What is it really like to be the wife of a successful, hard working entrepreneur?
What does it really take to support that kind of focus and drive while still maintaining harmony in your personal and family life?
Today on the show we have Courtney Westerdal, MVP wife and co-owner of Critical Bench publishing with her husband Mike, sharing with us her wife perspective on being a team player, a wife, a mother and . . . a huge Boston Red Sox fan!
In this episode Courtney gets personal and shares, what she calls “our story,” on how she and Mike have embraced the last 15 years of challenges, change and success by never losing faith, having a deep respect for each other and always looking ahead to the adventures yet to experience.
“Freeing up our time instead of doing petty things, the whole time is money and Michael learning what his time is actually worth.. You need to know almost down to the hour how much you are worth.”
and
“Maybe numero uno to all of this.. the amount of respect I have for him, it was right from the beginning and it’s just everything.”
-Courtney Westerdal
Time Stamps
Timestamps:
4:03 – 4:35 She has a BIG heart, the emotions come fast
5:18 Where the story begins . . . the first of many “game changers”
6:57 Courtney first meets Mike
9:42 Arriving in Tampa with what fit in their car & NO family . . . just on faith!
10:52 Another game changer
11:33 Reading Rich Dad, Poor Dad on a plane had a huge impact & had them asking the question “What do we want?!”
14:25 How the book The 4 Hour Work Week showed them it WAS possible
15:14 Faith and their church has always been a priority in their lives . . . FAITH!
19:49 Building an anchor of Core Values
27:28 Taking risk and letting go of the fear . . . no room for scarcity mindset
30:09 You can’t look back & dwell; keep moving forward; look ahead & keep that momentum going
30:46 Making him “show up”
32:34. “I have to allow my man to take his risks & just support him”
33:35 “Everything is about faith & letting go of the steering wheel”
37:58 The freedom they strive for
42:17 The haters hating on your happiness
42:57 “Your kids are not first.” God . . . your relationship . . . your children
44:41 Letting her husband lead works because he will put you first
45:58 They had the important goals figured out very early on; they knew how they wanted their life to look and they’ve worked towards that every single day since . . . VISION & FOCUS
46:26 “jealousy is a bitch & it’s everywhere”
46:43 – 47:19 *this is where we got a bit side-tracked; some dead air here
47:23 Becoming more private and putting the blinders on
48:37 Not everybody can accept generosity; it makes some people bitter
49:43 Surround yourself with people who respect your ways & what you are doing & are genuinely happy for you
51:24 Hearing, “you’ve changed” no longer offends her
53:12 There was no steady paycheck, there were no benefits, there was no security
55:24 What Courtney believes holds most people back
57:08 “I almost thing feminism has been taken too far.”
58:28 Being the beta wife at home is not weakness
1:00:35 “When you surround yourself with other Christians and other entrepreneurs the energy is . . . you just feel it”
1:01:13 What does Courtney Westerdal do for “herself?”
1:03:27 How Courtney “just knew” it was all going to work out
1:05:21 Tacos or hamburgers?!
1:08:18 “I’m never trying to change Michael.”
1:11:25 The scariest things!!! Doing them all the time!
1:12:02 We do scary things to get used to stepping into that fear
1:15:29 What Courtney’s BIG tip is fo all of us.
Resources:
Connect w/ Courtney & CriticalBench:
