Podcast appearances and mentions of jen mcdonough

We want to believe that everyone needs our message and that it should be easy to get the word out and book lots of business. The cold, hard truth is that it takes time to build a successful speaking business, but we're here to help make it easier and give you the strategies and tools that you need to get started or to improve on what you have already built. On this episode of The Wealthy Speaker Show, we're joined by our Wealthy Speaker School coach, Jen McDonough, to share some great tips on how you can book more business in 2025!If you want to improve your outreach strategies and book more business in 2025, you simply can't afford to miss this episode!For access to FULL SHOW NOTES, including video and links, visit https://www.speakerlauncher.com/category/podcast/

We at The Wealthy Speaker School live by the mantra that mindset and consistent action are necessary to create a successful speaking business. But what happens when you're stuck or having difficulty moving forward? On this episode of The Wealthy Speaker Show, we're thrilled to welcome back our amazing Coach Jen McDonough to chat about how to keep those negative thoughts from holding you back.If you would like some great ideas to help you get unstuck and get over your in-action, you simply can't afford to miss this episode!For access to FULL SHOW NOTES, including video and links, visit https://www.speakerlauncher.com/category/podcasts/

Is there a recession coming, and are you prepared if it happens? There is so much talk in the news of a recession that we thought we should have a discussion and offer some suggestions in case it does become a reality. On this episode of The Wealthy Speaker Show, we're thrilled to welcome back the leader of the Wealthy Speaker School, Jen McDonough.   If you want some great advice about how to keep your business moving forward even in lean times, you simply can't afford to miss this episode! For access to FULL SHOW NOTES including video and links, visit https://www.speakerlauncher.com/category/podcasts/

Below are five insights after I read ten thoughtful posts from contributors around my book, Leading Like a C.O.A.C.H.1. Leaders need to know literacy.“Through a lifetime of working in schools, one of my most powerful insights and core beliefs is that teachers must be leaders, and principals must know literacy.” (pg. 1)- Regie Routman, Read, Write, Lead: Breakthrough Strategies for Schoolwide Literacy Success (ASCD, 2014)School leaders knowing literacy should go without saying. But a question I have here is, why don’t more leaders - especially principals - know literacy?My initial thinking was, literacy continues to lack consensus on what makes instruction effective. You can see it in confrontational conversations online around the science of reading. I can understand why few leaders want to join these discussions when the apparent goal of too many is to be right vs. to listen and learn.But I think there’s more to it, a deeper reason for this challenge of consensus.Taking a more holistic perspective, a) literacy is a complex discipline and b) we are not embracing it for its complexity. Instead, we resort to simple stories about best practices for teaching readers and writers because they are easier to understand and share, especially when writing hot takes on Twitter. How do we hold these tensions in our minds and help our faculty and colleagues do the same?I don’t have immediate answers to this issue, but it is something I am working on professionally (see the end of this post for an opportunity to join me).In the meantime, I continue to appreciate the questions that surface from not knowing, such as Jamie Cicconetti’s wondering, “What point am I even trying to make in exposing my messy process of a professional writing post?”, as she reflects on trying to create clarity from her learning in the post below.2. Leaders will always need to attend to trust.The sheer number of book study posts around trust says so much about its importance.Rhonda Precourt, Paige Bergin, Carrie Thomas, Genevieve Arcovio, and Ryanne Deschane each wrote eloquent and personal accounts of the importance of this element for a successful school literacy culture. Without trust, the school system stops operating like it should. It is the “lubricant of organizational functioning” (Tschannen-Moran, 2014)As a leader I have learned that to keep trust high, I have to attend to things beyond just a strong literacy initiative, such as: How well are teams working together?Do staff and faculty feel appreciated?Am I following through on my commitments?This takes effort, intention, and an awareness of the level of trust in the school.That said, literacy can also be a vehicle for building and sustaining trust, such as by committing funds to purchasing books for classroom libraries. 3. Leaders who are clear on the school’s priorities make better decisions.When the collective attention is on a clear priority, it becomes easier to lead.A big part of prioritization is not just in having a focus, but in being able to ignore other options. And in education, there are always options. I would lose track of word count in this post if I waded into the alphabet soup of acronyms and initiatives. By committing to one thing, we naturally decline many other things, at least as a primary focus. I have found it reduces stress in the school culture while helping faculty commit to the priority.I thought Heather McKay summed this idea up well in her post.4. Any type of feedback is better than no feedback.In my research for the book, I discovered surprising findings about feedback.For example, one study found that the most effective feedback was noticing and naming teachers' practices they were already doing well. This was followed in effectiveness by more traditional feedback that focused on areas of improvement. As expected, no feedback had the least amount of influence.What this led me to believe, affirmed by Tyler Keener's and Jen McDonough’s posts below, is teachers benefit from any type of feedback, even if we are wrong. In other words, leaders need to prioritize time in classrooms.5. Leaders need a systems approach to focus on what matters.As Annie Palmer points out in the above post, teachers need to see the “why” for the work. A challenge here is how to connect these chess pieces - trust, prioritization, support, feedback, etc. - so that the vision is clear and feels doable.What I have learned is that so much that goes into effective leadership, especially decision-making, is largely based on how well we manage our days. For example, what is our process when a teacher makes a request to purchase a literacy curriculum resource? How is the process aligned with our school’s shared beliefs? Who should be involved in the decision-making? What is the best way to communicate a response?This is just one example. There are many more leadership tasks that would benefit from a systems approach, such as:How can I carve out time to get into classrooms on a daily basis?How do I develop my identity as a coach and expand beyond the traditional leadership role?What steps can I fall back on when looking to engage teachers in coaching conversations?How might I rethink my environment to better support this work?What routines can I use to affirm what teachers are doing well, plus communicate feedback on potential areas for growth?These are questions I may be exploring more here and in a new community space. Sign up below and stayed tuned for a follow up post about how this space can support your efforts to lead literacy in your school, from wherever you are.Matt Renwick has served in public education for over 20 years. He started as a 5th and 6th-grade teacher in a country school outside of Wisconsin Rapids, WI. Matt now serves as an elementary principal for the Mineral Point Unified School District. Matt is the author of three books: 5 Myths About Classroom Technology: How Do I Integrate Technology to Truly Enhance Learning? (ASCD, 2016), Digital Portfolios in the Classroom: Showcasing and Assessing Student Work (ASCD, 2017), and Leading Like a C.O.A.C.H.: Five Strategies for Supporting Teaching and Learning (Corwin, 2022). He also writes publicly on Twitter (@ReadByExample) and on this newsletter. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit readbyexample.substack.com

What's your current strategy for building the speaking business of your dreams? Do you have a roadmap that you are following and a plan to execute it? I didn't have a strategy to pull it all together until I met Thom Winninger, that's why this podcast is dedicated to him. On this episode of The Wealthy Speaker Show, I have invited Wealthy Speaker School Coach Jen McDonough to have a chat about just how important it is to find your formula and put it into action to achieve results.If you could use some ideas on designing and implementing a great formula to help you reach your goals, you simply can't afford to miss this episode! For access to FULL SHOW NOTES including video and links, visit https://www.speakerlauncher.com/category/podcasts/

We're always talking about building the speaking business of your dreams, but just how many of us have actually gone ahead and taken that leap?  We give you the tools and strategies and advise you on how to make it happen.  On this episode of The Wealthy Speaker Show, we welcome Coach Jen McDonough to take us through her journey and share how she has realized her dream! If you would like to hear a great success story and some sage advice on building the speaking business of your dreams, you simply can't afford to miss this episode! For access to FULL SHOW NOTES including video and links, visit https://www.speakerlauncher.com/category/podcasts/

Have you been waiting to launch your speaking business or waiting to scale up?  What's holding you back?  What are you waiting for?  On this episode of The Wealthy Speaker Show, we welcome Coach Jen McDonough, who runs The Wealthy Speaker School to have a frank discussion about taking that next big step and why it's okay to be scared, but not okay to let fear hold you back. If you would like some great advice on how to move your speaking business forward and push through the fear, you simply can't afford to miss this episode! For access to FULL SHOW NOTES including links, visit https://www.speakerlauncher.com/category/podcasts/

Jen McDonough, also known as The Iron Jen, a motivational storyteller, engaging Amazon Top 100 author, and business coach, empowers the Everyday Hero to unleash their very best. Jen and her family are most known for paying off over $212,000 worth of debt and medical expenses in 4 years. Their story has been featured in local, national and international media. She is also an 8-time national weightlifter, MN Hall of Fame inductee, and 2-time US Olympic Festival medal winner as well as an Ironman triathlete. All 3 of her books have hit Amazon’s Top 100 categories including her book 5 Minutes a Day to Living Beyond Rich which hit #1 under Amazon’s budgeting category. In this episode, Jen and Stacy discuss Jen’s incredible journey out of debt and into entrepreneurship as well as getting everything you want out of all facets of life. Some highlights include: What do you want in your life? At minute 2:00, Jen talks about why she started a business in a time when most people would never even think of taking that on. When life hands you the worst, what can you do about it? At minute 8:00, Jen talks about what it took to actually move forward when everything was going wrong. Where are you spending your money, time, and energy? At minute 19:00, Jen talks about the secret behind work-life balance. “I love not knowing what’s coming.” At minute 24:00, Jen talks about all of the things she loves in business. “I hate taking time out on things that aren’t making me money.” At minute 26:00, Jen talks about the necessary parts of business that she doesn’t enjoy as much as the rest. Ways to contact Jen: Website: www.theironjen.com Email: jen@theironjen.com Book: “5 Minutes a Day to Living Beyond Rich” Text “Empower” to 33444 for a Free Guide to Good Sleep for first responders Resources: Zoom Contextly *Business Rescue Road Map may be an affiliate or receive compensation from some of the business listed for referrals, as their “thank you” for sending you their way. However, we would never recommend any product or service unless we personally love the product and have great things to say about it. Our reputation is at stake and we would not jeopardize that!

In her roles as a speaker, coach, & Amazon Top 100 author, Jen… aka The Iron Jen, motivates audiences to overcome their obstacles. Jen paid off over $212k worth of debt & medical expenses in four years, is an 8-time national weightlifter, 2-time US Olympic Festival medal winner, Ironman triathlete, and most recently passed her firefighter 1 and 2 certifications. Fire Nation, despite all this, Jen admits she still needs to get over her fear of tight spaces, heights, and fire.

Jen McDonough is a motivational storyteller, Amazon Top 100 author, and business coach.  She empowers those who work in high stress jobs to find strength in the face of adversity.  Jen is also an 8-time national weightlifter and 2-time US Olympic Festival medal winner, as well as an Ironman triathlete.

In her roles as a speaker, coach, & Amazon Top 100 author, Jen… aka The Iron Jen, motivates audiences to overcome their obstacles. Jen paid off over $212k worth of debt & medical expenses in four years, is an 8-time national weightlifter, 2-time US Olympic Festival medal winner, Ironman triathlete, and most recently passed her firefighter 1 and 2 certifications. Fire Nation, despite all this, Jen admits she still needs to get over her fear of tight spaces, heights, and fire.

Jen's specially is around really helping people overcome their obstacles.Jen McDonough -the Iron Jen, winning the game of life podcast

Jen McDonough has lived a life of adventure and challenges. From competing in weightlifting competitions to firefighting to completing an ironman, Jen has learned what it takes to face adversity.   Now, she is helping others to do the same. She coaches entrepreneurs and first responders and those who work in high-stress situations.   This interview is packed with stories from Jen’s experiences and actionable advice on what to do when facing fear and a major challenge.   If you are an entrepreneur and you are ever overwhelmed with indecision or anxiety, you’ll love this interview.

Darren was born in London UK, now lives in LA, and is an entrepreneur, filmmaker and self-confessed Neophile. As an entrepreneur he's started multiple companies, including StuckForStaff.com and WeRehearse.

She paid off 200K debt, became an ironman and started her own business. Jen McDonough, a mother of 4, shares her story and tips on achieving goals and live your best life. For transcripts and resources http://Relaunchshow.com/229   Comment? Feedback? Ask a Question? 424-888-3987 Living Beyond Awesome: From Coach Potato to Ironman Triathlete  Living Beyond Rich: The Playbook of How to Live Your Life Without Financial Stress, Fear, or Pain 

Jen McDonough paid off $212,000 in four years.  She works now as a motivational speaker and has authored three books.  Meet The Iron Jen. Jen’s world changed when one of her children developed a chronic medical condition.  As the medical bills piled up, other bills fell behind. Jen found herself unable to afford $20 worth of groceries. That’s the low point that caused Jen and her husband to really tackle their debt and change their relationship with money.   Show Notes The Iron Jen:  Leveraging adversity to reach your potential.  You can also find Jen’s books here. Mint: The easy way to budget. Betterment: The smart way to invest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In her roles as a motivational storyteller, engaging Amazon Top 100 author, and Internet radio show host, Jen McDonough aka The Iron Jen, motivates, encourages, and inspires audiences to overcome their obstacles to become their greatest selves. Jen and her family are most known for paying off over $212,000 worth of debt and medical expenses in four years. Their story has been featured in local, national and international media. Jen is also an 8-time national weightlifter and 2-time US Olympic Festival medal winner as well as an Ironman triathlete. All three of her books have hit Amazon’s Top 100 categories including her book 5 Minutes a Day to Living Beyond Rich which hit #1 under Amazon’s budgeting category. Jen is currently obtaining her firefighter 1 and firefighter 2 certifications.  She lives in Lindstrom MN with her 4 awesome kids, 1 handsome husband, 2 naughty dogs and 1 ugly mortgage. You can find out more about her at www.TheIronJen.com.

Is it possible to create the life you want? Absolutely yes! We all have the ability to create the life that we want to live. We just need to learn how to do it. Is there an exact "formula"? No. It's really up to you. But in  this episode, we will try to lay out the common features successful people have to help you jumpstart your success and attract what you want in life and start creating the life you want to live.

Burnt out at work and your hectic lifestyle is bringing you down? In this episode, we will share to you our list of the best ways to help reduce stress effectively in the workplace that will bring you back to balance. If you have tips that you can share to others, please feel free to add in the comments below. To know more, visit my website at www.TheIronJen.com.

Have you decide to reach for the stars while a living a life full of possibilities and with no regrets? Are you living intentionally in the most important roles of your life? So, what does it take to live a life with no regrets? Carefully and thoughtfully envisioning the life you desire and then taking intentional action to get there. Living intentionally expands our awareness of what is possible and helps us learn to create the life we desire. This involves knowing what we truly want, and then being open to the opportunities and inspiration all around us, in order to obtain it. Being intentional requires finding our strengths and working through them, taking courage to face our fears, learning to choose to respond versus react,  and expanding out of our comfort zones while consciously increasing focus on the experience we intend to create along the way. To know more about life, passion and success, visit my website at www.TheIronJen.com

Not long along, my family found ourselves hitting rock bottom when our son was diagnosed with a lifetime medical condition. We were devastated both financially and emotionally. During this very painful, embarrassing, and difficult time, we went through many obstacles in not only in our finances, but also in our relationships, health, and jobs. The stress over our situation seemed almost unbearable. It felt like life was going great and the next day we were living in fear, isolation, and embarrassment from our financial situation. It was quite a stressful situation to be in to say the least. Fortunately, we have found effective ways on how to get out of debt. Now, our family is best known for paying off over $212,000 worth of debt & medical expenses in 4 years after not being able to pay our monthly expenses. Our story has been featured in local, national and international media. To know more about our journey, please visit my website at www.TheIronJen.com.

In our busy world today, we often find ourselves faced with problems related to unexpected changes, feeling like we are stuck in a rut, or just not where we expected to be in life. These types of adversities can fill us with pain, fear, shame, and anxiety in our personal and professional lives which makes it nearly impossible to move forward. In this episode, we will unravel simple techniques to recover from setbacks, adapt to change, and reach goals by finding and building your iron focus.

Four year ago, Jen McDonough found her family hitting rock bottom when their son was diagnosed with a lifetime medical condition. They were devastated both financially and emotionally. During this very painful, embarrassing, and difficult time, They went through many obstacles in not only in their finances, but also in their relationships, health, and jobs. Using the strategies learned from being an athletic champion, they were able to create incredible outcomes. Their story would go on to reach people through local, national, and international media (including being featured in a German documentary film) Today, she assists in building stronger organizations, communities, and families by helping people learn how to leverage their advertises to become their strongest selves using her 20+ year experiences of becoming an: • Ironman triathlete after not being able to run, bike, or swim.• Eight-time national Olympic-style weightlifter after starting off with a broomstick.• Author of three Amazon Top 100 books in one year after being ridiculed as a child and an adult for her grammar skills (one of those books has been in Amazon’s Kindle Top 100 for over two years while another one hit number one in Amazon’s budgeting category).• Paid off over $212,000 worth of debt & medical expenses in 4 years after not being able to pay their monthly expenses.• She is an empowered parent of a child who was diagnosed with an incurable lifetime medical condition after being emotionally & financially devastated. Through her roles as a motivational storyteller, engaging author, and internet radio show host, she gives hope, encouragement, inspiration, and motivation to people to create the life they desire by removing some of the “clutter” in life that we all pile up from time to time. Audiences relate to her stories as they can see it isn’t from some flashy Ken or Barbie doll type person, but rather through an ordinary and authentic working mom of four.  

#152: Rachel Cruze is a speaker, debt-free evangelist, part-time co-host of the Dave Ramsey show, known for being the inspiration behind the book “Careless at the Carnival”, and is soon to be a NYTimes best selling author for a book to be released on April 22, 2014 - Smart Money Smart Kids.  MoneyPlan SOS listeners wanted to know what she thought about these questions: Chris Pilon from Dadrenaline podcast: Aside from not paying commission, what did your parents do when you or Denise or Daniel did not do their chores? Karen Austin posted on Facebook: We have 8 year old twins and they earn money for household chores. We've been heavily focused on savings plus tithing, but feel we need to let them spend a little. Did Dave let you have spending money? Was it a percentage of what she earned?  Garnet Eldred (who shares the same birthday as me) asked: What does she use her 'blow' money on? Stephanie Reed wants to know: When did she start her own budget? And did her parents make her buy her own clothes and toiletries, etc. to help her learn how to budget before she left the nest? If so, what did she think of it and what would she change? Josh Levitt: We all struggle keeping up with the budget, not over spending or some aspect of being financially Smart. What is the toughest part of "sticking to the plan" for you personally? Kim Nice had a bunch of questions, but I only had time for one: What kind of vacations do you go on? Jen McDonough (aka: @TheIronJen): Do you see entitlement in the younger generation as being more or less than the parental generation? Scott Maderer: What is the Number 1 piece of advice you’d give for raising kids that will become great ADULTS?    Special thanks to @MrJoshuaBrown and ArunWisconsin for the 5-star iTunes reviews.   Your next money challenge: Find as many opportunities to show your kids how you SAVE money. The ratio for how many times my daughter sees us spend money to save money is about 1,000 to 1. There are many more opportunities for her to see us pay for something but she never gets to see the money going into our bank account, mutual funds, or 401(k). Some suggestions: Put coins in a piggy bank (I have a coin jar) Take physical dollars to the bank Have them click "send" for your mutual fund or online savings account For more information, visit the show notes at

In this busy world and with your hectic lifestyle, stress is a common thing. It can get you going but for most cases, it gets you off of your balance. When we allow ourselves get drenched with too much stress, we find ourselves having trouble in our relationships, finances, and health. In this episode you'll learn how to manage this condition by changing the way you respond to stress, how to reduce it, and how to bring you back into balance. Doing so, you can focus more on the things that matter most.

If we were honest with ourselves, doesn't we all get a little unease about stepping out of our comfort zone to grow? We know it is good for us, but gosh how we can down right dread it sometimes. While it can be hard to do sometimes, it can really help us see our adversities as challenges to overcome versus barriers to stop us. So if you are facing those changes that are going to cause growth in your own life, please tune in to this episode as you will find them empowering. To know more about me, connect with me at: http://www.TheIronJen.comhttp://www.twitter.com/TheIronJenhttp://www.facebook.com/TheIronJen

How many times have you struggled with feeling adequate as a parent? Isn't it easy to look around and see only the polly perfect parents round us? While it is easy to feel intimidated by these types of people, I want to share some insights on how to become a fearless, confident, and empowered parent who raises strong kids.

In our busy world today, we often find ourselves faced with problems related to unexpected changes, feeling like we are stuck in a rut, or just not where we expected to be in life. These types of adversities can fill us with pain, fear, shame, and anxiety which makes it nearly impossible to move forward. However, we can still turn things around by creating positives from negatives.

Join me this week as I talk about FAILURE! Yikes, that word can make us cringe can't it. Well I have had my share over the years and know you have too. Please continue to support our The Iron Jen Show. Our show is available at Sticher and Itunes. Don't forget to subscibe. 

Hello My High Achievers! I am Jen McDonough (aka The Iron Jen), full-time working mom to four awesome kids and wife to one incredible husband. I went from being a couch potato to becoming an Ironman Triathlete. I have paid off over $182,000 worth of debt. I have written three Amazon Top 100 books in a year. In short, I have gotten to do achieve incredible successes in my life, but what I really want to share with you is that if I can do it, YOU can do it to. Please continue to support The Iron Jen Show. Show is also available at Stitcher and iTunes! Don't forget to subscribe.

Join Jen this week as she goes over simple and easy tips to overcome adversity. 

I am delighted to have you join in on my weekly shows. I would be THRILLED to have you listen in live, call in for questions, or just catch us on our archieved shows. This episode is a quick overview of what I am about and how I am hoping to serve you. I would love to connect with you soon. I would be appreciative if you would share our show with others as well. Truly, it is show dedicated towards helping you live with passion, purpose, and just dang fun. If you have suggestions for future shows, please be sure to drop me a note through my website. Many thanks for listening and live beyond awesome! Jen www.TheIronJen.com Twitter: @TheIronJen Facebook: The Iron Jen Motivational Storyteller, Amazon Top 100 Author & Coach