February 20, 2025 • 24 mins
Overcoming adversity isn’t always easy. Once you get on the other side, it makes it all worth it. Today episode features Dr. Jennifer Shell, a chiropractor and clinical nutritionist who has an inspiring story to share. Jennifer’s journey is all about overcoming personal challenges, discovering her true purpose, and empowering others to do the same. Whether you’re facing a physical or mental obstacle, or simply searching for more meaning in your life, this episode is sure to provide the motivation and insights you need to take the next step.
In this episode we discuss
- How Jennifer navigated a debilitating vocal cord condition and transformed her mindset
- The power of finding your “why” and living with a spirit of service
- Practical tips for pushing through fear and self-doubt
- The importance of community support and being vulnerable
- Jennifer’s exciting plans to transition her career and support other women
Want to skip ahead?
12:24 Even when things are getting in your way, you just have to do it. You gotta do it scared and you need to just do it anyway.
13:55 You have to find your why and your purpose. And if you keep finding excuses not to, really look at is that your primitive brain trying to keep you safe, which is a lie, or is that you’re truly just not living in your purpose?
17:51 Your community is there in those for your true people. They want to help you. They want to be there to support you, and you don’t have to do it alone.
Resources
“The Five Second Rule” by Mel Robbins: https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_5_Second_Rule/l18QDgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0
[free guide] 3 Keys to Freedom https://empwr.one/res/53986/310246
Jennifer Shell
https://www.instagram.com/food.to.the.rescue/
Grab more resources at https://easystylewithsami.com
Follow us on Facebook at https://facebook.com/ssmulhern
Follow us on Instagram at https://instagram.com/ssmulhern
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Sami Bedell-Mulhern (00:00):
Welcome to Easy Style with Sami. I'm your
(00:02):
host. Sami Bedell-Mulhern, eachepisode, I invite a friend,
family member, colleague or justsomeone I've met on this journey
called life, to come and sharetheir personal style and
approach to business, parenting,life and everything in between.
You'll hear motivational andinspirational stories that will
help you refine and build yourown personal style. Remember,
(00:25):
style is easy when it comes fromwithin.
Hey, friends, please join me inwelcoming Jennifer, Dr. Jennifer
Shell to the podcast. Thanks somuch for being here today.
Jennifer Shell (00:36):
Thanks much for having me. I'm excited. Yeah.
Sami Bedell-Mulhern (00:39):
So I always start off by kind of how I know
my guests, and in this case, wedon't know each other. And not
only that, we haven't really hadmuch of a conversation at all,
but what I love about your storyand how you reached out to me
was just really the feeling oftaking what's thrown at you and
overcoming it to still do thingsthat maybe you never thought
(01:00):
were possible, but, you know,let you up and kind of bring you
joy now. So I'm really excitedfor this conversation. I know
that our listeners are gonnalove it too. So before we kind
of jump into some of all ofthat, why don't you just
introduce yourself and tell us alittle bit about who you are.
Jennifer Shell (01:15):
Yeah, sure, some. My name's Dr Jennifer
shell. I've been chiropractorfor, gosh, almost 24 years. I
specialize in clinicalnutrition. That just means we
use diet modificationsupplements and plant based oils
for therapeutic benefit so thatand I'm a mom teenage boys
(01:41):
married and saw I have two jobs,and so I'm busy, but I just
really want to inspire women,because I pivoted, and I just
really think it's so importantto maybe hear somebody else's
story and realize you can do ittoo.
Sami Bedell-Mulhern (02:00):
I love that. That's why we're here. So
this is a perfect fit. And so Iwant to start with things kind
of happen in our lives that wecan't control. I mean, that is
the only constant is change,right? And so there was a big, I
don't want to say big thing,because I don't even know your
whole story, but there wassomething that kind of impacted
(02:22):
you with regards to how youshowed up for people, publicly
and in person. So why don't youshare a little bit about your
vocal cord issue and kind ofwhat that looks like and how
that affected you? Yeah,
Jennifer Shell (02:36):
sure. So when I was in chiropractic school, I
started noticing, like, like, Ithought my chest was tight, like
I felt like I couldn't get adeep breath. Like, am I anxious?
What's wrong? And I just kind oflived with it. And when I
graduated her back to school,came back home from Chicago, my
(03:01):
mentor was like, Jen,something's wrong with your
focal cords. Like you should go,Look, get it. Look, 10, maybe
you just have polyps. And I'mlike, oh, okay, so I just go by
myself to the ENT Your NoseThroat doctor, he did a scope,
(03:22):
and he says to me, I'm justsitting there thinking I just
have polyps. And he says, Yeah,you actually have a neurological
issue that causes your vocalcords to spasm. It's never gonna
get better. It could get worse,and there's nothing you can do
(03:43):
about it, except Botoxinjections through your throat,
into your vocal cords everythree months. And I was like,
what just happened? Like I justgot married, just coming into
practice. And I was like, thisis mind blowing. So for about 15
(04:03):
years, I traveled the country. Idid every holistic, integrative
thing I could. The condition iscalled spasmodic dysphonia. And
right now, like in the news,RFK, Jr, who is always speaking,
and everybody's like, why isthis boy so grappling? He has
(04:24):
the same thing. So I struggled,and I just forced myself to
work, you know, seeing patients.And people would say to me like,
Oh, are you nervous? Oh, are yousad, oh, are you sick, like all
(04:46):
the things. And it was veryintroverted. So finally, after
like 15 years, I started doingthe Botox shots, because it
does. Me Relief, like right nowthis like the best that it gets.
And I have just recently had atreatment, so this is as good as
(05:10):
it gets. Usually it gets kind ofsounds more strangled. Okay. So,
okay, so what happened, thoughduring this time is I didn't
even realize it, but I distancedmyself from like, my friends
because I hated using the phone.I wouldn't call the order food.
(05:35):
I wouldn't call my patients,like, no, no. Like, I can't do
that. So it would literallycause panic attacks. Yeah. So
then I realized also, then I waslike, not doing classes, like I
used to love, kind of teaching,going doing stuff, and I totally
(05:57):
stopped. So, so fast forward,and if you'd like to stop me at
any point, oh, no, you're great.Okay, so keep on going. Okay,
okay, so, so then I startedgetting Botox, but, like, I
still realized that, and Ididn't realize this until COVID.
(06:17):
I was sitting at home. Ourclinic was closed down for like,
six weeks, and I I just realizedlike I wasn't living my truth,
you know, like I was hidingbehind my voice and using them
To set up crutch and as anexcuse. And from that, that was
(06:44):
hard to swallow, and I thought,okay, like, like, stop this.
Like, who cares? So what itturns into was I figured out
that if I live from a place ofservice and a purpose that I can
(07:04):
talk in front of anybody, and Idon't introvert. So I was like,
why is what is this? Why am Iall of a sudden able to do this?
And it's literally because I'mextroverting off of myself, like
it's not about you, Jen, it'sabout what you need to
(07:26):
communicate. And it changedeverything. So since then, I've
just been on this mission tojust really trying to help
women, but anybody like whateverthing you think is holding you
back, it's probably just youstopping yourself. Yeah, I'm
(07:53):
like, here's a little toughlove. Stop making excuses and do
it.
Sami Bedell-Mulhern (07:59):
Yeah. I think this is so interesting
your perspective on this,because just like you were
saying, like your experience wassomething that is physical, that
people could see or hear orexperience alongside of you,
right, like it's not, I thinkfor most of us, the things that
hold us back our internalmindset or or things that people
(08:21):
can't physically see. So, youknow, in some ways, I mean,
they're both challenging toovercome. In some ways, yours is
more difficult because it's notsomething you can just kind of
hide away. So I'm curious, like,what is there something you know
now that when you're when youwere starting to kind of get
back out there and start doingmore speaking, or teaching more
(08:42):
classes, or feeling morecomfortable talking with your
patients. Was there somethingthat you just kind of told
yourself, like, did you kind ofpep yourself up or, like, how
did you kind of switch that tobe able to kind of re enter into
those things?
Jennifer Shell (08:57):
Yeah, okay, so that's really good question. So
at first, like, I really didn'tlike I was so excited about this
newfound like skill that Ididn't really think like much
about it. I was just like, Oh mygosh. Like, look at me. I'm out
there doing and I was at thislady's house, and I was teaching
(09:22):
a class, and normally, like,whenever anybody comes in that I
don't know, I'll tell them, hey,listen, I have a vocal cord
issue. Just ignore it, whatever,blah, blah, blah. And this lady
had come in late and I'mtalking. She stops the class and
(09:44):
says, whoa, what's wrong withyour voice? And I was like,
serious, oh, oh, oh, Sammy, so,so, literally, I was like, Oh,
I, I'm sorry you missed mylittle intro. Yeah, I've got a
vocal cord. It is shoe. Don'tworry about it like me here,
dad, she could hate you, and shedoesn't leave it alone. And she
(10:08):
goes, does they are hurt? AndI'm like, Well, I'm slightly
uncomfortable, but like, it'snot a big deal. No, it's not a
hurting. Well, I can't standlistening to you, because it
sounds like it hurts, and shejust goes on this huge thing,
and before, literally, I wouldhave probably started crying
(10:32):
and, like, ran out of thatwoman's house. But I, I
literally was like, listen, whocares about my voice right now?
And I kind of said it with,like, nicely. I was like,
listen, we're really not here tobe worried about my voice. I
mean, here because I want toeducate you and help you. Yeah,
(10:54):
it's not a big deal, right? AndI just kept on and kept
teaching. And after I got in thecar, and I was like, holy cow,
like, I just did that anddidn't, didn't cry, and also
stayed on purpose. So yeah, soit isn't like, Hey, I think,
(11:21):
Wait, this is really important,something that I do do when I do
notice, like, if I have to makea phone call, just told the
habits pop in, I will literallyjust force myself to do it.
There's a really good book byMel Robbins called the Five
(11:42):
second rule. Okay, so the fivesecond rule, literally, I will
get in my head like, Oh, you'rehaving a bad voice. Day you
shouldn't be doing don't call.Wait till tomorrow, blah, blah,
blah. And I just count down, andthen I just dial it, and there
is no thought, and then I'mcommitted. So the biggest thing
(12:06):
that I can say is, even whenthings are getting in your way,
you just have to do it. So yougotta do it. The scared and you
need to just do it anyway. Andthen once jump in, you realize
like, Oh, I'm fine. Yeah, wasn't
Sami Bedell-Mulhern (12:24):
so bad. But I think that, I think the key
element here is what you said atthe beginning, is what helped
you shift was being that youdecided that you your core
value, your core feelings, whereyou wanted to be of service to
people, and that was moreimportant than you, and that's
what helped you kind of flip it.And so I think that's key. Like,
(12:47):
if you're trying to pushyourself into something you
don't actually care about,whatever that is, or something
you're you know, like, if you'rein a job and you have this task,
and you find yourself not doingthose tasks over and over and
over again, because you're justnot like in it, it's gonna bring
all those up to the surface, andit's gonna be harder to go
through. So, like, would yousay? Like, that is the key kind
(13:07):
of thing is your vision of whatyou wanted to do was so in line
with who you were as a personthat it allowed you to kind of
push through.
Jennifer Shell (13:17):
Yes, ma'am. So spot on, Sami, like, I really
feel like you have to find yourwhy and your purpose. And if you
keep like you're saying, like,if you keep finding excuses not
to and you've tried to pushthrough really look at is said?
Is it your your primitive braintrying to keep you safe, which
(13:43):
is a lie, right? Because if youjust stay stay the same, you're
gonna stay stuck. Or is thatyou're truly just not living in
your purpose?
Sami Bedell-Mulhern (13:55):
Yeah, and that can be true, not just for
your work. That can be true foryour relationships, your
friendships, how you show up forthe people you care about,
right? Like, I think, you know,and this wasn't necessarily
something we were gonna get intotoday, but I think is important
in that, like, you know, you'rea mom, you're a wife, and I
think we tend to put the needsof everybody else outside of us,
(14:18):
and so if you're feeling lost,like, really kind of centering
yourself into, okay, who am I asJen, who am I as Sami, separate
from the world around me, andthat can really help make a big
impact. Oh,
Jennifer Shell (14:30):
this is huge. So, so as a mom of like older
teenage boys, like my almost 50year old self, look as back at
my 20, 3020s, 30s, my gosh,even, like up in my 40s, like
you're kind of just goingthrough the motions, right? Like
(14:53):
you're trying your kids arelittle, like you're just trying
to get through the day. Youknow? Okay, and then, like, I I
never stopped to think, like, AmI happy? Does my job align?
Like, am I feeling fulfilled?There was no time for that. Like
I had two crazy little boys. Sonow my boys are teens, and
(15:19):
they're pivoting and they'recoming into their own
independence that really gave methat time to kind of sit with
myself and really think like,who, what do I want the rest of
my life to look like? Who do Iwant to be a helping? How can I
help like things pivot,
Sami Bedell-Mulhern (15:43):
yeah, so in line with that, like, as you
were kind of going through, youknow, your journey of trying to
figure out how to treat youryour vocal cords, try to figure
out how you might be able tokind of work through and process
this, how important was thecommunity around you in kind of
continuing to push you forward,and then also helping to support
(16:06):
to push you into kind of thisawakening of I can, I can now do
this thing, because, yes, youdid it on your own. I don't want
to minimize like the work thatyou did for yourself, but I
think you know, did you have astrong community around you also
kind of validating thosefeelings that you were you were
realizing on your own.
Jennifer Shell (16:25):
So it's kind of sad, maybe because I don't think
I've told people like, I never,I'm like the type B, you push
through and you just do it. Sothe only person that saw my
weakness was That was myhusband, who, who has always
(16:47):
been my rock, my support, and hehe's just the sweetest man in
the world. Because he'd be like,I'd be like, Oh my gosh. I mean
him, it's such a bad day. Like,I'm just struggling. He needs,
like, honestly, babe, like, Idon't really hear it like he
just was, you know. So anyways,he's the only one that I really
(17:11):
would open up about it and and Ireally try and sad again, where
I wouldn't really even do thatvery often. So I think that is a
good life lesson. See me thatreally you, your community is
there in those for your truepeople. They want to help you.
(17:36):
They want to be there to supportyou, and you don't have to do it
alone, and I wish I would havetapped into that more. Yeah,
yeah.
Sami Bedell-Mulhern (17:52):
Well, because I think too it's
sometimes, even if it's not ahealth related thing, if you've
got this dream of something thatyou want to do, and you just
keep it in your head forever.Sometimes saying it to yeah,
sometimes saying it to somebodymakes it more real. And that can
either be a scary or B, kind ofhelp you be accountable to be
like, Hey, I'm kind of thinkingabout this crazy thing. What do
(18:13):
you think? And the feedback youget could go either way. But
sometimes saying it out loud isthe best thing you can do,
because it will actually helpyou. Now, it's not just this
thing in your head, it'ssomething that you said to
somebody, and now maybe you needto actually do it.
Jennifer Shell (18:29):
No, okay, now that's super true. Again, I did
not I'm a bad example of thiswhen I started this one, but
hopefully I can help otherwomen. Yeah. So when I did
first, like, um, so when COVIDhad happened and the clinic shut
down for like, six weeks, like,it, it was quiet, like, I really
(18:53):
realized, oh my gosh. Like, I I,like, just waking up when I want
I'm physically exhausted, and Ididn't even know it, because I
never stopped, and so I justkind of started like journaling.
So maybe if someone doesn't havea team or an outlet, or you're
(19:20):
you don't know how tocommunicate with them, right?
Like, I didn't, but like, Iwould journal. And so I started
journaling. Like, what? What doI want my life to look like?
What? What pieces of my life doI like that I want to keep, and
where would I like to see ashift? And so really, it was
journaling. And then I did go tomy husband and we talked, and he
(19:47):
was like, Well, okay, don't quityour day job. But yeah, you go
for it. So that's kind of howthat went down.
Sami Bedell-Mulhern (19:58):
Yeah, that's so good. Okay, so what is
like, what is on the horizon?What are you looking forward to?
You know, it, you know, it'sbeen a couple of years since
you've been doing this now,right, since you've been kind of
leaning into the speaking andthe coaching and whatnot. So
what, what are you excited forin the next few years, and how
are you going to continue tochallenge yourself, to continue
(20:20):
to grow in the way that youserve people? Yeah,
Jennifer Shell (20:22):
so that's good question. So the first thing,
like just being on podcasts likethat, that was like, whoo, look
at me. I'm doing it. Um, so myso right now I'm still working,
I guess, like chiropractor, andthen I do my side business. In
my other hours. Like it justwork a few days a week, and then
(20:46):
I'm doing that. So my goal isto, and if any of my patients
are listening, please don'tworry. But like, my goal is to
just kind of come down on thephysical hours where I'm at a
clinic and do more of justsupporting and mentoring women
(21:11):
on their journey with startingtheir own business in their
homes, right? Like how to howthat looks when you have kids
and things are crazy, and how totime block and how to find your
why and what are you lookingfor? It looks
Sami Bedell-Mulhern (21:31):
like this. If you're watching this on
video, it looks like this. Ihave not unpacked my office, and
we've been in this house forfive months. That's how it
looks. You just keep going, butwe Yeah, you do. We do what we
do. I love that. I think that'sgreat. And I think as a
chiropractor, as somebody whothinks you know about whole
(21:52):
health, whole body health, justthe path that you went on to try
to figure out how to best serveyour body, it makes sense,
because for a lot of us, itmanifests in a physical way,
even though it's stuff we needto deal with in just how we
process in our life. So I thinkthat's such a natural
progression, and seems likewould be a really, really great
(22:15):
fit for you. I love that. Well,I really appreciate you coming
today and being vulnerable andsharing about who you are. So if
people do want to connect withyou, Jen and learn more about
your story and kind of whatyou're up to, how can they do
that?
Jennifer Shell (22:31):
Yeah, so the best way is just on Instagram.
My Instagram set food to therescue, and there's a period in
between each word, and then justfrom there, like, if you need to
send me a message, that'stotally fine. Yeah, I
Sami Bedell-Mulhern (22:48):
love that. Well, we will link everything up
in the show notes, including theresources, the Mel Robbins book,
all of that ateasystylewithsami.com/30 Oh,
shoot. I just had it, and now Ilost it.
Easystylewithsami.com/37 I don'twant to give the wrong link, But
Jen, thank you so much for beinghere today and sharing your
story.
Jennifer Shell (23:08):
Oh, thank you. Sami, was my pleasure.
Sami Bedell-Mulhern (23:10):
I really appreciate Jen coming on today
to talk about her experience andwhat she's been through and how
it's shaped the way that she'spushing through and doing the
things that she really, reallyenjoys in life. So I hope you
got some inspiration from that,and kind of what your next steps
are, whether it's your personallife, with your friendships,
with your family, whether it'swith your job, how you advocate
(23:32):
for yourself at your job, andhow you can just do the things
that you love to do the best. SoI would really appreciate it if
you would subscribe whereveryou're watching this episode or
listening to it. We're onYouTube and everywhere that you
stream. So make sure you hitthat subscribe button so you
don't miss out on a singleepisode. And again, make sure
you head on over to the shownotes at
easystylewithsami.com/37 that'swhere you can grab all of the
(23:58):
resources and share this episodewith somebody that you think
might need to be inspired tokind of push through a block
that they need to overcome. Andfinally, if you have any people
that you know in your world thatwould be great guests that have
inspiring stories to share, we'dlove to have them. We have some
gentlemen coming up on thepodcast. We have a married
couple coming up on the podcast.So we'd love to talk to anybody
(24:20):
who just really wants to shareand be vulnerable with what
they're going through and howit's really helped them build
the best dreams and life forthemselves again. Thank you so
much for listening, and I'll seeyou in the next one.
Welcome to Easy Style with Sami. I'm your
(00:02):
host. Sami Bedell-Mulhern, eachepisode, I invite a friend,
family member, colleague or justsomeone I've met on this journey
called life, to come and sharetheir personal style and
approach to business, parenting,life and everything in between.
You'll hear motivational andinspirational stories that will
help you refine and build yourown personal style. Remember,
(00:25):
style is easy when it comes fromwithin.
Hey, friends, please join me inwelcoming Jennifer, Dr. Jennifer
Shell to the podcast. Thanks somuch for being here today.
Jennifer Shell (00:36):
Thanks much for having me. I'm excited. Yeah.
Sami Bedell-Mulhern (00:39):
So I always start off by kind of how I know
my guests, and in this case, wedon't know each other. And not
only that, we haven't really hadmuch of a conversation at all,
but what I love about your storyand how you reached out to me
was just really the feeling oftaking what's thrown at you and
overcoming it to still do thingsthat maybe you never thought
(01:00):
were possible, but, you know,let you up and kind of bring you
joy now. So I'm really excitedfor this conversation. I know
that our listeners are gonnalove it too. So before we kind
of jump into some of all ofthat, why don't you just
introduce yourself and tell us alittle bit about who you are.
Jennifer Shell (01:15):
Yeah, sure, some. My name's Dr Jennifer
shell. I've been chiropractorfor, gosh, almost 24 years. I
specialize in clinicalnutrition. That just means we
use diet modificationsupplements and plant based oils
for therapeutic benefit so thatand I'm a mom teenage boys
(01:41):
married and saw I have two jobs,and so I'm busy, but I just
really want to inspire women,because I pivoted, and I just
really think it's so importantto maybe hear somebody else's
story and realize you can do ittoo.
Sami Bedell-Mulhern (02:00):
I love that. That's why we're here. So
this is a perfect fit. And so Iwant to start with things kind
of happen in our lives that wecan't control. I mean, that is
the only constant is change,right? And so there was a big, I
don't want to say big thing,because I don't even know your
whole story, but there wassomething that kind of impacted
(02:22):
you with regards to how youshowed up for people, publicly
and in person. So why don't youshare a little bit about your
vocal cord issue and kind ofwhat that looks like and how
that affected you? Yeah,
Jennifer Shell (02:36):
sure. So when I was in chiropractic school, I
started noticing, like, like, Ithought my chest was tight, like
I felt like I couldn't get adeep breath. Like, am I anxious?
What's wrong? And I just kind oflived with it. And when I
graduated her back to school,came back home from Chicago, my
(03:01):
mentor was like, Jen,something's wrong with your
focal cords. Like you should go,Look, get it. Look, 10, maybe
you just have polyps. And I'mlike, oh, okay, so I just go by
myself to the ENT Your NoseThroat doctor, he did a scope,
(03:22):
and he says to me, I'm justsitting there thinking I just
have polyps. And he says, Yeah,you actually have a neurological
issue that causes your vocalcords to spasm. It's never gonna
get better. It could get worse,and there's nothing you can do
(03:43):
about it, except Botoxinjections through your throat,
into your vocal cords everythree months. And I was like,
what just happened? Like I justgot married, just coming into
practice. And I was like, thisis mind blowing. So for about 15
(04:03):
years, I traveled the country. Idid every holistic, integrative
thing I could. The condition iscalled spasmodic dysphonia. And
right now, like in the news,RFK, Jr, who is always speaking,
and everybody's like, why isthis boy so grappling? He has
(04:24):
the same thing. So I struggled,and I just forced myself to
work, you know, seeing patients.And people would say to me like,
Oh, are you nervous? Oh, are yousad, oh, are you sick, like all
(04:46):
the things. And it was veryintroverted. So finally, after
like 15 years, I started doingthe Botox shots, because it
does. Me Relief, like right nowthis like the best that it gets.
And I have just recently had atreatment, so this is as good as
(05:10):
it gets. Usually it gets kind ofsounds more strangled. Okay. So,
okay, so what happened, thoughduring this time is I didn't
even realize it, but I distancedmyself from like, my friends
because I hated using the phone.I wouldn't call the order food.
(05:35):
I wouldn't call my patients,like, no, no. Like, I can't do
that. So it would literallycause panic attacks. Yeah. So
then I realized also, then I waslike, not doing classes, like I
used to love, kind of teaching,going doing stuff, and I totally
(05:57):
stopped. So, so fast forward,and if you'd like to stop me at
any point, oh, no, you're great.Okay, so keep on going. Okay,
okay, so, so then I startedgetting Botox, but, like, I
still realized that, and Ididn't realize this until COVID.
(06:17):
I was sitting at home. Ourclinic was closed down for like,
six weeks, and I I just realizedlike I wasn't living my truth,
you know, like I was hidingbehind my voice and using them
To set up crutch and as anexcuse. And from that, that was
(06:44):
hard to swallow, and I thought,okay, like, like, stop this.
Like, who cares? So what itturns into was I figured out
that if I live from a place ofservice and a purpose that I can
(07:04):
talk in front of anybody, and Idon't introvert. So I was like,
why is what is this? Why am Iall of a sudden able to do this?
And it's literally because I'mextroverting off of myself, like
it's not about you, Jen, it'sabout what you need to
(07:26):
communicate. And it changedeverything. So since then, I've
just been on this mission tojust really trying to help
women, but anybody like whateverthing you think is holding you
back, it's probably just youstopping yourself. Yeah, I'm
(07:53):
like, here's a little toughlove. Stop making excuses and do
it.
Sami Bedell-Mulhern (07:59):
Yeah. I think this is so interesting
your perspective on this,because just like you were
saying, like your experience wassomething that is physical, that
people could see or hear orexperience alongside of you,
right, like it's not, I thinkfor most of us, the things that
hold us back our internalmindset or or things that people
(08:21):
can't physically see. So, youknow, in some ways, I mean,
they're both challenging toovercome. In some ways, yours is
more difficult because it's notsomething you can just kind of
hide away. So I'm curious, like,what is there something you know
now that when you're when youwere starting to kind of get
back out there and start doingmore speaking, or teaching more
(08:42):
classes, or feeling morecomfortable talking with your
patients. Was there somethingthat you just kind of told
yourself, like, did you kind ofpep yourself up or, like, how
did you kind of switch that tobe able to kind of re enter into
those things?
Jennifer Shell (08:57):
Yeah, okay, so that's really good question. So
at first, like, I really didn'tlike I was so excited about this
newfound like skill that Ididn't really think like much
about it. I was just like, Oh mygosh. Like, look at me. I'm out
there doing and I was at thislady's house, and I was teaching
(09:22):
a class, and normally, like,whenever anybody comes in that I
don't know, I'll tell them, hey,listen, I have a vocal cord
issue. Just ignore it, whatever,blah, blah, blah. And this lady
had come in late and I'mtalking. She stops the class and
(09:44):
says, whoa, what's wrong withyour voice? And I was like,
serious, oh, oh, oh, Sammy, so,so, literally, I was like, Oh,
I, I'm sorry you missed mylittle intro. Yeah, I've got a
vocal cord. It is shoe. Don'tworry about it like me here,
dad, she could hate you, and shedoesn't leave it alone. And she
(10:08):
goes, does they are hurt? AndI'm like, Well, I'm slightly
uncomfortable, but like, it'snot a big deal. No, it's not a
hurting. Well, I can't standlistening to you, because it
sounds like it hurts, and shejust goes on this huge thing,
and before, literally, I wouldhave probably started crying
(10:32):
and, like, ran out of thatwoman's house. But I, I
literally was like, listen, whocares about my voice right now?
And I kind of said it with,like, nicely. I was like,
listen, we're really not here tobe worried about my voice. I
mean, here because I want toeducate you and help you. Yeah,
(10:54):
it's not a big deal, right? AndI just kept on and kept
teaching. And after I got in thecar, and I was like, holy cow,
like, I just did that anddidn't, didn't cry, and also
stayed on purpose. So yeah, soit isn't like, Hey, I think,
(11:21):
Wait, this is really important,something that I do do when I do
notice, like, if I have to makea phone call, just told the
habits pop in, I will literallyjust force myself to do it.
There's a really good book byMel Robbins called the Five
(11:42):
second rule. Okay, so the fivesecond rule, literally, I will
get in my head like, Oh, you'rehaving a bad voice. Day you
shouldn't be doing don't call.Wait till tomorrow, blah, blah,
blah. And I just count down, andthen I just dial it, and there
is no thought, and then I'mcommitted. So the biggest thing
(12:06):
that I can say is, even whenthings are getting in your way,
you just have to do it. So yougotta do it. The scared and you
need to just do it anyway. Andthen once jump in, you realize
like, Oh, I'm fine. Yeah, wasn't
Sami Bedell-Mulhern (12:24):
so bad. But I think that, I think the key
element here is what you said atthe beginning, is what helped
you shift was being that youdecided that you your core
value, your core feelings, whereyou wanted to be of service to
people, and that was moreimportant than you, and that's
what helped you kind of flip it.And so I think that's key. Like,
(12:47):
if you're trying to pushyourself into something you
don't actually care about,whatever that is, or something
you're you know, like, if you'rein a job and you have this task,
and you find yourself not doingthose tasks over and over and
over again, because you're justnot like in it, it's gonna bring
all those up to the surface, andit's gonna be harder to go
through. So, like, would yousay? Like, that is the key kind
(13:07):
of thing is your vision of whatyou wanted to do was so in line
with who you were as a personthat it allowed you to kind of
push through.
Jennifer Shell (13:17):
Yes, ma'am. So spot on, Sami, like, I really
feel like you have to find yourwhy and your purpose. And if you
keep like you're saying, like,if you keep finding excuses not
to and you've tried to pushthrough really look at is said?
Is it your your primitive braintrying to keep you safe, which
(13:43):
is a lie, right? Because if youjust stay stay the same, you're
gonna stay stuck. Or is thatyou're truly just not living in
your purpose?
Sami Bedell-Mulhern (13:55):
Yeah, and that can be true, not just for
your work. That can be true foryour relationships, your
friendships, how you show up forthe people you care about,
right? Like, I think, you know,and this wasn't necessarily
something we were gonna get intotoday, but I think is important
in that, like, you know, you'rea mom, you're a wife, and I
think we tend to put the needsof everybody else outside of us,
(14:18):
and so if you're feeling lost,like, really kind of centering
yourself into, okay, who am I asJen, who am I as Sami, separate
from the world around me, andthat can really help make a big
impact. Oh,
Jennifer Shell (14:30):
this is huge. So, so as a mom of like older
teenage boys, like my almost 50year old self, look as back at
my 20, 3020s, 30s, my gosh,even, like up in my 40s, like
you're kind of just goingthrough the motions, right? Like
(14:53):
you're trying your kids arelittle, like you're just trying
to get through the day. Youknow? Okay, and then, like, I I
never stopped to think, like, AmI happy? Does my job align?
Like, am I feeling fulfilled?There was no time for that. Like
I had two crazy little boys. Sonow my boys are teens, and
(15:19):
they're pivoting and they'recoming into their own
independence that really gave methat time to kind of sit with
myself and really think like,who, what do I want the rest of
my life to look like? Who do Iwant to be a helping? How can I
help like things pivot,
Sami Bedell-Mulhern (15:43):
yeah, so in line with that, like, as you
were kind of going through, youknow, your journey of trying to
figure out how to treat youryour vocal cords, try to figure
out how you might be able tokind of work through and process
this, how important was thecommunity around you in kind of
continuing to push you forward,and then also helping to support
(16:06):
to push you into kind of thisawakening of I can, I can now do
this thing, because, yes, youdid it on your own. I don't want
to minimize like the work thatyou did for yourself, but I
think you know, did you have astrong community around you also
kind of validating thosefeelings that you were you were
realizing on your own.
Jennifer Shell (16:25):
So it's kind of sad, maybe because I don't think
I've told people like, I never,I'm like the type B, you push
through and you just do it. Sothe only person that saw my
weakness was That was myhusband, who, who has always
(16:47):
been my rock, my support, and hehe's just the sweetest man in
the world. Because he'd be like,I'd be like, Oh my gosh. I mean
him, it's such a bad day. Like,I'm just struggling. He needs,
like, honestly, babe, like, Idon't really hear it like he
just was, you know. So anyways,he's the only one that I really
(17:11):
would open up about it and and Ireally try and sad again, where
I wouldn't really even do thatvery often. So I think that is a
good life lesson. See me thatreally you, your community is
there in those for your truepeople. They want to help you.
(17:36):
They want to be there to supportyou, and you don't have to do it
alone, and I wish I would havetapped into that more. Yeah,
yeah.
Sami Bedell-Mulhern (17:52):
Well, because I think too it's
sometimes, even if it's not ahealth related thing, if you've
got this dream of something thatyou want to do, and you just
keep it in your head forever.Sometimes saying it to yeah,
sometimes saying it to somebodymakes it more real. And that can
either be a scary or B, kind ofhelp you be accountable to be
like, Hey, I'm kind of thinkingabout this crazy thing. What do
(18:13):
you think? And the feedback youget could go either way. But
sometimes saying it out loud isthe best thing you can do,
because it will actually helpyou. Now, it's not just this
thing in your head, it'ssomething that you said to
somebody, and now maybe you needto actually do it.
Jennifer Shell (18:29):
No, okay, now that's super true. Again, I did
not I'm a bad example of thiswhen I started this one, but
hopefully I can help otherwomen. Yeah. So when I did
first, like, um, so when COVIDhad happened and the clinic shut
down for like, six weeks, like,it, it was quiet, like, I really
(18:53):
realized, oh my gosh. Like, I I,like, just waking up when I want
I'm physically exhausted, and Ididn't even know it, because I
never stopped, and so I justkind of started like journaling.
So maybe if someone doesn't havea team or an outlet, or you're
(19:20):
you don't know how tocommunicate with them, right?
Like, I didn't, but like, Iwould journal. And so I started
journaling. Like, what? What doI want my life to look like?
What? What pieces of my life doI like that I want to keep, and
where would I like to see ashift? And so really, it was
journaling. And then I did go tomy husband and we talked, and he
(19:47):
was like, Well, okay, don't quityour day job. But yeah, you go
for it. So that's kind of howthat went down.
Sami Bedell-Mulhern (19:58):
Yeah, that's so good. Okay, so what is
like, what is on the horizon?What are you looking forward to?
You know, it, you know, it'sbeen a couple of years since
you've been doing this now,right, since you've been kind of
leaning into the speaking andthe coaching and whatnot. So
what, what are you excited forin the next few years, and how
are you going to continue tochallenge yourself, to continue
(20:20):
to grow in the way that youserve people? Yeah,
Jennifer Shell (20:22):
so that's good question. So the first thing,
like just being on podcasts likethat, that was like, whoo, look
at me. I'm doing it. Um, so myso right now I'm still working,
I guess, like chiropractor, andthen I do my side business. In
my other hours. Like it justwork a few days a week, and then
(20:46):
I'm doing that. So my goal isto, and if any of my patients
are listening, please don'tworry. But like, my goal is to
just kind of come down on thephysical hours where I'm at a
clinic and do more of justsupporting and mentoring women
(21:11):
on their journey with startingtheir own business in their
homes, right? Like how to howthat looks when you have kids
and things are crazy, and how totime block and how to find your
why and what are you lookingfor? It looks
Sami Bedell-Mulhern (21:31):
like this. If you're watching this on
video, it looks like this. Ihave not unpacked my office, and
we've been in this house forfive months. That's how it
looks. You just keep going, butwe Yeah, you do. We do what we
do. I love that. I think that'sgreat. And I think as a
chiropractor, as somebody whothinks you know about whole
(21:52):
health, whole body health, justthe path that you went on to try
to figure out how to best serveyour body, it makes sense,
because for a lot of us, itmanifests in a physical way,
even though it's stuff we needto deal with in just how we
process in our life. So I thinkthat's such a natural
progression, and seems likewould be a really, really great
(22:15):
fit for you. I love that. Well,I really appreciate you coming
today and being vulnerable andsharing about who you are. So if
people do want to connect withyou, Jen and learn more about
your story and kind of whatyou're up to, how can they do
that?
Jennifer Shell (22:31):
Yeah, so the best way is just on Instagram.
My Instagram set food to therescue, and there's a period in
between each word, and then justfrom there, like, if you need to
send me a message, that'stotally fine. Yeah, I
Sami Bedell-Mulhern (22:48):
love that. Well, we will link everything up
in the show notes, including theresources, the Mel Robbins book,
all of that ateasystylewithsami.com/30 Oh,
shoot. I just had it, and now Ilost it.
Easystylewithsami.com/37 I don'twant to give the wrong link, But
Jen, thank you so much for beinghere today and sharing your
story.
Jennifer Shell (23:08):
Oh, thank you. Sami, was my pleasure.
Sami Bedell-Mulhern (23:10):
I really appreciate Jen coming on today
to talk about her experience andwhat she's been through and how
it's shaped the way that she'spushing through and doing the
things that she really, reallyenjoys in life. So I hope you
got some inspiration from that,and kind of what your next steps
are, whether it's your personallife, with your friendships,
with your family, whether it'swith your job, how you advocate
(23:32):
for yourself at your job, andhow you can just do the things
that you love to do the best. SoI would really appreciate it if
you would subscribe whereveryou're watching this episode or
listening to it. We're onYouTube and everywhere that you
stream. So make sure you hitthat subscribe button so you
don't miss out on a singleepisode. And again, make sure
you head on over to the shownotes at
easystylewithsami.com/37 that'swhere you can grab all of the
(23:58):
resources and share this episodewith somebody that you think
might need to be inspired tokind of push through a block
that they need to overcome. Andfinally, if you have any people
that you know in your world thatwould be great guests that have
inspiring stories to share, we'dlove to have them. We have some
gentlemen coming up on thepodcast. We have a married
couple coming up on the podcast.So we'd love to talk to anybody
(24:20):
who just really wants to shareand be vulnerable with what
they're going through and howit's really helped them build
the best dreams and life forthemselves again. Thank you so
much for listening, and I'll seeyou in the next one.
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