Be More Courageous Everyday with Jillian Johnsrud

You do not have to be perfect to make progress. Just be a little more courageous every day. Welcome back to the Micro Empires Podcast! I’m your host, Jennifer Ives Grimson. Today my guest is Jillian Johnsrud, an inspiring Writer, Creator, Speaker at Montanamoneyadventures.com, and host of her podcast called Everyday Courage. Her life journey has brought her from massive debt to becoming financially independent by the end of her 20s. Now she runs a fantastic lifestyle business, helping others grow businesses while creating financial freedom.   Let’s dive right in as we talk about reaching financial independence without having to have a large paycheck.  [00:01 - 07:45] Opening Segment I introduce Jillian Johnsrud to the show Jillian talks about her background and money culture growing up Scarcity mindset Lived in a small town with little economic opportunity Fear of generational poverty Had $5500 debt at 19 Jillian talks about her mindset transition journey  Watched Oprah through grad school  Had a sense of hope, no matter where you come from and what you have experienced, that you could change the trajectory of your life Started to saved up and bought a camper  Being in a huge amount of collective debt after marriage  [07:46 - 14:00] Money Talks in Marriage  Jillian talks about her money discussion in her marriage  Oppression pain point  Her husband had credit card debt Money could create options and freedom When people can’t change  Either because people don’t have the ability or they don’t care enough You are able to change, but the cost is extremely high, and the work is difficult  Jillian talks about her money mindset shift after she adopted children from foster care Having a big disagreement with her husband  From $50.000 debt to financial independence in 10years You can be in the same spot or start moving towards your financial independence [14:01 - 25:05] Financial Independence Movement Jillian shares about the beginning of her financial independence movement Saved up half of their income at the beginning of their marriage  Pressing down their spendings It took about 7-8 years to reach independence Jillian talks about the biggest influence in her financial journey Regrets of not having a finance community and support Read some books about finance and budgeting Fighting the perception of reading and buying books is a waste Went to the library to gain information about budgeting and finance  Reading a book a week  The shift that prompted her to start the Everyday Courage Podcast Found her passion for personal finance  Started to coach people and shares about  financial knowledge Taking a year off after reaching her financial independence Do more writing and started her blog Earned a spot in new communities Finding like-minded people Developing personal relationships  [25:06 - 33:00] Be More Courageous Everyday  Jillian talks about how she started her podcast show The underlying theme of her journey All of our growth comes outside of our comfort zone Taking the risk to success  We need to be more courageous everyday things People making progress in being courageous in the simple things Quick shoutout to my Podcast Producers: Streamlined Podcasts Use promo code: JIVES and get a discount Jillian talks about the goals in her podcast Provides steps for people to follow  Jillian shares the advice on how to talk about money to the people surround you Start with the end in mind Design your financial planning  [33:01 - 42:40] The Changes and Affect of COVID-19 Assess where you are right now Defensive steps Emergency funds Know where you spend your money Where do you want to be in the next three years  Be aware of the new opportunities that have been created  In times of crisis, a lot of new doors are opening Switching your mindset to be more strategic and creative  Jillian talks about the FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early) movement Became overly popular after the 2008 crash  Most people are playing by the rules and still lost a lot People becoming more open and assertive The Analogy of a wedding planner Put as much planning, thoughts, and money in our lives How do we line up our finances, time, and habits to reach out goal Have someone alongside you to help you to organize your plans [42:41 - 46:31] Closing Segment How to connect to Jillian Join her free ten-day of Intentional Living Course at www.jillianjohnsrud.com/intentional/  See links below Final words   Tweetable Quotes: “You do not have to be perfect to make progress, but just be a little more courageous every day.” -  Jillian Johnsrud. “There is a sense of hope, no matter where you come from and what you have experienced, that you could change the trajectory of your life.” - Jillian Johnsrud. “All of our growth comes from outside of our comfort zone and taking the risk for success.” - Jillian Johnsrud. “Put as much planning, thoughts, and money into your goals, just like planning a wedding.” - Jillian Johnsrud.   Resources Mentioned: Everyday Courage Podcast  MontanaMoneyAdventures.com Oprah Winfrey    If you’d like to connect with Jillian, you can find her on Linkedin, Instagram, and Twitter. You can visit her website at www.jillianjohnsrud.com/  and Join her free ten-day of Intentional Living Course at www.jillianjohnsrud.com/intentional/.   You can connect with me on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. I’m excited to hear more about you. I’m excited to know more about you. Also, feel free to shoot me an email at [email protected]. You can call or text 213-973-7206. TELL US WHAT YOU THINK! LEAVE A REVIEW + help someone who wants to explode their business growth by sharing this episode or click here to listen to our previous episodes. This podcast is about YOU.  We all have a story, whether your story is a lot like mine or totally different. Maybe you have a good job, but you know in your heart that you want more.  Let's Work Together Subscribe to download my FREE eBook, "3 Steps to Pivot and Thrive: Using Micro-Risks to Build Your Micro Empire." Click https://micro-empires.com/coaching and I’ll see you there!