Rejection, Redirection & Radical Honesty: The LEAP Story Continues

Have you ever walked into a room full of strangers and thought, I've been looking for this my whole life? That's exactly what happened — and it's what sparked an entire legacy.Back in Episode 23, Monique and I introduced LEAP — the women's networking group we co-founded for Leaders, Entrepreneurs, and Professionals right here in Duluth. For two full years we poured our hearts into it, and then life expanded us in beautiful directions. It was time to pass the baton.Enter Christa and Kristine. Christa pivoted from retail into financial advising and has grown into VP of Retirement Solutions at North Shore Bank of Commerce. Kristine built a six-figure women's mastermind, ran soul-filling retreats across the country, and now brings that same energy into real estate. When they sat down for coffee and realized something was missing in Duluth for women, they found each other — and then they found us.Key Themes & Takeaways– Rejection is redirection. Both women lost jobs tied deeply to their identity — and both discovered the road forward was better than anything they'd planned.– You are the five people you surround yourself with. Intentionally putting yourself in elevated rooms isn't optional — it's the strategy.– Networking should feel like women. LEAP is built around asking out loud, referring well, and building real relationships — not passing business cards.– Radical honesty builds real partnership. Saying the true thing, delivered with care, is what makes a working relationship actually work.– When you invest, you show up. Skin in the game changes everything — and LEAP puts that theory into beautiful practice.– Abundance over competition. The most powerful shift is letting go of the need to compete and pouring into each other instead.Our Favorite Quotes"My rejection was my redirection — and it was everything I didn't know I needed.""You're one conversation away from an opportunity. But you have to put yourself in the room.""Selfishly, I didn't want this to go away — and then I realized what I was looking for was what other women were looking for too."Chapter Markers0:00 Spring fling catch-up & welcoming our guests2:29 The origin story of LEAP5:24 Christa's pivot: from retail to VP of Retirement Solutions13:30 Kristine’s story: mastermind retreats & reinventing her hustle19:29 The moment LEAP found its new owners28:46 What makes LEAP different — format, venues & the philosophy54:29 How to refer like you mean it: Kristine’s step-by-step frameworkYour TurnWhere are you waiting for permission to ask for what you actually need? Is there a room you've been putting off walking into that might change everything?What's holding you back from taking the leap?-----All Heart & Soul's Details:Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.heartandsoulmastermind.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the mastermind program:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://www.heartandsoulmastermind.com/heartsoul⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Say hi to Mariah on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@mariahmckechnieSay hi to Monique on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@moniqueforcierLeave a review on the Apple Podcast app and the Spotify app: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️MB01KKVWOJGKTSR