Building Courage Capital: What We Learned in 2024

Ever wondered what all these courageous women have in common?

The hands of my courage cultivators: My grandma, momma, aunt, and daughters. And me.

Every single week this year, I've sent you the story of a courageous woman who is doing big, brave things in the world. And you know what? As someone who is endlessly curious about how courage works, I can't help but study these stories like a detective looking for clues. What do these remarkable women have in common? How do they keep moving forward when things get hard? What can their journeys teach us about our own?

Here's what I've discovered (and honestly, what I leverage in my own life every time I need to do something that scares me): Courage isn't some magical lightning bolt that strikes a lucky few. It's more like making friendship bracelets - you weave them together one thread at a time, sometimes getting tangled up, occasionally having to start over, but eventually creating something beautiful and stronger than you imagined.

When you listen closely to these stories, you’ll hear 8 messages repeated in every single one, so here’s an example of each, with a link to listen to them sharing their wisdom in action for when you need a burst of "I can do this!" energy.

1. The "Am I Ready?" Remix

Remember when Dr. Helen Arteaga-Landaverde (#41) became the first Latina to lead Elmhurst Hospital's executive team? She didn't wait in the wings until she felt "ready" (spoiler alert: that perfect moment never comes). Instead, she asked, "How can I make this happen?" and turned that question into New York State's first Health Equity Gold certification. It's like she took that "Am I ready?" soundtrack that plays in all our heads and remixed it into a power anthem.

2. The "Perfect is Boring" Revolution

Taylor Scott (#80) looked at food insecurity in her community and instead of writing a 50-page plan, she just... started. One community fridge. Then another. And another. Today? Fourteen fridges and pantries serve thousands. It's like she took that perfectionist voice in her head to lunch and said, "Thanks for your input, but we're going to try this anyway!"

3. The Secret Sauce of Support Squads

Sandy Samberg (#60) is living proof that the biggest impact comes from enlisting a team to bring their unique gifts and passions together to make a bigger difference than any one person could alone.

4. Finding Your Courage Multipliers (aka Your Personal Cheer Squad)

Sarah Krasley (#65) has this brilliant take: "The trick to living a good life is taking the bad stuff that happens and doing something productive with it." But here's the twist - you don't have to do it alone. What would shift if you were surrounded by people who genuinely believe you could do the big things you secretly want to do?

5. The "Play to Your Strengths" Party

Want to know what's better than trying to fix all your "weaknesses"? Doubling down on what you're already rocking at! Alli Schroder (#86) didn't just become the first woman in the Canadian Collegiate Baseball Conference by accident. Her secret? "Be the hardest worker in every room." Not the most naturally talented, not the most experienced - just the one who never stops showing up.

6. Getting Loud About Solutions (Because Whispers Don't Make Waves)

Amy Cohen (#50) turned grief into groundbreaking change with Families for Safe Streets. She didn't just identify problems - she got loud about solutions. Think of it like turning up the volume on hope, even when (especially when) it would be easier to stay quiet.

7. The Struggle-to-Superpower Transformation

Remember in superhero movies how they get their powers? Usually from something challenging or painful? Janelle Hill (#56) reminded us that the very worst and hardest things we endure often lead us straight to our life’s big purpose.

8. Building Sustainable Courage (Because Burnout Is So Last Season)

Here's the plot twist: Courage isn't about pushing harder - it's about building stronger. Kerry Brodie (#79) runs Emma's Torch while raising tiny humans, and she'll tell you straight up: finding time for renewal isn't optional. It's like putting your own oxygen mask on first, but make it fun!

Your Turn, Brave Friends!

These patterns aren't just nice stories - they're our personal courage-building blueprints.

As you consider the year ahead, maybe some of these questions can be helpful.:

What "imperfect solution" are you sitting on that the world needs NOW?

Who are your courage multipliers? (You know, the ones who make you feel like you could probably fly if you tried?)

What would happen if you treated your "weaknesses" like plot twists instead of dead ends?

What's the brave move you'd make if you replaced "Am I ready?" with "How can I make this happen?"

As Aditi Sethi (#90) reminds us: "We have this one precious life in this form, on this planet, at this time." So let's make it count - messy, imperfect, and absolutely wonderful.

➡️ Paid subscribers can find my complete Year-End Reflection Guide below – it's a thoughtful companion for processing your 2024 journey and dreaming into what's next. (And this week, I’ve even included the correct link!)

➡️ Plus, I'm offering something special: Courage & Clarity Sessions for January 2025! In these intimate 75-minute 1:1 sessions, we'll dive deep into your reflections, identify your core desires for the year ahead, and craft a practical roadmap to get you there. I have just 8 spots available at $275 (regular price $400). These tend to fill quickly, so if you're feeling called to start your year with purpose and momentum, reply to this email to claim your spot.

Here's to honoring where we've been and boldly stepping into where we're headed!

Aransas

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Your Next Uplifter

Our next episode of The Uplifters Podcast is headed your way on Thursday featuring

Candy Motzek

, a business coach for aspiring coaches. She specializes in empowering intelligent professionals to launch and grow successful coaching businesses. With a unique blend of practical strategy and mindset mastery, Candy helps her clients achieve greater clarity. Her calming & personalized approach enables coaches to play bigger, sign more clients, & create meaningful & profitable success. As a 'recovering' corporate executive & engineer, she combines her extensive business acumen with a deep understanding of personal development to guide her clients towards their fullest potential.

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✨ As always, all of my writing is free and you can listen to every episode of the podcast for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Substack, or wherever you get your podcasts. For those of you who are more visual or want to take a deeper dive with our guests and who want to support this work with a paid subscription, you’ll find the extended-cut video of my conversation with Tania Kinsella below.