Welcome back to The Abundant Christianpreneur™podcast. And today I have a special guest with us. Denise Walsh is a proud wife and mother, a former clinical psychologist, motivational speaker, and multimillion dollar earning entrepreneur. She has her certification as a Jack Canfield trainer and experiences as an elite coach with the John Maxwell team.  

Denise has found her calling inspiring others to go after their dream and has helped more than a million people find their purpose and fulfill their God. Given destiny, you can read her full bio and get access to all her resources in the show notes. Today we are going to be talking about Denise’s transition from her nine to five career into her powerful, affordable, and impactful business that she runs successfully today. 

Denise has also affirmed believer “in your thoughts, create your future”.  We will discuss how she overcame limiting thoughts. And beliefs that did not serve her so she could step into her God given destiny.  

Do you know if you have a bigger purpose than that? Nine to five? Yes. Yes. You do welcome to The Abundant Christianpreneur™ podcast. I am your host, Kristin . I am a wife and mom who loves Jesus and I’ve also been known to be. Bust a few moves to some old school rock and roll. Right now, you are joined by other faith filled women who are using their commute to redefine their life, change their mindset and turn their passions, knowledge, life experiences. 

Or even their hobbies into a powder. Am I in business that allows them to have the freedom to do what they love? My goal is to inspire you, to take a step of faith and transition from that employee mindset. To the Christian CEO and create them powerful, profitable, and impactful business that has been on your heart. 

This is your show to learn from me and other Christianpreneurs tactical tips that will empower you to bring that dream to life. So if you’re ready to live your life by design, make an impact and have the financial and time freedom to do what you want. When you want things crank up that volume and let’s do that. 

I am so excited to welcome Denise Walsh to the show. Welcome. Thank you, Christina. So excited to be here. Well, I first met Denise at a small meeting of like 15 people. That was held at the corporate office of the MLM company that we were both in at the same time. And gosh, I think that was probably over 10 years ago. 

I remember her is that spunky blonde hair, Gal, that nervously laughed at something our team leader had said, and Denise replied back. I don’t know what the heck I’m doing, but sure. Let’s do it. And you probably don’t even remember it do not. That is hilarious. But as I was putting my interview notes together, I reflected back over the years, as I’ve watched you climb to the top of the company where you’re still at today as one of the top income earners. 

And I know, and I have seen over the past years that even though you don’t know the, how you did it anyway, you did it scared. And that was one of the qualities that I admire in you. Thank you. Very true. Denise has taken that quality and applied it to everything that she has done from leaving her nine to five to becoming one of the top income earners in the company, even to her book. 

The design, your dream life and the journals that go along with that. And just recently the teen design, your dream life journal that just came out, not that long ago. So Denise, I just find, I kind of lift you up here. You have honestly been one of the most inspirational people in my life, and you’ve truly inspired me to take that step of faith, do a scared and go after my dreams to fulfill my God. 

Given destiny here on this side of heaven. Amen. Yes. So there are so many things that we could talk about today and be in one of the goals of this podcast is to inspire the Christian career woman who is listening to us today that knows they have a bigger purpose than that. Nine to five to inspire them to step out on faith and do what God has laid on their hearts. 

So they can live out their destiny and purpose, even though. Like you, they don’t know the how. And I have heard this story so many times. It still gives me goosebumps today. But my first question for you is to tell us a little bit about the start of your nine to five career fresh out of college, full of excitement. 

And then how quickly that changed and what actions you took to transition from that nine to five, to what I like to call the Christian CEO. The faith-filled woman who controls her own time and her own life. Absolutely. Yes. So I have been full time digital entrepreneur for over a decade now, but over 13 years ago, I was a clinical psychologist and I got my masters from Wheaton, which is right outside Chicago.  

In clinical psychology. And I truly got into that field because I love to help people grow. I think the spark for that was when I was a camp counselor working in North Carolina for a few summers. And then I was in New York for two summers and we worked with inner city foster kids. And I felt like, Oh my gosh, they don’t know how awesome they are, and I can help breathe life into them.  

And I felt like psychology was a great way to, to breathe life into others and to help them through hard times and to help them pivot into living a life. They loved, well, my friends, too many guests, I got my first job. I felt like I was off to change the world. I was so excited. Yeah. And then little by little night’s sparks started to dim.  

And I truly felt like I didn’t feel like I was making a difference. Like I thought it would, you know, it was more about policy, paperwork, or procedure than it truly was about people. And I had to ask myself this question, am I going to allow that spark to dim and live like a zombie and live for the weekends and just kind of just take my lot in life.  

Or am I going to figure out a way, way to light that spark again? Because I knew what it was like to love what I was doing. I knew what it was like to feel like what I was doing was a part of my bigger purpose here on earth in my, my, my God given calling. And so. Uh, I had, I lived in that wishy washiness for about five years where I thought this isn’t it.  

Nope, this isn’t it. Um, but I don’t know what else to do because I, I got my degrees. I went to school, I got my first job and then nobody else was there to tell me how to, to tell me how to do a next one step. And so I really had to do some soul searching. To not only gain clarity on what was quote unquote next, but to gain confidence, to take that action.  

I love that. And with clarity comes the kind of the confidence to take that step of faith and do something. And the how shows up when you take action. So, what were some things that helped you gain a little bit of clarity on the direction you wanted to go? Well, I realized that I didn’t have to do an all or nothing switch.  

I think sometimes we feel like, well, I don’t like it here. I’m going to quit. And then, so I did job interviews and I actually started seeing clients at my church, but I always felt like. At least here, I know the paperwork, you know what I mean? We stay where we are if we don’t quite like it, because at least it’s comfortable.  

And so I did look to see if the grass was greener on the other side. And I tried to find other positions, um, but it felt like a bit too big of a move. So when we started our side business, it was something I could do alongside with what I was doing. And it felt like an easier switch for me. So we started our homebased business back in 2007 and really just did it on nights and weekends, whenever we could fit into our schedule.  

And within three years we built up enough income to be able to quit our jobs. So for me, it was not like, Oh my gosh, this is what I’m going to do. Next. It w it was a slow build because it felt like it was less of a risk. And that felt good to me. I could take a step knowing, you know, that I wasn’t like.  

Jumping off a cliff. Right. And I think that’s a scary part that when people start another business or the Christian career woman that is listening, that really feels stuck and frustrated at their nine to five, they think they just need to quit and then go do something else. But having a side business, building that powerful, profitable, and impactful business that God has laid on their heart to create.  

They don’t have to quit their job and then start that they can use their job to supplement their dream that God’s laid on their heart. So that sounds like kind of what you did. Yeah. Yeah. And I think, you know, the all or nothing, right. Approach may work for some people. But for me, it, it felt better to build this up in my spare hours.  

Now I didn’t have kids at this time. And so we did have nights and weekends free. We did eventually say no to youth group. We were youth group leaders. We did eventually say no to volleyball. We were, you know, of course active and. In sports in our church and you know, all these things. And we eventually said no to those things.  

So we would have time to build our business, but it gave me a way to put a toe in and then to put a foot in and then to build confidence as I took that action. Awesome. I love that. So go back to that pivotal moment where you said, okay, I am walking away from my nine to five. How did you feel. And what did you need to tell yourself in order to actually take that leap?  

Good question. Okay. So I remember we were making more in our side business than we were at our jobs. It felt like we kind of have three jobs, my job Brandon’s job, and then our business that we were working together. Um, and we were making great money with all three of them. Uh, but we were making more with our side business, then our salaries. 

And it got to a point where we were saying we are wasting time at work, where we could be building our business and building that income up because we could see how it could grow versus a 3% raise each year. Right. And so it got to a time, a spot where you were saying, alright, something’s gotta give. And we’re wasting time at work when we could really be building our business.  

And my husband actually quit first. And then six months later I quit. Um, and. I think number one, we had built up that income. So we felt like it was, um, we were ready. Uh, but we were also burning the candle at both ends. So it felt like we were ready. And then the third thing that we said to ourselves, because no matter how much you’re making, it feels scary to let go of something, quote, unquote secure.  

So we were making five figures a month, but. And kid lists, you know what I mean? Like we were making good money, especially 13 years ago, but we’re still scared because it still felt like a risk. And so the thing that we kept telling ourselves is the worst thing that could be the worst thing that could happen is we would eventually go back to work.  

That’s the worst thing that could happen. Honestly, we were, we already had built it up. So we had a steady stream of income. We knew what we were doing by that time had been three years of consistent effort. We weren’t trying to figure it out anymore. We just had to. Keep working harder and build our network and all of that and build our systems.  

So the worst thing that could happen is that we would eventually go back to work. And 10 years later, we have not had to go back to work. And so. Uh, the support of each other made a big difference. Brandon, I did it together, uh, the support of our families and, and really just saying, all right, it’s now, or never, you know, either jump in with both feet and go for it and take advantage of the time or, or we don’t.  

And we never know. So we jumped in and the rest is history. Building your dream life. I love that. Okay, Denise, I know that you are a firm believer in that your thoughts create your future. And the Bible speaks often about the power of the mind and our thoughts and how our thoughts really do shape, who we will become. 

And I think it’s easy for us to glaze over this and overlook the connection between thoughts and transformation. And this is really exciting to me because more and more science is actually confirming scripture to be true and not contradicting it. So tell us how you overcame those limiting thoughts and those beliefs that didn’t serve you.  

And what you do now to make sure that your thoughts and your beliefs are true and empowering, so you can create the future you want. This is one of my favorite topics, because I think we hear you become what you think about. And it’s on a sign in our school or something we hear about it, but we don’t quite understand the stand, the depth and power of what it truly means and what magic can happen in our lives.  

When we do take our thoughts captive, and instead of focusing on fear, Focusing out. We don’t want focusing on how we’re not good enough. We instead flip it to truly focus on what we do want the power. We do have the gifts and talents we do have, and that, uh, the world that’s created when we do that is magical.  

So I really learned this Kristin, when I was hitting the. The tippity top of our company called black diamond. It was a three year goal. It took us to hit. And the first year I said that we were going to hit the goal black diamond. We’re going to hit this goal yet. It’s going to be awesome. But, um, I had these stinking thoughts that would say things like, what if it doesn’t happen?  

What if it doesn’t work? How embarrassing would that be? And I entertain them. I laughed about it. I would say, Oh my gosh, it’d be so funny if we missed it by just a little bit. And I kind of like allowed those thoughts to, um, you know, be a part of my day. And I was still saying it and I was still doing the work, but my belief wasn’t there.  

And my thoughts weren’t there. And so we missed it. We missed that goal just a couple thousand dollars and we had to start over the next year. Well, the second year I was working towards the school. I really was mad, you know, have you ever said you wanted something and then it didn’t happen and then you go, dang it all.

Well, screw you, you know, I just said, we’re going black diamond. We’re going to hit this goal. And in my heart, I said, yeah. Right. We’ll see, that happens. And so again, my belief wasn’t there. My thoughts weren’t there. I was thinking about how. You know, it, if it was it’s going to happen, it would have happened last year.  

Or I was just, just kind of grouchy about it. And so guess what it didn’t happen. So finally this third year, I said, all right, nothing’s going to change. If nothing changes, like I’ve got to do something different. If I want a different result, clearly what I’m doing, isn’t working. And so what I did was I.  

Wrote my goal everywhere around my house, on my computer, on my phone, in my mirror, I wrote it everywhere. And any time I had that fear based thought that still came up, right. It still came up. It was never gone. That fear-based thought still came up. I would end, I would emotionally focus on what I wanted instead.  

So instead of, you know, allowing it to consume me and think about it or stew on it, I immediately, they focused on what I wanted. So a couple things happened. I had to have a clear picture of what I wanted. I had to ask myself, what do I really want? What do I want to be, do and have what are some dreams that I have?  

What do I, what is my ideal day? I had to get super clear on what I wanted. So then when the fear came up, I had something to focus on. And then I had to focus on it and I had to make that right. Bigger and louder than any fear that popped up. And what I learned through this is that the fear is part of the journey.  

It’s not necessarily a warning sign. It doesn’t mean I should stop. It’s just part of doing something new. And in this year I made what I wanted so much louder in my being. I expected it. I like steps into the promotion before we even. So, and so anytime a fear based thought came, I focused on what I wanted and I became that person before what happened reality.  

And that’s what we mean when we say like the house shows when you’re moving your feet, that way belief, those thoughts of focusing on what I wanted created, not only motivation, you know, it created a personal vision that I was excited to go achieve, but it also. A cast at a belief to my team and to other people I was talking to, they believed me when I said we’re doing this because I had that belief, which meant they showed up differently.  

And I mean, I had people that would randomly sign up at the end of the month in order $400 in product or something exactly that I needed. Randomly out of the blue somebody I hadn’t even talked to. And again, that, it’s kind of the, how showing up. You never know when those things are gonna happen, but they didn’t happen when I was grouchy.  

They didn’t happen when my thoughts were negative. They didn’t happen when I wasn’t taking my thoughts captive and focusing on what I really wanted instead. And so that year I learned the power of my thoughts because the work didn’t change, I was still working. All of the time. Right? My belief changed the way I thought about hitting my goal changed and everything else changed with it.  

I love that. Yeah, you can definitely tell that’s a favorite subject of yours. I think that’s actually the first chapter in your design, your dream life book, the power of that. It is, it is, it is because, you know, it starts here in the dream design, your dream life. I teach the dream life pathway, which is head heart feet and dream and head is all about clarity.

It’s all about, um, really re captivating your thoughts, taking them cap, taking your thoughts, captive and choosing your thought that best serves you. Thoughts are kind of like. We call them habitual thoughts. They really groove neural pathways in our brain, kind of like bowling, you know, you bowl. And it goes into the gutter.  

That’s kind of what happens with our thoughts. We have thought habits. And so if your thought habit is taking you in a fear based direction, like, you know, I’m not good enough. I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m you know, that kind of thing. This is never gonna work out. Then, then your emotions will follow. If you can habitually change your thought habits to being that of gratitude, that of, uh, for the newness of, of stepping into who God created you to be knowing that people need and want your message and your service and shifting your thoughts to habitually.  

Think about what it is you truly want. Your emotions will follow. And a couple things happen. It impacts the way you view the world. It impacts the way you view yourself. It impacts the way you interact with people, the way you show up. And, um, it triggers your reticular activating system, which is basically your brain’s filter for how you see the world. 

So you’re going to start noticing. The things that fit this new story in your world. And it’s a really cool, magical thing. It seriously works every time does. And while it didn’t so much value that you gave us here today, I want to thank you so much. Um, I would love, if you could tell the listeners how they can connect with you and what resources you have available for them.  

Yes. So I do have a few books. Your dream life is the workbook that takes people through the dream life pathway, the head heart feet, freedom approach, because we do talk about how to heal through your past hurts. So you can create a new future. And that’s on Amazon. I also have two journals that go along with, because once you know what you want, right?  

You want to stay focused every single day. And then I do have a freebie for you guys, which is pretty cool. I know for me, in this season of life, this past year, I have had to pivot probably more than any other time in my life. Right now, kids are home from school. Work has changed traveling as much. We’re not doing live events like.  

Everything has changed. And so I had to get back to the drawing board and after. I don’t know, you know, and you’re just kind of in the shock and all for a bit, I felt like I was in most like what is happening with the world. And then I decided all right, time to get out of the drama and back into my dreams.  

And so I created a dream board brainstorming kit to help people create their dream boards and kind of get out of the madness and really back into their heart to say, what do I want to create next? And that is a freebie it’s called the dream board brainstorming kits. And you can get that@dreamworkbook.com slash dream board kit, but otherwise I’m on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and I have a podcast as well.  

Awesome. Thank you so much, Denise. And I will post all of the, that information, the links to her freebie and how you can connect with Denise in the show notes. For those of you wanting to connect with her. And I highly highly recommend getting her design, your dream life book that is on Amazon, because that was one of the.  

Main things that helped me start to get unstuck about a year and a half ago. So thank you, Denise. I appreciate you taking your time out and spending it with us today. Yay. Thanks.

That’s it for today, friends. It is your time to step into the role of an Abundant Christianpreneur™and put to use the gifts God has given you. There’s only one on you and you are the expert your people are waiting to hear from. I want you to know this, feel this, and most importantly, be this. Never underestimate the impact and power you. 

Yeah. And Hey, real quick, before you go, if you found value in today’s podcast, I would love it. If you could take a screenshot and post it on your IgG or Facebook stories and tag me at Kristen Durante. Hashtag the abundant Christianpreneur and together we can inspire other women to step into who God created them to be.  

Don’t forget if you have not yet left a review or subscribe to the show to get registered, to enter the special B I P prelaunch giveaway that we will be doing in the past. First four episodes of this podcast, make sure you head on over to iTunes. Subscribe, leave a review, and rate the show. Thank you so much for taking the time out of your day and spending it here with me. 

I appreciate you and see you next episode.