We recently connected with Jeanne Enstad and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Jeanne thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

Growing up on a small farm in rural America, as a tough, stubborn, workaholic, and German tomboy I learned hard work, respect, ethics, and faith. My parents and grandparents taught me to overcome any trial with the attitude of not being a victim. Being the tomboy I got up at 4 am with my dad and grandfather to milk cows, then after breakfast at 6 am, to the fields of either baling 100# bales, pulling weeds, picking up rocks, driving a tractor, butchering, gardening, survival, etc. I was taught to never complain and to figure things out for myself. I loved my life growing up on the farm but I also felt at times that my parents could have been a little easier, maybe more compassionate with me. But little did I know that this was going to be my lifeline to endure 30 years of surgeries, illnesses, financial and job hardship, divorce, etc. When I was going to my first marathon, I found that I had a bad mitral valve which put me in the operating room for open-heart surgery instead. In that surgery, my left lung collapsed, I had a stroke and went to Heaven for the first time. So instead of going to a race, I worked so hard for I had to learn to walk and talk again while still teaching and raising 3 children. Because of my strong German way of growing up, I pulled myself together and moved forward. Since that day I endured 5 more open heart surgeries, plus cancer twice, a head-on car accident, and being in a wheelchair off and on for 8 years, with my second visit to Heaven and meeting Jesus (through seeing His eyes and the bridge of His nose).

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My career started as a Preschool teacher which turned into working for Ohio State University Extension as a 4-H Program Director, curriculum and grant writer, camp director, project director, etc. I then had a collision with a semi which put me in a body cast and a second visit to Heaven. I then worked as a Program Director for a senior center, then as Center Director for Ford Motor Co. for the Family Service and Learning Center. My career continued to the publishing of my first book, “A Journey of Hope to Heaven and Back.” I traveled all over the United States doing book signings, speaking on radio and TV, and winning the Christian Author Award in Atlanta. My next book, “The Final Score” is soon to be released with my third book, “Jesus WithOut Walls” coming soon also. With so many people wanting to hear my story, I started to do Motivational Speaking, and life coaching to help others overcome various issues in their life. I’m also working on starting a Podcast (Built to Live a Life Worth Living) business and also working with film producers for an upcoming movie with 6-8 episodes. My passion is to help others to find their talents/gifts and teach them how to live through them. I also work with many on how to train their minds to overcome. No matter what we’re going through during these tough times, we can’t give in to a give-up mindset. We’re each built for something great, and once we understand the who, what, and why’s about us, we can start to build a life worth living. I also help others to get to know their creator and what He has waiting for them because, no matter how great it is here on Earth, the best is yet to come. Through my experiences of so many tough trials, I have heart knowledge and not just head knowledge. My example of being an overcomer of starting out 30 years ago to run a marathon to running again, after so many surgeries, etc. I now run in a tarnished, broken body to someday run that first marathon. Last December 3, I run my first 5K and am now up to a 10K while by our medical standards, I should not even still be alive. Through Faith, perseverance, and a positive mindset, you can do anything you put your mind to.

Any advice for managing a team?

As a team manager, I tried to make everyone feel like part of the team, and that I valued them and their input. I always tried to be available for them, my door was open. I would do team sessions where we would do various activities learning about their strengths and weaknesses as well as those on the team. Once we understood this we went into learning how we can work together, and make a better team by understanding how to combine our personalities to build a better team. We even put together skits to demonstrate how it works which opens the door of how to be a better team player. Learning to be positive, with good communication skills, and having respect for one another we understood how easy it is to agree to disagree. By allowing each person to express their thoughts as a group, we open the communication of knowing how we each think which doesn’t necessarily mean we have to agree, but we do need to respect each other by agreeing to disagree. I raised my three children by this rule and never argued with them.
Respect, open communication, and valuing others and their thoughts are key to managing a great team with maintaining high morale.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

When I had my first stroke during open heart surgery, I had a neurologist come to my hospital bed explaining how I will never walk or talk again. And to make it worse he was wearing a running suit! I looked straight into his eyes thinking, ‘You are totally wrong, my friend!’ I don’t know whether I was angry because he told me that I’d never run again or that he was wearing a running suit. My resilience rose to the top at that moment and never stopped until I did walk and talk again, and would also start my own business! My reward: months later I rolled my wheelchair into his office, and pulled right next to his desk, while he was telling me, “As I told Jeanne, from the very start. You will never be able to walk or talk again.” While wearing my running suit this time I stood up, walked around my wheelchair to the door, and said, “You were dead wrong Dr…. and I will see you at the next race. Oh and by the way, I won’t be needing this wheelchair!!”
That was only one of many moments of resilience. So in the business world, I know there’s nothing I can’t do when I put my mind to doing it!

Contact Info:

• Website: http://ajourney-of-hope.com,,, new one almost finished
• Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/jeanne.enstad.1
• Facebook: http://facebook.com/jeanne.enstad.1
• Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/jeanne.enstad.1
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/JeanneEnstad
• Youtube: http://YouTube.com/JeanneEnstad