Today we’d like to introduce you to Tanya Spencer

Hi Tanya, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?

It’s 2007 and I’m newly certified both as a life coach and business coach at 39 years old. At the time, I told myself that coaching was just a good addition to my toolbox.

During that period, my intense consultant/ facilitator schedule was global — I traveled 3 to 9 months a year. It was normal for me to spend a week in, say, Kenya, fly back to Denmark for the weekend, but by Sunday, I was heading to another far-flung destination like Afghanistan, Yemen, or Sudan.

Being in global security and crisis management meant the demands were high. Once, I remember leading a multi-agency crisis management workshop for NGO leaders in Sri Lanka when full war erupted. Suddenly, it wasn’t just a drill – real life-or-death decisions had to be made REAL FAST!

That’s the thing… I lived off a crazy mix of new people, changing situations, short timelines, oh and high stakes. My toolbox needed more than a simple hammer. I began using coaching techniques to navigate the sensitivities of people I just met, in ways that they trusted me with their vulnerabilities.

Slowly, the idea of a career pivot began to dance in my dreams. But still, I didn’t dare to fully embrace being a coach. I convinced myself that Danish people would prefer Danish-speaking coaches. It was a line in the sand that I didn’t dare cross – classic limiting belief :-/
The irony??? I had coached loads of Danes. Time and again, I proved that I was good at coaching Danes. But, in my mind, I told myself I COULDN’T- and so in reality, I DIDN’T.

That’s the thing about limiting beliefs – they keep you “safe” from perceived, potential and probably unlikely threats. The fear of Danes rejecting my coaching services kept me super-glued to two unwanted yet very ‘safe’ options.

… until I finally jumped all in.

Now, my F🤬ck Being Stuck coaching globally reaches women in male-dominated fields who want to be powerful in their communication, presence and self-beliefs so that they go after the life they deserve.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?

From the outside, I literally had it all.

It’s 2013, and I’m at the height of my career in global security and crisis management. I had just published my second 5-star book and was regularly featured as an expert in the Danish media. As chairwoman of a global security network covering 194 countries and in my main job, I was responsible for 35 countries and thousands of people.

Oh and, my side-hustle was amazing too – I consulted for the UN, governments, NGOs, and Fortune 50 companies. I had built a solid reputation as a captivating and energetic facilitator – at that point, I had trained around 5,000 people IRL.

But on the inside, I was burning out with only my skin holding me up.
I was told my salary could be delayed since I didn’t have a family to support, even though I was the sole income earner for my family.
I had to constantly prove I was the expert in the room because I didn’t fit the stereotype for security.
I had the perfect family life, but I was too often reminded that I wasn’t there enough, and even when I was, I was never “fully” present.

My enough, wasn’t enough!
… then, stress, burnout, and depression ripped days, weeks and then finally a whole DECADE out of my life.

Hitting rock bottom smelled like sh*t – literally. As part of one unemployment activation, I had to clean the streets and I can safely say, dog owners should be better at cleaning up after their pets! And yet, despite the harsh reality of my situation, I was in an aura of gratitude.

Hitting bottom freed me from the pendulum that had swung between two unwanted yet ‘safe’ options – either, the demeaning requirements of unemployment OR the stressful ‘ticking-time-bomb-of’ security consultancies.

When it hit me, I was more grateful than I had ever been. Heck, I even listened to gratitude meditations & self-development podcasts while cleaning my city’s streets. And, trust me, my areas were ultra clean, done with pride and polished with gratitude :-)

All that warm, fuzzy gratitude comes from clarity in my decision to bring together my passion for coaching, my experience of often being the ‘only woman in the room’ and my ability to navigate tricky situations with influence, respect and power.

A decade worth of hesitations were GONE. So much so, I called my program F🤬ck Being Stuck coaching.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?

Imagine this: someone talks over you in a team meeting. Or, it could be they take credit for your ideas or make a micro-aggressive comment.

… how do you want to respond? How do you gain the respect you deserve in those moments? With my F🤬ck Being Stuck coaching, you learn to experience your emotions fully while still responding in ways that make you proud of how you showed up. And you cut out the stressors of doubts and second-guessing.

When you commit to yourself through my F🤬ck Being Stuck coaching, we carve out your own SPACE—where you define and claim exactly what you need to live unapologetically. Everything centers on owning your ‘Bad-Asshery’—your unique power.

You radiate respect because you’ve mastered self-respect, and your value isn’t just known—it’s felt. With every decision, every response, you embody unshakable trust in yourself, and suddenly, navigating life’s challenges isn’t just easier—it’s second nature.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?

I am lucky that my biggest supporters are my family despite us not being the traditional type. My godmother Carrie is my rock. My ex-husband and his family (my Danish family :-) still welcome me with open arms. And, I’m grateful for all the times my BFF’s family has treated me as one of their own.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.fitfabfresh40plus.com
• Instagram: tanya_fitfabfresh40plus

Image Credits

M. Eskekilde, J. Jungersen, H. Hulbaek