This week, host Lorie Jones sits down with Marta Spirk, a singer, speaker, and visibility coach with an extraordinary journey. Born and raised in Brazil, Marta’s passion for languages and music led her to eventually launching a multifaceted business here in the U.S.—all while navigating the joys and chaos of raising triplets!
In this candid conversation, Marta shares how embracing discomfort and blazing her own trail became the cornerstone of her success. She opens up about the challenges of balancing motherhood, entrepreneurship, and self-identity. She reveals the pivotal role of mentorship, the lessons learned from setbacks, and how owning her strengths as a speaking coach empowered her to help other women step into the spotlight.
If you’re looking for inspiration, actionable advice, and a reminder that being “fearlessly uncomfortable” is often the secret to growth, don’t miss Marta’s empowering story!
Show Highlights:
- The joy of possessing fewer “little Mona Lisas.” [03:14]
- How and why Liz Hansen became a boudoir photographer. [06:34]
- The power of celebrating your unique beauty with confidence. [09:15]
- What can accelerate returns from investing in a mastermind? [14:14]
- Navigating starting a business in a controversial industry. [17:07]
- The importance of investing in an IRA early in life. [23:08]
- Embracing the risk of business ownership and necessary debt. [26:07]
- Money stories of transitioning to paid work as a SAHM. [30:34]
- Benefits and stigma of being a female boudoir studio owner. [38:10]
- Advice to young women who are aspiring entrepreneurs. [42:12]
Visit Liz Hansen’s website, https://chicago-boudoir.com/free, to access free resources.
If you enjoyed this episode, please go to Apple Podcasts and leave a review!
For more information about Lorie Jones, go to https://fearlessfinancialadvisors.com/fearless-females.
If you enjoyed this episode, please go to Apple Podcasts and leave a review!
For more information about Lorie Jones, go to https://fearlessfinancialadvisors.com/fearless-females.
00:01.24
Lorie Jones
Good morning, fearless females. I’m so excited today. We have Marta Spirk. She is a singer and speaking coach. I have heard Marta speak in person, and I am so excited to get to interview you today. Thank you so much for joining us.
00:15.80
Marta Spirk
I am so excited to chat. Thank you for having me.
00:18.86
Lorie Jones
So my very first question is always my favorite. And it shows because I was just thinking, I’m like, oh my gosh, I’ve got like 15 books on my bedside table that I haven’t even started yet. And I keep asking the question.
00:29.86
Lorie Jones
So what is your favorite book?
00:32.82
Marta Spirk
Oh, gosh, I have so many. But whenever this question comes around, I have to say one book that really impacted me is Napoleon Hill’s Outwitting the Devil. I had heard so many people talk about his a famous one, Think and Grow Rich, which I did dive into, but I had a mentor mine that said that her favorite book was not that one by him. It was actually Outwitting the Devil.
00:55.45
Marta Spirk
And the name kind of didn’t draw me in but then after hearing her say this so many times, and what also got me was um I learned when I was looking into like personalities and things, one one of the,
01:09.56
Marta Spirk
many websites and assessments that I have done said that I had a similar one to Napoleon Hill.
01:12.90
Lorie Jones
you
01:14.91
Marta Spirk
And I was like, well, that’s interesting because he is, you know, a very interesting figure out there. So that was one of the reasons why I was like, okay, I have to read this book. Like i’ve I’m being called.
01:26.58
Marta Spirk
And I loved how just the way that he writes it because it’s a conversation with the devil. But in the beginning, he says, interpret this as you wish. Was it me having a conversation with the devil? Was it me having a conversation with myself?
01:40.89
Marta Spirk
So I loved how he opened it up. And then just the different um approach and ways of talking about um fear and just how we live our lives sometimes blinded by you know, going through the motions as opposed to picking our path, um being, you know, more analytical and critical of the things.
02:02.91
Marta Spirk
um It really, it was a really eye opener, I think for me, and it’s something that I keep going back to, and I should probably go read it again.
02:12.47
Lorie Jones
Well, I will put it in my stack. It sounds interesting. And I’ve read his Think and Grow Rich, obviously, as you know financial advisor. So I think that’s super interesting. I’ll have to take a look and see his other work.
02:24.36
Lorie Jones
I actually didn’t even know he wrote other books. so that So it’s a good thing I keep asking the question, huh? So tell me a little bit about your journey, Marta. How did you get started?
02:36.87
Lorie Jones
um you know, how did you get where you’re at today? Just tell me a little bit about you.
02:41.22
Marta Spirk
Yeah, of course. So everything started in Brazil. I am from Brazil, born and raised. um And from a very engaged, I was very passionate about the English language. Obviously, we have lots of influence down there from American movies and music. My parents grew up, you know, in the sixties listening to the Beatles and that King Cole and Frank Sinatra. So that was on all of the time in our household, uh, which was fun. I’m very grateful that, and I’m grateful to my dad for that, uh, because he was a big musical influence in my life, which then had everything to do with the English language because the songs were mostly in English, uh, even more so than songs in Portuguese.
03:17.56
Marta Spirk
So, um, I kind of took it to the next level for me. I would listen to music back in the day. Obviously, there was no internet. And so I would have to stop cassette tapes or CDs and try to write down the lyrics as I started learning more English. And by the time I was 14, I started tutoring English to friends because they recognized I was so good at it and they needed help for school or for private lessons and things like that. So my entrepreneurial journey kind of started there.
03:43.97
Marta Spirk
And the other piece that really contributed to me being where I am today is my mom became a pastor. She opened up her own church, which was interesting because my dad wasn’t really involved. So it was kind of her being, you know, the pioneer. And now I see a lot of myself in there as well. And, you know, starting my own thing.
04:01.59
Marta Spirk
um But she started because of the influence of an American minister that she would attend conferences of in Brazil. And eventually she started hosting a part of his team.
04:11.72
Lorie Jones
Thank you.
04:13.34
Marta Spirk
in her church. And I was very young, but by the time I was 18, I was appointed the official interpreter. So I was on stage with these 56 year old ministers from a very young age. And I was in charge of communicating the message. So I loved the challenge.
04:32.83
Marta Spirk
The challenge of having to listen to sermons and get used to that person’s style and study the Bible and and have to know these things fast because that’s what an interpreter does. Like think fast. Whatever comes out of your mouth is what people are going to take, you know, and I loved that thrill.
04:48.18
Marta Spirk
And that also combined with being on stage singing and you know being involved in worship. So music and English, they were my thing from the get go.
04:58.79
Marta Spirk
And eventually I met my husband in church in Oklahoma, where we attended the conferences, the church conferences for that one minister. I moved it to America.
05:09.74
Marta Spirk
I had already gotten my bachelor’s in translation and then I did my master’s at CU Denver because when we moved to that’s where we were living and that’s where we stayed pretty much. um And languages were my life.
05:20.03
Marta Spirk
So before having kids, that was my identity was marked as a walking English dictionary, just ask for anything.
05:26.46
Lorie Jones
Mm-hmm.
05:27.45
Marta Spirk
And to this day, sometimes my mom will send me messages and she’s like, Oh, I just heard this word. What does it mean? um, And she’s always surprised that I know what it is or that I’m like, I don’t know the context, but it could be this. Oh yeah, that totally makes sense. Okay.
05:41.31
Marta Spirk
So it’s fun. But then twist, I had triplets in 2016, which as you can imagine, turned my world upside down. I mean, motherhood in general terms will do that, but having three at the same time, it was and a huge, um,
05:59.94
Marta Spirk
identity crisis, I should say, because I had an identity, right? It felt like I had already built this life, but it was also an opportunity for me to, um, rediscover or completely change. And that’s what I started realizing. Like I could play the victim and be like, woe is me because many people started seeing me that way.
06:18.53
Marta Spirk
Like, oh my gosh, I’m glad it’s you and and not me. Like, wow. You know, God really knew you could take it because I wouldn’t be able to. And all the funny little things that people say to this day.
06:29.14
Marta Spirk
um Or i could, you know, create my own path, forge my own path. And that’s when I started understanding that I could start my own coaching business. So back in the day, you know, direct sales was blooming online. Everything, you know, you would see on your feed on Facebook was people selling some kind of product from some kind of company. And that’s why how I got started. It’s like, oh, you can make easy money off your phone while your kids are sleeping.
06:54.05
Marta Spirk
and But I wanted more. i i didn’t want to be somebody’s employee. You know, I didn’t want so to sell somebody else’s crap is what I like to say. I wanted to create my own thing.
07:02.92
Lorie Jones
Thank you.
07:04.81
Marta Spirk
And being a teacher for so long, like I knew i could teach something to someone. And that’s how it got started was i could start creating content and I could start teaching people how to create content.
07:18.69
Marta Spirk
It quickly turned into a marketing thing. because people saw that I was really good at showing up and I was very persistent and determined. Um, but then I rediscovered the, the teacher, language in me, but not a foreign language, you know, teaching somebody a foreign language. It was more so a language of sales. Like how do you talk about what you sell?
07:41.19
Lorie Jones
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
07:41.36
Marta Spirk
How do you you, know, present yourself? So it morphed into something else, but at the end of the day, roots have always been the same. I recognize that. Um, And I started doing more speaking. I started doing more singing. I combined all of these passions. And now what I do really is this huge combination of all of the gifts, which is helping women show up, not be afraid of the spotlight, helping them create a compelling presentation to talk about themselves, their story, and their business.
08:09.33
Marta Spirk
And it’s been a lot of fun.
08:11.73
Lorie Jones
You know, ah the thing that I loved most about what you said is like, you just weren’t content to um kind of follow the path that everyone sort of had set out for you. Like, this is what people do who do your job. They do marketing. And you’re like, but that’s not what I do.
08:27.94
Lorie Jones
and And you kind of created this whole
08:27.92
Marta Spirk
Yeah.
08:32.70
Lorie Jones
your own very personalized job and your own very personalized, um I would say more of a calling than anything, because you can’t, you can’t really, you can’t really put it in its box.
08:46.13
Lorie Jones
And I love that you, you thought, ah you thought and had the courage to like, just show up the way you wanted to show up, despite what everyone’s saying, Hey, this is the way you do it. You’re like, but that isn’t the way I do it.
08:59.53
Marta Spirk
Right.
09:00.02
Lorie Jones
no
09:00.23
Marta Spirk
and
09:00.52
Lorie Jones
How did you have that courage?
09:02.13
Marta Spirk
Oh my gosh. it It didn’t always sound like that. Or I didn’t even know that I was doing that. But I think at the end of the day, it’s, I won’t be put in a box and I won’t be denied. i think that’s the main thing, you know, because even leaving Brazil to come to America, like that was the beginnings of the real Marta showing up of I was pretty set in life. You know, my parents are pretty well off. My dad is an entrepreneur. He built a business of 30 years that he now sold. He owns lots of property.
09:32.15
Marta Spirk
And he had said several times, I can, you know, give you one of the office spaces that I have and you can start your own English school or your language school. I could have followed that path, but I am not the person that follows the path of least resistance, you know?
09:46.95
Marta Spirk
So in my mind, it’s like, no, I will go. move to a completely different country where you have no ties that you can’t support me zero except for giving me money, but I will have to, you know, manage it and do whatever with somebody that I didn’t know fully because we dated long distance. So I like, I was always, I’ve always been drawn ah to the unknown, to the challenging, to the different, because I want to see what I could do, you know?
10:13.12
Marta Spirk
So I think that’s something that I was really born with and blessing and a curse, obviously, because it’s like, when do you just stop and be content? And I think eight years into my business journey, I have found place where have released a lot of the pressure that I put on myself to always keep on going, keep on going. Like that’s not going to go away. Now I realize, cause it’s part of my personality.
10:36.43
Marta Spirk
But there is a moment, and I think it comes with age two, I’m almost 40, you know, um where it’s like I get to relax and I get to enjoy time because my kids are getting older as well.
10:47.93
Marta Spirk
So I guess to answer your question is, I was born this way.
10:54.95
Lorie Jones
I love that answer. Actually, it, it it It does come through. Like, you know, some people just are not content with rule followers or or with the box that they’re put in and they just need to need to create something.
11:11.84
Lorie Jones
So I love that for you.
11:12.22
Marta Spirk
Yeah.
11:13.28
Lorie Jones
What is the best investment you’ve made in yourself? Is there something you can kind of look back on and you’re like, it sounds like there are lots of different investments that you made, but is there one that you’re like, oh my goodness, I i just wouldn’t be where I’m at today without this?
11:27.28
Marta Spirk
I had male coach early on and he was kind of like a dad to me. And that’s exactly what I needed. Cause I had worked with different people, you know, guys, women, and there have been a lot of people that had said, you know, if your husband’s not supportive,
11:43.51
Marta Spirk
or you know you got to show him that you’re independent and you’re going to follow your own path, which there’s some truth to that. But it was nice to have somebody that was older, that had been in the industry for decades, that had been you know married for many years and had kids in a successful business and career, kind of walk me through how to grow my business, but also be mindful of my husband with me being a woman.
12:07.24
Lorie Jones
Mm-hmm.
12:07.97
Marta Spirk
you know So I really appreciated that. And I feel like sometimes our coaching sessions were more therapy sessions than anything. It was like him holding space for the woman he saw in me that I could become, you know, and I think a lot of it too, is me still seeing myself as a little girl and putting up this image of this empowered woman that does all these things. But I wasn’t seeing myself that way.
12:35.50
Marta Spirk
It was kind of like I needed that inside job. So I worked with that coach for two years. I had the opportunity to eventually, um, speak in one of his conferences. And um I’m very grateful for ah for him and for him taking me under his wings.
12:51.25
Marta Spirk
Because it really, one of the things that he always says is, I just gave you permission, you know, to to show up and to shine and to be seen, which I wanted to be seen, but it was different, you know, it was a different dynamic.
13:00.58
Lorie Jones
Mm-hmm.
13:03.46
Marta Spirk
So I’m i’m very grateful for that.
13:06.42
Lorie Jones
And what way did he help with the the like the family and the, the personal growth? um Not only did he help you see yourself as you, as you were, and as you were showing up, but you said he helped with like your relationship.
13:18.75
Marta Spirk
Yeah.
13:21.37
Lorie Jones
Was it like, um like, like I know that with me, i spend so much time working a lot of times that I don’t focus on my marriage occasionally.
13:32.41
Lorie Jones
And I do need to be reminded that, Hey, you know, that also needs to have a place in your life, that balance idea. Is that it? Or is it something magical that maybe I need to know?
13:44.77
Marta Spirk
Well, I think a lot of it was um having conversations with him about how I would sometimes not be upfront about things because I was afraid of my husband’s reaction or how should I position this?
13:57.73
Marta Spirk
How should I tell him? Like when I started doing in-person events, like it’s so interesting to see like the evolution of me because ah now I do things that in the beginning, it was like, I could never do that because if I tell my husband, he’s going to be so mad, you know, like,
14:12.50
Marta Spirk
And now it’s just become a part of my career. And it was just, I think, um having somebody that understands what I was doing, because I could have this conversation with my mom, maybe with my sister or with somebody else that was close to me, but they don’t have the same business experience to be like, oh, this is how it’s done.
14:30.65
Lorie Jones
Yeah. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
14:31.35
Marta Spirk
You know what i mean I mean? So it was nice to have somebody that was in the coaching world that had built his own business, that was an entrepreneur, but also was a family person.
14:33.03
Lorie Jones
yeah
14:42.12
Marta Spirk
And a man as well, because then he had that perspective of, I mean, he helped me picking the the picture for my cover for my book. Like he was very mindful of this is empowering, but it’s also not going to be something that your husband may be upset about. Like he would give me certain pointers like that, that I think was, were really, really helpful.
15:01.25
Marta Spirk
So I think in those general terms, it was nice to have, you know, a man’s perspective, but from a man that was kind of like my dad.
15:08.18
Lorie Jones
Yeah, yeah, that’s so interesting. What about bad advice? Did you ever get any really bad advice, Marta? And did you take it? Or did you not? Did you learn?
15:19.10
Marta Spirk
I don’t know if it was bad advice. I think it was well intended. And I think um it could be good advice depending on where you are in your journey. But I had a mentor mine say, don’t ever publish a book.
15:32.71
Marta Spirk
Like you’re not Oprah. um Who’s going to read it? It’s just going to collect dust in your garage and you’re going to be wasting money, especially in the beginnings of your business. so I think that is some there is some truth there in terms of if you’re barely you know making ends meet, investing thousands of dollars in publishing a book is not going to be your big break. Because oftentimes somebody that is a publisher, right they will sell you that. They will say, whoever’s selling whatever, they’re going to say, this is what you need to really blow up. you know And and that you can’t make those promises because you never know. Right.
16:06.70
Marta Spirk
um And then when I started working with this ah male coach actually that had published nine books, one of the first things that he recommended was you need to publish a book because that will create authority. It doesn’t have to be the canon of your life.
16:19.58
Marta Spirk
It’s just an intro the story. In fact, make it an airplane book is what he calls it, which is what I did. Make it something short so that people will read it in one sitting. Because when you come out with 300 page book, people will buy it to support you, but they won’t read it and that won’t do what you want it to do. you know so
16:37.60
Lorie Jones
Yeah.
16:38.95
Marta Spirk
I think that initial advice of don’t ever do it was not good because I’ve gotten so much out of putting myself out there with the book, credibility, authority. And I think just the confidence of I’m going to do something scary that’s not going to go away like an Instagram post or whatever, you know.
16:55.78
Marta Spirk
um But on the same hand, I think there is some truth to that in the sense of start having clients, right? I mean, get started on your journey and then but a book out, right?
17:07.33
Lorie Jones
Yeah, first time it right. That makes sense.
17:09.72
Marta Spirk
Yeah.
17:10.95
Lorie Jones
and
17:11.00
Marta Spirk
Yeah.
17:11.58
Lorie Jones
and that’s And that’s so interesting that you mentioned that because um you know they the idea of timing it, i I’ve always felt like, I’ve always felt like there’s a book in me somewhere. i love reading so much. I’m like, certainly I could write something, right?
17:28.00
Lorie Jones
But it it just never has felt like like I haven’t found that subject that strikes passion. and And maybe you don’t find that until you’re kind of deeper into what you’re supposed to be doing.
17:39.72
Marta Spirk
Yeah, absolutely. And that’s when I realized when I started, because I had such a hard time like figuring out what it was that I was going to write. But then with this coach’s help, I started understanding, okay, it’s just a piece. It doesn’t have to be the whole thing.
17:51.32
Marta Spirk
I can do that. And then as I was doing the book and the editor was helping me, she said, well, this doesn’t belong in this book. And I realized, wow, this is how you write more books is because you pick a focus, you know, and then you’re like, I can expand on this.
18:01.67
Lorie Jones
Oh.
18:04.63
Marta Spirk
So I think eventually I probably will write another one with more maybe of a visibility and ah marketing focus.
18:10.27
Lorie Jones
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
18:11.16
Marta Spirk
I don’t know. But yeah. it was an interesting process to the writing. I think there’s a lot of blocks that come around. Like the whole publishing is not hard.
18:22.30
Marta Spirk
It’s just saying, i will do this now. That’s what’s hard. You know, that’s the hardest thing is being like, this is ready. This is ready to get out, you know? um Because so one one of the other pieces of advice that this coach gave me was I can’t, I couldn’t write.
18:35.53
Marta Spirk
So I just spoke my book, I recorded it. And then I had a ghost writer, you know, transcribe it and make sense out of it. So that’s what I did with his, um,
18:42.64
Lorie Jones
Mm-hmm.
18:44.48
Marta Spirk
with his recommendation was I can absolutely talk. That’s my thing. Cause I’d had a podcast for a while then too. So I just recorded the app, the, the, what would be the chapters and I hired a ghost writer to make some sense out of it. Then the editor helped and I, you know, spruced up some stuff. So you can absolutely do it It’s just the deciding I’m going to do this.
19:06.53
Lorie Jones
Yeah, I love that. I love that you were willing to think outside the box, you know, speaking of not being able to keep you in a box, like, like, you were able to think outside of the box.
19:13.36
Marta Spirk
Yeah.
19:16.29
Lorie Jones
And you’re like, I’m not going to be the traditional writer either. Like, my book is not going to come into this world, you know, by setting pen to paper, I need to use the talents and and bring it about the way that I feel most comfortable.
19:31.12
Lorie Jones
That’s cool.
19:31.33
Marta Spirk
That’s how was.
19:34.47
Lorie Jones
So Marta, what about a situation? Can you look back along your journey and think of a situation that you would do so much differently today? Like you have learned, you’ve um you’ve got some knowledge, and if you could go back and and do that situation again, you would do it totally differently or…
19:55.14
Marta Spirk
I think there have been a few that are similar. um And this is a common thing to like, it’s not necessarily a regret. It’s a lesson. And I think that’s sort of how I live my life.
20:06.53
Marta Spirk
Because we always learn something.
20:06.85
Lorie Jones
Yeah.
20:08.95
Marta Spirk
It’s like, I wouldn’t have known if this hadn’t happened. So I had to go down that route, you know, um is dabbling in different things saying I can help you with this, like, Somebody needs help with something that’s not really what I do, but I know a little bit enough to kind of support.
20:24.72
Marta Spirk
And then at the end of the day, it proving that I probably shouldn’t have done that because I wasn’t qualified. So kind of staying in my lane, but that’s, that’s, what’s been tough for me in my growth progress journey is that I can do so many different things.
20:43.90
Marta Spirk
And it’s been hard to be like, then what is my thing? And a lot of it is the imposter syndrome of this is my thing. Could I really claim that this is my thing? Am I that good to claim this thing? Because then comes the perfectionism of there’s so many other people that have this as a thing and they do amazing.
21:02.15
Marta Spirk
So, you know, like it’s a catch 22 of if I am doing all these different things and I don’t have to claim that I know it’s so well and compete with somebody that is super expert. So it’s kind of like me shielding.
21:13.73
Marta Spirk
And that has been a piece of me focusing more on speaking is me stepping out and saying, no, I am really good at this and I am going to own it. It doesn’t mean that there are other people that are better than me or that do a better job.
21:25.55
Marta Spirk
It doesn’t matter. I get to own this or, you know, where I am in life. But anyway, so I helped, you know, authors for a while, creating like social media content and, you I dabbled in like human design and doing other things and I did well. And I had clients that were like, oh my gosh, the way you do things or the way you explain it, it’s different from anybody else. So having that feedback and the validation kind of contributed to me trying these different things.
21:56.04
Marta Spirk
But at the end of the day I knew it wasn’t my thing, but I was just kind of lost and I had to experiment.
21:59.39
Lorie Jones
Mm-hmm.
22:02.58
Marta Spirk
So I guess if I were to go back, which like I had said, you know, I still learned the lessons is I probably would have, and I had had mentors of mine say, you should just be a speaking coach because that’s clear and people need that and they will buy that.
22:21.62
Marta Spirk
But I was afraid that’s the reality. I was afraid. But if you were to ask me, I would have said, Oh no, I’m more than that. I can do other things, you know?
22:29.70
Lorie Jones
yeah that’s That’s really interesting. um That idea of of I can do so many different things. It’s really hard to say, hey, I’m best at this and and own that and and feel that, like you said, that imposter syndrome sometimes, like this is what I’m really good at.
22:53.75
Lorie Jones
and But having the space to say, yeah, other people are good at it too, but guess what? I am too. Yeah.
22:58.42
Marta Spirk
Yeah, I know. It’s so tricky because then it’s like, no, but I want to be the best in the world, but I can’t claim that. Therefore, you know, it’s just a mind game.
23:07.95
Lorie Jones
Yeah, yeah.
23:09.22
Marta Spirk
Hmm.
23:09.94
Lorie Jones
So if you could go back and high five yourself for any financial decision that you made along your journey, what would that be?
23:19.59
Marta Spirk
Oh gosh, I have to say a recent one ah for sure. um i have a friend that had her own business and then she started working as a coach inside somebody else’s business because she was tired of the prospecting and the marketing.
23:34.93
Marta Spirk
a part of me resonated with that because that’s the hardest part of it.
23:37.88
Lorie Jones
Yeah.
23:38.39
Marta Spirk
It’s like, we’re we’re all like, I just want to coach. I just want to do what I’m good at, you know, and then come to me and and pay me and I’ll do it.
23:42.08
Lorie Jones
yeah
23:44.88
Marta Spirk
um So I got that, but in a way i was like, I don’t want to be a part of somebody else’s business. Like it was the same dilemma, like, you know, that I’ve had before.
23:56.23
Marta Spirk
But it was interesting to see how she would still share with me how ah amazing that program was and how she would see people having results. And because she’s a copywriter, so she was working inside somebody else’s business coaching program.
24:10.36
Marta Spirk
And finally, after two years, she still working with that coach and saying, I have never seen anything like this before. This lady’s German. She’s so focused and structured. Her clients are doing amazing. I was like, whatever.
24:22.42
Marta Spirk
I’m going to try this out because it wasn’t just me reading a page full of testimonials.
24:22.52
Lorie Jones
yeah
24:27.07
Marta Spirk
It was, it was an insider, you know, and it was a good friend of mine. So last year ah invested in this, in this coach and it was actually the the tipping point for me to pick the lane of, of the speaking.
24:40.06
Marta Spirk
Like it was having somebody like her tell me, you need to pick a lane and me being dissatisfied enough with my journey to be like, I’ll do whatever you tell me at this point.
24:40.19
Lorie Jones
Mm-hmm.
24:50.86
Marta Spirk
So if this is what it takes and it really revolutionized everything for me. And I think it’s timing with other things in my life. So again, it’s not like everybody should go and do this because it’s going to be, you know, what’s going to change it. It may be, but um I know it was timing with where I am and was in my journey.
25:08.33
Marta Spirk
with what I said, you know, being eight years in this business, I finally feel like I have that release. And it’s just like me settling into Marta, you know, like, took you this long, you know, but whatever, um um of being able to admit, I’m really good at this and working with clients and having ah their feedback and seeing their progress and having them tell me like,
25:33.68
Marta Spirk
I’ve never had anything like this before, you know, and and really feeling it and and and setting aside the imposter syndrome into some capacity, not 100%.
25:36.91
Lorie Jones
yeah
25:45.29
Marta Spirk
But I think you know investing in this coach really made a huge difference for me. And like i said, because of the way she does things, but also because of where I am in my journey now.
25:57.04
Lorie Jones
That’s great. It’s really nice when you look back on a decision that you made and you’re like, oh my gosh, I’m so glad I did that. Like my life is like 20 times better than it was before. And I can’t believe I didn’t do it sooner. Sometimes. Yeah.
26:12.03
Marta Spirk
yeah Yeah, totally. And well, and I think it would have been extremely helpful. Absolutely. Just because of the way she does things, but also the timing, you know, it couldn’t have been better.
26:24.26
Marta Spirk
And I’m just, I’m very grateful.
26:26.17
Lorie Jones
Yeah. Yeah. What scared you the most when you started down this journey, Marta? Is there anything that scared you? And does it still scare you?
26:36.76
Marta Spirk
I think the the main underlying thing at all times is failure, you know, like um admitting defeat. Like I tried this and at the end of the day, it wasn’t for me. It didn’t work out.
26:50.66
Marta Spirk
And I got to say, it was, you know, probably about a year and a half ago when I started having the thought of, maybe I won’t do this anymore. Maybe I will be a stay home mom. Cause that was the whole debacle with my husband. And when I was working with that guy coach, it was, you have three kids, the same age.
27:12.81
Marta Spirk
Why are you pursuing something else? Like you’re busy enough.
27:16.42
Lorie Jones
Mm-hmm.
27:16.89
Marta Spirk
And I now see that the reason why is because this was something that I could control. It was something I could call my own that nobody else could, you know, um to opinionate on because everybody was already opinionating on how to raise my kids. And obviously I needed help and I needed advice. I’d never done it before, but it was just hard.
27:35.81
Marta Spirk
Okay. I was talking to a childhood friend the other day and I and i was like, I think my postpartum probably lasted about six years because they say, you know, it usually lasts about two years when you’re thinking about a kid, you know, yes, a few months, but the whole like identity coming to terms with reality.
27:48.87
Lorie Jones
Yeah.
27:53.34
Marta Spirk
And so, what is two times three? You know, i think it was, it was craziness.
27:56.97
Lorie Jones
yeah
28:00.81
Marta Spirk
um And so the timing with me, you know, switching gears, when you think my kids are going to be 10, it’s everything is kind of making more sense now. But I think my biggest fear was starting this venture.
28:15.62
Marta Spirk
And then going back to the people that said, you shouldn’t do this because you have three kids and saying you were right. I shouldn’t.
28:21.79
Lorie Jones
Mm-hmm.
28:23.20
Marta Spirk
being the stay at home mom. But anyways, so I started having these feelings of, you know, I’ve tried it long enough and it’s just not doing what I wanted to do. And it just feels like I’m working so hard, but I didn’t want to admit defeat. But I did have a conversation with my husband where I said, what if I did nothing?
28:40.66
Marta Spirk
Like, what would it look like? And he’s like, well, we could do that because he has a job. He makes decent money. He’s advanced through the years. And he said, but our lifestyle would change drastically.
28:52.70
Marta Spirk
So, you know, the kids probably wouldn’t be able to go to private school doing the activities that they do. We wouldn’t be able to go out to eat as much as we do or travel, but we would be okay.
29:03.95
Marta Spirk
So when he said that, it was when I realized, wow, I am actually contributing. um i just need to find something that will make me happy.
29:14.91
Lorie Jones
Mm-hmm.
29:14.92
Marta Spirk
And that’s where, you know, the evolution of, okay, let’s focus on speaking and making it like
29:15.05
Lorie Jones
Mm-hmm.
29:21.24
Marta Spirk
that That has been the biggest fear. And now looking at my journey, I see that even if I were to stop everything, it wouldn’t mean that I failed because I’ve achieved so much.
29:32.90
Marta Spirk
You know, it would just be the next phase because it’s seasons, right, of life. But I guess to answer your question, failure.
29:42.04
Lorie Jones
Yeah. Yeah. We all worry about that. I’m so interested because i I’ve talked to other women who just go through and I myself went through it where I was like, do I stay at home?
29:53.85
Lorie Jones
Do I go back to work? and and And on one hand, you’ve got these wonderful human beings that are just the love of your life and your greatest accomplishment. And on the other side, you have But i i I need something to help me feel fulfilled because picking up Cheerios doesn’t do
30:15.87
Marta Spirk
Right. Oh my gosh. Absolutely. It’s, it’s, it’s tough. It really is tough because one doesn’t negate the other. And that’s what’s so hard because you have sometimes two different camps around you voices, right. Of people saying this should fulfill you. What are you doing?
30:32.97
Marta Spirk
You know? And then there are other people that are like, that’s not going to fulfill you. And it’s like, well, why can’t I be happy doing both and finding that, you know, middle ground, but it takes time.
30:43.83
Marta Spirk
A lot of work, inner work, conversations with people around you. So it’s tough. ah really I think that’s the hardest part.
30:50.05
Lorie Jones
And I have no idea how you did. Like, I have five kids, um but they all came at different times, like three at the same time. it sounds like it would be way harder than what I went through. So how did you how did you juggle that?
31:06.93
Marta Spirk
I don’t even know, man, to be honest. It’s like I said, it’s like six years of let’s just do the best that I can do at the next moment of the day, you know. But it was helpful to kind of treat it like assembly line in a way when they were very small, right? Like changing diapers, everybody’s going to have their snack now.
31:25.06
Marta Spirk
Now as they’re older, the tricky part is they have their own desires and their own personalities and they respond differently to things. When they were little, I could control that more.
31:34.40
Lorie Jones
Mm-hmm.
31:35.18
Marta Spirk
You know, now it’s like, oh, I want eggs. I don’t want eggs. I hate eggs. Next day, I love eggs. I want all the eggs. And it’s like, well, what what do you what do you mean? Like there was one of these days my daughter decided I hate ketchup. Ketchup’s disgusting. And it’s like, what?
31:50.11
Marta Spirk
Everybody loves ketchup. That’s what we do, you know? Or I hate ice cream. Like they will come up with these things and and that’s the hardest part. But anyways, to answer your question again, I think what was easy about starting when they were younger,
32:05.37
Marta Spirk
is that it was easier to manage because they were all kind of doing the same thing. They were the group. In fact, I remember going to pediatrician appointments and they would ask about each child individually and I would just respond, they.
32:18.56
Marta Spirk
Because it’s like, I don’t know how to separate. It’s just this group and I take care of the group, you know.
32:24.15
Lorie Jones
Mm-hmm.
32:25.09
Marta Spirk
But then obviously they are individuals, not to take that away from them, but it was a lot easier then because it’s like they’re all eating the same thing because they didn’t have major allergies or anything like it. None of those things showed up early on.
32:37.58
Marta Spirk
So that made it a lot easier. And the other thing we’re talking about investment when it comes to personal investment and is I hired a sleep consultant when they were very small because I had them in Brazil.
32:50.36
Marta Spirk
And then we moved to America when they were nine months old, which was, that was the journey itself.
32:56.35
Lorie Jones
I can imagine.
32:56.42
Marta Spirk
ah Before I moved, because I had, you know, my parents down there in Brazil and I had a nanny, I had somebody that helped me with the house. When I moved, I knew I wasn’t going to have any of that.
33:08.84
Marta Spirk
And I had been already like in groups with American moms and just knowing that I was going to move. And they started talking about sleep consultants, which was not something common in Brazil at all. i don’t even know if it is to this day because you have so much help. So it’s like, if you want to sleep, somebody will watch your baby. Okay, fine.
33:27.52
Marta Spirk
I knew I wasn’t going to have that. So i was like, I wonder if, somebody can help somebody with three kids. And I remember having a virtual conversation with this lady. She’s Brazilian, but she lives in Canada. And I said, how will this work?
33:39.30
Marta Spirk
Is there hope for me? Do you have to come here? Like, she was like, no, everything’s going be okay. We’re going to figure this out. And with her help, they slept through the night the first night. And then she started helping me with naps and And that it is what saved me was the structure of the day.
33:55.81
Marta Spirk
I feed them, they play a little. let’s put you down to sleep and how to do that to make sure that they did sleep. And then I could get some stuff done, do my workout, clean the house, prepare the next meal, do something online, you know, so that that’s how I did it really was that structure.
34:10.31
Lorie Jones
My gosh, I wish I had known about that. That would have been by the time I had my fifth, I was basically in tears. I’m like, I haven’t slept in like 10 years.
34:21.19
Marta Spirk
I know. I mean, no sleep. It just makes you a miserable human.
34:26.46
Lorie Jones
Yeah, it’s hard, hard, hard. Marta, did you face any unique challenges because you were a woman along your path?
34:35.80
Marta Spirk
I think the main challenge is what we were talking about. Like, why aren’t you just happy doing the things that a woman is supposed to be doing, which is cooking, cleaning, and, you know, taking care of your kids.
34:46.38
Marta Spirk
Like, you should be. And I had a lot of… ah pressure from family. It wasn’t even like people from outside would be like, you’re amazing. How are you doing all these things? And they were admiring me, but my own family was, was like, this is not okay. You should be focusing more on that. And I felt bad because I, I didn’t fully understand why I had this desire to do something else. And now I see it’s because it was so hard to cope.
35:13.96
Marta Spirk
Honestly, that’s really what it was. But also the desire of not being inside the box. Like there were so many other factors to that. I think that has been the biggest thing. Not in terms of peers, because I work with women and I have so many role models and examples of women doing amazing things like smart, competent women handling all of the different hats.
35:35.61
Marta Spirk
um I heard I had a guest on my podcast the other day that said, let’s not talk about hats. Let’s talk about magnets because you move the magnets, you know, on the fridge. They never come off the fridge. They’re always there. You know, hat you take off.
35:49.09
Marta Spirk
This is always there. And you’re kind of just managing and moving him around. I think that was the main the main thing is how I perceived myself and how my family perceived me, but not so much the world.
36:02.83
Lorie Jones
Mm hmm. And it is hard to sometimes to kind of those that are closest to you that you feel like maybe should be giving you the best advice or you should be listening to their advice. And and sometimes it just doesn’t.
36:20.51
Lorie Jones
it just It’s good advice, but it may not be the right advice for you.
36:27.23
Lorie Jones
um Marta, what is the thing you are the most proud of?
36:33.99
Marta Spirk
I think I’m proud that I like being uncomfortable. I don’t like it, but I like it.
36:44.99
Lorie Jones
Yeah.
36:45.70
Marta Spirk
I think that, and I had a coach early on that when I told him that he was like, wow, that’s different. Not many people can say that. And that was encouraging for me beginning. And, you know, somebody that I admired telling me that, because that’s typically what a coach will say, you know, take yourself out of your comfort zone, yada, yada, yada. And obviously I have been in my comfort zone at times, but in general terms, I’m I have to say, I like challenging myself. That’s something that I pursue is what is the next level that I can reach that’s going to challenge me?
37:22.34
Marta Spirk
And then when I do it, I’m like, what am I doing? This is ridiculous. You know what I’m saying?
37:27.19
Lorie Jones
What was I thinking?
37:28.96
Marta Spirk
What was I thinking? um But then on the other side, I’m like, that’s why I did it. You know, the satisfaction, the lessons. um So I think I’m, I’m,
37:41.11
Marta Spirk
that’s part of who I am again like you know um I was born this way and that’s what I can bring to people as well it’s a double-edged sword in many ways because it’s like when do you stop just chill for a second there you don’t have to be a thrill sicker seeker all the time and it’s not that I’m like putting myself in dangerous situations flying off you know planes or anything like that that’s not what I’m talking about but it’s like doing uncomfortable things speaking up you you know launching something new trying something different
38:00.38
Lorie Jones
Right.
38:10.82
Marta Spirk
I’m proud that trait.
38:13.67
Lorie Jones
ah that Well, it’s a hard. That is a hard trait. um i will i I say that I do hard things fearless, right? You’re a little bit fearless or maybe a lot fearless.
38:27.59
Marta Spirk
ah good word
38:29.14
Lorie Jones
so But ah but um I’m not sure that I’ve embraced liking it and and seeking it and stuff like that. and And I really admire those people that do because your coach is right. It’s It’s hard to find someone who who really models that behavior.
38:48.78
Marta Spirk
Yeah.
38:49.12
Lorie Jones
Yeah.
38:49.43
Marta Spirk
Well, and at the end of the day, it’s not necessarily being, you know, absence of fear.
38:49.61
Lorie Jones
I love it.
38:54.65
Lorie Jones
Right. We’re right.
38:55.38
Marta Spirk
Like they say, it’s like doing it anyways.
38:58.11
Lorie Jones
Yeah.
38:58.55
Marta Spirk
And going through your mind and being like, why do what am I doing?
38:58.73
Lorie Jones
Yeah.
39:02.26
Marta Spirk
What am I doing? I think my heart’s going to float out of my mouth.
39:03.13
Lorie Jones
Yeah. yeah
39:06.82
Marta Spirk
But just pushing through.
39:06.95
Lorie Jones
Scared to death. Yeah. Yeah. Scared to death and doing it anyway. That’s my definition of fearless, by the way.
39:12.64
Marta Spirk
Yes, that’s it. That’s it. That’s totally it.
39:16.28
Lorie Jones
and Any advice for a young lady who’s just kind of starting down this path that you’re so successful at that would help her be successful like you?
39:26.09
Marta Spirk
Yeah, interestingly enough, ah one of my clients said, I have a niece that is a senior in high school and she’s wanting to get into music. And I wondered if you would have a conversation with her. And I said, sure.
39:37.55
Marta Spirk
And it was interesting because going into the conversation, i was feeling, I was thinking, I really have anything valuable to say? Like, can I even give steps to somebody that has nothing? Cause I’m so used to being to some speaking somebody in their thirties or plus that already has some type of life, but you know, and now it’s like, Hey, I’ll give you some steps.
39:50.80
Lorie Jones
Mm-hmm.
39:55.71
Marta Spirk
But now to somebody that is just starting out. And it was interesting because I felt super empowered after our conversation. i was like, wow, she really walked away with action steps. Imagine that. um But basically the gist of regardless if it’s musical or anything, it’s,
40:10.21
Marta Spirk
start asking questions, be curious, because that is perceived very highly by older people, right? So if you, because as I started talking to this girl, she was like, oh yeah, I did some work with an orchestra.
40:25.71
Marta Spirk
I could connect with him, contact him and say, hey, do you know of anything? I said, yes, absolutely, because that’s not something that a lot of young people do. And so when somebody older so sees someone eagerly They’re like, yes, please.
40:35.25
Lorie Jones
Yeah.
40:40.09
Marta Spirk
I will give you all my knowledge. I will tell you all of the things. I will connect you with my friends. So that’s where it starts because what is that? It’s networking. And you and I both know that’s what builds us is relationships.
40:54.61
Marta Spirk
So being willing to step out and ask questions, even if that’s not going to be the person that’s going to open all of the doors, because i think that’s the expectations that I’m going to be taken under the wings of this person.
41:07.19
Marta Spirk
And they’re going fly me high into stardom or whatever it is that you’re looking for, you know, success. It probably won’t happen that way because it’s going to be a, kind of you know, a series of connections and conversations, but be curious and ask questions and and start off um somewhere, you know, start taking steps because you never know who that person knows or what they’re going to suggest to you and where you’re going to go next.
41:26.36
Lorie Jones
yeah
41:33.38
Marta Spirk
But don’t just sit there wondering. What you can do is that’s something absolutely in your control is I know someone who does something similar to what I want to be doing. Well, then then that’s all you need to start.
41:45.74
Marta Spirk
It’s going to have to have a conversation with that person.
41:48.46
Lorie Jones
Yeah. And that one leads to another one, which leads to another one. And pretty soon you’ve got a whole network of people who are, who who you can help forward. And, and then I would say eventually like pay it back.
42:02.34
Marta Spirk
Yeah.
42:02.37
Lorie Jones
Like when you’re, you know, when you’re on your, your way, when you’re young and you’re on your way and people help you out, like turn around 20 years down the line or 10 years down the line, when you have something to offer And take that conversation with that young woman who is just coming in.
42:18.71
Lorie Jones
Make time to answer those questions um and pay it back. Yeah, I love that, Marta.
42:23.95
Marta Spirk
Mm-hmm.
42:24.90
Lorie Jones
Thank you. That was great advice. So thank you so, so much for spending some time with us today. i really appreciate it. I’ve appreciated hearing your story. and And you’ve really given me a lot to think about. If I have a young lady who wants to get in touch with you and ask some of those questions, how does she do that?
42:42.86
Marta Spirk
Well, you can find me anywhere. i am visible. That’s part of the plan, the master plan. And I have to my husband to thank for having a very unique last name. But if you Google me, Marta Spurk, you should find all kinds of different things and ways to connect with me. I’m on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook.
42:59.71
Marta Spirk
um I’m also on YouTube. You can find me on Spotify and streaming platforms because I have my own music out as well. Or my website, martasperk.com.
43:08.70
Lorie Jones
Thank you so much for your time today. I appreciate it.
43:11.51
Marta Spirk
Thank you.