By: Niki Shadrow Snyder
- NS: Tell us about yourself and what you do? JK: I am the host of the Goal Digger podcast and an online educator, expert marketer, and your BFF next door. I have a baby on one hip and a business on the other and I imperfectly empower women and teach them how to live a life that is enriched and filled with dream chasing.
- NS: How did you personally move the needle in 2020? JK: If I could choose a “word of the year” for 2020, it would be “pivot”. A lot of this past year was about adapting and being resilient as we navigated the unprecedented year. This meant creating resources and adding value for our followers, listeners, and subscribers, and walking through the year with them, equipping them for the next step. We had two main priorities. Use social media to serve as the handshake for what we do and then convert those followers into email subscribers where we can serve, serve, serve them and then invite them into a paid offer or opportunity.
- NS: How did you deal with the stress in the world in 2020? JK: Prioritizing self-care and fresh air. I think one of the biggest things that grounded me this past year was making sure I was able to move my body and get in a few deep breaths every day. We live in northern Minnesota along the shores of Lake Superior so we adopted new hobbies like road biking and trail hiking in order to stay moving and exploring.
- NS: Do you have any advice for your younger self? JK: Trust your gut! Your intuition is strong and it will guide you more than any blueprint or system will. Always be a lifelong learner, but in your learning, understand what is meant for you. Take what serves you and let the rest fall away.
- NS: What did you do in 2020 that you’re most passionate about? JK: I really focused on relationships and connection through my podcast, the Goal Digger podcast. It was amazing to be able to digitally connect with incredible, powerful women with the internet and a microphone and being able to interview leaders I look up to is such a gift! We released our 400th episode and surpassed over 40,000,000 downloads on the show, numbers that astound me!
- NS: What was the worst part of 2020 for you? JK: Not being able to be with my family. A few years ago we moved back to Minnesota to be closer to family and with all of the distancing and quarantining, it was so hard to be apart from the people I love the most. It’s so sad thinking of your loved ones missing your kid’s milestones or celebrating holidays virtually. While I am so grateful for things like FaceTime and Zoom, getting to hug and be in the presence of loved ones is such a gift and something I will no longer take for granted.
- NS: What was the best part of 2020 for you? JK: The best part of 2020 was the forced invitation to slow down and be more present. How many times have we set aside things we want to do for when “life slows down” and in many ways, the minutes got fatter as we stood still last year. My word that I chose for 2020 was “present”. As a mom and a CEO, I wanted to focus more on being fully present whether I was in the “mom” role or working on my business. Having to slow down, halt travel, and just be safe at home with my family really made that word a practice for me. We explored our own backyard more, made our home a haven, and spent so much time together as a family.
- NS: What does success mean to you? JK: Success to me means feeling peace in the everyday moments. I operate out of the belief that very few things in life, or work, are urgent. I pursued entrepreneurship so that I could have that freedom and be my own boss, whatever that looked like for the season I am in. I want to be at peace in my life and wake up not dreading what I’m about to do and that’s the life I have built. I want the freedom to have slow mornings and to put my daughter to bed every night. I want to be able to say “yes” to a middle-of-the-day walk with my family. I became an entrepreneur so I could leave behind my “9 to 5” and not work 24/7 and I’m proud of the life that I lead.
- NS: What causes are important to you? JK: There are so many incredible organizations and causes out there! On a global level, I love Healing Waters, a non-profit that helps build water filtration systems in developing countries. In the US, I am a huge supporter of Feeding America to help end food insecurity. And in my local community of Duluth, Minnesota, I love to support Safe Haven, a shelter for women, children, and all survivors whose lives have been affected by physical, emotional, sexual, and economic abuse.
- NS: Do you think the world right now needs to be influenced by what they can get or what they can give in the middle of this pandemic? JK: The world needs to be influenced by what they already have in their life and to lean on being resourceful versus having the right resources. The truth is that you have a gift and the world needs it, so be resourceful, be bold, and get that gift out into the world. No one wins when you play small!
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