July 18, 2024 • 52 mins
Are You Juggling Motherhood and Entrepreneurship? Learn How to Thrive with Liz Wengerd!
Today we're chatting with a supermom who has mastered the art of taking it one day at a time and building a life and business full of encouragement and routines. Get ready to be inspired by Liz Wengerd, a believer, wife, stay-at-home-mom, content creator, and entrepreneur.
Visit Liz's Website: www.LizWengerd.com
Follow Liz on instagram: @LizWengerd
Follow Liz's business on instagram: @LizsWoodDesigns
Visit Tori's website: www.ToriBlackmon.com
Read her personal blog: www.OnceUponATori.com
Follow the Contagious Victories: @ContagiousVictories
Follow Tori's Personal instagram: @OnceUponA_Tori
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Victoria B. Glass (00:00):
Welcome to the Contagious Victory's
podcast. Each week, we talkinspiration, explore
possibilities, and shareinsights from creative
perspectives. I'm Tori Blackmon,and I'm here to remind you that
your purpose in life is tocelebrate the victories because
victories are contagious.
(00:22):
Hey, hey. And welcome back to the Contagious
Victories podcast. I am so happyto be back here on the show.
Last week, I took a personalweek. We were out of town
visiting family, and then theweek before was July 4th.
So it's been a few weeks sinceI've talked to you last, but I'm
so glad that you're here andthat we are getting back into
(00:43):
the routine of posting everyThursday. So thank you again for
having Grace with me. Me. Sotoday, we are gonna be talking
about entrepreneurship andmotherhood, and how you can
juggle being a stay at home mom,a businesswoman, a content
creator, all of the things. Andyou might be wondering how in
(01:05):
the world could you do that?
Well, we are gonna be chattingwith a super mom today who has
mastered the art of taking itone day at a time. Let's look
into the world of Liz Wengerd,who has spent the last handful
of years balancing motherhoodand entrepreneurship. You know,
there's always gonna be thatconstant pressure to do it all
(01:25):
and be it all. It's easy to feeloverwhelmed and even a little
defeated, but our guest todayhas found a way to thrive.
Through her faith,determination, and intentional
routines, Liz Wengerd hascreated a life and business
filled with encouragement andpurpose.
We're gonna learn from herexperiences and gain valuable
(01:46):
insight today on how to take itjust one day at a time and build
that life and business thatbrings both fulfillment and joy.
Liz has a business where shecurates a collection of wooden
signs designed to add a touch ofmodern elegance to your home,
your wedding or bridal shower,or even just party decor. So sit
(02:09):
back, relax, and let's talk toLiz from Liz's Wood Designs.
Hey, everyone. Welcome back to the
Contagious Victories podcast. Ihave another special guest.
(02:30):
Today, we're talking to LizWengard from Liz's Wood Designs.
Liz, welcome to ContagiousVictories.
Liz Wengerd (02:39):
Hey. I am so happy to be here. I'm excited that we
are finally doing this. I'vebeen looking forward to it.
Victoria B. Glass (02:45):
Yes. I've been looking forward to catching
up again with you. It's been acouple months since I saw you
and got to actually meet you inperson, but I love following
along with your everydayactivities online and seeing how
your business has just beengrowing and taken off and then
also your personal brand. Sothanks for coming on today and
(03:05):
and talking about it. It's gonnabe an exciting conversation.
Liz Wengerd (03:08):
Yeah. I'm so excited. Thanks for having me.
Victoria B. Glass (03:11):
So, Liz, I know that you have a business
and a personal brand, like Isaid. Can you tell us a little
bit about who you are for anyonewho is meeting you for the first
time?
Liz Wengerd (03:20):
Yeah. I'm Liz. I'm a wife, a mom, a believer, and a
business owner, content creator.I wear lots of hats, but,
primarily, wife and mom. Thoseare my primary roles. I am just
your typical everyday stay athome mom, but I have a small
business that I run on the sideas a creative outlet. And that
(03:43):
all started because I quit my 9to 5. I had a corporate job that
I really loved, but the plan wasalways that I would become a
stay at home mom once we startedhaving children. And I really
looked forward to that season oflife. We worked really hard to
make so that I could do that.I'm really, really grateful for
the opportunity to stay home.But I did not anticipate how
(04:05):
hard it was gonna be to makethat transition from working
full time. I had been workingfull time for 5 or 6 years, and,
making that transition to beinga stay at home mom was really
difficult for me. I am anextrovert. I love being around
people.
So all of a sudden, being homeevery day with this tiny little
(04:25):
baby that I'm just getting toknow, was really hard. So
eventually, I started Liz's WoodDesigns when my oldest was
almost a year old. And I've beendoing it ever since. Just kind
of as like a little side hustle,gives me a little creative
outlet, and that has turned intoso many other things. It's given
me opportunity to become acontent creator. I discovered I
(04:49):
really enjoy that. So, yeah.It's just kind of one thing
leads into another, I guess, andmore doors open and more
opportunities come about, Iguess.
Victoria B. Glass (05:00):
Well, it is a very creative business, and it's
one that we haven't gotten anopportunity to hear about on the
show, Contagious Victories. Soyou work with Wood. Yes. Why did
you pick Wood? Was thatsomething that you were familiar
with before you had the businessor you, you you know, you grew
up kinda learning about?
Or is that something youdiscovered and, kinda made all
(05:20):
your own? Tell me a little bitabout why why wood is the
material.
Liz Wengerd (05:25):
Well, my husband is Tyson. He works at a wood shop
at a local wood shop, actually.And he's very familiar with it.
He's worked with it his entirecareer. And as I was kind of on
this journey to find a creativeoutlet after, my daughter was
about 3 months old, I was like,I need to find a hobby. So I was
like, I have more hobbies. Andso I kinda went on this journey.
(05:48):
And one time, him and I wereshopping, And we saw these
wooden cutouts, and he's like,you love designing stuff on the
computer. He's like, why don'tyou design things and have them
cut out? Because where he works,they have lasers and everything.
And so they are set up to cuteverything. And he's like, you
(06:09):
could design things, and wecould cut them out, and you
would just become one of ourcustomers, and then you can sell
them. So we kind of threw arounda few different ideas, but
that's really where the wholewood thing came from. I would
have never thought about this.And at first, it was kind of
like wood.
I don't know if I wanna do that.But as I researched and kind of
(06:31):
looked to see, like, what themarket looked like and exactly
what direction of wooden signs Iwanna do, because there's so
many different kinds of woodensigns out there. But I chose
just to do the simple cutouts.It's just a simple word, cutout
of wood that you can hang onyour wall or your party
backdrop, all kinds of thingsreally.
Victoria B. Glass (06:53):
Yeah.
Liz Wengerd (06:54):
And we love the simplicity of it. And so that's
the route I chose to start with,and it's been the most
successful for me.
Victoria B. Glass (07:01):
Oh, I'm so happy to hear that. And, yes, I
love the wood designs that I'veseen you've made online for I
think the last one I saw was a ababy shower where you had the
cute little wood sign be a partof the decor at the baby shower,
but you're right. You can usethem, you know, in baby rooms or
in a living room setting whereyou wanted maybe your last name
(07:22):
or your child's name to be onthe wall, and they are so pretty
and simple, and it's it adds alot to be something that is very
clean-cut, and, it makes a lotof sense that there's a laser
involved. I didn't know thatoriginally, so that makes a lot
of sense. You're not carving it,but instead you're cutting it.
And to hear that that was aventure that you and your
(07:44):
husband decided to do together,but it was something that he had
a background in, but you werenew to, seems really interesting
and exciting, and that's a funorigin story for Liz's Wood
Designs. So I'm glad youelaborated on that.
Liz Wengerd (07:59):
Yeah. I really love it. It's a story I haven't
really talked about for a while,I guess, now as we're chatting
about it. But it's really coolbecause when I have questions
about like, when I was firststarting, I was learning so
much.
Like, what files do I need forthe laser to be compatible with,
you know, when I design things?Or what about different wood
types and different woodthicknesses? Like, he was my go
(08:21):
to. And I also love that I getto work with a local business.
And so they make all of thesigns for me, and then he gets
to bring them home because it'swhere he works.
And so it it works out reallywell, but I love that we started
it. The idea started with us,like, brainstorming together,
and then I was able to kind ofrun with it, which I think is a
(08:42):
lot of fun.
Victoria B. Glass (08:44):
Yes. And that's a victory story of, like,
to anyone listening, you mighthave something out there that
you haven't even tapped in toyet or haven't even been exposed
to yet, and it could be a lovethat you could turn into a
business or just have a hobbywith. So we're always growing
even in our adult lives and evenwhen we get married or become
mamas or wives. There's alwaysan opportunity for us to start a
(09:07):
new story, to start a newchapter.
So I always I love hearing howpeople got to where they are.
And tell me how long have youhad Liz's Wood designs? Is it,
how long have you been doing it?
Liz Wengerd (09:17):
I've been doing it for 4 and a half years. In
November, over 5 years.
Victoria B. Glass (09:21):
Yeah. Wow.
Liz Wengerd (09:22):
You say you just you just have to be willing to
try. That's I've tried lots ofdifferent ventures and different
side hustles, I guess, you couldsay. You just have to be willing
to try things. Like, Tysonalways told me, he's like, keep
trying until you find somethingthat you love, that clicks. And
(09:42):
that's that's kinda what I did.I tried, like, 2 or 3 different
things before I started Liz'sWood Designs, actually. You have
to be willing to try new thingsbecause like you were saying,
you just never know what's outthere that you haven't tried,
you don't know anything about.But don't be intimidated about
it. Just go into it with an openmind and open heart and, you
know, take one step at a time.
Victoria B. Glass (10:04):
Yes. And you're never alone whether it's
your husband or you've got theLord there. And so if it doesn't
work out, you can always tryagain something else. And like
you said, that's a perfectexample of how it might not be
the first 2 or 3 things that youtried. But look at you now.
You've got Liz's Wood Designs,and you've been going for almost
5 years. And this is pretty new,but still you've got those 4 or
(10:25):
5 years behind you where it'slike, this is working. And I'm
getting a lot of market feedbackthat this is working. So so
congratulations, kudos, or, youknow, to that. And, let's talk a
little bit more about just beinga stay at home mom and being a
wife who has a business. Whatdoes your kids think about you
having your own thing? Like, howhow do they are they involved?
(10:46):
Do they know what what thatlooks like? Tell me about what
it's like to have a businesswhile you're a stay at home mom.
Liz Wengerd (10:55):
It's a balancing act that is never perfected,
basically. I just don't thinkthat I ever have 100% balance
and everything. But my daughter,she's my oldest.
She will be 6 this year, and shethinks it's so cool. And every
once in a while, she'll be like,I'm gonna have this business
when I grow up or or I'm gonnado this thing. And I'm just
(11:16):
like, you know, I love that sheis so intrigued by, like, having
her own. Obviously, there is nopressure from me for her to have
her own business. Like, I don't,you know, don't want my kids to
feel that sense of pressure.
But, they definitely know what'sgoing on. And, my son, he is 2,
and he loves when I go down tomy office to package orders. He
(11:38):
likes just kinda hang out therewhile I do that. I do try to
often work while my kids aresleeping or having quiet time
slash napping. That's kind ofwhen I get the bulk of my work
done because I really try to bepresent when they're awake and
are around, and try not to do alot of work while they're
around.
(11:58):
I like this just because itgives me a sense of, like, I can
do this as my own time and mycreative outlet, but then when
the kids are around and I haveto be present as a mom, then I
can do that. I find for myself,it's hard to balance working and
being a mom at the same time,like, in the same like, the kids
are awake and with me because Iget overstimulated fairly
(12:21):
quickly, and then I'm just notthe mom that I wanna be. So
that's, like, a priority to meto try to make sure that I'm the
kind of mom I wanna be, which isprobably all moms. You know? We
all wanna be the best we can be.
Victoria B. Glass (12:35):
Yeah.
Liz Wengerd (12:35):
But so that's kind of how I do things. Most times I
get up early and work, or I'lldo it during nap time and quiet
time. And I will say, like,right now so I started in
November of 2019 is when Istarted Liz's Wood Designs, and
my daughter was a year old. Soit was much easier in some ways
when she was younger because Ionly had one, and she slept a
(12:55):
lot more than she does now, youknow, during she took naps and
stuff during the day.
And so I had a lot more time tokind of get the ball rolling
with the business. And now I Idon't work a lot. I work, like,
5 to 10 hours a week probably,on the business, and I really
like that. It gives me an houror 2 a day. Also, when COVID
started in the spring of 2020,my business really skyrocketed
(13:20):
because everybody was lookingfor affordable home decor
because everybody was at home.
Victoria B. Glass (13:25):
Yeah.
Liz Wengerd (13:26):
I had, like, I think, 50 sales in my Etsy shop
in March of 2020 to, like, over900 by September. So I had a
huge yeah. It was wild.
Victoria B. Glass (13:38):
Woah!!!
Liz Wengerd (13:38):
It was a learning curve, but it was a lot of fun.
But since then, it's been alittle I feel like my numbers
are a little skewed because eversince then, like, everything has
slowed down more because as theworld started opening up and
people started going onvacations again and spending
their money on other things, Ithink home decor has become less
(14:00):
important in some ways. Not thatit's not important, but people
were really focused on it duringwhen the world was shut down,
because they were at home allthe time. So since then, it has,
like, slowed down a lot, whichin some ways has worked out
really well for me as my kidshave gotten older because it's
still a fun creative thing I doon the side, but it's not so
(14:23):
busy that I feel like I can't bepresent as a mom as well.
I feel like that was maybe a bitof a bunny trail, but I try
really hard to keep a goodbalance, because I wanna be
present with my kids. And but Ialso think it's really important
for me to have a creative outletbecause I Feel like I'm just a
(14:46):
better mom, I think, when I havea little something to do that's,
like, you know, for myself, Iguess, you could say in some
ways.
Victoria B. Glass (14:54):
Well, what I'm hearing you say is that the
balance that you want is morelike harmony and that you're
able to have that harmony thatyou want and keep it a little
bit flexible because you do havekids, you do have, you know,
priorities that are taking beingthe mom first. And you were a
(15:15):
person before you were a wife ormom, which is great. And now
that you're at home with them,there's pockets of time where
you can put it into productivethings like a hobby. And so this
hobby has now become a business,but it's still not something
that's so demanding of your timethat you can't put what you
really value, which is yourfamily, first. And I just love
(15:35):
that.
That is one of the things I loveabout being a business owner is
that we all have our owndifferent balances, if you will.
You know? Like and so thatbalance looks different for
everyone, and it's usually morelike harmony than balance, like
I said. And so to have thatfreedom to be able to serve your
clients and help them when theyneed it, whether it's on the
decor side or on the signageside, you can do that because
(15:59):
you do have the ability to makesomething using, you know, the
materials that you have, andit's not such a high pressure
situation that, like, corporatewould have. You know?
And so there's not to say that'sgood or bad, but a lot of times,
we wanna be with our familiesand stuff. And then sometimes
our families will take a nap,and we're like, now what am I
gonna do? So it seems likeyou've developed that harmony
(16:21):
really well just by knowingyourself and knowing what you
want, and then also having thecuriosity to be able to grow and
try out new things. And that, toto me, our listeners might have
a completely different dream.But to me, that is, like, the
ultimate dream, you know, is ishaving having the ability to do
it all, to be a Jane of alltrades.
(16:42):
You know? Like and, and, yeah,you've really balanced or
harmonized that mother, wife,business owner. From what I've
seen, you've done that reallywell. And I know that there's
gonna be listeners who tune inwho are like, how does she do
that? So do you have any, like,tricks or, like, you know, tips
or anything, like, that youmight be able to give to to a
(17:04):
past version of yourself who maynot even believe that this
version of you exists? Like,what would you say to her?
Liz Wengerd (17:13):
I would say to take it one day at a time. Take it
one day at a time. There aretimes when I feel like our
personal life and motherhoodfeels like there's a lot going
on and it really needs myattention more. So the business
takes a little more of a backburner. And as long as my orders
are being processed on time andI'm, you know, fulfilling my
(17:33):
obligations to my clients, thenthe back end things can just
kinda fall off.
I might not be pinning onPinterest. I might not be
sending out an email formarketing or posting on social
media or, you know, adding newproducts to my website or
creating a website. I justcreated a website recently. I've
been selling on Etsy this wholetime. And I just found that this
(17:54):
summer, it's a bit slower.
Summer is usually slower. And Iwas like, this is gonna be my
summer project to work on this.So, like, you really just need
to take it one day at a time andone step at a time. And it's
okay if sometimes your hobbyfalls on the back burner because
we do sacrifice a lot as wivesand moms for families. And I
(18:16):
think a lot of stay at home momscan relate with me on this one
because we are constantlyserving our families.
And I definitely do not have itperfected. I make my fair share
of mistakes. But, also, the bigthing for me is I try to ask
Tyson every once in a while,like, hey. How do you feel like
I'm balancing work and being awife and a mom? To kind of keep
(18:38):
his perspective with me, becausehe is the first person that's
gonna be like, hey.
Yeah. You have maybe beenfalling short here, or you're
doing really great here. And,like, gauging where he is at is
really helpful for me becausewe're a team, and we work
together for our family. And sothat's really important to me.
But there are just seasons thatcome and go, like, when I had so
(19:02):
I started my business when myoldest was a year old, but then
I've had a baby since then.
And I've had a miscarriage sincethen. So, like, going through
different seasons, you somethings take the back burner, in
business, and that's okay. Thenthere's other seasons where I
have a little bit more time andenergy, and I feel like I can,
you know, push it a little more.But I think one of the biggest
(19:26):
things for me when I started myshop, I had an Etsy coach tell
me this, and I don't think I'llever forget it. But she really
encouraged her students.
She said, you decide whatsuccess looks like to you. If
you want a side hustle where youwork 5 to 10 hours a week,
that's amazing. If you want afull time income, then that's
(19:47):
also great. But you'd have todecide what you're gonna
sacrifice. You have to decidewhat's important to you, and you
get to decide what success lookslike.
Society doesn't have to tell youwhat success looks like. You
have to decide what that lookslike for your life and the
lifestyle you want to live andwhat's important to you and your
partner. Or if you're just asolopreneur, you don't have a
(20:09):
family, like, you decide what isimportant to you. And those are
conversations Tyson and I haveoften. And I try to be very
intentional about it at leastonce a year to sit down and be
like, hey, am I prioritizingwhat's important to us?
And do it like, justreevaluating kind of. But I
don't think that you figure allthat out right away. Like, it
(20:31):
takes time. You don't knowexactly what you will do in
every situation until you getthere for some of those
situations. But I think justknowing what your goals are and
what your intentions are, isimportant.
But then also, like, don't gettoo hung up on your goals and
intentions. Like, also allowyourself to live and be
(20:52):
spontaneous in life and, youknow, do fun things. But I think
that's, like, one of the bigthings for me is, like, deciding
what is important to me, what isimportant to Tyson, and what do
we want for our family and forour children, and then basing my
success off of those goals.
Victoria B. Glass (21:13):
Right. I love that. I haven't heard of that
before, but it's so it seemslike common sense to say, I need
to check-in with my partner andjust make that time to see
myself from his perspective alittle bit. And it's not so much
about the world's version ofsuccess as it is your family's
version. And for the wives, thenthat looks like the husbands.
(21:35):
If you don't have if you're notmarried, maybe look in to a
friend or a parent who couldshed a little bit of light on
just grounding us back to who weare, and then that version of
success that looks which is whatit looks like to us, not to the
world. And then on top of allthat, having the grace to say,
if I don't meet that goal or ifit doesn't look like what my
(21:58):
version of success looks liketoday, then there's always
tomorrow, and there's alwaysnext week or next year if it's a
different season, and saying,I'm gonna have grace always. So
what what a good little check-intip that you just offered. I
love that. That is really niceof you to share that little tip,
and I'm gonna have to havelittle, you know, check-in
(22:19):
points with loved ones.
That's a really good way to makesure that you're on track with
with your family, with yourbusiness, with your wife, and
then also making sure thatyou're looking at looking at
everything with a really good alens, a good a good heart in a
way of, like, is my heart in theright place with that?
Liz Wengerd (22:37):
Mhmm. And I think Yeah. What I think they can
change. Your intentions andgoals can change. Like, when I
first started my business tonow, a lot has changed. And
there have been times whereTyson's like, hey. You know
what? Like, I think we need tochange what we're doing. Like,
one of the big things Iremember, I think it was in the
1st year. And you know whenyou're starting a business, it's
(22:58):
a lot of grinding to get it offthe ground and get it going and
you're figuring out so manythings. When I first started
shipping wooden signs, I didn'tknow what I was doing.
I've so many of them arrivedbroken and I'd have to replace
them, and I had to really refinemy packaging process. Process.
So you really learn as you go.And I remember I believe it was
(23:18):
in the 1st year. I'm a nightowl.
He is well, we're both nightowls, but I would like to stay
up late and work because that'swhen I felt like I was most
productive and energized. Butthen my daughter would wake up
at, like, 6 or 7 AM. So I wasgoing to bed at, like, 1 or 2 in
the morning and then getting upwith her. And then I wouldn't be
the mom I was wanted to bebecause I was tired and I was
(23:41):
grumpy. And, Tyson, at onepoint, he's like, I don't think
this is working for our familybecause I know that you are not
the mom that you want to be.
And so this is we need todiscuss something different. And
that was really hard for me.Like, it was it was kind of
humiliating because I'm like,oh, I'm failing. You know?
That's where my thought goesright away.
(24:03):
But he encouraged me to, like,wake up earlier because he had
to be at work at, like, 6o'clock or something. So he's
like, why don't you try wakingup when I go to work, like,
going to bed when I go to bed,waking up when I wake up, and
getting a little bit of workdone before our daughter wakes
up and see how you like that,and kind of and then work while
(24:25):
she naps. And I started doingthat, and it really changed
everything for me. Now Iactually prefer getting up in
the mornings and working in themornings. I'm not a morning
person still, but I like mymornings now.
When the house is quiet, thekids are still sleeping. But it
that's just an example. Like, itit takes humility, I think. And
(24:45):
I don't do this perfectly, soplease don't hear me say that.
But it's just checking in withone another, and I think being
honest with your partner if youare married or in a
relationship, just being honestabout what is important, and
encouraging each other in waysthat you see that you can do
better.
And for me, that was one of thethings. And I think it made all
(25:06):
the difference, and that was,like, one of the first big
hurdles I had to get over was,you know, it's okay to do things
differently than maybe what youoriginally preferred. Like, your
goals, your intentions canchange as time goes on, and you
can always, redo things. Youdon't have to start here and
then just do it like thatforever. You can you are
(25:28):
allowed.
You have permission to changeyour routines and your systems
if it serves you and it servesyour family better.
Victoria B. Glass (25:36):
And what I'm hearing you saying is you might
actually enjoy it. You might notlike it, like like you said, not
being a morning person, but youactually find joy in growing.
And I think that for so manypeople who have thought about
starting a business, the idea ofnot knowing how to do something,
like packaging or finding thethe pockets of time to work and
(25:59):
stuff, it can seem dauntingbecause it's just a big unknown.
But there are there are thingsthat you can enjoy from the
change of it.
And that growth and evolution,it's not scary when you enjoy it
and you're willing to have thatgrace of finding a good fit. And
it's it's not perfect. I don'tthink anybody, you know, wants
(26:20):
to be perfect or, like, thinksthat they are perfect, but it's
in those moments of, like, okay.I know I'm not perfect. I've got
a family or I've got children orI've got a husband who works in
these hours.
So, like, instead of sayingthat's my reason to not go at
all, it's saying those are gonnabe the reasons that I'm going
and that I can change and makeit fit and find those grooves
(26:43):
or, like, you know, find thoseroutes that you can take that
might not have been the one thatyou would have stepped on first.
But because you were willing toget up and try and change and
evolve and have that grace, thatyou are able to successfully go
down the road, you know, or,like, you know, make it work and
stuff. And it can be fun to toactually, you know, find that
(27:03):
joy and stuff. And I say theroad analogy because I follow
your personal Instagram andfollow your personal adventures
as well as your business win,and you've been doing a lot more
content creating and showing offyour real life and and the
moments where you're findingthose grooves. And sometimes it
looks like you getting on thereand saying, hey.
(27:23):
I didn't know how to do this,but I figured it out, and I'm
sharing with you. This is theway that I figured it out. So
I'm trying to save you time andmoney and energy and stuff by by
giving you this answer that Ifound already. So I love that,
and I love the content creationpart of the Liz Wengerd brand.
So tell me a little bit abouthow you've been getting into
that and the the joy that you'vebeen finding in showing up more
(27:47):
as a person online and not justyour business.
Liz Wengerd (27:51):
Yeah. I love that question. I actually started
creating content for thebusiness because I was like, oh,
if I'm gonna have this business,I need to promote my products,
you know, on social media orwherever you promote products.
And I was really excited aboutthat. But the more that I
started learning the contentcreation process and actually
(28:11):
discovered that I really enjoyjust sharing more everyday
moments in my life and inmotherhood rather than just
promoting my product.
And I know that when I follow abrand, I love seeing the
personal touches. I love knowingthe creators. I love knowing the
story behind it and what theydo. But I just really fell in
(28:34):
love with creating content, andI'm a big relational person. I
love connecting with people andmeeting new friends and pushing
myself outside of my box alittle bit.
And I don't know. I juststarted. I just started creating
content, and now here I am, itfeels like. But when I started
my personal Instagram account,it just felt like kind of a re-
(28:57):
like a fresh start for mebecause my business account had
kind of been through the ringerwith just me figuring out what
direction I'm going with thebusiness and also just life
things. It's been a lot of fun.
I really enjoy connecting withall of my followers, my
community. That's a big thing. Ithink we're all just looking for
community and connection. And mygoal is just to bring hope and
(29:21):
encouragement and inspiration topeople.
Victoria B. Glass (29:25):
Well, you do a great job with that. I love
looking at your, you know, dailyventures and your conversations,
like, you're telling of familythings that maybe you're working
on or, like, you know, earlierwe were chatting about the cup
that you put in your dishwasher,and it was so funny because I
had just had that conversationwith my husband. And it's
(29:46):
amazing how these little momentshappen to us all even if we're
not, you know, we're not puttingit online. They do happen. And
so I love your bravery and thecourage that you have found in
sharing those moments and how,as an audience member, I'm like,
I had that happen too.
So, like, the relatability thatyou're bringing in to the online
(30:09):
space, that is encouraging andthat is different from the
encouragement that you givethrough your business. So I
wanted to just bring it up andtalk about it, and I love
talking about your personalbrand and stuff. And for anyone
who's listening to thisconversation between you and I,
who is a fan of Liz, is theresomething that you wanna share
(30:29):
that maybe they don't know?Like, what's something that a
friend or a follower might notknow about you that you would
love for them to know but youmay have not gotten the chance
to tell them yet or share withthem yet? Is there anything like
that?
Liz Wengerd (30:40):
Oh, that's such a good question. I don't know if I
can think of 1 off the top of myhead because I tend to be such
an open book. I am I'm aexternal processor. I'm a verbal
processor. And so it is reallyhard for me to hide anything
because I tend to just kind ofwear my heart on my sleeves.
(31:03):
It is hard being a contentcreator sometimes is difficult
because you do wanna share somuch with your audience and
really be relatable. And this issomething I struggle with
sometimes because I wanna berelatable, but then there's also
an element of, well, some thingsare also meant to be private,
and I don't share my kids onsocial media hardly ever. I try
(31:25):
to keep their faces off ofsocial media. Just a personal
decision I kinda made as mysocial media grew. At first, I
was a little bit more, pickyabout it when my daughter was
first born.
And then as she got a littleolder, I said, you know, I think
it's okay. Like, I'm not tooconcerned. But over the last few
years, I just more and more feltthat nudge. That's a little bit
(31:46):
of a bunny trail. But it is I'mI'm such an open book and I'm
such a verbal processor thatit's really hard for me to hide
anything.
So long story short, I guess,it's I don't know. I can't think
of anything off the top of myhead that I'm just, like, dying
for people to know that theyprobably don't already know.
Victoria B. Glass (32:06):
Well, I was gonna say, I think I was gonna
ask what's your favorite color.Like, I just a random question
like that, but I think I know.Is it yellow?
Liz Wengerd (32:13):
Yes!! It is.
Victoria B. Glass (32:14):
Yeah. Okay. So that can't be the question.
Favorite food, maybe?
Liz Wengerd (32:18):
Sushi. Sushi!!
I love sushi. It's one of myfavorites. I was introduced to
it, like, a year and a half or 2years ago. And, I mean, I had
had it before, but I didn't havea good experience with it. And
so I just never tried it.
And then some of my girlfriendsintroduced me to some new sushi,
and now I'm obsessed.
Victoria B. Glass (32:36):
Okay. Well, I love sushi too very much. I'm
very much obsessed with it,like, to the point where I'm
like, I can't I have to reserveit for, like, birthdays and
anniversaries because otherwise,I'd just be getting the sushi
lunch deals, like, every day.
Liz Wengerd (32:50):
Yeah. I had sushi this week!
Victoria B. Glass (32:52):
It's so good. So what is your sushi roll?
Like, what's your order when yougo? Do you have a favorite sushi
roll?
Liz Wengerd (33:00):
Yes. I love the American dream roll, which I
don't know. There's a localrestaurant that has it that I
really love, and I'm not sureI've had it anywhere else, so
it's quite the same. But that'sa favorite. I'm a big like cream
cheese person, actually. And Ilove like deep fried sushi. That
it I just it's so good.
Victoria B. Glass (33:20):
We would really have a great sushi
experience because those are myfavorite sushi characteristics
too. But I haven't heard of theAmerican dream roll, so I'm
gonna go to my local place andsee if they could if they've
heard of it. And, that's a goodlittle thing that your followers
may have not known about you. SoI feel like that answers the
question well and is helpful tosomeone who hasn't tried the
(33:41):
American dream role. So I'mgonna have to go and try that.
It does make me wonder though,because they have, at my local
sushi restaurant, a Bama rollthat I don't now that you're
saying that, like, I'm like, Ibet they don't have that
everywhere. And so I wonder ifthe American dream is similar
where it could even be the sameas the Bama roll, but, like, the
name changes.
Liz Wengerd (34:01):
Maybe. I don't know. Yeah.
Victoria B. Glass (34:03):
That's true. Makes me wonder. But yeah. Yeah.
It is. So I didn't mean to go ona tangent of that, but I did
love the idea of, like, findingout something new about you that
I might not have known as, like,an audience member. Well, what's
something that you wouldrecommend to someone listening?
Liz Wengerd (34:19):
I think one of the first things that comes to my
mind, and this is probablybecause it's something I've been
struggling with lately, notbeing as consistent with my
everyday devotional time. I knowas a mom and as a business owner
and a content creator, when Iget a little bit of that quiet
time in the morning, I like totry to prioritize just getting
(34:40):
in the word, having a little bitof time to just sit sip my
coffee if I make it, and justread some scripture. I lately,
it's been really difficult forme to, like, one, prioritize it,
but then also, 2, I think wejust go through seasons where
reading scripture is a littlebit harder. And if that's the
case, listen to worship music.
(35:01):
Have a friend that you can talkto or pray with, or they can
pray for you. But that'ssomething that I just find it
helps me to just, like, have myperspective in a good place
before I start my day. And,yeah, I don't know. I guess
that's, like, one piece ofencouragement I have. If you are
a believer to continue toprioritize just that little bit
(35:25):
of quiet time with the Lord atsome point in the morning.
Victoria B. Glass (35:29):
Yes. Amen. And I love that you mentioned
doing it first thing in themorning. Anytime really is good.
I mean, like, you know, tosomeone who hasn't done it in a
while, find the time at anypoint in the day, even if it
means, like, you know, the lastthing you do before the you go
to bed. But I do agree thathaving it first thing in the
morning really does set thatintention. And if you, you know,
(35:51):
maybe read something that wasencouraging and then maybe later
on in the day have somethingcome up that you didn't expect,
It's nice to have that in theback of your head of, like,
wait, earlier today, I just readthis. But it's funny how, like,
when those things do happen andyou have read your scripture
that morning, it usually pointsto, like, that. And so it I I
think it's funny in the way of,like, it's usually needed.
(36:13):
You need to have that in theback of your your head for those
hard days. And the example thatcomes to mind, I don't know if
you saw it or not, but the otherday, about a week ago, I went I
got, got up early. I pulled Ihave these little cards that
have bible verses on, andsometimes I use that as, like, a
place to start whenever I sitdown with my bible. I'm like,
oh, well, this is a good Bibleverse to freshen up on today. So
(36:34):
it was do not be afraid.
And then later on that day, myhusband opened the door and
there was a snake on the reefthat fell inside the house. I've
never had that happen before,but I was
Liz Wengerd: Did you burn your house down?!? (36:46):
undefined
Victoria B. Glass (36:47):
Yeah. Well, that's what I wanted to do. And
then literally, I thought it wasso funny that I had that card
happen, and it it came on.
I think, actually, that waslater in the day that I saw
that. And so that made me reallyrecalibrate with, like, okay.
This was a scary situation. Idon't need to burn the house
down even though, like, thehuman first response was to do
(37:09):
that. But, and so, yeah, it'sit's funny in that way of, like,
how a lot of times when we dotake in the word, it really does
directly apply to that day's setof circumstances, whether we've
had them happen or if they arestill to come later on in the
afternoon or whatever.
Liz Wengerd (37:27):
I love that.
Victoria B. Glass (37:27):
I love that you brought up having that
devotion and creating that spacefor yourself and how it's helped
you. So what a goodrecommendation. Yeah.
Liz Wengerd (37:36):
Thank you. I truly and I didn't think I would ever
be a morning person, but and Iused to never understand when
people were like, read yourscripture first thing in the
morning. Because I truly,genuinely believe you can read
your scripture anytime of theday, and it's still meaningful
and it's still important to theLord and, you know, all of those
things. But I think I don't knowif it's just since, like,
(38:00):
becoming a mom or if it's likeI'm getting older and it feels
I'm a huge routine person. And Ithink that's just one of the big
things for me.
It's like, if I don't do itfirst thing in the morning, it's
kind of like exercising. If Idon't get my walk in first thing
in the morning, I'm much easierto skip it. You know? And that's
just one of those things as wellthat I've just learned that I
(38:23):
tend to overlook it if I don'tdo it. And that's just me. It's
different for everybody. There'sno right or wrong. But, yeah.
Victoria B. Glass (38:32):
Right. I mean, very true. There isn't a
right or wrong, and that goeswith everything. And I'm glad
you said the part about workingout.
I've been very inspired by youryou sharing your workouts in the
morning and that being in themorning too. And Dylan and I
just had a conversation earliertoday about finding a a good
time for both of us because wereally like motivating each
other. And so having the onlinecommunity where you get on,
(38:56):
you're like, oh, well, she'sdoing it. So, like, not to
compare, but just having thatencouragement of the community,
it makes it easier because, youknow, especially when we are
being honest about it andsaying, like, this might not
have been what I wanted to do. Iwanted to do this, but, you
know, I said I'm gonna do it,and I'm gonna do it.
So having those people, thosewhether you wanna call them
influencers or content creatorsor just community online who are
(39:20):
also in that same season oflife, it's been really
fulfilling for me because itmakes me do things that I may
have put on the back burner, butI'm like, I know this is good
for me. And so, yeah, justhaving that community is good.
And I wanna go ahead and tellthe listeners where they can
find you if this conversation islighting them up and if maybe
(39:41):
they're listening and thinking,I don't have that community or I
don't have that person who helpsme to stay accountable. Where
can they find you online?Because I want them to feel
confident about showing up andbecoming a part of that
community.
So, tell us where we can findyou online and why it's
important for them to followyou.
Liz Wengerd (39:59):
Well, I just love meeting new people. So if you
wanna come hang out with me,then please come say hi. You can
find me every day, pretty muchevery day on Instagram. That's
the primary place I like to hangout, just at at lizwengard, or
you can check out my website,lizwengard.com, and you can
find, like, all the links andeverything you need there. But I
try to just kind of hang out onInstagram stories. That is one
(40:23):
of my favorite places to be. ButI do kind of come and go
sometimes in different seasonsof life. I give myself grace as
we were saying to also step backand, be present.
That's something I've beenthinking about a lot today or
recently, I guess, is how to bepresent today and not just
looking to the past, but notjust looking to the future. But
(40:44):
I love hanging out andconnecting with everybody on
Instagram. And my hope is justthat you'll feel encouraged,
inspired, and just feel a littlemore hopeful.
Victoria B. Glass (40:55):
Yes. And, Liz, I think that you're doing a
fantastic job, and you arehaving a lot of grace with
yourself and with others too whoare still figuring out this
content creation online thing.You know, it's pretty new to all
of us. And I think when wecreate when we have, like, a
website like you've recentlylaunched, and when we have
(41:16):
really good stories that maybewe can put in our highlight
reels, then those things existbeyond us, and that's kinda
miraculous in itself to havethose encouraging Instagram
stories or, you know, thingsthat exist online on the days
that when we don't feel like it,or maybe we've had a hard hard
couple of days, or maybe we areyou know, you and I are women.
(41:38):
So maybe, like, emotionally, ourhormones are just not we're not
doing good today, so we don'twanna be online.
Liz Wengerd: Imposter syndrome kicks in for (41:44):
undefined
everybody at some point.
Victoria B. Glass (41:46):
Yeah. But I was gonna say
Liz Wengerd (41:49):
Go ahead.
Victoria B. Glass (41:50):
I was just gonna add that, you know, having
those things available to peoplewho might want to hang out with
us, but on the days that we'renot physically able to be there,
then it kinda goes beyond usand, and exists online where
people can still find theencouragement or they can read
the blog post or read thecaption or watch the Instagram
story so that, you know, onthose days when we're just we're
(42:14):
human, so, like, it happens. Youknow? We might be sick
physically or, like, you know,have the sniffles and don't
wanna show the sniffles on onInstagram or whatever. Yes. So I
just wanna also share that withyou because I've been feeling
that too a lot lately.
And, I think it's nice for us totalk about and have that grace
with ourselves, with each other,and then also have kinda like an
(42:34):
antidote of, like, well, thewebsite never gets sick or the
website doesn't have a bad dayor, like you know? So they so
that's a good representation ofwho you are that goes beyond the
flesh of the human part of us.And, and so and not to get,
like, weird about it, but, like,it's gonna it's gonna exist even
(42:54):
outside of our own selves andstuff. And so when, you know,
you take that kind ofperspective of it and say, I'm
putting this out there with theintentionality that it's gonna
help someone even outside of thetime itself, then, I think that
we're all being used in the waythat God wants us to be used.
And so, and He's using us. Andso just I don't know if that
(43:15):
makes sense, but I feel that.
Liz Wengerd: Something I am fairly (43:18):
undefined
passionate about and I think Ihave become more passionate
about this since I created mypersonal Instagram account
outside of just Liz's WoodDesigns Instagram is that as
content creators, it can oftenfeel like, oh, we need to show
up all the time and be, like, onsocial media all the time. And I
think it's really good for us toalso, like, give ourselves grace
(43:41):
and, like, let's not try toalways be beating the algorithm.
Like, that's one of my goals isjust to show up and create
content that feels reallyauthentic to who I am and the
goals that I have and what Iwanna share with my community, I
would much rather have a smallercommunity and feel like the
(44:02):
content is authentic. The and Ifeel like authentic and
community are worse.
It get thrown around so much onsocial media these days, but I'm
really passionate about creatinga space for my community that
they can feel inspired andencouraged by and feels
authentic to who I am versustrying to have, like, a huge
(44:23):
following and, you know, all ofthese things. I think all of
those things can be okay, and Ithink that they can come and it
can be fine. But for me, that'sjust a goal that I have, because
I want people to who come intomy little corner of the
Internet, to feel safe and feellike they have a place to belong
(44:44):
a place that they belong, andthat's something that is really
important to me.
Victoria B. Glass (44:51):
Well, I feel that and I applaud that, and I'm
very thankful for thatintentionality, that
perspective, and for thatfreedom that you bring to the
online space of just beingyourself. Because when you're
yourself, it gives other peoplethe permission to be themselves.
I think of, like, a garden andbeing the flower that they bloom
(45:13):
into and just being the bestflower that they are. And you do
that very well with yourInstagram and just with your own
intentionality and with yourbusiness. But when we connected,
it was through that Instagrampart.
So, I just wanna say thank you,and thank you for coming on and
talking about it because that isa victory too. And I just, think
(45:36):
that's really cool.
Liz Wengerd (45:37):
It is! And all of these things to say, like, I do
not want anybody to hear me andbe like, oh, she's got it all
figured out because I certainlydo not. I still get impostor
syndrome. Just 2 weeks ago, Iwas like, I'm gonna throw my
phone away. I am so you know, Ijust feel like I can't do this
or, like, I don't fit in thecontent creator space. Like, who
(45:59):
am I to think that I can be acontent creator?
And I think we all go throughthat. For me, usually, it
happens when I'm comparingmyself too much to other people
or I'm looking at other people'scontent and comparing my content
to theirs. I lose sight of,like, who I am and what I bring.
We all have unique stories, andwe all have unique perspectives,
(46:20):
and that is all shaped by yourlife. And I think that it is so
important to remember that.
Like, we are unique. God made usunique, and we all have a
perspective to bring to thetable. And we're not everybody's
cup of tea, and that is okay. Wedon't have to be best friends
with everybody. But I think themore that we are open and
(46:41):
vulnerable with people and, weare our truest self when we
communicate with people andconnect with people, we will
find our people.
They say that in the businessworld when you're talking about
marketing. Like, you market toyour ideal customer. And I think
I need to look at life a littlemore that way. I've been
challenging myself to look atlife more that way. You will
(47:05):
find your people and and connectwith your people.
And sometimes it's hard. Whenwe're going through seasons
where we're struggling, maybethere's something we're
struggling with internally andwe're trying to figure out, it
can feel very isolating andlonely, but we're not alone
because we do have God asbelievers, and that's really
encouraging. But those seasonsare hard. Oh, I don't know.
(47:27):
That's just a bunny trail tosay.
I don't want anybody to feellike, hey. She's got this all
figured out, because I don't.I'm just taking one day at a
time. That's what I always telleverybody. Just take it one day at a time.
Victoria B. Glass (47:37):
Well, I think too. Yes. We all have it figured
out by thinking that we don'thave it figured out. Like, I
think that's kind of the thecaveat of, like, when you think
of, like, I don't have it allfigured out. It's like, yes, but
that's exactly what you'resupposed to realize. And so,
Liz Wengerd (47:52):
You don't have to have it all figured out.
Victoria B. Glass (47:54):
Right. Exactly. And the fun kinda like
at the beginning of thisconversation. The fun is by
growing and having the curiosityto learn new things. And the
exciting part is that sometimes,those new things actually turn
out to be your favorite newthings to do, and you can, you
know, people will pay you to dothose new things or, like you
(48:15):
know? And it's a fun time tohave the conversation about how
we all don't have it figuredout.
Liz Wengerd (48:20):
Yeah. When you asked me earlier if there was
something that I want people toknow, this is actually a good
one. I feel like 5 years ago, ifyou would have told me that I
was gonna be quote, unquote acontent creator, I would have
been like, you're crazy. BecauseI had no desire to post everyday
life things and moments from mymom life and being a business
(48:42):
owner on social media. Like,that was not something that
really intrigued me that much.
But as I started my business andcreating started creating
content, that's where my love ofcreating content came from, And
I really just, I don't know, Ijust fell in love with it. I
kind of found a little communityand I discovered that I really
(49:03):
enjoy it. So, you know, justnever say never. That is that is
my life motto. You just neversay never because you don't know
what doors God open God willopen.
Victoria B. Glass (49:13):
Yes. That that's very true. Well, this has
been a fantastic conversation.It's been very authentic and
honest and also veryinformative. And there's been a
lot of tips, like you said,checking in with your husband or
your family and seeing if theyhave any feedback on how this
season's going for your life,and also, you know, trying new
(49:35):
things and letting them developand become what you might not
even imagine that they become.
And then also just the idea of,like, you know, realizing, hey.
I don't have it figured out, butthat doesn't mean I can't try to
figure it out in that excitingjourney that life could take me
on when figuring it out. So I'vejust really enjoyed this
(49:55):
conversation. I know that bothof us, have a lot of different
things that we're doing andstuff. And so anytime I get to
chat with you, Liz, it's alwayssomething that I feel, like,
excited about afterwards becauseit just lets me know I'm not
alone and that there are otherpeople out there who are facing
some of the same things even ifit's a cup in the dishwasher.
Yes. It's just phony to, like,have those check ins with with
(50:18):
people who are, you know,distant, but also friends. It's
like this fun community that wehave here online that that
really is helpful. So thanks forcoming on and being vulnerable
and sharing your victories. Andis there anything you wanna
leave us with?
Yeah. Yeah. Thanks for comingon.
Liz Wengerd (50:34):
I honestly just live one day at a time, live in
the present, and just focus onbeing where God wants you to be
and, you know, just takeeverything one step at a time.
You don't have to have it allfigured out right now.
Victoria B. Glass (50:47):
Alright. Well, that's great advice. Go
and follow Liz if you'relistening. Her Instagram handle
is @lizwingard. You can find heron her new website, which is
lizwingard.com, and then shealso has her wood design
business account, which is Liz'sWood Designs.
So you can check out all of herwork and her life and just the
(51:08):
beautiful things that she'ssharing on a daily basis online.
So go and check her out. And,Liz, thank you for coming on
again. I'm gonna be keeping upwith your victory story. So
Liz Wengerd (51:18):
Yes! Thank you so much for giving me the space to
share. It's always so much funchatting with you.
Victoria B. Glass (51:24):
Awesome. Well, we'll talk to you again
later. Bye, guys.
Thanks for joining us for thisweek's episode of the contagious
victories podcast. If the showinspired you to hear your own
victory story, I'm here to tellyou the world deserves to hear
it. Submit it to me online attoriblackmon.com. Review and
(51:46):
subscribe if that feels right.Telling your friend about the
show helps Contagious Victoriesto grow. Plus, we all appreciate
a little sunshine. I'm Tori B.Thanks for listening. I'll catch
you soon.
Welcome to the Contagious Victory's
podcast. Each week, we talkinspiration, explore
possibilities, and shareinsights from creative
perspectives. I'm Tori Blackmon,and I'm here to remind you that
your purpose in life is tocelebrate the victories because
victories are contagious.
(00:22):
Hey, hey. And welcome back to the Contagious
Victories podcast. I am so happyto be back here on the show.
Last week, I took a personalweek. We were out of town
visiting family, and then theweek before was July 4th.
So it's been a few weeks sinceI've talked to you last, but I'm
so glad that you're here andthat we are getting back into
(00:43):
the routine of posting everyThursday. So thank you again for
having Grace with me. Me. Sotoday, we are gonna be talking
about entrepreneurship andmotherhood, and how you can
juggle being a stay at home mom,a businesswoman, a content
creator, all of the things. Andyou might be wondering how in
(01:05):
the world could you do that?
Well, we are gonna be chattingwith a super mom today who has
mastered the art of taking itone day at a time. Let's look
into the world of Liz Wengerd,who has spent the last handful
of years balancing motherhoodand entrepreneurship. You know,
there's always gonna be thatconstant pressure to do it all
(01:25):
and be it all. It's easy to feeloverwhelmed and even a little
defeated, but our guest todayhas found a way to thrive.
Through her faith,determination, and intentional
routines, Liz Wengerd hascreated a life and business
filled with encouragement andpurpose.
We're gonna learn from herexperiences and gain valuable
(01:46):
insight today on how to take itjust one day at a time and build
that life and business thatbrings both fulfillment and joy.
Liz has a business where shecurates a collection of wooden
signs designed to add a touch ofmodern elegance to your home,
your wedding or bridal shower,or even just party decor. So sit
(02:09):
back, relax, and let's talk toLiz from Liz's Wood Designs.
Hey, everyone. Welcome back to the
Contagious Victories podcast. Ihave another special guest.
(02:30):
Today, we're talking to LizWengard from Liz's Wood Designs.
Liz, welcome to ContagiousVictories.
Liz Wengerd (02:39):
Hey. I am so happy to be here. I'm excited that we
are finally doing this. I'vebeen looking forward to it.
Victoria B. Glass (02:45):
Yes. I've been looking forward to catching
up again with you. It's been acouple months since I saw you
and got to actually meet you inperson, but I love following
along with your everydayactivities online and seeing how
your business has just beengrowing and taken off and then
also your personal brand. Sothanks for coming on today and
(03:05):
and talking about it. It's gonnabe an exciting conversation.
Liz Wengerd (03:08):
Yeah. I'm so excited. Thanks for having me.
Victoria B. Glass (03:11):
So, Liz, I know that you have a business
and a personal brand, like Isaid. Can you tell us a little
bit about who you are for anyonewho is meeting you for the first
time?
Liz Wengerd (03:20):
Yeah. I'm Liz. I'm a wife, a mom, a believer, and a
business owner, content creator.I wear lots of hats, but,
primarily, wife and mom. Thoseare my primary roles. I am just
your typical everyday stay athome mom, but I have a small
business that I run on the sideas a creative outlet. And that
(03:43):
all started because I quit my 9to 5. I had a corporate job that
I really loved, but the plan wasalways that I would become a
stay at home mom once we startedhaving children. And I really
looked forward to that season oflife. We worked really hard to
make so that I could do that.I'm really, really grateful for
the opportunity to stay home.But I did not anticipate how
(04:05):
hard it was gonna be to makethat transition from working
full time. I had been workingfull time for 5 or 6 years, and,
making that transition to beinga stay at home mom was really
difficult for me. I am anextrovert. I love being around
people.
So all of a sudden, being homeevery day with this tiny little
(04:25):
baby that I'm just getting toknow, was really hard. So
eventually, I started Liz's WoodDesigns when my oldest was
almost a year old. And I've beendoing it ever since. Just kind
of as like a little side hustle,gives me a little creative
outlet, and that has turned intoso many other things. It's given
me opportunity to become acontent creator. I discovered I
(04:49):
really enjoy that. So, yeah.It's just kind of one thing
leads into another, I guess, andmore doors open and more
opportunities come about, Iguess.
Victoria B. Glass (05:00):
Well, it is a very creative business, and it's
one that we haven't gotten anopportunity to hear about on the
show, Contagious Victories. Soyou work with Wood. Yes. Why did
you pick Wood? Was thatsomething that you were familiar
with before you had the businessor you, you you know, you grew
up kinda learning about?
Or is that something youdiscovered and, kinda made all
(05:20):
your own? Tell me a little bitabout why why wood is the
material.
Liz Wengerd (05:25):
Well, my husband is Tyson. He works at a wood shop
at a local wood shop, actually.And he's very familiar with it.
He's worked with it his entirecareer. And as I was kind of on
this journey to find a creativeoutlet after, my daughter was
about 3 months old, I was like,I need to find a hobby. So I was
like, I have more hobbies. Andso I kinda went on this journey.
(05:48):
And one time, him and I wereshopping, And we saw these
wooden cutouts, and he's like,you love designing stuff on the
computer. He's like, why don'tyou design things and have them
cut out? Because where he works,they have lasers and everything.
And so they are set up to cuteverything. And he's like, you
(06:09):
could design things, and wecould cut them out, and you
would just become one of ourcustomers, and then you can sell
them. So we kind of threw arounda few different ideas, but
that's really where the wholewood thing came from. I would
have never thought about this.And at first, it was kind of
like wood.
I don't know if I wanna do that.But as I researched and kind of
(06:31):
looked to see, like, what themarket looked like and exactly
what direction of wooden signs Iwanna do, because there's so
many different kinds of woodensigns out there. But I chose
just to do the simple cutouts.It's just a simple word, cutout
of wood that you can hang onyour wall or your party
backdrop, all kinds of thingsreally.
Victoria B. Glass (06:53):
Yeah.
Liz Wengerd (06:54):
And we love the simplicity of it. And so that's
the route I chose to start with,and it's been the most
successful for me.
Victoria B. Glass (07:01):
Oh, I'm so happy to hear that. And, yes, I
love the wood designs that I'veseen you've made online for I
think the last one I saw was a ababy shower where you had the
cute little wood sign be a partof the decor at the baby shower,
but you're right. You can usethem, you know, in baby rooms or
in a living room setting whereyou wanted maybe your last name
(07:22):
or your child's name to be onthe wall, and they are so pretty
and simple, and it's it adds alot to be something that is very
clean-cut, and, it makes a lotof sense that there's a laser
involved. I didn't know thatoriginally, so that makes a lot
of sense. You're not carving it,but instead you're cutting it.
And to hear that that was aventure that you and your
(07:44):
husband decided to do together,but it was something that he had
a background in, but you werenew to, seems really interesting
and exciting, and that's a funorigin story for Liz's Wood
Designs. So I'm glad youelaborated on that.
Liz Wengerd (07:59):
Yeah. I really love it. It's a story I haven't
really talked about for a while,I guess, now as we're chatting
about it. But it's really coolbecause when I have questions
about like, when I was firststarting, I was learning so
much.
Like, what files do I need forthe laser to be compatible with,
you know, when I design things?Or what about different wood
types and different woodthicknesses? Like, he was my go
(08:21):
to. And I also love that I getto work with a local business.
And so they make all of thesigns for me, and then he gets
to bring them home because it'swhere he works.
And so it it works out reallywell, but I love that we started
it. The idea started with us,like, brainstorming together,
and then I was able to kind ofrun with it, which I think is a
(08:42):
lot of fun.
Victoria B. Glass (08:44):
Yes. And that's a victory story of, like,
to anyone listening, you mighthave something out there that
you haven't even tapped in toyet or haven't even been exposed
to yet, and it could be a lovethat you could turn into a
business or just have a hobbywith. So we're always growing
even in our adult lives and evenwhen we get married or become
mamas or wives. There's alwaysan opportunity for us to start a
(09:07):
new story, to start a newchapter.
So I always I love hearing howpeople got to where they are.
And tell me how long have youhad Liz's Wood designs? Is it,
how long have you been doing it?
Liz Wengerd (09:17):
I've been doing it for 4 and a half years. In
November, over 5 years.
Victoria B. Glass (09:21):
Yeah. Wow.
Liz Wengerd (09:22):
You say you just you just have to be willing to
try. That's I've tried lots ofdifferent ventures and different
side hustles, I guess, you couldsay. You just have to be willing
to try things. Like, Tysonalways told me, he's like, keep
trying until you find somethingthat you love, that clicks. And
(09:42):
that's that's kinda what I did.I tried, like, 2 or 3 different
things before I started Liz'sWood Designs, actually. You have
to be willing to try new thingsbecause like you were saying,
you just never know what's outthere that you haven't tried,
you don't know anything about.But don't be intimidated about
it. Just go into it with an openmind and open heart and, you
know, take one step at a time.
Victoria B. Glass (10:04):
Yes. And you're never alone whether it's
your husband or you've got theLord there. And so if it doesn't
work out, you can always tryagain something else. And like
you said, that's a perfectexample of how it might not be
the first 2 or 3 things that youtried. But look at you now.
You've got Liz's Wood Designs,and you've been going for almost
5 years. And this is pretty new,but still you've got those 4 or
(10:25):
5 years behind you where it'slike, this is working. And I'm
getting a lot of market feedbackthat this is working. So so
congratulations, kudos, or, youknow, to that. And, let's talk a
little bit more about just beinga stay at home mom and being a
wife who has a business. Whatdoes your kids think about you
having your own thing? Like, howhow do they are they involved?
(10:46):
Do they know what what thatlooks like? Tell me about what
it's like to have a businesswhile you're a stay at home mom.
Liz Wengerd (10:55):
It's a balancing act that is never perfected,
basically. I just don't thinkthat I ever have 100% balance
and everything. But my daughter,she's my oldest.
She will be 6 this year, and shethinks it's so cool. And every
once in a while, she'll be like,I'm gonna have this business
when I grow up or or I'm gonnado this thing. And I'm just
(11:16):
like, you know, I love that sheis so intrigued by, like, having
her own. Obviously, there is nopressure from me for her to have
her own business. Like, I don't,you know, don't want my kids to
feel that sense of pressure.
But, they definitely know what'sgoing on. And, my son, he is 2,
and he loves when I go down tomy office to package orders. He
(11:38):
likes just kinda hang out therewhile I do that. I do try to
often work while my kids aresleeping or having quiet time
slash napping. That's kind ofwhen I get the bulk of my work
done because I really try to bepresent when they're awake and
are around, and try not to do alot of work while they're
around.
(11:58):
I like this just because itgives me a sense of, like, I can
do this as my own time and mycreative outlet, but then when
the kids are around and I haveto be present as a mom, then I
can do that. I find for myself,it's hard to balance working and
being a mom at the same time,like, in the same like, the kids
are awake and with me because Iget overstimulated fairly
(12:21):
quickly, and then I'm just notthe mom that I wanna be. So
that's, like, a priority to meto try to make sure that I'm the
kind of mom I wanna be, which isprobably all moms. You know? We
all wanna be the best we can be.
Victoria B. Glass (12:35):
Yeah.
Liz Wengerd (12:35):
But so that's kind of how I do things. Most times I
get up early and work, or I'lldo it during nap time and quiet
time. And I will say, like,right now so I started in
November of 2019 is when Istarted Liz's Wood Designs, and
my daughter was a year old. Soit was much easier in some ways
when she was younger because Ionly had one, and she slept a
(12:55):
lot more than she does now, youknow, during she took naps and
stuff during the day.
And so I had a lot more time tokind of get the ball rolling
with the business. And now I Idon't work a lot. I work, like,
5 to 10 hours a week probably,on the business, and I really
like that. It gives me an houror 2 a day. Also, when COVID
started in the spring of 2020,my business really skyrocketed
(13:20):
because everybody was lookingfor affordable home decor
because everybody was at home.
Victoria B. Glass (13:25):
Yeah.
Liz Wengerd (13:26):
I had, like, I think, 50 sales in my Etsy shop
in March of 2020 to, like, over900 by September. So I had a
huge yeah. It was wild.
Victoria B. Glass (13:38):
Woah!!!
Liz Wengerd (13:38):
It was a learning curve, but it was a lot of fun.
But since then, it's been alittle I feel like my numbers
are a little skewed because eversince then, like, everything has
slowed down more because as theworld started opening up and
people started going onvacations again and spending
their money on other things, Ithink home decor has become less
(14:00):
important in some ways. Not thatit's not important, but people
were really focused on it duringwhen the world was shut down,
because they were at home allthe time. So since then, it has,
like, slowed down a lot, whichin some ways has worked out
really well for me as my kidshave gotten older because it's
still a fun creative thing I doon the side, but it's not so
(14:23):
busy that I feel like I can't bepresent as a mom as well.
I feel like that was maybe a bitof a bunny trail, but I try
really hard to keep a goodbalance, because I wanna be
present with my kids. And but Ialso think it's really important
for me to have a creative outletbecause I Feel like I'm just a
(14:46):
better mom, I think, when I havea little something to do that's,
like, you know, for myself, Iguess, you could say in some
ways.
Victoria B. Glass (14:54):
Well, what I'm hearing you say is that the
balance that you want is morelike harmony and that you're
able to have that harmony thatyou want and keep it a little
bit flexible because you do havekids, you do have, you know,
priorities that are taking beingthe mom first. And you were a
(15:15):
person before you were a wife ormom, which is great. And now
that you're at home with them,there's pockets of time where
you can put it into productivethings like a hobby. And so this
hobby has now become a business,but it's still not something
that's so demanding of your timethat you can't put what you
really value, which is yourfamily, first. And I just love
(15:35):
that.
That is one of the things I loveabout being a business owner is
that we all have our owndifferent balances, if you will.
You know? Like and so thatbalance looks different for
everyone, and it's usually morelike harmony than balance, like
I said. And so to have thatfreedom to be able to serve your
clients and help them when theyneed it, whether it's on the
decor side or on the signageside, you can do that because
(15:59):
you do have the ability to makesomething using, you know, the
materials that you have, andit's not such a high pressure
situation that, like, corporatewould have. You know?
And so there's not to say that'sgood or bad, but a lot of times,
we wanna be with our familiesand stuff. And then sometimes
our families will take a nap,and we're like, now what am I
gonna do? So it seems likeyou've developed that harmony
(16:21):
really well just by knowingyourself and knowing what you
want, and then also having thecuriosity to be able to grow and
try out new things. And that, toto me, our listeners might have
a completely different dream.But to me, that is, like, the
ultimate dream, you know, is ishaving having the ability to do
it all, to be a Jane of alltrades.
(16:42):
You know? Like and, and, yeah,you've really balanced or
harmonized that mother, wife,business owner. From what I've
seen, you've done that reallywell. And I know that there's
gonna be listeners who tune inwho are like, how does she do
that? So do you have any, like,tricks or, like, you know, tips
or anything, like, that youmight be able to give to to a
(17:04):
past version of yourself who maynot even believe that this
version of you exists? Like,what would you say to her?
Liz Wengerd (17:13):
I would say to take it one day at a time. Take it
one day at a time. There aretimes when I feel like our
personal life and motherhoodfeels like there's a lot going
on and it really needs myattention more. So the business
takes a little more of a backburner. And as long as my orders
are being processed on time andI'm, you know, fulfilling my
(17:33):
obligations to my clients, thenthe back end things can just
kinda fall off.
I might not be pinning onPinterest. I might not be
sending out an email formarketing or posting on social
media or, you know, adding newproducts to my website or
creating a website. I justcreated a website recently. I've
been selling on Etsy this wholetime. And I just found that this
(17:54):
summer, it's a bit slower.
Summer is usually slower. And Iwas like, this is gonna be my
summer project to work on this.So, like, you really just need
to take it one day at a time andone step at a time. And it's
okay if sometimes your hobbyfalls on the back burner because
we do sacrifice a lot as wivesand moms for families. And I
(18:16):
think a lot of stay at home momscan relate with me on this one
because we are constantlyserving our families.
And I definitely do not have itperfected. I make my fair share
of mistakes. But, also, the bigthing for me is I try to ask
Tyson every once in a while,like, hey. How do you feel like
I'm balancing work and being awife and a mom? To kind of keep
(18:38):
his perspective with me, becausehe is the first person that's
gonna be like, hey.
Yeah. You have maybe beenfalling short here, or you're
doing really great here. And,like, gauging where he is at is
really helpful for me becausewe're a team, and we work
together for our family. And sothat's really important to me.
But there are just seasons thatcome and go, like, when I had so
(19:02):
I started my business when myoldest was a year old, but then
I've had a baby since then.
And I've had a miscarriage sincethen. So, like, going through
different seasons, you somethings take the back burner, in
business, and that's okay. Thenthere's other seasons where I
have a little bit more time andenergy, and I feel like I can,
you know, push it a little more.But I think one of the biggest
(19:26):
things for me when I started myshop, I had an Etsy coach tell
me this, and I don't think I'llever forget it. But she really
encouraged her students.
She said, you decide whatsuccess looks like to you. If
you want a side hustle where youwork 5 to 10 hours a week,
that's amazing. If you want afull time income, then that's
(19:47):
also great. But you'd have todecide what you're gonna
sacrifice. You have to decidewhat's important to you, and you
get to decide what success lookslike.
Society doesn't have to tell youwhat success looks like. You
have to decide what that lookslike for your life and the
lifestyle you want to live andwhat's important to you and your
partner. Or if you're just asolopreneur, you don't have a
(20:09):
family, like, you decide what isimportant to you. And those are
conversations Tyson and I haveoften. And I try to be very
intentional about it at leastonce a year to sit down and be
like, hey, am I prioritizingwhat's important to us?
And do it like, justreevaluating kind of. But I
don't think that you figure allthat out right away. Like, it
(20:31):
takes time. You don't knowexactly what you will do in
every situation until you getthere for some of those
situations. But I think justknowing what your goals are and
what your intentions are, isimportant.
But then also, like, don't gettoo hung up on your goals and
intentions. Like, also allowyourself to live and be
(20:52):
spontaneous in life and, youknow, do fun things. But I think
that's, like, one of the bigthings for me is, like, deciding
what is important to me, what isimportant to Tyson, and what do
we want for our family and forour children, and then basing my
success off of those goals.
Victoria B. Glass (21:13):
Right. I love that. I haven't heard of that
before, but it's so it seemslike common sense to say, I need
to check-in with my partner andjust make that time to see
myself from his perspective alittle bit. And it's not so much
about the world's version ofsuccess as it is your family's
version. And for the wives, thenthat looks like the husbands.
(21:35):
If you don't have if you're notmarried, maybe look in to a
friend or a parent who couldshed a little bit of light on
just grounding us back to who weare, and then that version of
success that looks which is whatit looks like to us, not to the
world. And then on top of allthat, having the grace to say,
if I don't meet that goal or ifit doesn't look like what my
(21:58):
version of success looks liketoday, then there's always
tomorrow, and there's alwaysnext week or next year if it's a
different season, and saying,I'm gonna have grace always. So
what what a good little check-intip that you just offered. I
love that. That is really niceof you to share that little tip,
and I'm gonna have to havelittle, you know, check-in
(22:19):
points with loved ones.
That's a really good way to makesure that you're on track with
with your family, with yourbusiness, with your wife, and
then also making sure thatyou're looking at looking at
everything with a really good alens, a good a good heart in a
way of, like, is my heart in theright place with that?
Liz Wengerd (22:37):
Mhmm. And I think Yeah. What I think they can
change. Your intentions andgoals can change. Like, when I
first started my business tonow, a lot has changed. And
there have been times whereTyson's like, hey. You know
what? Like, I think we need tochange what we're doing. Like,
one of the big things Iremember, I think it was in the
1st year. And you know whenyou're starting a business, it's
(22:58):
a lot of grinding to get it offthe ground and get it going and
you're figuring out so manythings. When I first started
shipping wooden signs, I didn'tknow what I was doing.
I've so many of them arrivedbroken and I'd have to replace
them, and I had to really refinemy packaging process. Process.
So you really learn as you go.And I remember I believe it was
(23:18):
in the 1st year. I'm a nightowl.
He is well, we're both nightowls, but I would like to stay
up late and work because that'swhen I felt like I was most
productive and energized. Butthen my daughter would wake up
at, like, 6 or 7 AM. So I wasgoing to bed at, like, 1 or 2 in
the morning and then getting upwith her. And then I wouldn't be
the mom I was wanted to bebecause I was tired and I was
(23:41):
grumpy. And, Tyson, at onepoint, he's like, I don't think
this is working for our familybecause I know that you are not
the mom that you want to be.
And so this is we need todiscuss something different. And
that was really hard for me.Like, it was it was kind of
humiliating because I'm like,oh, I'm failing. You know?
That's where my thought goesright away.
(24:03):
But he encouraged me to, like,wake up earlier because he had
to be at work at, like, 6o'clock or something. So he's
like, why don't you try wakingup when I go to work, like,
going to bed when I go to bed,waking up when I wake up, and
getting a little bit of workdone before our daughter wakes
up and see how you like that,and kind of and then work while
(24:25):
she naps. And I started doingthat, and it really changed
everything for me. Now Iactually prefer getting up in
the mornings and working in themornings. I'm not a morning
person still, but I like mymornings now.
When the house is quiet, thekids are still sleeping. But it
that's just an example. Like, itit takes humility, I think. And
(24:45):
I don't do this perfectly, soplease don't hear me say that.
But it's just checking in withone another, and I think being
honest with your partner if youare married or in a
relationship, just being honestabout what is important, and
encouraging each other in waysthat you see that you can do
better.
And for me, that was one of thethings. And I think it made all
(25:06):
the difference, and that was,like, one of the first big
hurdles I had to get over was,you know, it's okay to do things
differently than maybe what youoriginally preferred. Like, your
goals, your intentions canchange as time goes on, and you
can always, redo things. Youdon't have to start here and
then just do it like thatforever. You can you are
(25:28):
allowed.
You have permission to changeyour routines and your systems
if it serves you and it servesyour family better.
Victoria B. Glass (25:36):
And what I'm hearing you saying is you might
actually enjoy it. You might notlike it, like like you said, not
being a morning person, but youactually find joy in growing.
And I think that for so manypeople who have thought about
starting a business, the idea ofnot knowing how to do something,
like packaging or finding thethe pockets of time to work and
(25:59):
stuff, it can seem dauntingbecause it's just a big unknown.
But there are there are thingsthat you can enjoy from the
change of it.
And that growth and evolution,it's not scary when you enjoy it
and you're willing to have thatgrace of finding a good fit. And
it's it's not perfect. I don'tthink anybody, you know, wants
(26:20):
to be perfect or, like, thinksthat they are perfect, but it's
in those moments of, like, okay.I know I'm not perfect. I've got
a family or I've got children orI've got a husband who works in
these hours.
So, like, instead of sayingthat's my reason to not go at
all, it's saying those are gonnabe the reasons that I'm going
and that I can change and makeit fit and find those grooves
(26:43):
or, like, you know, find thoseroutes that you can take that
might not have been the one thatyou would have stepped on first.
But because you were willing toget up and try and change and
evolve and have that grace, thatyou are able to successfully go
down the road, you know, or,like, you know, make it work and
stuff. And it can be fun to toactually, you know, find that
(27:03):
joy and stuff. And I say theroad analogy because I follow
your personal Instagram andfollow your personal adventures
as well as your business win,and you've been doing a lot more
content creating and showing offyour real life and and the
moments where you're findingthose grooves. And sometimes it
looks like you getting on thereand saying, hey.
(27:23):
I didn't know how to do this,but I figured it out, and I'm
sharing with you. This is theway that I figured it out. So
I'm trying to save you time andmoney and energy and stuff by by
giving you this answer that Ifound already. So I love that,
and I love the content creationpart of the Liz Wengerd brand.
So tell me a little bit abouthow you've been getting into
that and the the joy that you'vebeen finding in showing up more
(27:47):
as a person online and not justyour business.
Liz Wengerd (27:51):
Yeah. I love that question. I actually started
creating content for thebusiness because I was like, oh,
if I'm gonna have this business,I need to promote my products,
you know, on social media orwherever you promote products.
And I was really excited aboutthat. But the more that I
started learning the contentcreation process and actually
(28:11):
discovered that I really enjoyjust sharing more everyday
moments in my life and inmotherhood rather than just
promoting my product.
And I know that when I follow abrand, I love seeing the
personal touches. I love knowingthe creators. I love knowing the
story behind it and what theydo. But I just really fell in
(28:34):
love with creating content, andI'm a big relational person. I
love connecting with people andmeeting new friends and pushing
myself outside of my box alittle bit.
And I don't know. I juststarted. I just started creating
content, and now here I am, itfeels like. But when I started
my personal Instagram account,it just felt like kind of a re-
(28:57):
like a fresh start for mebecause my business account had
kind of been through the ringerwith just me figuring out what
direction I'm going with thebusiness and also just life
things. It's been a lot of fun.
I really enjoy connecting withall of my followers, my
community. That's a big thing. Ithink we're all just looking for
community and connection. And mygoal is just to bring hope and
(29:21):
encouragement and inspiration topeople.
Victoria B. Glass (29:25):
Well, you do a great job with that. I love
looking at your, you know, dailyventures and your conversations,
like, you're telling of familythings that maybe you're working
on or, like, you know, earlierwe were chatting about the cup
that you put in your dishwasher,and it was so funny because I
had just had that conversationwith my husband. And it's
(29:46):
amazing how these little momentshappen to us all even if we're
not, you know, we're not puttingit online. They do happen. And
so I love your bravery and thecourage that you have found in
sharing those moments and how,as an audience member, I'm like,
I had that happen too.
So, like, the relatability thatyou're bringing in to the online
(30:09):
space, that is encouraging andthat is different from the
encouragement that you givethrough your business. So I
wanted to just bring it up andtalk about it, and I love
talking about your personalbrand and stuff. And for anyone
who's listening to thisconversation between you and I,
who is a fan of Liz, is theresomething that you wanna share
(30:29):
that maybe they don't know?Like, what's something that a
friend or a follower might notknow about you that you would
love for them to know but youmay have not gotten the chance
to tell them yet or share withthem yet? Is there anything like
that?
Liz Wengerd (30:40):
Oh, that's such a good question. I don't know if I
can think of 1 off the top of myhead because I tend to be such
an open book. I am I'm aexternal processor. I'm a verbal
processor. And so it is reallyhard for me to hide anything
because I tend to just kind ofwear my heart on my sleeves.
(31:03):
It is hard being a contentcreator sometimes is difficult
because you do wanna share somuch with your audience and
really be relatable. And this issomething I struggle with
sometimes because I wanna berelatable, but then there's also
an element of, well, some thingsare also meant to be private,
and I don't share my kids onsocial media hardly ever. I try
(31:25):
to keep their faces off ofsocial media. Just a personal
decision I kinda made as mysocial media grew. At first, I
was a little bit more, pickyabout it when my daughter was
first born.
And then as she got a littleolder, I said, you know, I think
it's okay. Like, I'm not tooconcerned. But over the last few
years, I just more and more feltthat nudge. That's a little bit
(31:46):
of a bunny trail. But it is I'mI'm such an open book and I'm
such a verbal processor thatit's really hard for me to hide
anything.
So long story short, I guess,it's I don't know. I can't think
of anything off the top of myhead that I'm just, like, dying
for people to know that theyprobably don't already know.
Victoria B. Glass (32:06):
Well, I was gonna say, I think I was gonna
ask what's your favorite color.Like, I just a random question
like that, but I think I know.Is it yellow?
Liz Wengerd (32:13):
Yes!! It is.
Victoria B. Glass (32:14):
Yeah. Okay. So that can't be the question.
Favorite food, maybe?
Liz Wengerd (32:18):
Sushi. Sushi!!
I love sushi. It's one of myfavorites. I was introduced to
it, like, a year and a half or 2years ago. And, I mean, I had
had it before, but I didn't havea good experience with it. And
so I just never tried it.
And then some of my girlfriendsintroduced me to some new sushi,
and now I'm obsessed.
Victoria B. Glass (32:36):
Okay. Well, I love sushi too very much. I'm
very much obsessed with it,like, to the point where I'm
like, I can't I have to reserveit for, like, birthdays and
anniversaries because otherwise,I'd just be getting the sushi
lunch deals, like, every day.
Liz Wengerd (32:50):
Yeah. I had sushi this week!
Victoria B. Glass (32:52):
It's so good. So what is your sushi roll?
Like, what's your order when yougo? Do you have a favorite sushi
roll?
Liz Wengerd (33:00):
Yes. I love the American dream roll, which I
don't know. There's a localrestaurant that has it that I
really love, and I'm not sureI've had it anywhere else, so
it's quite the same. But that'sa favorite. I'm a big like cream
cheese person, actually. And Ilove like deep fried sushi. That
it I just it's so good.
Victoria B. Glass (33:20):
We would really have a great sushi
experience because those are myfavorite sushi characteristics
too. But I haven't heard of theAmerican dream roll, so I'm
gonna go to my local place andsee if they could if they've
heard of it. And, that's a goodlittle thing that your followers
may have not known about you. SoI feel like that answers the
question well and is helpful tosomeone who hasn't tried the
(33:41):
American dream role. So I'mgonna have to go and try that.
It does make me wonder though,because they have, at my local
sushi restaurant, a Bama rollthat I don't now that you're
saying that, like, I'm like, Ibet they don't have that
everywhere. And so I wonder ifthe American dream is similar
where it could even be the sameas the Bama roll, but, like, the
name changes.
Liz Wengerd (34:01):
Maybe. I don't know. Yeah.
Victoria B. Glass (34:03):
That's true. Makes me wonder. But yeah. Yeah.
It is. So I didn't mean to go ona tangent of that, but I did
love the idea of, like, findingout something new about you that
I might not have known as, like,an audience member. Well, what's
something that you wouldrecommend to someone listening?
Liz Wengerd (34:19):
I think one of the first things that comes to my
mind, and this is probablybecause it's something I've been
struggling with lately, notbeing as consistent with my
everyday devotional time. I knowas a mom and as a business owner
and a content creator, when Iget a little bit of that quiet
time in the morning, I like totry to prioritize just getting
(34:40):
in the word, having a little bitof time to just sit sip my
coffee if I make it, and justread some scripture. I lately,
it's been really difficult forme to, like, one, prioritize it,
but then also, 2, I think wejust go through seasons where
reading scripture is a littlebit harder. And if that's the
case, listen to worship music.
(35:01):
Have a friend that you can talkto or pray with, or they can
pray for you. But that'ssomething that I just find it
helps me to just, like, have myperspective in a good place
before I start my day. And,yeah, I don't know. I guess
that's, like, one piece ofencouragement I have. If you are
a believer to continue toprioritize just that little bit
(35:25):
of quiet time with the Lord atsome point in the morning.
Victoria B. Glass (35:29):
Yes. Amen. And I love that you mentioned
doing it first thing in themorning. Anytime really is good.
I mean, like, you know, tosomeone who hasn't done it in a
while, find the time at anypoint in the day, even if it
means, like, you know, the lastthing you do before the you go
to bed. But I do agree thathaving it first thing in the
morning really does set thatintention. And if you, you know,
(35:51):
maybe read something that wasencouraging and then maybe later
on in the day have somethingcome up that you didn't expect,
It's nice to have that in theback of your head of, like,
wait, earlier today, I just readthis. But it's funny how, like,
when those things do happen andyou have read your scripture
that morning, it usually pointsto, like, that. And so it I I
think it's funny in the way of,like, it's usually needed.
(36:13):
You need to have that in theback of your your head for those
hard days. And the example thatcomes to mind, I don't know if
you saw it or not, but the otherday, about a week ago, I went I
got, got up early. I pulled Ihave these little cards that
have bible verses on, andsometimes I use that as, like, a
place to start whenever I sitdown with my bible. I'm like,
oh, well, this is a good Bibleverse to freshen up on today. So
(36:34):
it was do not be afraid.
And then later on that day, myhusband opened the door and
there was a snake on the reefthat fell inside the house. I've
never had that happen before,but I was
Liz Wengerd: Did you burn your house down?!? (36:46):
undefined
Victoria B. Glass (36:47):
Yeah. Well, that's what I wanted to do. And
then literally, I thought it wasso funny that I had that card
happen, and it it came on.
I think, actually, that waslater in the day that I saw
that. And so that made me reallyrecalibrate with, like, okay.
This was a scary situation. Idon't need to burn the house
down even though, like, thehuman first response was to do
(37:09):
that. But, and so, yeah, it'sit's funny in that way of, like,
how a lot of times when we dotake in the word, it really does
directly apply to that day's setof circumstances, whether we've
had them happen or if they arestill to come later on in the
afternoon or whatever.
Liz Wengerd (37:27):
I love that.
Victoria B. Glass (37:27):
I love that you brought up having that
devotion and creating that spacefor yourself and how it's helped
you. So what a goodrecommendation. Yeah.
Liz Wengerd (37:36):
Thank you. I truly and I didn't think I would ever
be a morning person, but and Iused to never understand when
people were like, read yourscripture first thing in the
morning. Because I truly,genuinely believe you can read
your scripture anytime of theday, and it's still meaningful
and it's still important to theLord and, you know, all of those
things. But I think I don't knowif it's just since, like,
(38:00):
becoming a mom or if it's likeI'm getting older and it feels
I'm a huge routine person. And Ithink that's just one of the big
things for me.
It's like, if I don't do itfirst thing in the morning, it's
kind of like exercising. If Idon't get my walk in first thing
in the morning, I'm much easierto skip it. You know? And that's
just one of those things as wellthat I've just learned that I
(38:23):
tend to overlook it if I don'tdo it. And that's just me. It's
different for everybody. There'sno right or wrong. But, yeah.
Victoria B. Glass (38:32):
Right. I mean, very true. There isn't a
right or wrong, and that goeswith everything. And I'm glad
you said the part about workingout.
I've been very inspired by youryou sharing your workouts in the
morning and that being in themorning too. And Dylan and I
just had a conversation earliertoday about finding a a good
time for both of us because wereally like motivating each
other. And so having the onlinecommunity where you get on,
(38:56):
you're like, oh, well, she'sdoing it. So, like, not to
compare, but just having thatencouragement of the community,
it makes it easier because, youknow, especially when we are
being honest about it andsaying, like, this might not
have been what I wanted to do. Iwanted to do this, but, you
know, I said I'm gonna do it,and I'm gonna do it.
So having those people, thosewhether you wanna call them
influencers or content creatorsor just community online who are
(39:20):
also in that same season oflife, it's been really
fulfilling for me because itmakes me do things that I may
have put on the back burner, butI'm like, I know this is good
for me. And so, yeah, justhaving that community is good.
And I wanna go ahead and tellthe listeners where they can
find you if this conversation islighting them up and if maybe
(39:41):
they're listening and thinking,I don't have that community or I
don't have that person who helpsme to stay accountable. Where
can they find you online?Because I want them to feel
confident about showing up andbecoming a part of that
community.
So, tell us where we can findyou online and why it's
important for them to followyou.
Liz Wengerd (39:59):
Well, I just love meeting new people. So if you
wanna come hang out with me,then please come say hi. You can
find me every day, pretty muchevery day on Instagram. That's
the primary place I like to hangout, just at at lizwengard, or
you can check out my website,lizwengard.com, and you can
find, like, all the links andeverything you need there. But I
try to just kind of hang out onInstagram stories. That is one
(40:23):
of my favorite places to be. ButI do kind of come and go
sometimes in different seasonsof life. I give myself grace as
we were saying to also step backand, be present.
That's something I've beenthinking about a lot today or
recently, I guess, is how to bepresent today and not just
looking to the past, but notjust looking to the future. But
(40:44):
I love hanging out andconnecting with everybody on
Instagram. And my hope is justthat you'll feel encouraged,
inspired, and just feel a littlemore hopeful.
Victoria B. Glass (40:55):
Yes. And, Liz, I think that you're doing a
fantastic job, and you arehaving a lot of grace with
yourself and with others too whoare still figuring out this
content creation online thing.You know, it's pretty new to all
of us. And I think when wecreate when we have, like, a
website like you've recentlylaunched, and when we have
(41:16):
really good stories that maybewe can put in our highlight
reels, then those things existbeyond us, and that's kinda
miraculous in itself to havethose encouraging Instagram
stories or, you know, thingsthat exist online on the days
that when we don't feel like it,or maybe we've had a hard hard
couple of days, or maybe we areyou know, you and I are women.
(41:38):
So maybe, like, emotionally, ourhormones are just not we're not
doing good today, so we don'twanna be online.
Liz Wengerd: Imposter syndrome kicks in for (41:44):
undefined
everybody at some point.
Victoria B. Glass (41:46):
Yeah. But I was gonna say
Liz Wengerd (41:49):
Go ahead.
Victoria B. Glass (41:50):
I was just gonna add that, you know, having
those things available to peoplewho might want to hang out with
us, but on the days that we'renot physically able to be there,
then it kinda goes beyond usand, and exists online where
people can still find theencouragement or they can read
the blog post or read thecaption or watch the Instagram
story so that, you know, onthose days when we're just we're
(42:14):
human, so, like, it happens. Youknow? We might be sick
physically or, like, you know,have the sniffles and don't
wanna show the sniffles on onInstagram or whatever. Yes. So I
just wanna also share that withyou because I've been feeling
that too a lot lately.
And, I think it's nice for us totalk about and have that grace
with ourselves, with each other,and then also have kinda like an
(42:34):
antidote of, like, well, thewebsite never gets sick or the
website doesn't have a bad dayor, like you know? So they so
that's a good representation ofwho you are that goes beyond the
flesh of the human part of us.And, and so and not to get,
like, weird about it, but, like,it's gonna it's gonna exist even
(42:54):
outside of our own selves andstuff. And so when, you know,
you take that kind ofperspective of it and say, I'm
putting this out there with theintentionality that it's gonna
help someone even outside of thetime itself, then, I think that
we're all being used in the waythat God wants us to be used.
And so, and He's using us. Andso just I don't know if that
(43:15):
makes sense, but I feel that.
Liz Wengerd: Something I am fairly (43:18):
undefined
passionate about and I think Ihave become more passionate
about this since I created mypersonal Instagram account
outside of just Liz's WoodDesigns Instagram is that as
content creators, it can oftenfeel like, oh, we need to show
up all the time and be, like, onsocial media all the time. And I
think it's really good for us toalso, like, give ourselves grace
(43:41):
and, like, let's not try toalways be beating the algorithm.
Like, that's one of my goals isjust to show up and create
content that feels reallyauthentic to who I am and the
goals that I have and what Iwanna share with my community, I
would much rather have a smallercommunity and feel like the
(44:02):
content is authentic. The and Ifeel like authentic and
community are worse.
It get thrown around so much onsocial media these days, but I'm
really passionate about creatinga space for my community that
they can feel inspired andencouraged by and feels
authentic to who I am versustrying to have, like, a huge
(44:23):
following and, you know, all ofthese things. I think all of
those things can be okay, and Ithink that they can come and it
can be fine. But for me, that'sjust a goal that I have, because
I want people to who come intomy little corner of the
Internet, to feel safe and feellike they have a place to belong
(44:44):
a place that they belong, andthat's something that is really
important to me.
Victoria B. Glass (44:51):
Well, I feel that and I applaud that, and I'm
very thankful for thatintentionality, that
perspective, and for thatfreedom that you bring to the
online space of just beingyourself. Because when you're
yourself, it gives other peoplethe permission to be themselves.
I think of, like, a garden andbeing the flower that they bloom
(45:13):
into and just being the bestflower that they are. And you do
that very well with yourInstagram and just with your own
intentionality and with yourbusiness. But when we connected,
it was through that Instagrampart.
So, I just wanna say thank you,and thank you for coming on and
talking about it because that isa victory too. And I just, think
(45:36):
that's really cool.
Liz Wengerd (45:37):
It is! And all of these things to say, like, I do
not want anybody to hear me andbe like, oh, she's got it all
figured out because I certainlydo not. I still get impostor
syndrome. Just 2 weeks ago, Iwas like, I'm gonna throw my
phone away. I am so you know, Ijust feel like I can't do this
or, like, I don't fit in thecontent creator space. Like, who
(45:59):
am I to think that I can be acontent creator?
And I think we all go throughthat. For me, usually, it
happens when I'm comparingmyself too much to other people
or I'm looking at other people'scontent and comparing my content
to theirs. I lose sight of,like, who I am and what I bring.
We all have unique stories, andwe all have unique perspectives,
(46:20):
and that is all shaped by yourlife. And I think that it is so
important to remember that.
Like, we are unique. God made usunique, and we all have a
perspective to bring to thetable. And we're not everybody's
cup of tea, and that is okay. Wedon't have to be best friends
with everybody. But I think themore that we are open and
(46:41):
vulnerable with people and, weare our truest self when we
communicate with people andconnect with people, we will
find our people.
They say that in the businessworld when you're talking about
marketing. Like, you market toyour ideal customer. And I think
I need to look at life a littlemore that way. I've been
challenging myself to look atlife more that way. You will
(47:05):
find your people and and connectwith your people.
And sometimes it's hard. Whenwe're going through seasons
where we're struggling, maybethere's something we're
struggling with internally andwe're trying to figure out, it
can feel very isolating andlonely, but we're not alone
because we do have God asbelievers, and that's really
encouraging. But those seasonsare hard. Oh, I don't know.
(47:27):
That's just a bunny trail tosay.
I don't want anybody to feellike, hey. She's got this all
figured out, because I don't.I'm just taking one day at a
time. That's what I always telleverybody. Just take it one day at a time.
Victoria B. Glass (47:37):
Well, I think too. Yes. We all have it figured
out by thinking that we don'thave it figured out. Like, I
think that's kind of the thecaveat of, like, when you think
of, like, I don't have it allfigured out. It's like, yes, but
that's exactly what you'resupposed to realize. And so,
Liz Wengerd (47:52):
You don't have to have it all figured out.
Victoria B. Glass (47:54):
Right. Exactly. And the fun kinda like
at the beginning of thisconversation. The fun is by
growing and having the curiosityto learn new things. And the
exciting part is that sometimes,those new things actually turn
out to be your favorite newthings to do, and you can, you
know, people will pay you to dothose new things or, like you
(48:15):
know? And it's a fun time tohave the conversation about how
we all don't have it figuredout.
Liz Wengerd (48:20):
Yeah. When you asked me earlier if there was
something that I want people toknow, this is actually a good
one. I feel like 5 years ago, ifyou would have told me that I
was gonna be quote, unquote acontent creator, I would have
been like, you're crazy. BecauseI had no desire to post everyday
life things and moments from mymom life and being a business
(48:42):
owner on social media. Like,that was not something that
really intrigued me that much.
But as I started my business andcreating started creating
content, that's where my love ofcreating content came from, And
I really just, I don't know, Ijust fell in love with it. I
kind of found a little communityand I discovered that I really
(49:03):
enjoy it. So, you know, justnever say never. That is that is
my life motto. You just neversay never because you don't know
what doors God open God willopen.
Victoria B. Glass (49:13):
Yes. That that's very true. Well, this has
been a fantastic conversation.It's been very authentic and
honest and also veryinformative. And there's been a
lot of tips, like you said,checking in with your husband or
your family and seeing if theyhave any feedback on how this
season's going for your life,and also, you know, trying new
(49:35):
things and letting them developand become what you might not
even imagine that they become.
And then also just the idea of,like, you know, realizing, hey.
I don't have it figured out, butthat doesn't mean I can't try to
figure it out in that excitingjourney that life could take me
on when figuring it out. So I'vejust really enjoyed this
(49:55):
conversation. I know that bothof us, have a lot of different
things that we're doing andstuff. And so anytime I get to
chat with you, Liz, it's alwayssomething that I feel, like,
excited about afterwards becauseit just lets me know I'm not
alone and that there are otherpeople out there who are facing
some of the same things even ifit's a cup in the dishwasher.
Yes. It's just phony to, like,have those check ins with with
(50:18):
people who are, you know,distant, but also friends. It's
like this fun community that wehave here online that that
really is helpful. So thanks forcoming on and being vulnerable
and sharing your victories. Andis there anything you wanna
leave us with?
Yeah. Yeah. Thanks for comingon.
Liz Wengerd (50:34):
I honestly just live one day at a time, live in
the present, and just focus onbeing where God wants you to be
and, you know, just takeeverything one step at a time.
You don't have to have it allfigured out right now.
Victoria B. Glass (50:47):
Alright. Well, that's great advice. Go
and follow Liz if you'relistening. Her Instagram handle
is @lizwingard. You can find heron her new website, which is
lizwingard.com, and then shealso has her wood design
business account, which is Liz'sWood Designs.
So you can check out all of herwork and her life and just the
(51:08):
beautiful things that she'ssharing on a daily basis online.
So go and check her out. And,Liz, thank you for coming on
again. I'm gonna be keeping upwith your victory story. So
Liz Wengerd (51:18):
Yes! Thank you so much for giving me the space to
share. It's always so much funchatting with you.
Victoria B. Glass (51:24):
Awesome. Well, we'll talk to you again
later. Bye, guys.
Thanks for joining us for thisweek's episode of the contagious
victories podcast. If the showinspired you to hear your own
victory story, I'm here to tellyou the world deserves to hear
it. Submit it to me online attoriblackmon.com. Review and
(51:46):
subscribe if that feels right.Telling your friend about the
show helps Contagious Victoriesto grow. Plus, we all appreciate
a little sunshine. I'm Tori B.Thanks for listening. I'll catch
you soon.
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