22: Truthtelling with Johanna Walker

Welcome! My guest today is a fear-blasting, storytelling maven
for entrepreneurs and people with a mission. Johanna
Walker helps people put their stories out front to help
change the world. Since 1997, she has helped hundreds break
through their fears, step into leadership, and claim their place.
She has worked with teenage girls, incarcerated women, fledgling
entrepreneurs, and corporate executives, over and over witnessing
the transformative power of telling our stories and speaking our
truth.


Johanna is the co-producer and co-host of Boulder’s bi-monthly
storytelling series, Truth Be Told and
Fearless Solos. She has performed almost
everywhere---and yes, we DO mean, EVERYWHERE—and she is a
certified public speaking coach. Join us for Johanna’s story!


In this episode, you’ll hear:


How a combination of circumstances and choice lead Johanna
not to have a child.

How she always assumed a child “would happen,” because that
was the normal script to follow in life.

How she began to question her beliefs, assumptions, and
expectations—“If children aren’t going to give my life meaning,
then where is the meaning?”

How this decision has led her to be able to be connected to
people and projects that wouldn’t have otherwise been possible.

How she encountered pressure, judgment, and disappointment
from her family.

How she went through the grieving process for several years
because she couldn’t see that anything else in life could make
life worth living.

How she felt alone and isolated for a period.

How she even went through a time of not wanting to hear or
celebrate other people’s joys around parenthood.

“Bring forth what is IN you; if you don’t, then what is in
you will destroy you.”

How she learned to channel her creative life force and energy
through storytelling and helping others express their creativity
through speaking

Ironically, she became a writer first and went through
periods of silence, and then transitioned into speaking.

Growing up, the best way she could be a “good girl” was just
to be quiet.

How she began to get a bigger picture of women’s voices, to
tell her story, reclaimed her voice, and began speaking

Johanna’s most fulfilling work is seeing people tell a story
and hear their voice in a way they haven’t done before.

Her advice to someone considering a “different” path is:
“Use your voice. Tell your story in whatever your circle
of influence may be.”

The major benefits of her childfree life are the
relationships with young people that are unique and different
from the parent/child relationship. “I get to stand in my
power as a woman separate from motherhood.”

Johanna’s legacy is to be present for herself and others.
“Show up, be curious, and then tell your story about it.”

The lessons Johanna has learned are: “Let go of judgment and
expectations and enjoy this extraordinary life. Be open to the
possibility of the moment.”



Resources:


www.johannawalker.com


www.storyslamboulder.com


For more episodes of Unclassified Woman go
to michellemariemcgrath.com


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