your money on a coach when you can spend your money on a vacation.

Yeah, 100%. Yeah. And it was hard. I mean, I remember like standing there, but, you know, I've always, I believe I've always had a strong intuition. We all have strong intuitions. But I chose to start listening to it earlier. Mid, mid or mid 20s, I would say. I chose to start listening to it and my intuition, my gut was, was like, no, this is it. Like, I was struggling to do it on my own for a few months and I was just like, I don't know what? I don't know. I can admit that I don't know any of this shit right here. And I can admit that learning this would take me a long time. And I don't want to wait a long time. So, like, let's just do it, you know?

You didn't. Yeah, I'm so glad you didn't. I wouldn't know you. So, okay, so then you resign from teaching and now you're an entrepreneur and you know where. The land of the, you know, I call them the bobbleheads. And like, you know, unicorns and rainbows and I mean, some of our friends are like that. Like, they're amazing. But like, for girls like you and I, like, we put our head down and what does that look like when you no longer have the 40 here and 40 here. And how do you navigate what that looks like? And you know, obviously the marriage you got going on too. Yeah. Like, what does that look like the first time you're not like, punching a clock at the school?

Oh, my gosh. It was the weirdest feeling ever. I feel like it was a human who had been locked up in jail for 40 years and then was like, just go do whatever you want. And you're like, what? Seriously, what? I felt like the concept that I didn't have to work nine to five, like those hours, like the first few months I was working 9 to 5 and I was stressed out if I didn't get my office at 9 o'. Clock. And then I was like, wait, what are you doing? Talk about past conditioning, right? Talk about being programmed. And I was just like, what is wrong with you? Crazy. I was getting up at 5am still to go to the gym. And then I was like, I don't need to do this. I can sleep. I love sleep. I will sleep until 9am If I want to. And so I stopped and I got real. I was like, what do I. What's my perfect day? What's my perfect week? What are my zones of genius? How do I want to work? You know, how do I. What do I want to do every day? And I started to just make the perfect day. I wrote down everything that I would love to do in the perfect day. Well, this was pre Covid when my husband worked with me at home.

It was being active. I take my dog on three walks every single day. That's the most spoiled little mutt that you will ever meet in your life. She, like, looks at me like, yeah, it's time for our fourth walk. Let's go. And so it was walking, it was moving, it was being able to catch up with friends midday. It was being able to. To get a nail appointment, you know, at 2:00 clock if I wanted to. But it was really structuring my days that made most sense for me. So I realized that I was just trying to do just a lot. I was trying to shove so much shit into one day, and I was like, wait a second, why don't I actually look at my energy on these days? And so Monday, I'm usually like, go getting on Mondays. And so why don't I check in with my clients on all of those days? And I was like, why don't I on Tuesdays work on all of the creative work that I need to do and the outreach, and then Wednesdays will be a coaching day. And I started to structure my days not so I was doing a little bit every day, but so I literally had days dedicated to things. And I could go to bed at night and be like, tomorrow is a podcast day. And that's going to be a great day to just, you know, get all my ideas. And I would go to bed the next night and be like, all right, tomorrow's a coaching day. So when you're going to wake up, you got to, you know, you got to put your coaching hat on. And I started to be able to maximize my energy and my time and my efficiency because I was working in days that allowed that to just naturally flow and then do whatever the hell I wanted. If I wanted to start work at 11:00am, I started at 11. If I wanted to do it at 10, and I did it at 10, took my walks, you know, enjoyed my time. We have hard stop times. So, like, you know, sometimes it's four, sometimes it's five, sometimes it's six, depending on our seasons that we're in. And then it's like, it's family time. It's time with the two of us and with our dog and like, enjoying the things that we want to do. So I really. It was empowering to be able to just be the one, the only person in charge of that.

So I know that those that are listening right now are like, oh, my God, that sounds so dreamy. And everything so perfect. And it's like all the things. And I also know that in the last year and a half, you have experienced some of the greatest losses and heartbreaks of your life. Yeah. And gut wrenching stuff.

Yeah.

And if you're open to talking about it, I think it'll be important because I. I myself have experienced the hardest 18 months of my life, the last year and a half as well. And how I show up, it doesn't mean, like, for the longest time, I'm sure you're like, this too. Where it was either or, like, either I'm sad or I'm angry or like, there was no, like, inner intermingling of this stuff. And what I've found is I've grown as a human being, that I can carry sadness and happiness, joy and pain all in the same, like, five minutes. And it's all okay. It doesn't mean, like, if I'm not like here on the floor, like, sobbing my eyes out. It doesn't mean that there's something wrong with me if I'm laughing five minutes later. And I know that there's a lot of people listening, thinking, like, that's great, Jen. Yeah, that's your life. But I know this last year has not been an easy one for you.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I always say. Because I used to feel that way. Right. Like, that's great. Easy for you to say. You're a full time entrepreneur. Right. And that's why I always love to just share like, like our past and where we've been. You know, of, like, I was the first one to go to college. Like, I was like, in debt my whole entire life. Like, I believe that anyone in this world can live the life that they dream of. And anyone in the world can have financial abundance. Like, I've. I've been living proof of it. And yeah, the last year has been rough. We had a miscarriage back in February and it was one of the best and the worst things ever. And it was obviously the worst thing ever because we were so excited about this family and Team Kennedy just gonna look so much different. And my. You know, I think I'll be a pretty good mom. And my Husband. I'll be a great mom, and my husband will be the most incredible husband. And, you know, I. We were so in love with this idea of growing our family. And then we had a miscarriage. And even just the journey of it, you know, everyone's. Every woman's miscarriage experience is different. And it was it for. For us, it was an entire month of just waiting and hoping that it wasn't going to be in a dangerous place and hoping that I wasn't going to end up in the hospital and, you know, praying that this. This episode of pain, physical, emotional pain, was only going to be today and not four days again. And calling nurses and doctors and then just being like, this is what it is, you know, take some Motrin and just relax a little bit. And you're like, wow. Wow. I've never, ever, ever had someone just be like, yep, congratulations. Your body's going through all on its own. You know, And I. It was so much confusion and just so much. Just complete agony. And unfortunately, the worst. The worst part about it was the fact that my husband used to travel for work. And so he was gone. He was gone. I think we ended up seeing that he was gone. I think 15 or 17 nights in February. And so more than half of the month, I was going through this all by myself. And then he was away and he couldn't come home, and he was feeling so much guilt and shame that he wasn't with me. And I was just feeling so lonely, and who could I call, you know, Like, I wasn't going to call anyone, you know, hey, I'm going through this. Can you just come snuggle? Thank God for my dog. Like, thank God for my dog. Dogs are so amazing miracle workers.

And that was.

That was horrible. It was a really rough month. And then Covid hit, and then we all know what happened. But, you know, in that time, we stopped. You know, it wasn't really until Covid hit that we stopped and reflected because he traveled then half of March until Covid hit, and I was gone within masterminds and doing business stuff in March. And so it wasn't until really mid March that we stopped and we sat down and we're like, wow, you're working from home, and I love you and I love being with you. This is amazing. We're better together. And, you know, him saying, I have so much guilt, Jen, I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you. I'm so sorry that you went through that alone. And, you know, the eight in me being like, it's okay. Of course I can go through it alone. It's okay.

But then really take one for the team. Yeah.

But then as a team, you don't go through things alone. Especially that. And then we both were mourning the loss of this beautiful thing that we thought we were going to have. And it was the most amazing thing that ever happened to us because we stopped and said, what are our values? What are our values? What do we like best? Exactly how I designed my life. If sky was the limit and failure was never, ever, ever going to happen, we had a Magic 8 ball and we shook it and said, yes, this is going to come true, and we could see the future. What would our future be? What would be. What would we be doing right now? And it sure as hell was not him working at the business that he worked at. It sure as hell was not him traveling six months of the year, and it was was us living a life together and creating impact together. And so what that horrific month taught us was that we weren't living the life that we wanted.

Bingo.

And I want to remind everyone that at that point in time, my business was not at all what it was now, because people are like, well, that's nice, because when you have money, you can retire your husband. And it's like, no, no, no, no, no. At that time, we were not doing half a million dollars at that time. We were nowhere at that time. Actually, I found a piece of paper in February. My Q1 goal was to do $50,000 in Q1 guys. We've added a zero to that in this moment.

Like, that's it. And I stopped, and my husband and I reflect on it all the time now, because now we are. The house is sold, we have an RV out front, and we are traveling the US and he's coming into the business, and we're making an impact together and living a life that we dream of. Our why was so fucking strong. Our why and our life together was so strong that the how revealed itself. Like, I was like, listen, how much money do we need before you quit your job? Okay, let's do it again. Let's go. Like, give me. Give me the target. Let's do it. And now we get to live the life that we dream of because we have a thriving business and we know how to grow and scale it. So it's going to continue to thrive for the both of us. And so I'm really.

I believe that that happened for us, but I also believe that it happened for me to be able to tell Women that. That does not define them. And it has nothing to do with you as a woman, you as a mother, you as a future mother. Whatever it is, it happened. And you might not know the lesson right now, but there is one. And you will find it when it's time for it to come to you.

I'm so glad that you shared that story because I think it's so important. I've always said that too. When the why is strong enough, the how works itself out.

Always.

It always. Oh, my God, you're here. Exactly. And that why, I think, I think it did like that loss. I mean, some of the most tremendous losses in my life have been the biggest catalyst for change and strengthening the why. Like. Like having Pat home with you, like, was a non negotiable moving forward. Yeah. And you would do what it took. Like, you know, an 8, like only an 8 can do, like, make it happen. And I love that. And again, it's how I started the show. It's like you're in one of two categories. Like, is this happening for you? Even the most heartbreaking, gut wrenching, like, it doesn't take away the pain that, like, you've turned this into a beautiful story. It's still grief and it's still pain, but it doesn't have to take you out or take your dreams out or. Or define who you are. Right. It actually, like, it doesn't define you. It actually refines you if you allow it to.

So true. You know, I love.

So obviously y' all are listening and you're like, this is the woman I need in my life. Life. Seriously, like, you'd be crazy. And you, you know, I don't. You. There is nobody that I'd bring on that I would be like, okay, and. And I would not talk like this if I didn't believe it. Like, this is who you need if you are ready to make the change. And you're like, I've had enough. Honestly, if I were you, this is who I would call. Oh, no question about it. You are amazing. So if they want to work with you, what options are available to them? How do they find you? Like, I know they're going to do the big gulp when you say, like, to work with me like this. And yeah, like, you know what? You got to invest in yourself to make it happen. And if you want to go slow, keep googling the shit. Totally. Okay. We won't judge you for it.

Right?

We've done it. Yeah, but you want to get there fast. You need a guide. And this is who you need. Where do they find you?

Oh, I just love you. Amazing. Amazing. I, I'm on Instagram because I'm on Instagram all the time. You will find me there. I all the time. I love, love, love connecting on Instagram. You also can find me, you can text me. I've got an incredible texting community. And you can get daily business needle moving, tips, tricks, strategies, like all of the things. And when I say business building, I mean you build yourself and you build your business. So you're not only going to be getting those business trips tips because you're going to grow yourself. But how do you work with me? There's a few different options and it's depending on, on what level you are. So if you are someone who is brand new, you've got this idea. You've always had that gut feeling, Tracy, I'm sure you've had this too, like our whole lives. It was like this gut feeling of like, you're meant for a lot of things, you're meant for more. So if you guys are sitting here listening, you're like, I have that feeling and I have this idea, but I don't know how to bring it to life and I don't know how to get people to pay me for it. And how the hell do I run a social media account for business? I teach you all of that in Impact to Income Accelerator. So it's a six week program where you come in with an idea and you leave with a business and you leave with a business plan and you start to make money and you start to solidify this business. So that's literally open, like immediate, like right now as we're speaking and then there's other options and then, but they're not open right now and it depends on where you're at. And so if you just follow me, you'll learn them. But that's the one, that's the one right now.

All right, you guys, you can text her at 615-492-2410 and you'll be updated on all the things Ms. Jen Kennedy, follow her at the Jen Kennedy on Instagram and you can thank me later because she's one of the few that I actually look for to just get filled up. Jen, I think you are absolutely remarkable.

What a gift you are to me and to all of you listening, like, seriously, you are that sunshine. You really, really are. And not because you have to do that. It's just who you are. So I appreciate coming on and so much love and I what A gift you are to me. So. All right, you guys, let Jen know how much you loved and got from this episode. Please take a screenshot. Tag her. Tag me. Hit her up in the dms. Hit me up in the DMS and let me know what you got from this and. And what you're gonna what, nugget? Because her and I don't really give a if we inspired you. Like, we don't care that we inspired you. We want to know what the hell you're gonna do with that. Right? I don't give a if I made you cry. I know she doesn't either. So if you're gonna DM us, let us know what you plan to do with this stuff, because that's. That's how we feel.

Like, it's useless if you don't put it to use.

Bingo. So let us know that you loved us or if you hated us. We're okay with that too. You heard us say it's like good fights, so we'll. We'll take one too. But until next time, here's to be coming Bulletproof, y', all.

Thank you for tuning in to the Becoming Bulletproof podcast. If you learned a thing or two from our show today, it would mean a lot to me if you shared it and tagged me so I can hear exactly what landed on your heart. This will help me to bring you even more episodes with the topics and guests you want. Please head over to itunes and leave an honest and loving five star review. If this made an impact on you, you can find me on Instagram at tracyomalley and I have tons of free resources for you@traceyomalley.com as always, if you are wanting to ignite your purpose, profits, and build your legacy, it's time to stand on the front line of your life and do the work. Let's become Bulletproof. Sam.