Unwinding Perfect with Christine Clyne-Spraker

In 2023, Christine Clyne-Spraker – health tech co-CEO, mother, and wife – decided to listen to the voice that was not so gently nudging her and make a drastic change. Despite her incredible personal and professional accomplishments, the accolades she had worked years to receive were no longer serving her the way her younger self had hoped. Well-intentioned childhood patterning and years of chasing success defined by society standards pushed Christine to showcase perfectionism in every aspect of her life.  These realities were actually holding her back from the life she dreamed of, and deserved.  After much deliberation and reflection, Christine made incredibly brave – and at times, surprising – life changes that empowered her to shed perfectionism to explore her individuality, truth, and authentic self.   The result unlocked her true Being – and Freedom.

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Transcript

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In 2023, Christine Klein, Spreaker Healthtech and co-CEO mother and wife decided to listen to the voice that was not so gently nudging her to make a drastic change. Now, despite her incredible personal and professional accomplishments, the accolades that she had worked years to receive, they were no longer serving her. Oh, by the way that her younger self had hoped well-intentioned childhood patterning and years of chasing success, defined by society's standards. I pushed Christine to showcase perfectionism in every aspect of her life. Now these realities were actually holding her back from the life she dreamed of the life she deserved. And after much deliberation and reflection, she made an incredibly brave and a time surprising life changes that empowered her to shed perfectionism. And explore her individuality, her truth, and her authentic self. And today Christine is here to share all of that with us and more so that you can hear how she overcame perfectionism, how she got out of this childhood patterning and how she found freedom. You are listening to the glass ceiling and sticky floor podcast. The podcast that will empower you to shatter limiting beliefs and toxic behaviors to uncover infinite possibilities. So you can live your best life. I'm Erica Rooney and I'm on a mission to bring more women into positions of power and keep them there. I'm obsessed with all things, growth and abundance. And I'm here to talk to you through the tried and true secrets to get you to level up your career and your life. We talk about the hard stuff here. Imposter syndrome, perfectionism, fear and burnout. So pull up a seat, pop it in your bed and let's dive in.

erica-rooney--she-her-_1_07-17-2024_140315: 1:47

Today's guest is far from perfect, but y'all, aren't we all? For years, perfect is what Christine Kleinsprecher strived for, what she hungered for, what she chased. But now, Christine is the author and creator of Unwinding Perfect, and she is on a mission to help anyone and everyone who feels like there just might be more out there, more depth, more connection, more love, More joy, more fulfillment to choose themselves first. And she's going to talk to us about falling in love with herself for the very first time. So I am so excited to welcome Christine Klein Spraker to the show. Christine, how are you?

christine-spraker_1_07-17-2024_120315: 2:27

I am doing great. Thank you for having me and I loved your introduction.

erica-rooney--she-her-_1_07-17-2024_140315: 2:31

Oh, of course. Of course, I want to go about my podcast session today with you a little different than I normally do. But I want to start with falling in love with yourself first. First, how did you begin that process?

christine-spraker_1_07-17-2024_120315: 2:45

Oh my goodness. Well, you know, I, it's been, it's, it's a process. So that's the right word. I didn't know that I didn't really love myself until I finally fell in love with myself. So that was, I think maybe the first thing was starting to understand how to embrace myself. My shadow sides, starting to understand how to embrace the things that maybe I was ashamed of or fearful of, or I didn't want people to see because I didn't think that because I didn't love myself for them. I didn't think people would love me for them. And so it's, um, it's a, it's a journey in and of itself, but I would say the biggest thing was the shadow work that I started to do. And then shadow work, you're looking at. Uh, literally looking at those things that you hide from other people because you're embarrassed of them or you're shameful. And I didn't even know I had so much shame until I started going down this pathway. And it really began with a spiritual mentor that I met in 2015. Who helped me tap into some of my inner strength. And so in my book, Unwinding Perfect, I talk about how literally we started tapping, like tapping in. I'm more than enough. I'm more than enough. I'm more than enough. And at first, as I'm starting to say these things. to myself. I was like, it felt so wrong. Like, I'm enough. No, I'm not. I can't. Or I'm perfect just the way I am. And it was, it was viscerally hard for me to actually, to physically do that. And so, you know, through this awareness, And this expansion and this willingness to go into some of these things that scared me or that I was afraid to show I was able to slowly start to chip away at the shame and then by embracing those things that you're so afraid of, all of a sudden, they don't seem like such big deals anymore. Or they just kind of go away themselves. So it's no longer about, oh, I can't show the side because people might not like me or whatever it is. It's They just kind of go away and either you just don't care or they're just not there anymore. And so I would say the awareness and the willingness to look at it is the key. That was step number one for me.

erica-rooney--she-her-_1_07-17-2024_140315: 5:03

That's amazing. And I love that. And I love talking about shame. I'm like a huge fan of Brene Brown, because I think that is one of the emotions that everybody feels so deeply, but we never talk about it because it's shameful, it feels embarrassing, it feels like nobody else is going through these things. And I can't bring it up because then it's almost like, um, they're going to think less of me. Kind of emotion when I think of the things I'm ashamed of. Right. And so how do you And maybe you talk about this in your book, but how do you move past those feelings?

christine-spraker_1_07-17-2024_120315: 5:40

Oh, well, that, that's part of the journey to fall in love with yourself, too, so, um, it's acceptance. I mean, the biggest thing is acceptance. It's accepting, you know, like, uh, you know, I don't know, maybe, I don't know if you've ever had this. I used to have it all the time. I would maybe drink too much, and then I would say things, and the next morning I'd be like, oh my gosh, I can't believe I said that. You know, um, or even without alcohol. Sometimes I say things like, gosh, I can't believe that just came out of my mouth, you know, and I'm stupid or I offended them or like this negative feedback that's going on in my head. And so I started stopping the negative feedback loop. So, um, for me, Um, I mentioned alcohol. I really cut back on how much drinking I did, and that was really helpful for me with a lot of, um, those instances, but just in my day to day, like, I just was trying to be more aware of what I would say and how I'd say it. And if I said something that, um, You know, before I would have beat myself up over. Instead, I'd just say, okay, you know, like that's a lesson for next time. Instead of beating myself up over it, I'm going to accept it because that's what came out and move on. And then just always try to be better the next time. Acceptance is like. I accept I gave so much more grace to everybody else and I didn't give myself the same grace. So once I had that awareness that I was willing to let other people behave in ways or do things or forgive them or whatever quicker than I was myself, it was much easier to begin to give myself that grace.

erica-rooney--she-her-_1_07-17-2024_140315: 7:12

And that's the key to self compassion, right? It's always understanding that you aren't perfect, that you are, you know, going to make mistakes. You are valuable just like everybody else. Why do you think this is like the philosophical question of life here? Why do you think it is so much easier to give grace to other people than it is to give grace to ourselves?

christine-spraker_1_07-17-2024_120315: 7:35

I just, I don't think we're taught that. Um, our generation and my mom, I modeled everything that my mom did and I saw her forgive everybody and be such a people pleaser and not have an opinion or not have her wants or needs and put everybody else first. And so I just learned that from her. And so that's what I did. So it was everybody else's needs came first and then mine. So I, one, I didn't even know how to ask for what was important to me. I didn't know how to have boundaries. I didn't know how to say, you know, no to things because it was never modeled. And so I think our generation specifically, we just don't have that skill set. And as we're becoming more aware and more conscious about it, Our generation is starting to open up to it, whereas the younger generation, we're talking about, you know, we both have kids. I just think they come into this world much more wise and already having a little bit of that understanding where they're willing to put up boundaries. They're willing to forgive themselves. They don't have to showcase perfect to the world. And I, you know, it's just, it's a different every generation. I think it's a little bit more aware.

erica-rooney--she-her-_1_07-17-2024_140315: 8:51

And I honestly hope that that's the case. I hope that they are coming into this world a little bit more wiser and that they don't have to repeat the same things that we are doing. But I want to rewind it a little bit and I want to hear more about your come up story because this is fascinating to me. All of this work that you're doing to unwind perfect. What brought us to this place?

christine-spraker_1_07-17-2024_120315: 9:13

Yeah, so, um. Good question. It's really what I just mentioned, um, with my family. Um, and I had, I had no idea about this and it's probably obvious to a lot of people and, you know, maybe people know this, but I had no idea. So I was. A product of my environment that I grew up in every single person is it's our family. It's our school. It's our, you know, our religion. If we're religious or brought up religious and we're expected to act a certain way and then within the family, you have these dynamics of where you learn to be loved. And how to feel safe. And so your parents are constantly giving you feedback. If you behave this way, I love you. If you behave this way, you know, I'm judgmental. I'm critical, at least in my family. Not all families are like that. But, um, so I learned at a young age, I had three older siblings that my parents were both married before, had children, divorced, married, had me. So I, Only had half siblings. So it was kind of the Brady Bunch before the Brady Bunch was, you know, before it was more common. We were a blended family. And so I learned to be quiet, to be meek, don't stand up for myself with my older siblings who were stronger, louder, more authoritative, smarter, older, all of the things. And then I had my mom who was also modeling this people pleasing, you know, whatever's good for the group is good for me. And so I learned this dance. I learned how to feel love. I learned how to feel safe. I learned how to navigate relationships and dynamics with my siblings and with my parents. And as I got older, I found people that I could do that dance with. I knew how to act a certain way to control the outcome. And somebody said, I was speaking with one of my teachers a couple, maybe a couple months ago now, and he's like, yeah, everybody's manipulating and I'm like, I'm not manipulative. Like, no, like, I can't believe you said that or suggested it. And then as I was sitting there and processing it, I realized it's not intentional, but yes, you're manipulating a situation when you're behaving a certain way because you're expecting to have an outcome. So I knew if I behaved as the good girl and the people pleaser, then I would be loved on the back end and I knew what to expect. There wouldn't be emotions that wouldn't be volatile. It wouldn't be all of these things. And so then. As I matured and, you know, became a young woman and, um, I met people that I knew how to do this dance with. I knew how to, people please, I knew how to make them happy, even though I would put my needs, you know, in the back seat. And. Eventually, as I was, so it served me really well professionally because I was able to just compartmentalize a bunch of negative things where I would see my peers getting upset. I've just been like, whatever, let it roll off my back and then move forward. And so I would, um, I was really successful. Still am. I don't want to say was because it's not over. Um, you know, became a co CEO of a healthcare technology company that I helped build from the ground up. I was employee number two. So proud of what we did there. And, you know, like my head down, just go attitude is what drove me. Um, at the same time, my husband and I, you know, marriages are hard. We had two young kids, started this business and our relationship started to deteriorate and started to realize I was looking for more depth, more connection, more all of the things, but I didn't know how to foster it because that wasn't, Again, something I learned because I was used to the superficial facade of presenting perfect and pleasing everybody else, which means there wasn't a lot of room for what my depth or my connection or whatever. And so, um, my, you know, my husband was probably equally unhappy as well. And so we decided to separate the end of 22, 2022. And then four months later, um, I decided to leave the business and resign. Um, we were co CEOs with my business partner. It was time to have a single CEO. And so it made sense at that time for me to walk away. But within four months, I went from full time mom to Full time co CEO running and operating a business with this huge team with clients on meetings from, you know, whatever time in the morning to whatever time at night to alone 50 percent of the time. And that was devastating for me. And I knew I wanted more in life, more depth, more connection, more personal growth. And so I started writing, writing had always been really cathartic for me. And through the urging of some friends, they said, you know, I think you should write a book. And so I did this book just poured out of me. And it was, it's a memoir really of the generational patterning, childhood conditioning that I learned at a young age, doing that dance. And then I, how I began to unwind. That over the last eight or 10 years now, and I just remember sitting there thinking one day I was like, hey, universe, like, and I also became very spiritual. I was raised in a religious dogma went away from it because it didn't feel right. Like, there was just things about religion. That I knew were good, but didn't settle, feel right. And so I became very spiritual, very connected to God. And I was like, universe, you know, this is what I'm supposed to do. Like, give me a sign. And a couple of days later, I got an email from my now publisher that said, have you ever wanted to write your first book? Come meet Samantha Joy, a bestselling author and publisher. And I was like, You know, thank you. Obviously that's a sign. Um, so I went and met with her and she ended up, um, her company, Landon Hill, published my book, Unwinding Perfect. So, it was just this magical journey reflecting on this last year. Now it's really been a one year sabbatical. Wrote the book, published the book, built a house, moved into the house, and now I'm at this place where I have all of this experiential, you know, Wisdom, both personally and professionally, and I'm ready to give back. I'm ready to share my hard earned lessons with the world, whether it's personal or, you know, professional, stepping back into a professional aspect.

erica-rooney--she-her-_1_07-17-2024_140315: 15:49

Well, I love this concept of unwinding perfect. And what I'll say, Christine is like, your story just resonates so deeply with me because I grew up from divorced household where I was bouncing back and forth between two very different homes. And I very quickly learned that like you act and behave. this way in this house and you act and behave this way and this house. And I'm going to be very clear, like nobody ever said that, right? But it's what you all internalize. So I was code switching between my own homes, you know, as a child. And it's just not something that you ever think about or connect with. But then I think if you are like you and me and you're ambitious and you're constantly growing and evolving, and I too became spiritual and really kind of trusted in the universe and leaning into the signs that I was getting. But one of the areas that I think I wasn't necessarily expecting, and I don't know about you, I'm interested to see what you think, but when you do recognize that own your own unhealthy pattern, whatever that may be, because you are in this search for more depth, more connection and more growth, it disrupts the life that you are in and the relationships that you have built maybe like with your husband. And it's almost like they don't know what to do. with this newfound you, you know, and it takes that growing and that shifting. So I guess what I'm trying to get to is in your quest of growth and rediscovery, which then leads through the separation and you walking away from your job and trying something new, you know, is that what impacted your relationships or did it have this ripple effect or, you know, just tell me more about that.

christine-spraker_1_07-17-2024_120315: 17:35

there's a lot to, no pun intended, unwind there, like unpack, because there were unintended consequences for sure. Um, as you began, as I began to, Understand my unhealthy patterning, and I began to understand how to why I was triggered by certain things, why I behave certain ways. There's also everybody has these core wounds that you develop as a child that stick with you that then can be triggered or can be traumatizing in certain aspects throughout your entire life. Um, Most certainly my relationships began to change so I I mean I remember very vividly one night Talking to my now ex husband and just saying this was years ago You know like I'm on this path of growth and he was a growth like how do you grow? You know it was just this What seemed so natural to me to want to seek out, I realized wasn't natural for other people. And so it became not safe for me to share my growth in that regard because I knew it wasn't understood or, Whatever it was. And so that shifted, that, that was one of the big fissures in our relationship. And it just, I was on the train going this way, you know, trying to just become the best version of me, really. I just want to be the best version of me so I can show up the best way. But other people when they're not willing or they're not interested in growth, it changes your dynamic. Significantly, and so it's changed dynamics with friends making the decision to divorce, um, really changed a lot of dynamics, uh, with friends because, you know, you have a couple of friends, you have your kids go to school with people you love and you adore, and you become really good family friends. And those shift, there's, there's a lot of. Letting go, you have to do, and it can be extremely painful because these are people you love, you know, including my ex husband, including this life that I had dreamed of, that I had romanticized, that we were going to have, um, my parents struggle, and with this book even, um, you know, I put some stuff out there about my family, and it was hard for them to read, but ultimately, It's brought us closer because now we're having conversations that we never would have before. We never talked about anything hard. We just put it under swept it under the rug. Um, but there are, there are people that I just aren't in my life anymore. And while I miss certain aspects of it, what it does is really allows for new to come in. And so Not to get too like woo or whatever, but I believe really, really deeply about the science behind energy and frequencies and we all vibrate on a certain level. And depending on where we're vibrating, we attract like. And as we're growing, we're changing our vibrational levels and we're intensifying. And usually as we're growing, there's less fear, less anxiety, less, less anger. There's more love, there's more gratitude. And so your frequency just starts to naturally rise. And as that frequency is changing, you start to attract different people. And the new people that have come into my life, you know, have just been Beyond what I could have imagined the things I'm doing and being on these podcasts speaking with you today meeting you today I mean, it's just it's been such a blessing So while it's hard and terrifying and I think the reason why a lot of people don't Speak out more growth or change is because you do end up losing some things what comes in is equal or better Most of the time.

erica-rooney--she-her-_1_07-17-2024_140315: 21:46

Yes. And you have to shed some of those old habits, old friendships, old relationships to make way for the new. I mean, with, we only have so much space, right? So we've got to let go of those things that aren't serving us anymore. Now, one of the things that I know you love to ask is what would it look like if you stopped living for everybody else and started living for yourself? And that That is a mic drop question. That is a very pivotal question and definitely one that I have struggled with in my own journey. So I would love to hear how did you take that first step living for you and not for everybody else?

christine-spraker_1_07-17-2024_120315: 22:26

Oof. Um. Yeah, I mean, it's heavy. It was, it was ultimately making the decision to separate from, um, my husband, my now ex husband because As a mom, as parents, we care so deeply for our children and the last thing we ever want to do is hurt them. And I think as parents, we feel our responsibility to protect them as much as we can and to shed them from pain. We want them to grow and we want them to adjust and to have experiences that they learn from, but you don't ever want to be the person who causes that great pain. And I, I think we probably stuck around, we stayed together longer than maybe we should have because of our kids. Um, in hindsight, you know, it's, it's a much more obvious, but I remember one of my mentor saying to me, Christine, is this the marriage you want to model for your children? Do you want your children to be in the same type of relationship? Because this is what they're going through. And it was that that helped me suddenly realize I'm actually lying to myself, I'm lying to my children, I'm lying to my family, I'm lying to all my friends because here we are putting this facade, we're putting this fake facade on about how happy we are and how perfect we are. But in reality, we weren't and we didn't have the depth, we didn't have the connection. And so once I heard that, it. It was like permission almost to say, okay, I can choose myself in this circumstance. And then I, the first month I moved out the first month I was in my rental house. I mean, I was like, what did I do? I was like, Oh my gosh, I can't believe I did this. And I texted a girlfriend who was recently divorced. And she said, Christine, you're framing it wrong. Look at what you're choosing for yourself and a path that you're going to be able to show your children. And so since that moment, I've realized that. By choosing myself, I'm teaching my children to choose themselves. I'm teaching them that mom being happy is okay. That mom choosing choices that fulfill her and benefit her only benefit and fulfill them because they're now, they now have a way to model. That type of behavior and looking back on how I modeled my mom's behavior and talking to her now, she's like, Christine, I don't even, I don't even know what I care about. It's been so long because she's put everybody before her for so long. She just. She doesn't even know. And that, that breaks my heart. And I'm starting to figure it out in my forties. My kids can figure it out nice and young and choose partners and friends who celebrate their choices versus making them feel like they have to retract. So I think that first step was, was choosing to separate and leave a relationship that no longer. Um, and I, I, I love my ex husband. We have a wonderful, you know, friendship, better friendship than we've had in a really long time. And I'm grateful to him for that. But I have these two amazing kids and now it's like I get a chance at a true partner, uh, the depth, the connection, all of the things that I've been seeking. And. That lights me up. That gives me a lot of energy and hope for, you know, the second half of my life.

erica-rooney--she-her-_1_07-17-2024_140315: 25:59

Yeah. And I'm so glad you talk about that because divorce is such a heavy, hard topic. And I think it's one that so many people shy away from because nobody ever gets married thinking they're going to get divorced. Right. And that in itself makes people feel like a failure. And so then they just trudge through and it's like, there's no trophy at the end of this guy. So, you know, so like do what makes you happy.

christine-spraker_1_07-17-2024_120315: 26:22

No.

erica-rooney--she-her-_1_07-17-2024_140315: 26:24

Yeah.

christine-spraker_1_07-17-2024_120315: 26:25

Yeah. Yeah. And it, and you can't be reckless about it, obviously. And it's, it shouldn't be flippin and it shouldn't, you know, it shouldn't be taken lightly. Like, everybody has this inner know them and that inner knowing had started to really show itself for a while and it just got to the point where it's like, I got, I got to do this. I have to choose me.

erica-rooney--she-her-_1_07-17-2024_140315: 26:46

And I'm a big believer that Yes, you get the signs and you get the pulls at your gut and your intuition. And I, I believe that, you know, the answer, you know, or that it will reveal itself in time, but you have to get quiet enough and honest enough with yourself. Because I think it is really, really easy to lie to yourself about just the real state of things. You know, it's so easy to put our heads in the sand, but Christine, you talk a lot about conscious living and conscious creation and the tiny miracles. that happen every day, which first of all, love that because they do happen every day. But what is conscious living and conscious creation? Tell me

christine-spraker_1_07-17-2024_120315: 27:32

that was such a good segue. Um, because. So I think we numb ourselves in so many different ways. We have all these void fillers in our life because we don't want to face what you were just saying. Like we trudge through life thinking this is what we're supposed to do. We made this commitment that we fill ourselves with, you know, chopping sex, alcohol, friends, all these things that maybe aren't particularly healthy and it's our way of not facing. Our loneliness, our fears, our insecurities, and so as you become more aware of this, you just naturally become more conscious. You know, am I turning to this glass of wine because I'm sitting down with friends and we're going to have this? Or is it because I feel like I need it to not be stressed right now? Um, so conscious living to me is literally being as present as you can, right? Every minute, every second of every day. And of course, it's impossible as a human being to have a career, to have children, you know, and not think about, yeah, I gotta sign him up for camp. I gotta plan this meeting. I have to be thinking about how I'm gonna raise money, whatever it is. But you can still find a way to balance yourself where you're sitting here in the moment thinking, um, And not, not getting lost in the, in the future or the past, I guess, is really what it is. And as you become more conscious, you start to see things. You start to, when you are present, I sit here and I look outside and I see these beautiful butterflies fly in front of my house. All the time now, and I'm like, have these, is there something going on where there's more butterflies now? And I'm like, no, there's not more butterflies. It's just that I'm aware of them. Right. Um, and, and I consider those little miracles. Butterflies are, in my book, I talk about signs and butterflies are actually a really big sign for me. And so it's, to me, every time I see a butterfly, I'm just like, well, thank you. That's a little miracle. Um, and so then we also as energetic human beings, we have the ability to consciously create anything we want. And before I was like, that just doesn't seem, I mean, it's not that I didn't believe in it, but I just didn't fully understand. And it goes back to that energy. It goes back to that emotion. And when you're vibrating at certain levels, Um, well, you know, this is going down a totally different tangent now, but let's say something. You're like, I want this job where I'm making X amount of dollars every month. You can't just say I want it and then think it's going to come to you. You have to decide. You have to be very clear on what you want. You have to feel it like, Oh, you already have it. Like you have to have that emotion. Oh, and I have that money, that much money every month. I'm safe. I get to do this. I get to travel my children, like all the things. You're feeling it. And then you have to take intentional steps towards it because if you don't do that, then you're just sitting there waiting for something to come to you that isn't going to find you

erica-rooney--she-her-_1_07-17-2024_140315: 30:27

Yeah, you can't, you can't manifest, but not act that doesn't work that way. You have to manifest and act in tandem to really go where you want to go to see the growth you want to see, to have the depth you want to experience and all of that. Well, Christine, tell me about unwinding perfect. Where can people buy that? How can people reach out and connect with you? Because I mean, this conversation, it resonates deeply with me and I know it's going to hit my audience just the same way it's hitting me. So how can people find you?

christine-spraker_1_07-17-2024_120315: 30:59

Thank you. Um, I appreciate that and thanks for the opportunity. Uh, so www. unwindingperfect. com, uh, is a website. I wrote so many blogs last year. I posted maybe 10 or 12 of them. I still have 20 or 30 that are like in the vault and I'm debating if I should put them out or not. Uh, but it talks about my story. There's a link to Amazon as well on it to buy the book, Unwinding Perfect. Uh, it's an easy read. Um, I've heard it has resonated. Most people that I've talked to about it have said something in there resonates with them. Uh, it was really beautiful for me to be able to put that out and to share it. And I'm honored and just humbled by anybody who picks it up and takes the time to read

erica-rooney--she-her-_1_07-17-2024_140315: 31:45

are all going to go to Amazon and we are going to snag it and read it. But Christine, what is next for you?

christine-spraker_1_07-17-2024_120315: 31:52

Yeah, so it's, you know, I took this last year, the sabbatical to trying to figure out really what was calling me and I loved writing the book. I loved putting it out. I wasn't sure if I was going to go down the speaker, author circuit. And what I realized is I really miss business. Really, really, really miss business. I love the strategy, the operations, the teams, the culture. Um, so I founded an advisory firm called co found her. Uh, it's designed really to be that virtual founder, uh, with entrepreneurs and founders that are ready to scale to the next level, uh, fractional COO and fractional chief of staff type work where I'm getting my hands dirty with the founder, but I'm one, not trying to take their job and to not trying to take a big piece of equity. Like a lot of, um, times you happen, especially when you have a venture backed business. People come in, CEOs, founders get replaced all the time. I'm not trying to do that. I'm trying to help you scale up to be the best version of you. So that's, that's what's, that's what's cooking now.

erica-rooney--she-her-_1_07-17-2024_140315: 32:58

I love that. And I love the name co found her amazing. Well, Christine, I always end my show with this one last question, but if you could go back in time to the Christine who was so wound up perfect, right? What is that one piece of advice you would give her today?

christine-spraker_1_07-17-2024_120315: 33:16

Ugh. Oh my gosh. Breathe. Literally, just breathe. It's going to Okay. And you can let it all fall apart and it will still be okay. Just breathe.

erica-rooney--she-her-_1_07-17-2024_140315: 33:30

And that's some damn good, solid advice right there. Just wherever you are, take a breath. Christine, this conversation was amazing. I'm so glad we made it happen. Thank you so much for being here and everybody go check out her book on Amazon unwinding. Perfect. I will have the links in the show notes, Christine.

christine-spraker_1_07-17-2024_120315: 33:47

Thank you, Erica.

33:55

​Okay. I don't know about y'all, but her story Christine's story resonates so deeply with everything in my being from this childhood patterning to perfectionism, to just doing things for the benefit of others and not even thinking through how it impacts myself. So I really appreciated her being so open and honest with the hard decisions all the way up to divorce and quitting her job. I mean, those are massive changes y'all but the bright light is that even through the hard stuff, she always had hope that it would, that it would bring a more positive future, that it would bring her satisfaction and fulfillment and all of those things that she had hoped for as a little girl. So, so thankful to her, please go check out her book, unwinding. Perfect. Let us know what you think about it, but I am so, so glad that you spent your time at listening to both myself and Christine today. Make sure you follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, and all of the socials, just for more content like this. But until next time, remember the only ceilings that exist are the ones we place over ourselves. Let's smash them together.