Small Habits. Strong Systems. The Real Formula Behind Jennifer McKinney’s 8-Million Dollar Movement & 156lbs Lost. S2 EP 13

I'm Crystal Blackard and I'm Lindsay Reynolds. We're seekers of truth, willing to ask the hard questions and cut through the industry smoke. On simplified success, the podcast, we strip sales and marketing down to what actually works, front end to back end so you can scale without the burnout. Because real growth isn't just about numbers. It's about optimizing how your business runs so you can grow yourself, grow your paycheck, grow your team and grow your leadership. And most importantly, making it all happen without the fluff or the chaos. This is simplified success. Hello, welcome to this episode. We're so excited. So we are fresh off of recording Mrs. One of the part of the series where we do have somebody else on the podcast. I also want to know a couple of things before the podcast starts. If you're watching the live video or the video or you hear me pause periodically, I'm actively fighting cold-ish things so I have like a raw face. So zero judgments here and also I look fancy. I look tap or in fancy in my sweatshirt. No, so I hope you guys are all having an amazing day. Today's episode is really, really fun. We got the opportunity to bring somebody in to that again as one of those people you probably wouldn't get a chance to have a conversation with and kind of walk through an amazing journey. Everything you're going to hear through this episode is so fantastic because it goes back to the true fundamentals that make a difference in how you're able to grow as a leader, grow as a person and be able to reach the goals that you're looking for. It's been in the most intangible fun story style, but you can like totally hear the nuggets as you're going through it. So I'm going to let Crystal introduce this guest and then we'll roll into it. Yeah, today we were so honored to have on with us to do her McKinney. She has an $8 million industry under- and social settling that we're marketing all the things, affiliate marketing. She's an absolute genius at just everything. You're going to hear it. She's done amazing things. So you're going to do it. I would like to clarify though, there's a couple of really key things you're going to extrapolate from this conversation. A lot of that is letting your principles be the guiding light and really help you focus on what is ever going to always keep you in that super focused zone. We are going to include a resource here in the show notes. Our Untangled Journal is absolutely free. Lindsay and I created it, but that resource aligns beautifully with what Jennifer talked about with being able to walk in that openness, understand that calling, to be able to let some of those things go to the operating fear and how that has absolutely empowered her to be able to create the life and the businesses that she's been able to do. So in your morning is starting place and you want something tangible to download, that is going to be linked in our show notes and it's absolutely going to be a game changer. Along with a lot of other really cool resources, you can always go to k@sincristallelizandlindsay consulting code.com to find our fullest resources and then we're going to link some cool stuff from Jennifer at this ball. So you guys enjoy the show. Hey guys, welcome, welcome. We are here today with Simplified Success, the podcast and Lindsay and I could not be more excited. First of all, if you're catching this in real time, it's the first episode of 2026. I know sometimes we don't time step things, but 2026 is going to be an epic year. So I'm going to go ahead and speak it and I could not be more, I don't even know the word, excited. I have a couple of people in my very close circle that I completely like fangirl and I've looked up to. Jennifer McKinney is one of those people, one of those humans. I met her in business actually very early on. I've got Jennifer. It's been over a decade. That makes me feel crazy. Crazy. Yeah. But, quickly, like, again, did not work to, like, do you know, have any monetary, like, we didn't ever make money off of each other. I know MLM, right? You know, I don't do make money. No. We just became fast friends because we very much fought for the same really high standards, high moral principles and really connected on that and love jam session together. So you guys, Jennifer is absolutely a genius at sales processes. She's absolutely a genius at sales. I have seen this girl sponsor more people in a month and most people could do in two years. I have seen her absolutely go viral. She's had people like Charlie Kirk retweet her posts. Amazing. Just the insanity and the fire and the fearsome and the passion and the absolute fun that this girl brings is just life changing. And so I cannot wait. Multiple, multiple million dollar earner in the industry, leader of thousands, tens of thousands of women she has created multiple incomes and revenue streams. I have never seen her touch something that she didn't absolutely just turn into absolute magic. And so it is such a great honor to have Jennifer McKinney on with us. Okay. Are you going to McKinney or are you going to? I'm going by. I know it is hard to keep track. Well, I, yes, Jennifer McKinney. That's what you can call me. That's what I go by. Thanks, Crystal. Thank you, Crystal. You're welcome. I just love you big. I feel those vibes over this, but I just love you big and Lindsay and I are so honored to have you here. And it's just, it's so much fun to get to sit in a room with greatness like you. And you know, I mean that from the bottom of my heart. Jennifer and I have collaborated on things we've worked together. We have traveled the world together. I'm even host to Jennifer's kid at my house for a sleepover, really. Yeah. Yeah. So it's really different for friends. Yes. And I mean, you know, it gets like that right when you run in those same circles that we built together for sure that happens. And also did I think between you and me for sure, Crystal, there is this like attracts like, you know, your vibe attracts your tribe. And there was just, there was something. So genuine about you that like we just kind of saw the authenticity in each other and we just felt that similar, just alignment and focus that I've always felt with you. And then to be able to then, yeah, collaborate together even though we, you know, we've never jadeed. We don't, we don't get money off of each other. We didn't with any company. We've been with, there's like a heart connection and just a spirit and alignment that I love. So I'm so excited to be here, girls. Yes. Well, there's nothing. So like, so it was funny when we got on the call. So in that previous company in that world, like I knew of Jennifer. So I think it's interesting when you talk about like the reputation. So like a lot of you know if you've been in big rooms with big leaders. So like in that scenario, Christian Jennifer, we're at the same sort of level from a leadership perspective. So obviously they're going to be fast friends, right? If they get along, they're going to have a lot of opportunities. But when you're not at those levels, you hear a lot, right? You hear who's kind, who's not, who will help, who won't, who's real like how they are on stage and who's not. And something I can completely attest to in every place because it was funny. And I was like, should I know you? And I was like, no, probably not. Like I never, I talked to you maybe once or twice. But here's what's really fascinating. Is that in every room and every conversation, anybody ever talking about Jennifer, whether they were close or far away, never had anything but amazing things to say. She helps everyone. She's kind. She'll, I mean, I remember her letting us into stuff that had no monetary benefit for her for us to be successful. She let us into her group. She let us into art for stuff. And so I think it speaks volumes in who you are. And from my perspective, because I didn't have that kind of direct connection with you, but I saw played out in real time the way in which you touched a lot of people. But also you were never talked about in those corners. And that person. Thank you. Look at it. Thank you for taking my turn. And so I think it's like, I didn't tell you this till right now. But I think it's like, I want to note that everything Bristol is saying is both true when you're close to Jennifer, but was very much the reputation that she carried across the organization. So I think it's an important thing to it. Thank you so much for that. Yeah. That was a very accurate, that was a very accurate description. Completely agree. Like Jennifer has zero scarcity mindset. And that's what I think that's probably one of the things that sets you apart in one of your zones of genius and some of your God giving giftings. Absolutely. Absolutely. Absolutely agree. But yeah, so I just wanted to throw that out there for everyone to know. Because I think you hear people say this and it's like, oh, well, of course they got along. They were in the same, or I guess it's not really true because a lot of times people don't get along as top leaders. But you know what I'm saying. I thought it was important for you to know. You have a good reputation. Thank you. Yes. Well, who, right? One of the expressions I like girls is authenticity over posture, right? Like I do love to like come across, you know, and project and look and have that's it important to me. But true authenticity and like who I really am is so much more important to me than how I come across. And that's what I value in other people too, right? And so I truly value who someone really is. So Lindsey, when I hear you saying that, like I, I, I, I'm thankful to hear that and I received that because it's about who I am and not the, the surface me that you might see, right? So that's amazing. Yeah. So all that crystal kick off from here, I just. Well, I just, there's so much of your story that I want to unpack. And I mean, we probably can be here for two weeks talking about it because it's so cool. But like start, take us from beginning. Like what, what do you into a career of leadership of your marketing? Like it's spun off in so many directions. You've done so many things. You've done one off projects. Like you've just, you've been such a, such a, like just a leader in so many facets, but also just a, like breaking new ground for people and like causing movements that didn't, that didn't, that weren't done before you decided to make that move and it's so powerful. So just talk to us about how this came about. because it's just, I mean, obviously there's a tip of the iceberg and we see like all the successes, right? But there's got to be some hard points in there too, so just take us to your journey a little bit. Oh my goodness. Okay, well, you know, to rewind a little bit further than I've probably ever shared with you girls really, but way before either of you knew me, I, before I was even married, I was in college for art actually, and I wanted to be an artist. I ended up becoming an art educator and spent about seven years. My first real big girl job was actually creating an elementary school art program in a district that hadn't had art in like 30, 40 years. They had that budget cut, the district brought it back in and because I had this, you know, art background and then education, fresh out of college, I built this art program for a public school system and I loved it in hindsight. I think I do have lots of strengths that I've developed over the years and lots of ways I've gotten kind of pushed into like loving leadership and yes, tons of things that have, you know, I've been hit by the life train. I've actually personally derailed my own, you know, life train myself. But, you know, looking back to those early days, I have always loved creativity and thinking outside the box and I loved building this, this art program and of course art is created, right? Color and I mean, you can see I've got paintings all over my room. One of the things I did in the summers was I made an at-home program where some of the most good girls from the elementary school art classes would come to my house and we would have these, I turned the upstairs of my garage with what's this loss of area into this, well art, many art school, which is quite even, that was 20 years ago or whatever, 25 years ago, even now you can't imagine as a teacher bringing students into your home, right? How times it changed, but it was this this really, I loved to connect with my students and with their parents and to just build something creative. So that was sort of my first, you know, career. I ended up getting married and having five children and back to back to back to back to back, like really close together, yeah, I had, I did have a baby every year for five years and you know, to this day, I do believe, like, motherhood is my highest calling, I believe it's who God created me to be 100%. It's not all He created me to be though and you know, there's leadership involved in being a parent, definite, you know, collaboration and living and learning and hearts involved in the marriage, but after I had the kids, and you know, I was all along to teaching school, really how this sort of network marketing and people and money and influence and leadership and principles started was, was actually, Crystal you mentioned, right, over a decade ago when you and I both got involved with our marketing, singular, the company we were with was my very first company and it was sort of stepping into that that truly was, it opened up the door to so many avenues of positive change, not only to help change myself, but then for me to learn how to help and and lead other people too. You know, my story started with weight loss, you know, Crystal story was different, she didn't have weight to lose, that wasn't hurting, you know, big goal. For me, I had a lot of weight to lose. So, spoiler alert for anyone who doesn't know, which I'm sure many of you watching and listening don't, I actually used to tip the scale to almost 300 pounds. I was almost 300 pounds at my heaviest and so the physical weight loss, the physical transformation was really sort of first girls, I came into this company, I started, but you know, taking the products and eating better ways and losing weight, that led to, I had a downstairs too, right, you know, product or plan or, or meal plan or shot or pill or anything works, but unless you work it and unless it really becomes who you are. So, in the early days, as far like I was following a diet, but we can get into that, it was up and down. But changing my body physically, which I ultimately did, I have lost a hundred, a lot of 156 pounds and have kept it off for years and years and years, wouldn't have happened without learning and implementing some, some principles of leading people that I learned, Crystal, you know, partly through our friend and wonderful mentor Steve Elder, who I met because of the singular, so I would say, you know, that that entrance into the world of network marketing and health and weight loss really was what opened up the door for me to be able to lead myself and then eventually use my voice to help other people. Does that make sense? Yeah, it was a cat, it was a cat with a movement, it totally was. Absolutely, absolutely. We talked to our clients about this a lot, and we talked about that in TBA all the time, is like, you have to lead yourself first for anyone to be led by you. That's such a big gap that I think people forget. Why isn't anybody following? Well, you're not leading. Interesting point, that was fantastic. Yeah, that's a great call out. And so, okay, so you started this journey, you're losing people. And so, when did you decide, for the very first time that you saw a financial opportunity? Because I would like to preface this, like, you're not just a, like, a dabbler, like, youth made multiple millions, like, can you say how many millions you've made in the industry? Over eight. Over eight million. That's a lot. That's a lot. Like, close to being an eight-figure earner, not just them, big deal. Yeah. So, like, when did you have that shift? Because going from a teacher that teaches our, right, and going from a multiple, multiple million dollar earner, and having that kind of that health barrier between there, there's some pretty big, like, you know, robots right there. Right. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, when you're a school teacher, and then that's, you know, what you're educated to be, you don't certainly have this idea that making a lot of money in your life is going to be possible. That's not why you get into teaching, you know, I think I made about 18 or 19,000 dollars a year was my, my full-time teacher salary, you know, when I got started. So, you probably made that in a week during some of your just, right, right, right, exactly, crazy, right, and it wasn't long before I was making that in a month, right, and then certainly in a week. But I guess took, you know, to kind of go back to those early days, it was nothing that I could picture or believe or even really thought that I wanted it. It doesn't, it didn't seem possible. And I think what started to help me move in that direction, which ultimately right, I've made over eight million dollars, was, was seeing that it was possible for, for other people who were moms and teachers and hairdressers and, and, and, that'll hygienists and, you know, all, all sort of, of, people that I saw becoming successful, not just in our company, but in the industry, it began to be like, okay, well, if they can do it, you know, why not me? Right. And then I think taking this creativity that I have, I used it in different ways back then to build this art program and to create artwork and to create these classes. I do think God gifted me with this creativeness where that I could find creative ways to build systems and communicate things to people and creative ways to get large groups of people excited about things, which led to, you know, sales sales you mentioned like, oh, she's great at sales. And true, sales is just sort of the outcome. It's the thing that happens when you do really leave and connect with people and what they really want. And, and seeing that that was possible, I, I remember one, I remember my first month with Zingular and I didn't do it a ton that month. I mean, I, I feel like I, you know, I pushed the pedal a little bit. I didn't know what I was doing. I certainly didn't give it a ton of efforts. And I more, more than doubled my monthly, you know, teaching salary just that month. And I remember having the very distinct thought, if I could do that with just a little bit of focus and not really understanding and giving it a little bit of effort, what could I do if I gave it big efforts? And that is something else about me that I think you girls know I have, many weaknesses. One of my strengths is that I go all in on something, which actually, you know, can come back to, to bite me too, but I, if I'm gonna do something, I'm gonna do it. So when I decided to be like, okay, if I can make that much in this, in one month without really trying to hard, what could happen if I put my focus into it? So I became a student of learning this industry and learning how to, um, become Lindsey to your point, right? Delete myself so that then I could lead other people. But yeah, that, that income thing was wild when, when I first heard there was a girl, you know, making $25,000, you know, a month, I'm just like, if I could just make $5,000, I mean, that would be, you know, I think to be able to first believe it, right? It's like the four-minute mile, right? Nobody ever broke it until somebody broke it and then like, oh, it's, it's possible. Once you see it's possible, then it becomes possible for you to go, to go for that too. Yes. Okay, so I want to like pull something out that you just said. So oftentimes I noticed this and I would through this myself. So like this is completely calling me out myself out. Oftentimes when we get into something like this, it's situation where we go really, really fast. We have all this. Yes. Yes. Right. Our success out goes our leadership. And then you have to like almost revert, you almost fall back to where you really are. And you, and you become very painfully aware of your lack and your, your inability to lead at that capacity. And I see time and time again, Jennifer, so many leaders like jumping up and getting really fast and making lots of money and then just doing that constant yo-yo. And something that I really noticed about you that you're, I feel like you're really, really good at as you've really been able to like take out the yo-yo. Like, no thing that you haven't had your, your roadblocks and your hearts, but it's like you, you really figured that out. And, but you own it to a fall too. And that's only a, always really emergency. So start a little bit about that. Oh, that's such a good point. And it does happen when you grow quickly with anything. Absolutely. You can, you get to this spot where people think, and you actually think, Oh, I have more skills and leadership that I really do because we haven't had a chance to go through the fire and, and grow our, our success. I'll grow us. And you mentioned, you know, you can kind of fall back and realize the where you're really at. One of two things can happen then. It's like, okay, I can't do this. I'm a fraud. I'm just, I'm out. Or people see you as, and you don't ever grow. The other is you push through it and you decide and determine to, to grow yourself so that, you know, you can become more. And then your success becomes, you know, even wilder. And I appreciate you saying, you know, that you haven't seen the big swings in me. I will certainly say when I grew quickly with singular, you know, $10 million dollars and hit all these ranks. I certainly had a sense of a little bit of a posture syndrome right? This success was out growing me. One of the things, I don't know if this is what you meant to elude to or not. But I do, I do think I enjoy doing, even though it's uncomfortable, is being vulnerable and actually being honest about areas where I still struggle and saying, Hey, I really don't know how to do. I really struggle in this area. I, I want to, you know, lead this team, but also I'm going to let you know, sometimes this verse overwhelms me and I just try and bed and keep white, you know, keep a loaf of white bread. And, and I think people can resonate also with someone who shares their, their realness and their fault and their struggles. I think, I think in some way that helped me take grounded and not have to reject myself as someone who is perfect or has it together. Like I've shared my struggles as I've gone a lot. I think that creates, you know, clout and it's also has a lot of people to watch me grow and develop. And to your Portland, they like actually see who Jennifer has become compared to who she used to. I have a long way to go, but I, I think that's the way that I've worked to stay, to stay about, but it's tricky. You make a lot of money, you know, and it can, it can easily mess with your head and, and make you think you're at a spot where you're not yet. You've got to go, you know, the battles and, and truly the war, to be able to earn that, even if your income is already there, right? And I think that's a really, really important thing for people to note, especially as they're growing and they're coming into business, they're coming into leadership. Like I feel like that's the place where people get stuck, it's that, it's kind of that death spiral, right? We've seen that analogy before you're going up and then you kind of come down and it's the people that can come back from that. Yeah. And it's those tools in your tool belt that I feel like, sometimes, that, that apart from that death spiral to be able to come back into it after you've had one of those just, because, because in business and entrepreneurship, that's going to happen, right? And health and wellness and honestly, everything in life, that's a pretty realistic possibility and having the tools is so important. So, okay, so tools is one of the things that I've always known you best for. So you are genius with tools, and I kind of want to like get into you decided that after you lost 156 pounds and, and by the way, you guys, if you have not gone then stalk Jennifer on Facebook, you should. She's got a rock-and-hot body, she's really fun to follow, she's hilarious, she's heartfelt, she's an amazing writer too. But you developed this incredible like food plan with the macros and this ecosystem and this affiliate. Like, talk a little bit about this next thing because I feel like, I mean, that was just absolutely, that was one of the most genius business balls I've ever seen come out. Well, thank you for that. I, tools are super important and I knew that I knew that to be able to claw your way back into really grow to the next level you needed tools and you're kind of alluding to this transition time that I had in my, my life, my career. So let me kind of explain what happened, Crystal, where I was and then kind of set that up and then kind of speak to these, this use of tools. So I was in just pure network marketing right for years and years and years over a decade, you know, you and I both know that that realm and that company well and what happened really was I got to a point, this was maybe about four years ago where I wanted to be able to have an even more direct positive impact on people like and and also leverage my reach to be able to do that. You have to use tools. So what I did was again, I spoke earlier about our friend Steve Elder and I was brainstorming with him some because he did this leadership consulting for corporations. And here I was this network marketer. So I knew how to sell products and speak on stage and and lead teams. I began because I lost all this weight right to be asked a lot. Well, Jennifer, how, you know, what exactly did you eat, you know, like exactly how did you do this or I got tons of questions about that. And here's what happened, girls. What people were asking, what they thought they wanted was just like, okay, here's a here's a let me eat this, eat this, eat this and it will work for you. But I was hesitant to do that. Not because I couldn't develop a needing plan because I did, we'll talk about that in a second, my color call it and I mean, I was an elementary school art teacher. I'm very organized, very colorful. That's important. But here's the big, the big but, you know, as I say, which by the way, I don't have one anymore. I was not aware that I did, I've read lost all this weight. One of my best friends, Holly says to me, you know, you don't have an ass anymore. I thought it was great and adorable and small and she's like, no, there's nothing. It's just like, it just drops off. She told me that now I'm like slightly, I'm like paranoid about it because I'm like, I don't know. Just do some more squats. That's why, yeah, I don't know. I just don't, there's at some point when I don't know. I don't ask at all syndrome. Right. Well, I'd still rather have that, that, you know, being as heavy as I was. But I was like, thanks, Holly, for pointing that out. But what they thought they wanted to know was this, this eating plan. Here's what they needed to know, though. And here's, here's what I realized that I wanted to give them. I wanted to be able to impart principles, principles that then would govern all aspects. Eating, yes, we could get into that niche, but also would help you when you align to these principles of, you know, belief, identity, purpose, effective work habits, would also help with income creation, would also help with relationships, would also help in so many ways. I wanted to do, I wanted to teach principles, but then use weight loss and meal plans as sort of the, as the widget, as the niche. I didn't want to start here. I wanted to start at this bedrock so that I really was leaving people with something that was, that would change them. And then as they leverage that for feeding, for example, they could lose weight. So how I, so how I did that was, yes, I created meal plans. I actually have, I won't get into it here. It does really excite me, though, because all colors, I have like all these different stuff. Because I follow a ketogenic type of eating. I've tweaked it to make it work for me. I tweaked it to make it work for my clients, but it's definitely a high fat, high protein, you know, limited refined sugar and measuring ketones and all that. So I've created this, this meal plan system where all the breakfasts are purple, the lunches are red, the dinners are green, the snacks are, you know, blue and orange. And it's a mix and match thing. So that instead of having to feel like, what should I make today? I don't know how to, as long as you pick one from each color, you're going to be all within the macros for that, you know, average woman to be able to lose weight. And then I personally tweak it with my clients from the side. I made it very simple to follow, but to come back to the principles, they're, they're all based in a, and rooted in a place of these, these principles, again, of identity and belief. And who am I? What am I capable of? You know, I know you said we don't necessarily talk about the time-sensitive stuff, but it is. It's the beginning of 2026, the bare beginning of January. What's on everyone's mind in the beginning of January? New Year's resolutions, right? And while I love them, the power doesn't come in the New Year's resolution. It comes in, you know, aligning really where we are. Do we even believe that we you have the power. to change because if we don't we'll just be at the gym for two weeks right so I I ended up building this thing and I was like well people can venmo me and they can buy the meal plans right crystal they can pay me for coaching I do these leadership sessions for groups right teach about the principles but I ended up finding I don't know if we've talked much about this the the website a Kajabi which is a really great platform for content creators there's you know people who are photographers or no real estate photographers or they know how to fold or gummy you know papers and anything that you can imagine do and you can put your content there and then people can go and purchase it so this took away from me having to invoice people and collect money every month they could just get out of subscriptions there I can host content there I can put meal plans there and seminars that I've taught and people can go on buy them watch them and again that goes back to leverage one of the principles I love I don't think you're really going to be able to make a lot of money and reach a lot of people unless you use tools so I was able to find some of those you know platforms like Kajabi to put my content on create these meal plans create these and from there it's really grown into you know not only years of of meal plans but also how do we a lot how do we teach even through hardships right like gaining weight through the holidays sure there are people that gain with it the holidays how do we get our minds back to what about when something terrible happens to one of your kids you know what about when you get a divorce what about when something you know you have a personal health crisis the same principles that get you out of it are the same ones that will get you out of post-holiday you know weight gain as long as you know those principles so I I'm still working on it you know on how I want to tweak these tools but but leveraging you know color coded meal plans and systems that website have been really powerful talk about for your personal stuff Jennifer like so you've created this but like what do you do on a daily basis to keep yourself accountable like what is your daily look like yes you can't get all these amazing goals like talk to you a little bit about what your day-to-day like accountability like in inspection you know how your purpose your work right like what does that look like for Jennifer how do you oh thanks for asking I have a habit now probably for about five or six months of waking up early right and I spend 30 minutes each morning in gratitude and reflection right like truly thinking about and speaking about things that I am grateful for because there are so many negative things in that I've had that as I said that I've happened to me and that I have done to myself in my life that I want to be able to focus on on on gratitude and I I I love to read the Bible I love to study personal development books I usually do that in the mornings as well and I am on about week 19 of lifting weights of being I've lost all this weight right but I didn't really get into the fitness side of building lean muscle and so I've been doing that for about 18 19 weeks now because that helps like I just helped me level things up right losing all this weight and then maintaining all these years became this thing I could kind of rest my laurels on so that's super important also one more thing I want to mention is I think this is important for anyone listening I do have a very close group of core girlfriends who know me and trust me and who I align with that like my very best friend Nicole lives in Texas but we are still constantly texting and talking and communicating all day because we we can hold to other accountable in that way right for for eating for drinking for relationships or how we treat our kids for you know just how we live our lives I think having accountability which is another of the principles I love to coach from it's so important to have accountability to yourself right I love to make charts oh my goodness chart yeah I take my water and do this read my Bible and and worked out I in traffic it starts with your little baby daily routines every single day just your little thing 30 minutes in gratitude doing some training drinking your water focus on the complete eating right so what you're telling me is those little things come in and make a big impact that's amazing that exactly they do I mean it's staring hard at you the compound effect right or you know this light edge to the other book I'm essentially those even look back years ago at Weight Watchers Weight Watchers which is really is a great program that that you know what stood the test of time one of their mantras back in the day was small steps repeated it does you don't have to do you listen to this you don't have to start drinking your water and losing weight and doing gratitude and reading your Bible and lifting weights all at once right these little things that I added but it's consistency it's consistency over time that then eventually you look down you're like oh my muscles are getting stronger oh my bank account is getting you know bigger and you yes it's just little things though but it's the consistency with them I get enough rest right I'm intentional about that at my age I'm 48 you know I'm in perimenopause I I need to make sure that I hydrate myself and I don't yeah yeah for some of the things I do to take care of myself well I think and I think the big thing like what I'm hearing is like small habits make a difference but I think the other big thing is you have to have the right systems and so it's really fascinating if you were talking through you know when you started the business with the colors and you built a system for people that they could be successful in the only way you could be successful in that was by using another system right you're absolutely right and so like what I keep hearing from you is like make the system simple but use them and they'll small habits compound like financially because then you look up and it's been a decade and like you don't even recognize any part of your life from that perspective I love that the only way to teach it to someone else right Lindsey like I can know all these things that I do but unless I simplify it and say 30 minutes of gratitude you know an orange dinner that has as many calories unless then I can't really duplicate it and teach it to someone else duplication is a big word that you know crystal and I swam in for years with the M11 just free but it's not you know it's it's not a bad word truly to be able to take what we do and duplicate it to have others be able to learn from it make it their own you do need systems systems are you know I'm I'm yeah I they're super valuable well I think it's funny too because like with your background right being an education in all of those pieces like this morning my daughter got completely she's almost five she got completely overwhelmed by cleaning up a mess right and just like on the floor crying I can't do it I need help and my husband was like what is going on because he was in the middle trying to work and I was like she doesn't know the first step right so I was like why don't you just do this thing and then once you do that and we so I literally do for each step because she's almost five so she doesn't have the capacity to do that at this point and she was able to do it all but I think it's funny because like to your exact point like you grow up and people are like oh just eat healthy and do all here's all 86 steps and then you just want to like lay on the floor and cry because you're like I don't even know where absolutely like absolutely like parents I use the analogy you're I use the analogy a lot actually Lindsay like when it comes to yeah exactly like oh just work harder make more money get a different job eat less but work out more and eat less like it sounds great but that is tantamount to telling you know like when my children were little that would have been like me walking up to my kids before it was time to get dressed for church or whatever and saying something like okay go clean up the playroom I mean there is no way that these little kids were gonna be able to clean up the playroom that's too big of a task so you know what I would do and I bet you guys as moms have done this and maybe Lindsay you still do I would do something like okay guys we're gonna go to the playroom I'm going to set a timer and each of you get a basket and we're going to see how many toys you can pick up before the timer goes off well they can wrap their little minds around that and then it becomes kind of a competition and a game and that's still something that I do to myself okay sit down and if you work on your bills until three o'clock then you can get up and go watch five more minutes of your you know crime show I don't have TV I haven't for 19 years but I still you know have an iPad and have access to you know YouTube and I I love to watch crime shows so I will reward myself by breaking these things down into these small but yeah you have to have a system or you know the hula hoop throw the hula hoop on the floor into the toys and then the kids just pick up what's inside of the hula hoop right rather than cleaning your whole house it's a great one yeah it probably works for us too you know like just full of the cold inside of this hula hoop Lindsay that's all you got and you know like really it's it's been said that it's the start that stops most people right how do I even start but a lot of times like if you have a task that you're avoiding doing because you just you hate the thought of doing it if you just put on your to-do list to just start it just throw the proverbial hula hoop and pick up what's in the who often they'll find that once you get started with that now the harvest party's done and you may as well just continue and clean the whole clear it doesn't you know doesn't always happen that often it gets that going no for sure and so it's the start that stops us for once it's rolling it's like oh when all that parts over you know I I the getting the momentum going I mean it's we'll just finish it and that applies to a lot of things that's such a good nugget I like that That one. That's so good. Hello. Okay, so, so, okay, I want to like shift a little bit, because you got me thinking about some of the things that I've just really noticed. So, systems, structure, habits, daily habits, they really come, happen. So, what I'm seeing now is you're really coming into your 2.0 season, right? Like, you're just, it's the butterfly effect, right? You're just really, and you've made some big life changes. It makes them big pivots, and they just suit you well. Like you just are walking in this new abundance. But right now, like, one of the words that I would really feel like resonates with you is the word movement. Like, you do not care who agrees with you, who doesn't. You agree with it. You will die on a hill for it, and you will bring passion, you will bring purpose, you will bring intellect, you'll bring facts, and you will bring, like, just, like, healthy conversations around it to help people understand it, and do it in a way that creates this, like, rally around you, Jennifer, and it's amazing how you create these movements. And so, I've seen you do it with, like, political campaign. You see, you do it with your children and battles that they're facing. I've just seen you do it in such an amazing capacity. So, I want you to talk a little bit about this fire, because as a friend who's got to see you through the last decade, you've always had this in you, but I feel like it's just been stoked. And the fire is just coming alive, and you just have this, like, I don't care, this is you, and this is what I stand for, and this is what I mean. Do you know what I mean? So, talk a little bit about it. Because that's a muscle you had to grow. Oh, well, thank you. You know, I look back, and I've always had strong beliefs that I believed in, but I've certainly not always been someone who, you know, to use your words, like, would make these hills that I would die. And I would still rather be a little more shy, like, let someone else lead that charge. You know, I don't need to spend all the energy on that. What if they think that I'm kind of weird with it, like, my opinions? Right. I think part of what helped develop that in me was, unfortunately, going through a divorce. And as a Christian, you know, growing up in a believing household and then having a, you know, a marriage where both of us really did, you know, want to honor God. And then getting divorced was a big deal because, you know, we're always told, you're written in the Bible. You know, we don't get divorced. And there's this mindset that is very challenging for, I'll just speak up and have a believing women who get divorced. It's like, it's so taboo, you know? And of course, there's, there's, there's always so much more to the story and there's, you know, there's, there's a lot to unpack. But at the end of the day, it was, it was what needed to happen in my situation. But I faced certainly some scrutiny from people, but also the potential, right, of being looked at as this Christian woman who got divorced. And these things just really juxtaposed. And what I really had to become okay with, ladies, was realizing, you know, I am who I am. I'm a child of God. I'm totally flawed and also aware of my strengths. And I don't have to pretend that I'm, you know, that I, that I'm not flawed, but also I don't have to keep quiet about what I know to be true, you know? And so it kind of emboldened me a little bit going to that, going to the divorce for sure. But what happened is, especially, you mentioned Charlie Kirk, you know, actually, which just, his murder like is, we can go off on that forever. It's just, it's heartbreaking and it shows so much about our society and where things are added. It's heartbreaking. But rewind about a year and a half ago during the last election. I've always been pretty outspoken about, right, like my marriage, my divorce, my faith, and my weight loss and politics. And I've spoken positive things about what I think Trump believes about this. And I've spoken negative things about him too, right? The interesting thing is, like, I don't care. I'm not going to try to just appease one side or the other. But a one move in particular that ended up happening that, that I feel I was open to was, was during the last election when Kamala Harris and, and Donald Trump were, were campaigning was I actually went to a, a Trump rally in my town and then I went to a Kamala Harris rally as well because she'd been kind of saying her rallies were bigger. Because we're smaller. I just wanted to take it all in, you know, and anyway, I ended up catching her saying something on film when I was there that ended up going viral. Elon Musk tweeted my video and Donald Trump tweeted it. It got like 44 million views and what, what's that? I don't know that I necessarily, you know, created any movement. I think I'm a really good on the ground storyteller of like shining light onto what's happening. Hey, I'm not the only one the Christian woman who's gotten divorced. Here's what it feels like to me. Hey, you know what? I'm not the only person who feels weird about Kamala Harris saying that Christians don't belong in her rally. I got, I can kind of magnify stories because of the way that I have a social media presence. So I shared her, you know, shared it in it. It went crazy and I'll tell you what, I got so, I mean, it came all just barely short of death threats of like, don't say this about her and that and this and, and through that, girls, I'm like, I just don't care. I believe in authenticity over posture. I'm not going to be, you know, quieted when I believe in something and I heard her say it with my own two ears. There was so much gas lighting, you know, people were telling me she didn't really say that. She didn't really say that. But again, it comes down to the principle of stating up for what I believe and what I believed in that moment was, I don't think she should have said that, but here it is. I'll decide for yourselves and so politically I've always, I've spoken up for myself and personally, I think you're right, that muscle didn't, you know, didn't always used to be there. That definitely got strengthened in me when I saw, you know, it didn't kill me. In fact, I feel, I feel great, you know what? Yeah, screw what people think and I don't intentionally go out to be, okay, sometimes I do, intentionally like to be, I do like to poke the bear, I do, I do. I'm not trying to hurt people, but I'm not trying to be a wallflower, right? I'm not. But I think you bring people back to critical thinking and critical thoughts and right now in a world that is so magnified from everybody doing the bride and shiny, losing their brain power, taking in just like, it's like we're living in this little shiny box of everybody does everything the exact same. I think you bring that little thinking and that realness back to reality. It doesn't mean that I've always very much respected about you and you're really, you really challenge people's thoughts and their processes and you make people think about things, you make them uncomfortable to the point where they want to change it. That is a very, very powerful skill set that I feel like you built and I watched you build. And that's, like I think every human has a capacity to be able to do that, right? I've seen you and I love how you've unpacked this journey because you had early successes, early millions. You had some hard rock bottom moments and then you strengthen this muscle and you've come back and it's like, you're come back in your invention story and your two point of season is just bigger and better and it's just, it's been so much fun to be like a friend watching you and like cheering you on. You know what I mean? Well, thank you, thank you, thank you. I do. I received that crystal and yeah, there's, there's, there's, there's, there's, these early days where, you know, you're not totally sure of yourself and and you're not, you're, you're wobbly on your own two feet and then there is a two point no version and, and sometimes it, it actually looks worse than the first one, right? I want mine to be better. I want mine to be stronger and and I also absolutely love what you said about critical thinking. I don't want to be right or left or up or down or this is the way to lose weight or this isn't the way to lose weight. I want to use my brain to really think about things even when it's difficult and I will pray if you end up landing somewhere different, but I want you to think about it, you know, and that, and one more example of that is, you know, I mentioned at the beginning of this episode I five children, they're all now teenagers and one is now just in his twenties. My second born, who's 19, got into marijuana and, and using THC and synthetic THC and I had always had opinions on, you know, don't use drugs. Of course, from like, as spiritual standpoints and then from a political standpoint, don't tell people what to do and so people should be able to do what they want, but they're free heart penalties and you know, all that is great until it happens when it's your kids and my son developed an addiction and actually brain damage from THC because of his age and his brain not being totally developed yet. But I never would have known about and I became determined to, you know, with his permission share his story so that other parents and and young people will know the damages of today's THC and that's just one, you know, example because maybe a lot of us who grew up with parents who, you know, that smoke marijuana back in the day or, you know, even in some of us maybe did, I personally didn't, but it wasn't, you know, it was around when I was in high school. That kind of stuff was much, much, much less potent than what it is now. At least this chemically derived synthetic stuff, well, I would have had no idea and so in the past year, I've really made a very deliberate point to share about the dangers of THC use to, you know, adolescents before their brains are finished developing and girls. I get hate on both sides. You know, people on this side are like, "Don't tell us that our drug is bad." People on this side, people should, "Okay, but let's just critically think." It's one of the really cool things that I've become aligned with as an organization that is a bipartisan, it's called a health first marijuana approach and it basically says, "Let's forget which side we're on. Let's just look at what's best legislation for the health of Americans." But I think that's critical thinking, right? Let's forget who's left and who's left and what Charlie Kirk said or didn't. But let's look at murdering someone, "Can we not all agree?" Right? And I think there's a lot of common ground that we can find as humans when we kind of focus on principles and on critical thinking. As I said, as much as I love to poke the bear, when we get back to the core of it, which Crystal took back to the very beginning of our podcast is like, "There's a line with it you and I have in our focus on God and morality that comes from him and on living our best selves and reaching our potential." But it's under a framework that most humans can agree on. - When you really think about where we're at, there's a lot of agreement. - So let me go ahead, Crystal. I'm sorry, good. I was gonna extrapolate one thought. As you're talking about these really big, powerful movements and what you do, just if you don't mind, you said you don't mind getting a little bit vulnerable. There's something inside of you, Paul the Spirit, God, that presence in our life. How do you determine when you know something that you're supposed to stand up for and that you're supposed to speak out at? Because I, I think for one second, look at you as a single mom of five kids and think that there's never been any fear. (buzzer) And I know, but also I've seen you overcome a lot and like wow, that's like the bravery and the courage. So there's obviously a very much led part of your soul that feels very, but you know, prompted to do that. So talk a little bit about like, just in that quiet space, like how you, how you kind of make those quick, 'cause I'm sure it is pretty quick for you. I don't see you just like sitting and pondering. Oh, yeah, so talk a little bit about that. I'm just curious. I just, that's a great question. I think there's two sides to that. I think part of it, you know, is the personality that God gave me, which is, isn't someone just sit around and mull things over. It is to take actions. I think when those kinds of things happen, it's my personality to jump into them, which can be good and bad. It can also, you know, it can also cause me to jump into things that maybe it isn't my season to fight for, or isn't the right thing to fight for. The other part of, I think, how I, not that I sit and consciously think about this, but as you ask the question, Crystal, it's what I have my kids do, which is the sleep audit technique, right? Like if they want to buy something that they haven't been planning on buying, and they want to use some of their money for it, I will always let them, but I require them to sleep on it. If they still want it the next day, then they can purchase it with their money. And what happens a lot of times is suddenly that game that $5 upgrade on Roblox or that toy at Target the next day doesn't seem quite as worth it. And so not that, you know, my alignment is always correct, but as I, you know, pray and think and let God just kind of speak to me that the next day, if I still feel that fired up, like, yes, this aligns to what God says is wrong or what true principles, I'm gonna go into action, I'm not going to wait. There aren't times where I've gotten fired up about something I can think of a specific example with a teacher at my kids' old school, and I was so fired up and I felt that it was so unjust, and I was gonna write letters and pick it and make signs. And the next day I was like, you know what, like that's a mistake I could see making. I don't think this is the core issue here. I think this is a one-off thing. I think I can let this go in my spirit. So I let that one go. So I think it's a mix. Does that make sense with my personality? - Bruce is feeling the spirit in me. - Yeah, I think it speaks to your level of like being able to walk in forgiveness and walk in that agency and your superpower, understanding the control and like keeping that and not letting everything that comes out you affect you, you've been able to rise above it. And I think that's a pretty powerful attribute in leaders who will be able to be successful and are able to withstand the hits time and time again. - Well, thank you. And I didn't always use to write. I certainly used to be much more influenced by the wind and even more reactive. I can still react, but I tried to now respond. You guys know the difference, right? That reaction is that it's think if the respond is to really contemplate it and decide like what's the best move for me here? And as I've matured, I hopefully will still get better at that. I've become able to respond more into them just. - Yeah, yeah. I love that. So much wisdom there. - So much good stuff. - It's like that concept, like write the email and then see if you're draft. Read it tomorrow. - Right. - True. - Yeah. - Yeah, actually. Well, okay, so Jennifer, we're gonna wrap this up because we're gonna go over to the backstage pass and do your little private exclusive interview for our community, our TVA community. Parting last words. Anything you wanna impart, any extra wisdom. I mean, I just, you're an amazing thought leader. You're just a critical thinker. You bring awareness to such important issues in our world and our time. And anything you'd like to leave our audience with today. - Well, you know, I have a lot of things that float around in my brain all the time, but you know, you mentioned a minute ago, crystal about fear. I do think one of the things that's a little more rare about me is that I don't let fear hold me back. Just as an example, last night I went out to dinner alone. I'm single. My kids were busy. I dressed up and went to a nice restaurant. And I had one of my friends who saw me that I posted that on Facebook say, "Oh, I'm so proud of you. I don't think I could ever get up the courage to go out to eat alone." And I just blew my mind, right? Because in my mind, I don't have much courage at all, right? And I don't think going up to eat alone is some thing that everyone needs to do. But this idea that she might wanna eat alone, but fear of, I don't know, maybe thinking that was weird or she would be, I don't really know what was behind that. Held her back. I just, I think my parting thoughts would be, you know, fear, there's a worship song that says this, "Fear is a liar," right? I think fear that your past needs to dictate your future. Fear that people aren't gonna like what you say. Fear that someone will look at you weird if you're sitting at a restaurant. Fear that people will judge you as a mom if you expose the fact that your kid got into drugs. Fear that any kind of fear, I don't think any of it comes from a healthy place. I don't, God, isn't it God of fear? Right? And I think, for the most part, I think my challenge is, in 2026, not that we're trying to make this a new year. So what it is your first one of the year? Like, how have you let fear hold you back? From saying the things, doing the things, loving the things, maybe healing the wounds, asking for forgiveness, like being vulnerable. How have you let fear hold you back? And I would say, let this be the year where you don't. You don't, you don't, you go into it with a good heart and you try to do, you know, how you need, take God's guidance and let him leave you, but don't be afraid, right? Don't, don't, don't use fear to hold you back from anything. Because I think in an earthly sense, we are capable beyond measure. And to really tap it off, this earth also just isn't our home. At the end of the day, we are eternal creatures who are created for an eternity in heaven with God. And I think, you know, I can't say final thoughts without saying, I think that's the most important thing I would love your listeners to know. - Thank you, Jennifer. - Absolutely amazing. - Such a honor to have you here. - And I am excited for fixing a jump over and do our backstage pass, so. - Okay, sounds good. - Okay, that was like the most amazing conversation. I'm so excited. We had so much fun. Jennifer shared so many cool things, so many cool nuggets. I think one of my favorite things that she talked about was this, like her growth and ability to have hard conversations in different situations, but really be able to honor different people's viewpoints. I thought that was so great how she really seek that out. And then talking about all those compounding of habits and just, there was such a great conversation. I had such a blast. So great. - Absolutely. So as you guys heard, we are actually not done. We roll from the public episode into our backstage pass, which is exclusive for our builder academy members in the builder academy, TBA. And in TBA, this is our paid community where we show up, Lindsay and I show up, and this is just one of the exclusive pieces that you get in there. So the builder academy, basically, we teach you how to steward what you have and build from there to lay the foundation, do clarity, structure, and faith align strategies that sets you up to scale. And build organizations like Jennifer talked about to multiple, multiple millions. Like Lindsay and I haven't able to do as well. And so that's what the builder academy is. So if you are wanting to know more about the builder academy, we have been back as well down below and just a really cool place to hang out and learn and grow in. Anything you want to add about the builder academy, Lindsay? - I would just say the backstage pass. So the builder academy, has a commitment so you can jump in and jump out. But the backstage pass of what we just recorded, with Jennifer, I feel like all my most favorite nuggets actually came from the backstage pass. That was such a high quality conversation. I think the other favorite part about TBA is our bot family, which is like, literally like having your entire tea. It's the most amazing situation. Like it sets you up for so much success. In clarity, in execution, in process. I know I'm using all my fun Lindsay words that are not marketing fun words, but they're Lindsay words. You can read all about it in the link if you want to see. But I think the bot family and the backstage pass are like my favorite parts about. We do have a very very robust course library in there too. Actually, the value second there is over $44,000. It's what we sell it. If we sell it in a majority, that's what it's priced at. And you get in there for a low monthly membership. Can't say what it is at this point, because it does change based on what we add in there. But it does lock in-- Jump in. Get it. And you keep that price we get in for the US that price. So anyways, excited. Thank you, guys. Yep, everybody enjoy and have a good week. And we'll see you soon. Bye, friends. If today's conversation helped you see your business more clearly, make sure you hit follow so that you don't miss an episode. And if you're ready for more support, join us inside the free simplified success community. It's where we share resources, strategies, connections, and you really get to hang out with a lot of cool other growth minded entrepreneurs. Simplify your strategy, multiply your results, and make it happen. This is simplified success.