BECOME Empowered

What do you do when life falls apart at 54 and you're convinced there's nothing left for you? If you're Teri M. Brown, you climb onto a tandem bicycle and ride 3,102 miles across America.In this episode of Become Empowered, author and speaker Teri M. Brown joins Sabine to trace an extraordinary arc — from an emotionally abusive marriage that left her doubting her own worth, to a cross-country tandem ride from Astoria, Oregon to Washington, DC with her husband Bruce, to the grief of losing him to glioblastoma, and finally to the slow, brave work of finding herself again.Teri shares why worth is intrinsic and never has to be earned, what a tandem bike teaches you about real partnership (you can't go faster than each other), how she rediscovered her humor writing Peg, Unhinged, and why joy and sorrow can live inside the very same moment. It's tender, funny, and deeply human — and it ends with a piece of advice that might change how you look at your own life.In this conversation:Why "you already have value" is the belief everything else is built onWhat riding a tandem across the country reveals about partnership and trustLoving and losing Bruce — and what caregiving taught her about herselfHow writing brought her voice, and her laughter, back after lossWhy happiness and grief don't cancel each other outThe one piece of advice: get rid of the bucket list and start todayGet in touch with Teri: https://www.terimbrown.com/Get your copy of Gumption on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HCW45FXJApply to become a contributing author for Sabine's next book: Become Empowered Entrepreneur.SabineKvenberg.com

What if the problem isn't that you need more stages — but that your message isn't clear enough to earn them?In this episode of Become Empowered, Sabine sits down with speaker, author, and coach Marta Spirk — a fellow performer who traded the entertainment stage for a mission of guiding women to find their voice and own the spotlight.Marta shares her remarkable journey: growing up singing in her mother's church in Brazil, building a career in translation and interpreting, singing the national anthem for pro sports teams across Colorado, and the 2016 "plot twist" that changed everything — learning five weeks into her first pregnancy that she was carrying triplets.Together, Sabine and Marta explore the abundance mindset that says there is room for every voice, why believing you have something valuable to say is the real starting line, and the patience it takes to build something that lasts.In this conversation:Why "what got you here won't get you there" applies to every speakerThe most common belief blocking women from the stageWhy clarity — not more eyeballs — is the key to being rememberedHow defeat and lost control became Marta's greatest teachersHer father's one-word wedding-day advice that still guides her businessConnect with Marta Spirk:Website: MartaSpirk.comLinkedIn, Facebook & Instagram: Marta SpirkConnect with Sabine:Website: sabinekvenberg.comBook a call: calendly.com/coachsabine/connect-with-sabineOrder Gumption: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HCW45FXJ

Jeremy Knauff spent nearly two decades building a successful marketing agency — until a severe health crisis nearly killed him and took the business down with it. In this raw, unfiltered conversation, the U.S. Marine Corps veteran and founder of Spartan Media shares what it was like to lose everything, the autoimmune condition that brought him to the edge, and the moment a fellow Marine's suicide became the turning point that changed how he showed up in the world.Jeremy walks us through exactly how he rebuilt his authority from zero: writing his way onto top podcasts and into outlets like Forbes and Entrepreneur, then multiplying every feature into a network of content across social and video. We also dig into what "authority" means now that AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity are the ones vetting experts before a journalist — or a client — ever does, and why pay-to-play media features can quietly work against you.If you're rebuilding after a setback, or wondering how to be findable and credible in an AI-driven world, this episode is your roadmap.In this episode:How a health crisis and years of chronic pain nearly ended Jeremy's career — and his lifeThe fellow Marine's suicide that became his turning pointThe exact content strategy that took him from invisible to Forbes and EntrepreneurHow to turn one media feature into dozens of pieces of contentWhat "authority" means when AI tools are the ones evaluating youWhy fake/pay-to-play media features can hurt more than they helpThe mindset shift that keeps you moving when you want to quitConnect with Jeremy:https://spartanmedia.com/Connect with Sabine:https://sabinekvenberg.com/resources

You don't find courage — you build it, one bold step at a time. In this episode, Sabine unpacks why courage is forged in the moments when everything in you screams "stop," and why the difference between a wish and a whisper might be the thing standing between you and your next chapter.Get Your Free Bold Move Kit:https://sabinekvenberg.com/get-your-bold-move-kitConnect on Social Media:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/SabineKvenbergIG: https://www.instagram.com/sabinekvenberg/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabine-kvenberg/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sabine.kvenberg.2025/ 

Jeff Luther collapsed mid-workout in front of his 16-year-old son — no pulse, no breath. Two AED shocks didn't bring him back. The third did. In this raw, unfiltered conversation, Jeff walks us through what actually happens in the space between life and death, the paralyzing fear that followed a second cardiac arrest, and the exact moment — 30 seconds at a time — that he started rebuilding his life on his own terms. We talk about ego, gratitude, the stories we tell ourselves, and why the belief "I am becoming" changes everything.Check out Jeff's podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/all-can-no-cant-mastering-resilience/id1658627241Connect with Jeff on Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/jdluther2.0/https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-luther/Stay in touch with Sabine:https://sabinekvenberg.com/resourcesYour Free Gift: https://sabinekvenberg.com/get-your-bold-move-kitPre-order Gumption: https://sabinekvenberg.com/pre-order-gumptionTime Stamps:[00:09] Introduction — Jeff's story begins mid-collapse at the gym in front of his son[01:56] The workout, the racing heart, and the moment things didn't stop this time[02:25] Going into ventricular fibrillation — and the strange, split-second shift from "get away from me" to "please don't let me go"[03:27] Watching his son's shoes walk toward him on the gym floor — "Jeff, you've got to get up"[05:43] Waking up and thinking he'd gotten drunk the night before[06:40] Coming to — to the sound of his own screaming[07:19] How the AED actually works, and why the first shock didn't bring him back[08:49] 911, a second shock, a second failure[09:15] The paramedics arrive — third shock, and he wakes up[09:54] Denial in real time: "Are we going to finish this workout?"[10:23] Four days in the hospital and the diagnosis: ARVC (arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy)[11:22] Back in the gym after 30 days — and cardiac arrest strikes again[11:50] This time, he knew he was dying — and everything changed[12:31] Paralyzing fear, a divorce he didn't want, and life "effectively ending"[13:04] Finding gratitude for a pen — the smallest possible starting point[13:31] The first workout back — breaking down, giving up, feeling like a failure[15:17] His coach's pivotal question: "Does that thing hurt?"[15:44] The 30-second breakthrough — working for 30, resting 30, and getting his life back one interval at a time[18:58] The belief that became a gut-punch: our beliefs shape our future — and our present[19:29] Untangling shame and guilt from his divorce — and the shift from "who am I" to "who am I becoming"[22:56] Why gratitude and bitterness can't occupy the same space in the brain

At almost 85 years young, Nancy Jasin is proof that the ending is never written until you write it. A retired nurse who "never really retires," Nancy joins Sabine to share a life shaped by resilience — from a violent childhood spent hiding in a closet, to 42 years of sobriety, to building three businesses and becoming an author who now sends out two poems a week.Nancy opens the doors most people keep closed. She talks candidly about PTSD, addiction, and the night on her bathroom floor when she heard a voice tell her no — the moment that gave her back her faith, her family, and her purpose. She shares hard-won wisdom on forgiveness ("throw away the albatross"), on death as a natural part of life witnessed through hospice work, and on why growth, journaling, and guided imagery keep her sharp and at peace.Sabine and Nancy also dig into using AI as a partner — not a replacement — for creativity and communication, and why writing by hand still matters more than ever. Whether you're facing your own dark closet or simply want to feel braver about the next chapter, Nancy's tire swing will beckon you: sometimes we soar, sometimes we fall — but all in all, we have the choice to ride.

What if the wisdom you're searching for has been inside you since childhood?In this Saturday Live conversation, Sabine Kvenberg sits down with visionary strategist and three-time #1 international bestselling author Joanne Weiland to explore the moments that quietly build a courageous life. Sabine opens up about the day — at just nine years old, alone in a Hamburg park — when an inner voice told her to run, and how that single moment launched a lifelong spiritual journey and her search for inner wisdom.Together they unpack the heart of Sabine's new memoir, GUMPTION: Sacred Whispers, Bold Moves, and the Courage to Become — why gumption is far more than courage, what the "O" for Optimism really asks of us, and why setbacks (a lost lake house, the 2008 crash, caring for aging parents) so often become the doorway to who we're meant to become. You'll hear why joy doesn't require having "more," why every coach is a season and not a destination, and why we have to celebrate the climb instead of sprinting to the next mountain.Tender, funny, and quietly powerful — this one will leave you trusting your own voice a little more.📖 GUMPTION publishes August 4th — pre-order now wherever books are sold. Pre-order through Barnes & Noble in the U.S. and message Sabine for an advance copy.🎙️ Want a book signing or book-club discussion in your city? Reach out — details in the show notes.

What if your money problems have nothing to do with money?In this episode of Become Empowered, Sabine sits down with Scott Maderer — host of the Inspired Stewardship podcast with over 1,800 episodes — to unpack a truth most people avoid: financial stress is a symptom, not the source. The real problem is alignment.Scott opens up about his raw personal story: $60,000 in debt on a $40,000 teacher's salary, suicidal thoughts he kept hidden from his wife, and the radical turning point that changed everything. From the classroom to a corporate executive suite to launching a full-time coaching business after a stranger said, "You and your wife are weird — can you help us be weird?"In this conversation you'll discover:• Why your checkbook and calendar reveal what you actually value (not what you say you do)• The little-known difference between career and vocation — and why it changes how you live• How to master your time, talent, and treasure intentionally• The one question we stop asking adults that could unlock everythingScott shares insights from his book Inspired Living and has a free resource page exclusively for Become Empowered listeners at inspiredstewardship.com/becomeempowered.If you've ever felt stuck, out of alignment, or like your life doesn't match what you say matters most — this episode is for you.CONNECT WITH SCOTTWebsite: inspiredstewardship.comPodcast: Inspired StewardshipCONNECT WITH SABINERegister for free webinar: https://sabinekvenberg.com/be-seen-live-masterclassWebsite: sabinekvenberg.com/resourcesBook a call: talktosabine.comInstagram/LinkedIn: @sabinekvenbergTOPICS COVERED[0:01] Welcome — Introducing Scott Maderer[0:56] Scott's three words: Curious, Knowledgeable, Giving[3:40] From science teacher to corporate executive — Scott's path[4:47] $60K in debt on a $40K salary — and suicidal thoughts he kept secret from his wife[6:35] "You and your wife are weird" — how a stranger accidentally launched a coaching business[9:43] Money is the symptom — here's the real problem[12:28] "Show me your checkbook and calendar — I'll tell you if you're lying"[17:09] Scott's book: Inspired Living — assembling the puzzle of your calling[18:06] The "blood of the covenant" quote that reframes legacy[21:00] Can you — and should you — get paid for your calling?[21:51] Career vs. vocation: the word roots that will change how you think about purpose[24:09] What "calling" actually means and why it shows up in everything[29:35] Scott's final message: stop asking "what do you want to do?" — ask who you want to BE

What if manifestation isn't something you do — but something you live?In this episode, I'm sharing something personal. For my birthday, I ended up on a race track — behind the wheel of a race car — and I never planned it. What unfolded that day became one of the clearest examples of manifestation I've ever experienced in my own life. Not because I followed a formula. Because I was aligned.I also take you inside my new book GUMPTION: Sacred Whispers, Bold Moves, and the Courage to Become, where I share the framework I've developed after decades of living this truth — the I AM Manifestation Framework and the formula that changed everything for me: Thoughts + Emotions + Action = Outcome.This episode will shift the way you think about manifestation — from a practice you squeeze into your morning routine, to a way of moving through your entire life.In this episode you'll discover:Why most people think about manifestation all wrongThe formula behind real, lasting manifestationThe I AM Framework: Imagination, Alignment, and Music — and how to use all threeHow to clear the "murky water" in your mind so your desires can actually take rootWhat my birthday car racing experience revealed about being open to receivingWhy gumption is the bridge between your dream and your realityGUMPTION is available now. Want to be one of the first to read it? Reply to this email and I'll send you the details on how to get your advanced reader copy today.Connect with Sabine: 🌐 sabinekvenberg.com 🎤 Ready to work together? talktosabine.com 📺 Join me every Saturday for YouTube LiveBe fearless. Be heard. Be visible. Become Empowered.

He grew up in East New York, surrounded by violence, and believed he wouldn't live to see 25. Today he's sailed every inhabited continent, coached leaders around the world, and built a media company helping others find their own way. This is Josh Valentine — and this episode will stay with you.Connect with Josh:https://javalentin.com/https://www.youtube.com/@UCK-1WRXSdXRTnZKqUAzAP2g Connect with Sabine:https://sabinekvenberg.com/resourcesFollow her on:IG: https://www.instagram.com/sabinekvenberg/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabine-kvenberg/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sabine.kvenberg.2025/ Timestamped Show Notes00:00Introduction — meet Josh Valentine00:42Three words that define him: courageous, resourceful, in service02:26Growing up in East New York — violence, survival, and the fear of not reaching 2504:33Travel as transformation and open-mindedness05:40"Turn your mess into a message" — and why the past doesn't dictate the future07:22The pivotal moment at Ground Zero — the decision that changed everything10:27The barbed wire metaphor: climbing from darkness into possibility13:19Arriving at college with everything he owned in two bags14:32How resourcefulness paid for college — running a barber shop from his dorm16:25Resources vs. resourcefulness — Tony Robbins, priorities, and paying forward18:14The Journey Podcast and Dream Nation Media — filming on farms, gyms, and golf courses20:46Sabine's journey — and GUMPTION coming in 3 months22:10Josh's coaching programs — holistic life, work-life harmony, certified coaches24:35AI as a human amplifier — the visibility triangle and standing out in the noise29:10Final message: your story is your greatest asset — and take care of the planet

Feeling stuck, uncertain, or afraid to make your next move?This episode is your permission slip to rise.Discover what gumption really means — and why it’s the missing link between where you are and where you want to be. Learn how to tell the difference between fear that protects you and fear that’s holding you back, why failing forward is a success strategy, and how to stay focused on your boldest goals.Plus, get an exclusive sneak peek into Sabine’s upcoming memoir GUMPTION.It’s time to trust yourself, take the leap, and step into your next level.📖 Pre-order GUMPTION (releasing August 2026) and receive a FREE Advanced Reader’s Copy.👉 Email [email protected] with your receipt to claim yours.