Episode 18 — Waiting Seasons: How to Wait Well 
You have prayed. You have shown up faithfully. You have done the work. And the breakthrough, the answer, the thing you have been believing for, is nowhere to be found. Just crickets.
In this deeply personal and honest episode, Kristen speaks directly to the woman in the middle of a hard waiting season. Not from a place of having it all figured out — but from the middle of the waiting herself. With real vulnerability, genuine faith, and five practical tools for waiting well.
This episode also makes an important distinction: some waiting seasons are the result of correction or consequence, and if you feel conviction about something specific, that is worth addressing. But the waiting seasons Kristen focuses on here are the ones where you are doing everything right and God seems quiet. Those seasons are not punishment. They are preparation.
In this episode you will discover:The important distinction between waiting seasons that are corrections and waiting seasons that are preparationScripture’s greatest waiting stories, Joseph, Abraham and Sarah, David, Hannah, reveal about what God is doing in your waitingFive things your waiting season is producing in you when you navigate it wellWhat Isaiah 40:31, Psalm 27:14, and Lamentations 3:25 say about God’s faithfulness in the waitingWhy the Lord is described as good right now, even in the middle of the not yetFive practical ways to wait well, including staying close to God, guarding your mouth, pursuing excellence in what is in front of you, finding community, and remembering His past faithfulnessA reference to Episode 10 on Praying God’s Word Over Your Life as a companion practiceA personal prayer spoken directly over every woman listening
Five things your waiting season is producing:Genuine faith — the deep, tested kind that learns to trust God when it cannot trace HimCharacter — patience, perseverance, and the ability to stay faithful under pressureClarity — the waiting refines what you truly desire and aligns your will more deeply with HisCompassion — your waiting equips you to walk alongside others in theirsTestimony — the story of how you waited and what God did becomes one of the most powerful things you carry
Five ways to wait well:Stay close to God, press in rather than pulling back. Daily Word, worship, prayer, and communionStay faithful and excellent in what is in front of you, Joseph was faithful in the prison before the palaceGuard your mouth, speak faith not defeat. Read scripture over your life dailyFind community, do not isolate. Find at least one trusted woman who will pray with you and refuse to let you quitRemember what He has already done, gratitude for past faithfulness builds faith for present waiting
Scriptures referenced in this episode:Isaiah 40:31 — Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint.Psalm 27:14 — Wait for the Lord. Be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.Lamentations 3:25 — The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him.
Also mentioned in this episode:Episode 10 — Praying God’s Word Over Your LifePrivate 1:1 Coaching with Kristen — contact@kristenivanov.comConnect with Kristen on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedInVisit kristenivanov.com
Did this episode encourage you?Share it with a woman in your life who is in a hard waiting season. And if you are enjoying She Leads with Intention, a review on Apple Podcasts helps more women find this show. Thank you so much for being here.
Choose Brave. Lead with Intention. 

Episode 17 — Taking Responsibility: The Most Empowering Decision You Will Ever Make
Taking responsibility is not about blame or shame. And, it is not about beating yourself up for anything that has already happened.
In this episode Kristen reframes personal responsibility as one of the most freeing and empowering decisions a woman can make. Because when you take genuine ownership of who you are, where you are, and what you are going to do next, you reclaim the agency that was always yours.
This conversation is for the woman who has been waiting for circumstances to change or waiting for someone else to go first. This episode will challenge you to stop waiting and start deciding. Because the life you want does not happen through waiting on someone else. It happens through you choosing.
In this episode you will discover:The critical difference between blame and genuine personal responsibilityWhy taking responsibility is forward facing and produces power rather than shameWhat it means to take full ownership of your healing and your inner workFour specific things that become available when you take full ownership of your lifeWhat Galatians 6:4-5 says about carrying your own load and the freedom that bringsWhy Proverbs 4:23 calls guarding your heart an active daily responsibilityWhat James 1:22 says about the difference between hearing the Word and actually doing itWhy the gap between where you are and where you want to be is likely a responsibility problem not a resource problemThree honest ownership questions to help you identify where to begin
You stop letting life dictate your decisions and start directing your own lifeEmotional ownership produces the maturity that transforms how you show upWomen who move consistently produce different results than women who waitConfidence is built through the consistent act of showing up for yourself and following throughPartnering with God rather than passively waiting for Him to move without you
Your Three Ownership Questions:Where in my life have I been waiting for someone or something outside of myself to change before I allow my life to change?What belief or pattern have I been holding that has contributed to where I am right now?What is one decision I can make today that reflects full ownership of my life and my future?
Scriptures referenced in this episode:Galatians 6:4-5 (Amplified) — Each one must carefully scrutinize his own work, examining his actions, attitudes, and behavior, and then he can have the personal satisfaction and inner joy of doing something commendable without comparing himself to another.Proverbs 4:23 (Amplified) — Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.James 1:22 (Amplified) — But prove yourselves doers of the word, actively and continually obeying God’s precepts, and not merely listeners who hear the word but fail to internalize it.2 Peter 1:3 (Amplified) — For His divine power has bestowed on us absolutely everything necessary for a dynamic spiritual life and godliness through true and personal knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.
Mentioned in this episode:Private 1:1 Coaching with Kristen — contact@kristenivanov.comConnect with Kristen on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedInVisit kristenivanov.com
Your action step from this episode:Work through the three ownership questions this week. Write your answers honestly. Then make one clear decision that says you are no longer waiting. You are choosing. You are moving. Starting today.
Did this episode challenge you?Share it with a woman in your life who is ready for her next level. And if you are enjoying She Leads with Intention, a review on Apple Podcasts helps more women find this show. Thank you so much for being here.
Choose Brave. Lead with Intention. 

Episode 16 — Gratitude as a Spiritual Practice: How Thankfulness Rewires Your Brain and Your Faith
You have probably heard that keeping a gratitude list is a good practice. And it is. But in this episode Kristen  takes gratitude somewhere deeper, into the difference between listing and truly receiving, the neuroscience behind how genuine thankfulness rewires the brain, and the profound faith dimension of giving thanks not just when life is good but in the middle of the hard things too.
Kristen also shares something deeply personal in this episode, a real and moving example of what it looks like when gratitude moves beyond a list and lands fully in the heart. It is one of the most genuine moments she has shared on the podcast.
In this episode you will discover:The profound difference between listing things you are grateful for and truly receiving themWhat neuroplasticity is and how consistent gratitude literally rewires the brain over timeWhy regular gratitude is associated with increased positive emotions, greater compassion, stronger immune function, and deeper resilienceHow science has caught up to what Scripture has been saying for thousands of yearsWhat 1 Thessalonians 5:18 means when it says give thanks in ALL circumstancesThe critical distinction between being grateful FOR hard things versus grateful IN themWhy gratitude and grief are not opposites and how they can coexist as an ANDHow gratitude is part of the pathway to the peace described in Philippians 4:6-7A three-step gratitude practice that moves from listing to genuine receiving
Your Three-Step Gratitude Practice:Step 1: Choose one thing, not five, not ten, just one, and sit with it for two full minutes. Feel what it would mean to not have it. Let the weight of it land in your heart not just your mind.Step 2: Talk to God about it specifically, a real conversation not a general thank you. And if it is a person, consider telling them directly.Step 3: Find the AND in a hard thing, what goodness exists IN this difficult season even while the difficulty is real? Name it. Not to minimize the hard but to refuse to let it be the only thing.
Scriptures referenced in this episode:1 Thessalonians 5:18 — Give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.Philippians 4:6-7 — Do not be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Mentioned in this episode:Private 1:1 Coaching with Kristen — contact@kristenivanov.comConnect with Kristen on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedInVisit kristenivanov.com
Your action step from this episode:Practice the three steps this week. Choose one thing. Receive it. Talk to God about it specifically. And find the AND in something hard. Give thanks in all circumstances. Not because everything is good. But because God is good. In all of it. Always.
Did this episode move you?Share it with a woman in your life who needs a deeper gratitude practice. And if you are enjoying She Leads with Intention, a review on Apple Podcasts helps more women find this show. Thank you so much for being here.
Choose Brave. Lead with Intention.

Episode 15 — The Power of Play: Giving Yourself Permission to Have Fun
You are really good at working. Really good at serving. Really good at showing up for everyone around you and getting things done.
But when did you last do something purely because it was fun?
In this lighter and life-giving episode, Kristen makes a compelling and science-backed case for why play is not frivolous, it is essential to your health, your creativity, your relationships, and your ability to lead well. She also brings faith into the conversation in a way that will make you laugh and think at the same time.
Joy is mentioned over 300 times in Scripture. A cheerful heart is called good medicine. And you were not created to endure your life. You were created to live it.
In this episode you will discover:Why ambitious women lose play without realizing it and why it mattersThe real science behind what play does to your body and brainWhat Dr. Stuart Brown of the National Institute for Play says about why play is a biological necessityHow play reduces cortisol, releases dopamine and endorphins, and improves cardiovascular healthWhy joy appears over 300 times in Scripture and what that tells usWhat Proverbs 17:22 and Nehemiah 8:10 say about the spiritual necessity of a cheerful heartWhy Jesus himself modeled celebration, laughter, and joy throughout the GospelsTwo honest reflection questions to help you identify where your joy livesFour practical invitations for reclaiming play this week
What play and laughter actually do to your body and brain:Reduce cortisol, the primary stress hormoneActivate the brain’s reward system releasing dopamine which improves mood, motivation, and focusTrigger the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicalsImprove cardiovascular health and lower blood pressureExpand creativity and produce clearer thinking and better problem solvingDeepen relationships through shared laughter and genuine presenceReplenish energy reserves that routine depletes
Your two reflection questions:What used to bring you genuine joy that you have stopped making time for?What would you do this week if you had two unscheduled hours and your phone was put away?
Your four practical invitations for this week:Leave your phone behind for one outing,  be fully present without notificationsDo something spontaneous with your people, unplanned and fully enjoyedTry something new, a class, a place, a hobby you have been curious aboutSchedule time with girlfriends, put it on the calendar with the same seriousness as a work appointment
Scriptures referenced in this episode:Proverbs 17:22 — A cheerful heart is good medicine.Nehemiah 8:10 — The joy of the Lord is your strength.
Mentioned in this episode:Dr. Stuart Brown — National Institute for PlayPrivate 1:1 Coaching with Kristen — contact@kristenivanov.comConnect with Kristen on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedInVisit kristenivanov.com
Your action step from this episode:Answer the two reflection questions honestly. Then choose one of the four practical invitations and do it this week. Not someday. This week. A cheerful heart is good medicine. 
Did this episode encourage you?Share it with a woman in your life who needs permission to have more fun. And if you are enjoying She Leads with Intention, a review on Apple Podcasts helps more women find this show. Thank you so much for being here.
Choose Brave. Lead with Intention. 

Your earliest relationship with your father, or the absence of one, shaped something fundamental in you. Your sense of what you are worth. Whether you are safe in the world. What you believe you deserve. And in the deepest and most significant way, what you believe about your Heavenly Father.
In this deeply personal and faith-rooted episode, Kristen addresses the father wound with the same compassion and clarity she brought to the mother wound in Episode 13. This conversation is not about dishonoring our fathers. It is about bringing what was formed in us into the light so we can receive the healing that is available and step into the fullness of who God created us to be.
Kristen shares honestly from her own ongoing journey with this work, names the specific ways the father wound shows up in worth, income, relationships, and faith, and offers a five-step healing practice that includes a spoken declaration of forgiveness and a reminder of who you truly are: a Daughter of the King.
In this episode you will discover:What the father wound is and how it forms, even in relationships where your father was presentHow the absence of a father creates its own profound woundThe most significant dimension of the father wound, how it shapes your relationship with God as FatherHow each type of father wound creates a specific filter through which you approach GodWhat Psalm 68:5 and Romans 8:15 declare about who God is as your FatherHow the father wound shows up in your income, your relationships, your ambition, and your relationship with authorityFive powerful things that become available when you begin healing the father woundA five-step healing practice including a spoken declaration of forgiveness for your father and for yourself
How the father wound may be shaping your relationship with God:Critical or hard to please father, striving endlessly to earn God’s approvalAbsent or emotionally unavailable father, difficulty trusting that God is truly present and paying attentionHarsh or frightening father, approaching God with fear rather than loveInconsistent father, fluctuating faith that never quite settles into deep trustFather who left or abandoned, deep unconscious fear that God will do the same
Your Five-Step Healing Practice:Step 1: Name what was there and what was missing, journal honestly about what was present and absent in your relationship with your fatherStep 2: Trace how it has shown up, identify where the father wound is visible in your relationship with God, your worth, abundance, love, and authorityStep 3: Separate the wound from the truth, his limitations were not the truth about your worthStep 4: Let God refather you, bring your specific wounds to God in prayer and read Psalm 68:5 and Romans 8:15 out loud over yourselfStep 5: Extend honor and release, say out loud: Dad, I forgive you for... Today I am choosing to forgive you, release you and bless you. Then: I forgive myself for partnering with those hurts. I forgive myself, I release myself and bless myself.
Scriptures referenced in this episode:Psalm 68:5 — A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.Romans 8:15 — The Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, Abba, Father.
Mentioned in this episode:Episode 13 — The Mother Wound: Healing What Shapes How You Love, Lead, and ConnectPrivate 1:1 Coaching with Kristen — contact@kristenivanov.comConnect with Kristen on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedInVisit kristenivanov.com
Your action step from this episode:Work through the five-step healing practice this week. Be gentle with yourself. Speak the forgiveness declarations out loud — for your father and for you. And remember: whatever your earthly father was or was not, your Heavenly Father has never stopped seeing you, delighting in you, and calling you His own. That has never changed. And it never will.
Did this episode move you?Share it with a woman in your life who needs to hear this. And if you are enjoying She Leads with Intention, a review on Apple Podcasts helps more women find this show. Thank you so much for being here.
Choose Brave. Lead with Intention. 

Episode 13 — The Mother Wound: Healing What Shapes How You Love, Lead, and Connect
Your earliest female relationship became the template through which you understand love, worth, belonging, and what it means to be in relationship with another woman. When that relationship carried pain, unmet needs, or simply the limitations of a mother who could not give what she never received, those gaps do not just disappear. They travel forward into every area of your life.
In this deeply tender and honest episode, Kristen Ivanov addresses the mother wound with compassion, clarity, and genuine hope. This is not a conversation about blame or dishonoring your mother. It is about understanding what you absorbed, naming where it has been showing up, and receiving the healing that is fully available to you.
Whether your mother did her very best and still left gaps, or whether her absence or harm was real and significant — this episode holds space for all of it. And it ends with one of the most powerful declarations you will ever speak over yourself and over her.
In this episode you will discover:What the mother wound is and how it forms — even in relationships where your mother loved you deeplyWhy most mothers passed down what they themselves received or did not receiveEight specific ways the mother wound shows up quietly in your daily lifeHow the mother wound shapes your relationship with sisterhood and other womenWhy the longing for genuine female connection is not naive — it is what you were created forFive powerful things that become available when you heal the mother woundWhy healing this wound is legacy work that stops generational cycles with youA five-step healing practice including a spoken declaration of forgiveness for your mother and for yourself
Eight ways the mother wound may be showing up in your life:People pleasing — keeping others happy as a strategy for staying safe or approved ofDifficulty receiving — deflecting compliments, love, abundance, and helpPerfectionism — performing excellence to feel worthy of love and belongingDifficulty with female authority — feeling disproportionately triggered by female leadersChronic self-criticism — the internalized voice of a critical or absent motherDifficulty with boundaries — setting them feels unsafe or deeply uncomfortableCompulsive caretaking — pouring into others while running on empty yourselfA complicated relationship with your own femininity — shaped by how your mother carried hers
Your Five-Step Healing Practice:Step 1: Identify the messages — what did you learn about your worth, your voice, and your place from your earliest female relationship?Step 2: Trace the patterns — where do you see the mother wound showing up in your life right now?Step 3: Separate the wound from the woman — her limitations were not the truth about youStep 4: Invite God into the healing — ask Him to remother the parts of you that were left unmotheredStep 5: Extend compassion and forgiveness — say out loud: Mom, I forgive you. I release you and I bless you. Then: I am so sorry I partnered with those things. I forgive myself now, I release me from these patterns and I bless myself.
Scripture referenced in this episode:Isaiah 66:13 — As a mother comforts her child so I will comfort you.
Mentioned in this episode:Private 1:1 Coaching with Kristen — contact@kristenivanov.comConnect with Kristen on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedInVisit kristenivanov.com
Your action step from this episode:Work through the five-step healing practice this week. Take your time with each step. Be gentle with yourself. Speak the forgiveness declarations out loud — for her and for you. The healing you do today is your new legacy.
Did this episode move you?Share it with a woman in your life who needs to hear this. And if you are enjoying She Leads with Intention, a review on Apple Podcasts helps more women find this show. Thank you so much for being here.
Choose Brave. Lead with Intention. 

Hard seasons are not a sign that something has gone wrong. They are part of every woman’s story. The question is not whether you will face them but whether you have the faith, the tools, and the daily practices to carry you through them without losing yourself in the process.
In this deeply practical and faith-rooted episode, Kristen redefines what emotional resilience actually is and gives you eight specific practices for navigating a challenging season with your faith and your sense of self fully intact.
Kristen draws a clear distinction between toughness — which disconnects you from what you are feeling — and genuine resilience, which allows you to feel what is real, process it with honesty and grace, and keep moving forward. Hard seasons navigated well do not just leave you surviving. They leave you with more depth, more wisdom, more compassion, and more capacity than you had going in.
In this episode you will discover:What emotional resilience actually is and what it is notWhy toughness and resilience are not the same thingFive powerful things that become available when you build genuine resilienceWhat James 1:2-4 reveals about the purpose of trials in your lifeWhy Isaiah 43:2 promises God’s presence through the hard season, not around itHow Romans 8:28 reframes difficulty as purposeful rather than simply painfulEight specific daily practices to carry you through a challenging season
Your Eight Practices for a Challenging Season:Pray — a real, honest, unhurried conversation with God about exactly where you areCommunion — a physical declaration of faith that what He did is sufficient for exactly what you are walking throughJournal — get what is inside of you onto paper so it can be seen, processed, and brought to God specificallyGratitude — name three to five specific things you are genuinely grateful for every single daySurround yourself with great people and ask for help — isolation makes hard seasons harder, community makes them survivableWalk outside without sunglasses — natural light genuinely shifts your mood, energy, and emotional stateSleep — protect it with the same intentionality you would protect any other non-negotiable in your lifeBe your very best friend — speak to yourself with the patience, kindness, and compassion you would offer a woman you deeply love
Scriptures referenced in this episode:James 1:2-4 — Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds because the testing of your faith produces perseverance.Isaiah 43:2 — When you pass through the waters I will be with you. When you walk through the fire you will not be burned.Romans 8:28 — In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Mentioned in this episode:Private 1:1 Coaching with Kristen — contact@kristenivanov.comConnect with Kristen on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedInVisit kristenivanov.com
Did this episode encourage you?Share it with a woman in your life who is walking through a hard season right now. And if you are enjoying She Leads with Intention, a review on Apple Podcasts helps more women find this show. Thank you so much for being here.
Choose Brave. Lead with Intention.

Episode 11 — Forgiving Yourself
You extend grace to everyone around you. But when was the last time you genuinely extended it to yourself?
In this very honest episode, Kristen addresses one of the most powerful keys to freedom available to any woman, forgiving yourself. Not minimizing what happened, but making the clear decision to release yourself from carrying what God has already covered.
Kristen opens with refreshing honesty: we are human. We say dumb things, do dumb things, make decisions we wish we could undo, and sometimes fail the people we love, including ourselves. Self-forgiveness is not for a select few women with particularly dramatic pasts. It is for every woman who has ever judged herself and kept that judgment running in the background of her life.
In this episode you will discover:What self-forgiveness actually is and what it is not
Why every ambitious woman who holds herself to a high standard needs this work
The specific ways self-unforgiveness shows up in perfectionism, people pleasing, and self-sabotage
Five powerful things that become available to you when you forgive yourself
What Romans 8:1, 1 John 1:9, and Lamentations 3:22-23 say about your freedom
Why receiving God’s forgiveness without forgiving yourself creates a gap that quietly costs you everything
The four-step Self-Forgiveness Practice to walk you from awareness to genuine release
Your Four-Step Self-Forgiveness Practice:Step 1: Name it honestly — write down specifically what you have been holding against yourselfStep 2: Acknowledge the real impact without exaggerating it — separate truth from guilt’s additionsStep 3: Receive His forgiveness before you extend your own — pray specifically and read Romans 8:1 and 1 John 1:9 out loud over yourselfStep 4: Make the decision — say out loud: I forgive myself for this. I release myself from carrying this any further. I agree with what God says about me.
Scriptures referenced in this episode:Romans 8:1 — There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.1 John 1:9 — If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.Lamentations 3:22-23 — The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. They are new every single morning.
Mentioned in this episode:Private 1:1 Coaching with Kristen — contact@kristenivanov.comConnect with Kristen on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedInVisit kristenivanov.com
Your action step from this episode:Work through the four-step Self-Forgiveness Practice this week. Take your time with each step. Be gentle with yourself. And remember — He already declared no condemnation. All that remains is for you to agree with Him.
Did this episode move you?Share it with a woman in your life who needs permission to put down something she has been carrying too long. And if you are enjoying She Leads with Intention, a review on Apple Podcasts helps more women find this show. Thank you so much for being here.
Choose Brave. Lead with Intention.

Hello friend! In Episode 10, Kristen teaches one of the most important strategies for lasting breakthrough: praying God's Word over your life with precision, rather than praying from fear disguised as hope. She walks through why Scripture, unlike our own words, cannot return void, why healing for every place of pain has already been purchased, and why money can open doors but was never designed to heal a soul or replace faith.
The episode closes with a practical three-step tool for personalizing and praying Scripture daily, plus five additional verses listeners can pray directly over their income, identity, relationships, and decisions.
What You Will Discover in This Episode
Why faith is a decision, not a feeling, and why your feelings no longer get to dictate your life
The difference between praying your own limited words and praying God's Word, which cannot return void
Why healing for every place you carry pain, including identity wounds and fear-based decisions, has already been purchased for you
Why money can open doors but cannot heal a soul, rewrite a belief, or replace faith as the source of true increase
A practical, three-step tool for praying Scripture over your life starting today
The Three-Step Tool: How to Pray Scripture Over Your Life
Step One: Choose a Scripture that speaks directly to what you are believing for. Pray with precision, not generalities.
Step Two: Personalize it. Insert your own name and speak it in first person as your own declaration.
Step Three: Pray it aloud daily over the exact area you are believing for until it becomes the loudest voice, louder than fear, louder than doubt.
Scriptures Referenced in This EpisodeHebrews 11:6 — "It is impossible to please God without faith, because whoever comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him."Isaiah 55:11 — "So will My word be which goes out from My mouth; it will not return to Me void, without accomplishing what I desire, and it shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it."Isaiah 53:5 — "By His wounds, you are healed."Ecclesiastes 10:19 — "Money answers everything."Luke 1:45 — "Blessed is she who believed, for that which the Lord had spoken to her would be fulfilled."Five Additional Scriptures to Personalize and PrayEphesians 2:10 (CJB) — "For we are of God's making, created in union with the Messiah Yeshua for a life of good actions already prepared by God for us to do."1 Peter 2:9 (CJB) — "But you are a chosen people, the King's cohanim (royal priesthood), a holy nation, a people for God to possess! Why? In order for you to declare the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."Psalm 139:14 (AMP) — "I will give thanks and praise to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well."Zephaniah 3:17 (CJB) — "ADONAI your God is right there with you, as a mighty savior. He will rejoice over you and be glad, he will be silent in his love, he will shout over you with joy."Jeremiah 29:11 (CJB) — "For I know what plans I have in mind for you, says ADONAI, plans for well-being, not for bad things; so that you can have hope and a future."
Continue This Work With KristenIf today's episode is speaking to you, here are two ways to continue this work together:
The Intentional Leader — an 11-week group coaching program. This program represents over 20 years of Kristen's own growth combined with everything she has learned from coaches, conferences, books, and programs, distilled into 11 powerful weeks. Women who go through this program walk away with more peace, more confidence, more clarity, and more income than they imagined possible. 
1:1 Private Coaching — three months of deep, faith-integrated coaching designed completely around you, your life, your story, and your next level. Women who do this work walk away fundamentally different in how they see themselves, how they lead, and how they live every single day. [Insert contact link / booking link]Reach out any time at contact@kristenivanov.com or connect with Kristen on Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn.Your Action Step This Week
Choose one Scripture from today's episode that speaks directly to what you are believing for. Personalize it, insert your own name, and pray it aloud daily over that exact area until it becomes the loudest voice you hear.Enjoying the Show?If this episode encouraged you, I would be so grateful if you would leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Podbean. It helps this message reach more women who need to hear it. And of course... 
 

Hello friend! In Episode 9, Kristen invites you to picture yourself six months from now, walking into 2027 as the woman who finally made the decision to do the work, committed to it, and walked it out. She names eight specific benefits that ripple through every area of life when you do this work, addresses the quiet fear many women of faith carry about wanting more, and offers a practical tool for naming your own next season of increase. This episode is an invitation to stop building alone, and to believe that the woman on the other side of your next decision is not a fantasy.
What You Will Discover in This EpisodeWhat actually changes in six months when you commit fully to your growth, and why one ninety or one hundred twenty day season can change your life
Eight specific benefits that become available when you finally do the inner workWhy desiring more income, peace, freedom, and joy is not ambition working against your faith — it is your faith working exactly as designed
Why your income has always been meant to follow your personal growth, not the other way aroundA practical, three-step tool for naming your own next season of increase
The Eight Benefits of Doing the WorkIncreased income — following personal growth as its natural fruitGenuine peace — settled and steady, rooted in identity rather than circumstanceReal joy — returning to your work, relationships, and callingDeeper, healthier relationships — built on truth instead of performanceSustainable energy and vitality — free from the cost of carrying beliefs that were never yoursUnshakeable confidence and absolute clarity — rooted in self trustFreedom — from others' opinions and the exhausting work of managing an imageFeeling fully at home in your own skin — present and alive as the woman you truly want to be
Scripture ReferencedThird John 1:2 — "Beloved, I pray that in every way you may succeed and prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers."
Practical Tool: Naming Your Next Season of IncreaseStep One: Write down the woman you pictured at the beginning of this episode. Be specific about what she believes, how she leads, and how she receives.Step Two: Identify the single belief standing most directly between you and her — not ten beliefs, one.Step Three: Decide today that you will not build this alone. Wisdom, not isolation, is what builds lasting increase.
Continue This Work With KristenIf today's episode is speaking to you, here are two ways to continue this work together:The Intentional Leader — an 11-week live group coaching program for entrepreneurial women of faith ready to break through the identity blocks holding back their income and their calling, alongside other women committed to their growth. 1:1 Private Coaching — three or six months of deep, faith-integrated work designed completely around your business, your story, and your next level of increase. Reach out any time at contact@kristenivanov.com or connect with Kristen on Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn.
Your Action Step This WeekWrite down the woman you pictured while listening to this episode. Then name the one belief standing between you and her. Let this be the week you decide you will not build the next season of your life alone.
Enjoying the Show?If this episode encouraged you, I would be so grateful if you would leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Podbean. It helps this message reach more women who need to hear it. And of course... "Leave mommy a review!"Choose Brave. Lead with Intention. 

Hello friend!
In Episode 8, Kristen turns her attention to the voice inside your head that criticizes you more harshly than anyone else in your life ever would. She traces where that inner critic was formed, names what becomes available when it finally quiets, and redefines what real confidence actually is: not the absence of fear, but a decision made in alignment with who God created you to be.
Grounded in Proverbs 31:25 and twenty years of her own inner work, Kristen offers four practical, faith-rooted practices for building confidence that lasts.
What You Will Discover in This Episode
Where the inner critic actually comes from, and why it once felt like protection
The five things that become available to you when you quiet that inner voice: energy, freedom to take risks, the ability to truly receive, deeper connection with God, and confidence to lead
Why real confidence is not the absence of fear or doubt, but a decision to move forward anyway
The difference between true humility and shrinking yourself, and why minimizing your gifts does not honor God
Four practical tools for building confidence from the inside out
The Four Confidence-Building Practices
Practice One: Change how you speak to yourself. Ask if you would say the same words to a woman you deeply love, and if not, replace the criticism with compassionate truth.
Practice Two: Celebrate your wins daily and write them down. Confidence is built through evidence your mind can return to.
Practice Three: Do the hairy scary thing. Confidence follows courage, not the other way around.
Practice Four: Anchor yourself in who God says you are every single morning, before the inner critic has a chance to speak first.
Scripture Referenced
Proverbs 31:25 — "She is clothed with strength and dignity and she laughs without fear of the future."Continue This Work With Kristen
If today's episode is speaking to you, here are two ways to continue this work together:
The Intentional Leader — an 11-week live group coaching program for women ready to build lasting confidence, clarity, and income alongside a community of like-minded women. 
1:1 Private Coaching — three months of deep, faith-integrated coaching designed entirely around you, your story, and your next level. 
Reach out any time at contact@kristenivanov.com or connect with Kristen on Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn.
Your Action Step This Week
Pick one of the four practices from today's episode and begin. Just one. Write it down somewhere you will see it daily, and let this be the week you stop being your own worst enemy and start becoming your own greatest advocate.
Enjoying the Show?If this episode encouraged you, I would be so grateful if you would leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Podbean. It helps this message reach more women who need to hear it. And of course... "Leave mommy a review!"Choose Brave. Lead with Intention. 

Episode 7 — The Comparison Trap: Why It’s Keeping You Small and How to Break Free
Comparison is one of the most common and most quietly damaging experiences in a woman’s life. And in a world of social media highlight reels, it has never been more amplified or more accessible.
In this episode, Kristen unpacks what comparison actually is, where it was formed, and — most importantly — what genuinely becomes available to you when you break free from it. More joy, courage, and more of the life God designed specifically for you.
This episode will shift something in you. Not just about how you see other women, but about how you see yourself.
In this episode you will discover:The critical difference between healthy admiration and the comparison that quietly steals your joy.Why comparison often begins in childhood and how to recognize its roots in your own life.How social media has amplified comparison and why most of what you see is not the full story.Five specific things that become available to you when you break free from the comparison trap.What Galatians 6:4 (Amplified) says about comparison and why it is so freeing.Why her success does not diminish yours and how God’s plans for you are completely independent of what He is doing in her life.A five-step Breaking Free practice including Kristen’s personal tool for shutting down unwanted thoughts quickly
Your Five-Step Breaking Free Practice:Step 1: Notice it without judgment — name it out loud: I am comparing right nowStep 2: Ask the honest question underneath — what real desire is this pointing to?Step 3: Return to your own story — name one gift, experience, or calling that is uniquely yoursStep 4: Celebrate her genuinely — send a message, pray for her successStep 5: Kristen’s personal tool — “That’s none of my business and of no concern to me right now”
Scripture referenced in this episode:Galatians 6:4 (Amplified) — Each one must carefully scrutinize her own work, examining her actions, attitudes, and behaviors, and then she can have the personal satisfaction and inner joy of doing something commendable without comparing herself to another.
Mentioned in this episode:The Intentional Leader — 11-Week Group Coaching ProgramPrivate 1:1 Coaching with Kristen — contact@kristenivanov.comConnect with Kristen on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedInVisit kristenivanov.com
Your action step from this episode:Practice the five steps this week. The next time you feel comparison rising, name it, ask what it is pointing to, return to your own story, celebrate her, and use Kristen’s personal shutdown tool. You were never meant to run her race. You were created to run yours.
Did this episode resonate with you?Share it with a woman in your life who needs to hear it. And if you are enjoying She Leads with Intention, a review on Apple Podcasts helps more women find this show. Thank you so much for being here.
Choose Brave. Lead with Intention. 

Episode 6 — How to Set Goals That Actually Stick
A vision without a plan is simply a dream. And you were not created to just dream. You were created to build.
In Episode 5 we talked about the difference between living by default and living by design. Today we take that one powerful step further. Because once you have a vision for the life you want, the next question is how do you actually move toward it in a way that lasts?
In this practical and identity-rooted episode, Kristen Ivanov gets honest about why most goals fail, even for capable and motivated women, and walks you through exactly what it takes to set goals that you actually follow through on.
The key insight of this episode is one that most goal setting frameworks completely miss. Your goals must be connected to your identity. Because you cannot sustainably achieve a goal that conflicts with how you see yourself. The identity work always comes first. And the goals flow from that solid foundation.
In this episode you will discover:The four honest reasons most goals fail even for capable and motivated womenThe five characteristics of an Intentional Goal that actually gets doneWhy your heart always wins and what that means for the goals you setThe most overlooked ingredient in goal setting — who you need to BE not just what you need to doHow your identity and your goals are not separate conversations but the same oneA powerful goal formula that combines a specific outcome with a personal identity statementReal examples of how to transform vague wishes into clear intentional goals
The Five Characteristics of an Intentional Goal:Clear and well defined — you know exactly what success looks likeMeasurable and trackable — you can see your progressRealistic and actionable — it stretches you without paralyzing youAligned with your values and vision — it genuinely matters to you at a soul levelHas a deadline or timeframe — open-ended goals drift
Your Goal Setting Formula:I will [specific outcome] by [specific date] and to achieve this I am becoming a woman who [identity statement].
Example Intentional Goals:I will increase my income by two thousand dollars per month by October 31st and to achieve this I am becoming a woman who values her gifts, prices her work with confidence, and shows up consistently for the people she is called to serve.I will exercise four days a week and reach my ideal weight by December 31st and to achieve this I am becoming a woman who honors her body as a gift from God and chooses long term health over short term comfort.
Mentioned in this episode:The Intentional Leader — 11-Week Group Coaching Program: [INSERT LINK]Private 1:1 Coaching with Kristen — contact@kristenivanov.comConnect with Kristen on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedInVisit kristenivanov.com
Your action step from this episode:Write three Intentional Goals using the formula from today. Make them specific, measurable, and time-bound. Then add the identity statement that tells you who you are becoming in order to achieve them. Put them somewhere you will see them every single day and read them every morning alongside your Identity Declarations from Episode 4.
Coming up in Episode 7:We are going into the Life Satisfaction Assessment in real depth across all ten areas of your life. It is a working episode so have something to write with ready.
Did this episode help you?Share it with a woman in your life who is ready to stop writing goals and start living them. And if you are enjoying She Leads with Intention, consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps more women find this show. Thank you so much for being here.
Choose Brave. Lead with Intention. 
 
 
 
 
Music from #Uppbeathttps://uppbeat.io/t/ra/simple-miracle

Episode 5: Stop Living by Default — Start Designing Your Life
Are you living the life you actually chose... or the life that quietly accumulated while you were busy taking care of everything and everyone else? If you are a high-achieving woman who feels like something is still missing despite doing all the right things, this episode is for you.
In Episode 5 of She Leads with Intention, life and leadership coach Kristen  introduces the second pillar of intentional living — Strategy — and opens with the most important question a woman can ask herself: Am I designing my life on purpose, or am I living by default?
This is the episode for the woman who is ready to stop running on autopilot, reclaim her time and energy, and start building a life that is truly aligned with who God created her to be.
In this episode you will discover:
What it means to live by default — and why so many accomplished, hardworking women are unknowingly doing it
The hidden cost of reactive living and what it is quietly stealing from you — your time, your energy, your peace, and your God-given potential
What intentional living and life design actually look like in a real, practical, everyday way
How to move from managing your life to leading it with clarity, purpose, and faith
Practical Tool from This Episode:
The Life Design Questions — three powerful, journal-worthy questions to help you get radically honest about what you actually want, identify where the gap is between where you are and where you want to be, and choose one courageous decision this week that moves you closer to the life you were created to live. Set aside quiet time, bring your journal, and work through these slowly. They are worth it.
Scripture referenced:
Proverbs 29:18 — Where there is no vision, the people perish.
Work with Kristen:
The Intentional Leader — an 11-week group coaching program for women who are ready to stop living by default and start designing a life they truly love — rooted in identity, strategy, and faith. 
 
1:1 Private Coaching — three months of deep, personalized, faith-integrated coaching designed completely around you, your life, your story, and your next level. Reach out at contact@kristenivanov.com or connect on Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn.
You are so worth it! Choose Brave. Lead with Intention.
 
 
Music from #Uppbeathttps://uppbeat.io/t/ra/simple-miracle

Episode 4 — Who God Says You Are
In Episode 3 we did something courageous together. We named the limiting beliefs that have been shaping your life, traced where they came from, and began replacing them with something true. Today we go even deeper.
Because the most powerful truth you can ever anchor your identity in is not a mindset shift or an affirmation. It is the living, unshakeable Word of God.
In this faith-rooted episode, Kristen walks you through why so many women who genuinely love God still struggle to truly receive what He says about them personally. She explores the profound gap between knowing truth intellectually and integrating it into how you actually live, lead, and see yourself every single day.
Then she takes you slowly and reverently through ten scriptural truths about who you are in Christ, reading each verse in full so you can sit with every word and let it land exactly where you need it most.
In this episode you will discover:Why truly receiving what God says about you can be one of the most difficult things you ever doHow your felt experience often contradicts Scripture and what to do about that gapTen foundational declarations about your identity in Christ read in full from ScriptureThe difference between knowing God's truth and integrating it into how you actually liveWhy a woman rooted in her God-given identity leads, loves, and shows up differentlyThe three-step Identity Declaration Practice and how thirty days of faithful practice can shift everything
Ten scriptural truths about who God says you are:You are a child of God — John 1:12You are loved by God — Romans 5:8You are chosen — Ephesians 1:4You are forgiven — Ephesians 1:7You are redeemed — Galatians 3:13You are a new creation — 2 Corinthians 5:17You are God's masterpiece — Ephesians 2:10You are free from condemnation — Romans 8:1You are seated with Christ in heavenly places — Ephesians 2:6You are a saint — 1 Corinthians 1:2
Your Identity Declaration Practice:Step 1: Identify the five truths from today that your heart most resistsStep 2: Rewrite each one as a first person present tense declarationStep 3: Speak them out loud every single morning for thirty days before checking your phone or calendar
Mentioned in this episode:Free Workshop — Intentional Alignment: Register here for the Zoom link: https://luma.com/3qx0kzw4https://luma.com/3qx0kzw4The Intentional Leader — 11-Week Group Coaching Program:Private 1:1 Coaching with Kristen — contact@kristenivanov.comConnect with Kristen on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedInVisit kristenivanov.com
Your action step from this episode:Choose five truths from today that your heart most resists. Write them as first person present tense declarations. Speak them every single morning for thirty days. And watch what God does with that faithful daily act of agreement with His Word over your life.
Did this episode move you?Share it with a woman in your life who needs to hear who God says she is. And if you are enjoying She Leads with Intention, a review on Apple Podcasts helps more women find this show. Thank you so much for being here.
Choose Brave. Lead with Intention.
 
Music from #Uppbeathttps://uppbeat.io/t/ra/simple-miracle