145 | From Abuse to Advocacy: Maxwell Leadership Mentor & Entrepreneur Marissa Nehlsen's Journey to Empowerment

About the Guest

Marissa Nehlsen is a renowned financial strategist, transformational coach, and motivational speaker recognized for her journey from impoverished roots to managing billions in assets. Born into generational poverty and raised in a home rife with trauma and dysfunction, she forged a path of resilience, later becoming a powerhouse in the financial industry. Beyond her role as a financial expert, Marissa is a member of the John Maxwell leadership team and an author of the book "Live Life Rich." She is passionate about empowering others through her journey of overcoming adversity to achieve success and fulfillment.

Episode Summary

In this compelling episode of "Becoming UnDone, host Toby Brooks dives into the extraordinary journey of Marissa Nehlsen, a financial strategist and transformational leader who rose from adversity to success. From enduring childhood abuse and poverty in North Dakota to becoming a mentor in the John Maxwell team, Marissa's story is not only inspiring but profoundly educational. This episode explores themes of resilience, empowerment, and overcoming challenges to find purpose and change lives.

Throughout the conversation, Marissa recounts her harrowing experiences from childhood, highlighting the pivotal moments that steered her towards resilience. The episode richly showcases Marissa's transformational journey, emphasizing her belief that adversity can be a stepping stone to one's highest potential. Discover how Marissa's faith, philosophy of living victoriously, and her endeavor to redefine 'wealth' interlink across her life story. Her narrative beckons us to consider how our pasts shape us, but do not define us, and how we possess the power to rewrite our destinies starting today.

Key Takeaways

• Resilience as a Driving Force: Marissa underscores the potency of resilience in rising above adversities and transforming obstacles into stepping stones for success.
• The Power of Choice: A central theme is Marissa's belief in choosing victory over victimhood, as instilled by her mother during times of hardship.
• Redefining Richness: Learn how Marissa redefines 'rich' beyond monetary wealth, encompassing emotional, relational, spiritual, physical, and financial richness.
• The Role of Forgiveness and Boundaries: Essential tools in her journey, Marissa shares how forgiveness and boundaries shaped her path to personal and professional fulfillment.
• The Importance of Vision: Despite losing her eyesight to Stargardt disease, Marissa illustrates the profound difference between sight and vision, advocating for a life led by purpose, not limitations.

Notable Quotes

1. "Get up, you've got to get up right now." - Marissa Nehlsen recalling a pivotal moment in her childhood that taught her resilience.
2. "You can choose to be a victim, or you can choose to be victorious. What will you choose?" - Marissa's mother's powerful words that shaped her outlook.
3. "Remove from me what is no longer for me." - Marissa's guiding prayer that illustrates her understanding of growth and necessary change.
4. "People don't follow you because of your eyesight. They follow you because you're a leader.

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Support the show

Becoming Undone is a NiTROHype Creative production. Written and produced by me, Toby Brooks. If you or someone you know has a story of resilience and victory to share for Becoming Undone, contact me at undonepodcast.com. Follow the show on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn at becomingundonepod and follow me at TobyJBrooks. Listen, subscribe, and leave us a review Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.