Episode 128: How Are You Really? with Jenna Kutcher

Jul 6

If you don’t already know who Jenna Kutcher is, you will be so grateful that you’ve tuned into today’s episode! From the role of fear in our lives to the importance of time and the value of sharing your story, Jenna opens up about her own experiences and her heart for helping others discover their passion and live a fulfilling life.

Karolina first discovered Jenna’s work in 2018 while first growing her own business, and was instantly hooked! Jenna is not only an author, but has a following of over 1 million on Instagram and is the host of The Goal Digger Podcast. She teaches entrepreneurs how to grow and launch a business while having the lifestyle they want.

Karolina and Jenna discuss themes and key points in her new book How Are You, Really?, including giving ourselves the permission to change (and how to wear that new, alcohol-free identity in public!), creating our legacy, and taking messy, imperfect action.

If nothing changes, it will just stay the same

I’m so excited to share today’s guest with you because she is one of my biggest heroes.

Jenna Kutcher is no stranger to taking risks, making changes, and trying something new. She once worked at a lucrative corporate job that left her burnt out and away from her family more than she wanted.

Craving change, she quit her job and became a flourishing wedding photographer with a $300 camera she purchased off of Craigslist. She eventually left that photography business to pursue a new career helping others launch their own businesses.

Each of these shifts required Jenna’s willingness to change.

Our identities are not meant to be static. As humans we crave learning and have experiences that impact who we are all the time. We also have the ability to seek out change and become our most authentic self every day.

So why don’t we?

Jenna explains that our resistance to changing often stems from fear of other’s perceptions. Certainly that’s true when it comes to going alcohol-free in a society where we're conditioned to view drinking as normal! And these worries about what others think can keep us paralyzed.

How often do you worry about inconveniencing others? We all do this at times, right?

But what would happen if we stopped letting fear dictate our lives? Jenna even offers that fear isn’t always bad. Sometimes it can become a means of accountability. So sure, fear can sit in the car with us on the journey, but we can’t let it get in the driver’s seat or convince us to turn around.

Instead of giving fear the power, ask yourself, “Truly, what is the worst that could happen?”

You can apply this same question to going alcohol-free, too. If you make this big, audacious change in your life, “what is the worst that could happen?”

Because you are a competent and capable human being, and you absolutely have the ability to navigate whatever it is!

True progress is in the messy middle

Thanks to social media, our lives are inundated with glossy “before and afters.” This could be a home remodel, someone designing and planting a garden, or a person’s physical transformation. In all of these, we rarely get shown what Jenna calls, the messy middle.

This is the part of the journey that is sometimes ugly or painful or filled with self doubt. It's the part of the story that is boring to share, filled with the simple mundane tasks, and is likely unexciting. Think of it as the unattractive parts.

But these are the MOST important parts. Without taking those baby steps, we never get to the big, beautiful transformation.

Jenna puts it this way, “...as we progress, even if it's inch by inch, we start to build up confidence in ourselves.”

These are also the pieces of the story we need to remember to share with others as a reminder that we aren’t alone and there is hope and possibility.

Through telling our experiences, we can inspire others and remind them that they, too, have the ability to create whatever change they desire for themselves.

Making the most of your time

Have you ever found yourself moving through the motions of life, knowing you want something different, but having no clue what that is? And if you don’t know what it is, then how can you go after it, right?

Jenna has been in that same situation, and says that sometimes you can discover your passion by starting with what you know you DON’T want.

Some examples could be:

I don’t want someone else deciding my schedule and future plans for me.
I don’t want to miss out on quality time with loved ones.
I don’t want a job that doesn’t allow space for me to make mistakes.

Knowing what you don’t want moving forward, can help you make small shifts, like setting boundaries or cutting certain things out of your schedule. Moving away from what no longer serves you creates space to welcome new experiences and discover what you do want.

After the loss of two pregnancies, one of Jenna’s non-negotiable was the loss of time. She trusted herself to be able to go out and make money, but understood that she could never get that time back.

Countless people go through their life asleep or checked out, which is just another way of losing time. So as you take stock in what’s not working, you can also reevaluate your energy and what you need to ensure your mental, emotional, and physical presence for the things that matter to you.

“And that's where we start… How do I want today to feel? How do I want to feel today? How do I want to move through my day? Because literally, when we add up all these days, that's it. This is our life, and we're living it and we're awake to it. And that's what I want more people to be. Wake up to the life that you're living right now.” —Jenna Kutcher

LINKS/RESOURCES MENTIONED

Be sure to learn more about Jenna Kutcher through her website and on Instagram.

You can also hear more incredible insights on The Goal Digger Podcast and by reading her new book: How Are You, Really?

Karolina’s book is available in hardcover, Kindle, and as an audiobook. Be sure to get your copy of Euphoric: Ditch Alcohol and Gain a Happier, More Confident You today and leave your review.

Follow @euphoric.af on Instagram

And as always, rate, review, and subscribe so we can continue spreading our message far and wide.