Laughing Through Adversity: Jen Coken's Hilarious Take on Life and Cancer

Did you know that radiation can significantly reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence? Jen Coken, a breast cancer survivor, shared this fascinating fact on our podcast. She emphasized the importance of sticking with the facts, empowering each other, and honest communication, even in difficult situations. In this podcast episode, host Kimberly Spencer interviews Jen Coken, a comedian, speaker, coach, and author of "When I Die, Take My Panties." Jen shares her journey of resilience and grit, facing the loss of her mother to ovarian cancer and her own breast cancer diagnosis. They discuss the power of connections and how one person can make a dream a reality. Jen also talks about setting boundaries, prioritizing self-care, and transforming her business during her cancer journey. The conversation touches on imposter syndrome, amygdala hijack, and the importance of speaking one's truth. Jen emphasizes the value of support systems and finding joy in life. Enjoy, sovereigns! Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or your favorite podcast listening platform. You can also watch the episode on Youtube. Quotes: "Self-care, loving yourself first, taking time for you first, taking time for your family first, that is incredibly important." ~ Jen Coken “The ability to navigate those challenging conversations in the end is necessary and it's so healing” ~ Kimberly Spencer “That's so powerful and empowering when someone can hold the space to feel free to express themselves even if you don't agree.” ~ Kimberly Spencer   Moments of Note: The Power of Big Asks [00:01:44] Kimberly and Jen discuss the power of making big asks and how it can lead to unexpected opportunities. Turning a Book into a Movie [00:02:40] Jen shares how her book, "When I Die, Take My Panties," is being turned into a major motion picture and the importance of knowing your big ask. Finding the Gold in Life's Challenges [00:08:30] Jen and Kimberly discuss the transformative power of grief and finding lessons and growth in difficult experiences. The decision-making process [00:11:34] The speaker discusses her options for treatment and seeks advice from friends and doctors. Support and empowerment [00:12:33] The speaker emphasizes the importance of having supportive friends and empowering each other during difficult times. Humor and business impact [00:17:14] The speaker talks about how humor served her during her journey and discusses the impact of her diagnosis on her business. The shift in business and working schedule [00:21:43] The speaker discusses how her business and working schedule changed after her cancer diagnosis, including coaching only on specific days and times and focusing more on group work. Awakening greatness and leadership pillars [00:28:18] The speaker talks about tapping into greatness and the four pillars of leadership she developed during her breast cancer treatment, including leading from the heart, letting go of perfectionism, listening for the gold, and acknowledging people. Acceptance and boundaries in relationships [00:31:54] The speaker explores the importance of accepting and acknowledging people as they are while still maintaining personal boundaries in relationships. Knowing Your Boundaries [00:32:28] Speaker 2 discusses the importance of knowing and setting personal boundaries, sharing personal experiences and examples. Developing Boundaries [00:33:50] Speaker 1 asks Speaker 2 about the boundaries she developed through her journey, and Speaker 2 shares examples of her work boundaries and decision-making process. Saying No and Prioritizing [00:36:12] Speaker 2 talks about the practice of saying no, setting boundaries with podcast appearances, and prioritizing time and commitments. The Last Week of September [00:42:00] The speaker talks about finally getting paid and paying rent and team members, and making a significant amount of money in that week. Guest Podcasting Agency [00:43:16] The speaker introduces their communication queens guest podcasting agency and how it can help leverage podcast appearances for lead generation. Zone of Genius and Delegating [00:46:50] The speakers discuss the importance of focusing on one's zone of genius, delegating tasks, and the correlation between business growth and delegating effectively. Imposter Syndrome and Career Transitions [00:53:00] The speaker shares her experience of imposter syndrome when starting her own business and the impact of being laid off multiple times. Origins of Imposter Syndrome [00:54:36] The speaker discusses the origins of her imposter syndrome, tracing it back to a childhood incident and how it affected her career choices. Choosing Joy, Pleasure, and Play [00:59:34] The speaker talks about the importance of consciously choosing joy, pleasure, and play in her life and making decisions based on what brings her happiness. The amygdala hijack and making new decisions [01:02:52] Recognizing and managing amygdala hijack in high-stress situations, making new decisions instead of dwelling on past events. Origins of self-sabotage and imposter syndrome [01:03:51] Exploring how small events from childhood can lead to self-sabotaging behaviors and imposter syndrome in adulthood. How to overcome imposter syndrome [01:06:20] Recognizing the influence of past experiences on imposter syndrome and making new decisions to overcome it. Mentions + Additional Resources: Here’s the link to Jen's campaign for the movie https://www.gofundme.com/f/when-i-die-take-my-pantiesthe-movie Connect with Jen Coken:   Website: https://www.jencoken.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jencoken/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenncoken/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coken/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/jcoken  Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfF6gn4O5o3Z4MTvrXzB5NA Transcript: For a full episode transcript, it can be found here. 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While this channel may earn minimal sums when the viewer uses the links, the viewer is in NO WAY obligated to use these links. Thanks for your support! 🥰  Loved learning more about laughing through adversity? Listen to this podcast again: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/183-laughing-through-adversity-jen-cokens-hilarious/id1452686389?i=1000621621013