Life coach Jesse Stukenberg embraces fear as part of business journey
Jesse Stukenberg says if there is anything that has defined her entrepreneurial journey, it is fearlessness.
The Green Bay resident, who also works full time as a wellness consultant, hadn’t planned to start a business. It was something that just felt right.
“When I met people who had taken leaps of faith, I talked to them and asked questions. One local businesswoman encouraged me to attend a retreat in Arizona last May, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that I needed to be there. I don’t usually go to things on a whim, but I went,” Stukenberg said.
Known to others as “Nurse Jesse,” she holds a bachelor of science degree in human biology and exercise science as well as a nursing degree.
“I was one of those people who never knew what I wanted to do when I grew up,” she said. “But helping people has clearly been a theme in my life from time spent as a personal trainer to wellness to coaching. I don’t like blood, but nursing school taught me that if I face my fears, I can do anything. It is about stepping through your fear; there is freedom on the other side.”
That conquering of fear had her ready for the next step. After attending the first retreat, she went to another and was encouraged to start a business.
“I thought I don’t know the first thing about business, but I’m doing this," she said. "Every step of the way, I had to have trust that it would unfold for me at the perfect time.”
The plan was to hold similar retreats, but first, she decided to focus on friendship circles and workshops. Along with a friend, she created a Facebook page under her business name, “Nurse Jesse Life Coaching — Healing Hearts and Minds.”
The Circle of Friends, a healing journey, is an eight-week group class.
“I decided to create this group because I wanted to share actual tools for healing," Stukenberg said. "This group is a safe place where healing begins and empowerment takes root and grows. I have learned that it’s not a certain moment of clarity or an epiphany but a journey, full of twists and turns.”
The first group was so successful that she is taking many members of that group into a second, deeper journey. The Facebook group, Circle of Friends, is a closed group and entry must be requested. It is where women can meet other women, share stories, and learn about workshops and classes.
Her next event, “It Makes Me Happy Workshop,” will be held from 6-8 p.m. April 24 at Bay Area Yoga in Green Bay. Stukenberg says that we are facing an identity crisis and have become multitasking machines in search of the good life. However, women have lost themselves in the process.
“The good news is we can train ourselves to be happier,” she said. “The workshop offers attendees tools to reconnect with their authentic selves and a simple formula to find joy in everyday living.”
As she has found success in her business already, the next step will be holding retreats. But before she does that, she’s taking a step back and plans to meet with Green Bay SCORE mentors to write a business plan or develop a business model canvas that will provide direction as the business grows.
“I have more ideas than I can shake a stick at, so the next step is to sit down and figure out where this is headed. I want to get a sense of order, peace and direction,” she said.
In addition to mentoring, Stukenberg has attended various business conferences and consulted with a psychologist on the business model. She is working with a partner, one with a skill set that is complimentary, and says that despite the number of life coaches, her business offers something unique.
“I don’t consider anyone to be competition,” she said. “The table is limitless and the people who need you are waiting for you. They are coming to us at the perfect time in their journey, and I will openly embrace them.”
Tina Dettman-Bielefeldt is co-owner of DB Commercial Real Estate in Green Bay and past district director for SCORE, Wisconsin.