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Season 6, Episode 235

Finding Freedom Through Vulnerability: Jillian Riddell on Emotional Growth

33:22

About This Episode

In this episode of The Amberly Lago Show: Stories of True Grit and Grace, host Amberly Lago sits down with the inspiring Jillian Riddell. As an expert on heart connections and a former ER trauma nurse, Jillian shares her journey from a tumultuous background to becoming a beacon of hope and resilience. They delve into the transformative power of vulnerability, emotional processing, and personal development. Jillian opens up about her experiences of facing emotional barriers, becoming a teenage mother, and tackling emotional baggage. Listen as they discuss the importance of deep communication, acknowledging emotions, and building resilience in relationships and life. Join Amberly and Jillian as they explore emotional empowerment, the significance of truthfulness, and personal growth in this truly compelling episode.

If you are ready to leave your mark by discovering your message and sharing it with the world, you've come to the right place!! Let's work together to build your influence, your impact, and your income! Join the tribe you have been waiting for to activate your highest potential and live the life you deserve! Join the "Unstoppable Life Mastermind!" and let us know you are ready for greatness! Read the "True Grit and Grace" book here and learn how you can turn tragedy into triumph! Thank you for joining us on The Amberly Lago Show: Stories of True Grit and Grace! If you find value in today's episode, don't forget to share the show with your friends and tap that subscribe button so you don't miss an episode! You can also head over to amberlylago.com to join my newsletter and access free downloadable resources that can help you elevate your life, business, and relationships! Want to see the behind-the-scenes and keep the conversation going? Head over to Instagram @amberlylagomotivation! Audible @True-Grit-and-Grace-Audiobook Website @amberlylago.com Instagram @amberlylagomotivation Facebook @AmberlyLagoSpeaker

Full Transcript

0:02
Amberly Lago

Welcome to the Amberly Lago Show. Stories of true grit and grace. Hey, there. Thank you for tuning in to the Amberly Lago show. Today on the show, I have one of my very special friends. She's also been in the Unstoppable Life mastermind for almost two years. Going on two years now. Jillian, thank you for being on the show. She is a transformational, like, expert on and connecting to your heart. So if you've ever, like, you want to make deeper connections, you want to be successful in business and in your relationship, get your notepad and your pen because you're going to want to tune in to everything she has to say. So, Jillian, thank you so much for being on the show.

0:48
Jillian Riddell

Oh, my goodness. I'm so excited to be here. I really do feel like this is going to be, like, a little bit of a roller coaster, because, I mean, me and you get together and we laugh and dance, and then, you know, then we talk about some serious stuff, so it's going to be good.

1:01
Amberly Lago

Oh, my goodness. And y', all, just so you know, she, like, is the true blue. She's been on a road trip with my family.

1:10
Jillian Riddell

Yes. I have so much fun.

1:12
Amberly Lago

You've seen, like, the real stuff, been in the car. And so, you know my husband. I do. Our husbands get along great. Because your husband is a former police officer and so is mine, so I couldn't wait for them to meet. But I'm just so excited to have you here, and I think so many people need to know, like. Well, first of all, I left out something. You're an ER trauma nurse as well.

1:36
Jillian Riddell

Yes.

1:36
Amberly Lago

And she has a podcast called Life Without Secrets. Right. That I said.

1:43
Jillian Riddell

You did.

1:44
Amberly Lago

Okay. That's your handle, too. But what. So before we get started, what exactly does that mean, Life without Secrets? Because I always think that, you know, we're only as sick as our secrets. Yeah.

1:54
Jillian Riddell

Well. And that there's truth to that.

1:56
Amberly Lago

Yeah. And so where did you come up with this? Life without Secrets?

2:01
Jillian Riddell

So there's. There's definitely a deeper meaning behind Life without Secrets for my own life. Um, but as far as, like, a bigger picture goes, you know, secrets create barriers in our life. They create barriers to our business and our relationships. And a lot of people think of secrets as, like, something big, like, our dirty laundry that we're hiding. But secrets can be as simple as, like, the feelings that you really have that you aren't sharing. Right. So, like, those feelings that are behind our doors and under our rugs and behind our screens of our phone, like, how do we really feel about something and what we actually need? And, you know, I started this work with life without secrets and really wanting to dive into that and wanting to bring the awareness to it and help people live a life without secrets and help them be able to share how they really feel and what they really need, whether it's in their relationship or just with the world. And it really goes back to my own story. So I was a product of an affair. So my dad had met my mom at a bar. They started dating. My mom gets pregnant with me, and my dad's like, oops, sorry, I'm married. And instead of that becoming like. Like, he's gonna tell his wife, he decides that he's gonna hide me as a secret from his family. And so I got to see my dad about once a year because he was a truck driver, and he would go around the United States and he would deliver cars. And so he'd come to where I live about once a year. And so I still saw him. I still got to have somewhat of a relationship. I still knew him. And I actually didn know I personally was a secret until I was 11 years old. And so I actually knew about his family. I knew that I had all these brothers and sisters on his side of the family. And I would go out in the world and I would tell people, yeah, I have seven brothers and one sister. And, oh, they live in Arizona. I'm going to meet them someday, but I just haven't met them yet. And when I was 11, I became kind of an angry child. And especially at 11, I feel like it's when those emotions start coming up a lot in our lives, right. And we don't know where they're coming from, why they're there, what to do with them. And nobody ever taught me the tools on what they are and what to do with them or asked me how I was feeling. That wasn't part of our family, say, about, like, well, so my mom was. She didn't tell me either. She just let me believe that, like, oh, yeah, I was going to meet them someday. So When I was 11, I went to this therapist's office because I was this angry child. And the therapist found out that these people didn't know I existed. And I thought that they did.

4:34
Amberly Lago

So they had no idea.

4:36
Jillian Riddell

They had no idea I existed. And so the therapist made my mom tell me that I was actually a secret. And at that point, you would think, like, oh, the secret's out, right? Like, now you can go meet your family. Well, no, me being A secret just meant that, okay, you know, that you're the secret. And so you can now go with your dad in the truck because he was a truck driver on these commercial shoots in the summertime for a week or two and spend time with them. And then his wife would call on the phone. And it wasn't like my dad ever said, hey, if my wife calls, you need to be quiet. I just knew how to please. And I knew that I needed to earn my love, that it wasn't something that was given freely to me. And so I would protect the relationship by people pleasing and by like, oh, it doesn't matter how I feel. Right. Like, I didn't even know how to identify that. And so I would stuff those things down and people, please. And I ended up pregnant at 17 and had my own child. And I remember looking at my child and looking at my parents and thinking, how could you? How could you do that to your child that you love so much? And, you know, it wasn't until a few years ago that I actually did the work and why Life Without Secrets came about so that I can help other people dive into what they're going through and be able to reveal and heal.

5:58
Amberly Lago

Yeah.

5:59
Jillian Riddell

Yeah.

6:00
Amberly Lago

Well, also, too, when you were pregnant as a teenager and you had a lot of people say, well, your life's over. You're never going to amount to anything. You're never going to be successful. You are a teenager and you're having a baby. What was going through your mind at that time? And then how did you. Because you accomplished something pretty remarkable. And how did you accomplish that?

6:26
Jillian Riddell

Yeah, so people. Yeah, people in high school, like teachers that I was close to, they'd be like, oh, man, you had so much potential. And, you know, that was the first point in my life that I knew. In life, we have two choices. Like, when we're met with adversity, when we're met with an obstacle that we're facing, we have a choice in that matter. And at that point in my life, it was the first time where I felt like I had a choice. Right. Because I didn't have a choice whether or not it was a secret. But I was like, you know what? I have a choice here. And I can become the statistic that these teachers and these people think that I'm going to be, or I can choose my own path and I will accomplish this, and I'm going to prove to them that I matter. Because I felt growing up, like, oh, I just didn't matter. I didn't matter enough to be in my dad's family or be a part of that family. Right. And then I'm like, I'm going to prove to the world that I do matter, and I'm not going to be that statistic. And so, yes, I became valedictorian of my college, which, you know, that was huge. Yeah. And it's funny, though, because, like, I think when we deep inside have those wounds that we haven't healed from, we are questioning our worth. Right.

7:38
Amberly Lago

Yeah.

7:38
Jillian Riddell

And the way that we try to heal those things on an external. From an external point of view is we either achieve or we pick up the addiction.

7:47
Amberly Lago

Yeah. Yeah. And that's. That's what I did growing up. I didn't feel worthy enough of my father's attention or even my mother's. And so I became Miss Greenville High School. I was, like, the honor roll president of the club. I was like, first place in all the track meets. I achieved all these things, but it wasn't filling the part of me that really needed to be loved and healed.

8:19
Jillian Riddell

Yeah.

8:19
Amberly Lago

So how do you heal that?

8:22
Jillian Riddell

Yeah. So I actually. I like to coach couples now because me and my husband went into our relationship. I call it our grief cases. He had his grief case, I had my grief case. We both came from broken families, which, in the beginning of a relationship, you kind of are like, oh, you can understand me. Yeah, you get it. Right? And so it kind of brings you guys together, and then, you know, it doesn't feel that heavy to like, oh, I'll hold your grief case for a little while, you know, until as a couple, you start piling in more grief together. And nobody taught you how to unpack the grief case. Nobody taught you what to do with it. And so here you are, you're carrying around these grief cases. They're getting heavier and heavier as you walk through your relationship. And pretty soon the seams are ripping apart. They're getting weaker and weaker, and pretty soon it just explodes. And that's what happened in my own relationship. And so how do we do that? How do we start unpacking our grief cases and decide what drawer we're gonna put it in so when it opens, because it will, we'll know what to do with it, you know, and because it's not like our problems just disappear, like, oh, you're just gonna, you know, fix it here, and then they'll never see you again. No, they're gonna follow you through life, but you're gonna have the tools, and you're gonna know what to do with them. And it works in life and it works in relationships. And so I've created a method, it's called the truthful method that I. And it's an eight week transformational program. And we'll walk through the first step because I think that, like, this is so important for everybody to learn. And I truly feel like not enough people understand this. A lot of people will say, like, hey, your thoughts create your life. Right. And I really think that it's so much deeper than that. Like, if we aren't changing our emotions, you're not going to change your life. And emotions affect our physiology more than our thoughts. And our heart actually creates a rhythm. Like people study heart rate variability now. Well, based on your heart rate variability or based on your emotion, it affects your heart rate variability. And so if we're living in stress, right, that's just stress is a surface level thing that we say we need to get to what are the stressors? So the first thing we walk through is like, where are we right now? On an emotional level, like, where are we? And in order to figure that out, we go through a process. So I want, I walk people through, like get out a piece of paper. I want you to write down stressors that are going on in your life right now. Is it your finances, is it your relationship, is it your workload, is it your teenager? You know, what is it? And then next to that, you're going to write what that situation makes you feel, what emotion is it? And for me, I was never taught like how to express my emotions or I was never taught like, well, you really feel.

11:11
Amberly Lago

Stuff it down.

11:12
Jillian Riddell

Exactly.

11:12
Amberly Lago

And act like everything was okay and people please.

11:15
Jillian Riddell

Exactly. And I mean, how often, especially in the world today, we do that so much because there's so much rushed energy in the world where there's like emails and text messages and social media, right? Like we have things coming at us all the time. So I think, you know, even though people understand this a little bit, they're not actually doing it and participating in it because of all the rushed energy that we have in the world today. So I teach people to slow down, do the stressors. So document the stressors. Next to the stressor, you're going to put what emotion does that stressor produce inside of you? And get out a piece of paper with a hundred emotions. I have one in the back of my magazine. It has a list of emotion. Or you can go online and just google it. 100 lists of emotions.

11:56
Amberly Lago

What is your magazine? Tell everybody what's your magazine?

11:59
Jillian Riddell

Yes, it's called the truthful magazine. And you can actually download it for free right now. I have it on my website. So just go to lifewithoutsecrets.com and you can download the magazine for free right now. So definitely do that. And in the back of the magazine, you can find the list of emotions for you. And I want you to look at those when you're looking at your stressor. When you write down that stressor, look at those emotions and really identify what is it, what is it that I'm feeling? Because we can't just say, you know, oh, I'm stressed or I'm tired. Those are surface level. And we're not getting to the root of the problem. So what happens is you'll do stressor, then you'll do the emotional reaction that you have. And then next to that, you're gonna put, what do you normally do when those situations occur? Do you blame, do you push through, do you avoid, you know, what is your reaction to the stress?

12:53
Amberly Lago

Because everybody does something different. Like for me, I tend to push through.

12:59
Jillian Riddell

Me too.

13:00
Amberly Lago

Yeah. Push through, push through. But then I know other people in my family that just ignore. And it's like they've got blinders on and there could be, you know, they ignore the white elephant in the room. Ignore. And I'm like, no, I, I want to like talk about it, but I also push through, like a lot.

13:18
Jillian Riddell

Yep. And what you'll notice when you start doing this exercise is that normally you'll find that like one or two emotions will stand out the most. Yeah, yeah. And that is building a recognition system for you. Because what are our brains? Our brains are pattern recognition systems. Right. And so by developing this awareness, you're going to be able to do something about it. So the next step we go to is like, okay, so we know what these stressors are in your life, but what is it in your day to day life that renews you, that re energizes you, that brings you joy, that makes you feel positive emotions like love, kindness, courage, confidence. What are those situations or people that bring that to you? Right. So we document what is the situation, what is the positive experience that you had? And then you go back to your list of emotions and you pick out the positive emotion that went with it. And what are we doing? We're creating an emotional playlist. Because how many times have you gotten in your car and you're like, I really need like a pick me up. Right. And you hit play on your favorite playlist in your car. And all Of a sudden, you feel like, okay, the day's better now, right?

14:28
Amberly Lago

Yeah. Oh, yeah.

14:30
Jillian Riddell

And so by doing this, we can create our own emotional playlist. And so when you are in a situation where you're in a situation that maybe causes you a stressor. Right. When you're in that situation, you can think about this playlist that you have and put yourself in one of those positions that brought you that joy, that brought you that confidence. Right? So, like, when I'm gonna go speak on stage, it's normal to feel nervous, Right. But instead of having a negative attachment to that nervousness, I can decide that, oh, it's the confidence in me that I'm feeling, because it's the same thing that's happening inside our body. Right. My heart rate is racing. I'm getting a little jittery. Right. But I can see that as a negative or I can see that as a positive, like, confidence.

15:15
Amberly Lago

I just had a conversation with my new doctor that I'm seeing today, and he said, well, have you started your treatment yet? And I said, well, I'm really scared, so I haven't tried it yet. I've got to wait until I have some time off. I said, but I'm switching that feeling to I'm excited to try it instead of I'm scared because I. The same kind of emotion.

15:40
Jillian Riddell

Yes.

15:41
Amberly Lago

But it's hard.

15:42
Jillian Riddell

Yeah. And it's not easy. And it. It's just like anything, though, Right? Like, we have to develop a pattern so our brain can recognize it. Right. And I lived my life through a lens of I don't matter for almost all my life at this point. Right. And just. Just until a few years ago when I realized, like, I don't have to wear that lens.

16:01
Amberly Lago

Yeah.

16:01
Jillian Riddell

And now I can. Like, my husband could do. You know, my husband, he's like, the best guy ever. And we've done. Done so much work, but, like, I could. He could have done a hundred things, right. And I would have seen the two things that told me I didn't matter, because that's what my brain was looking for. And it just wants to prove that you're right. And so if you develop a different pattern where you're looking for the positive and, you know, it's not just about the thought, though, and that's what I want to bring up here. Like, a lot of people will say, like, well, you just have to say

16:29
Amberly Lago

it's just about mindset.

16:30
Jillian Riddell

It's just about mindset.

16:32
Amberly Lago

It's how you feel. Feel the emotion behind it.

16:35
Jillian Riddell

Yes. Because your Emotions will control everything else in your body. And so if you're not putting an emotion to that thought, if you're not having that emotion, change that, then you're not going to. You're not going to change your life, you're not going to change your relationship. And in order to do that, we have to get to the bottom of really what's causing that emotion and how can we change it? And how can we verbalize how we feel and get to where we. We get what we need?

17:00
Amberly Lago

Well, how did you start to change that relationship? Well, that's one thing I want to talk to you about. I know we're running out of time, but I just wanted to talk to you about, like, you with your husband. Y' all have really changed your relationship and how you communicate. And you've told me before that, you know, before that you didn't understand why he was so into these self development conferences and masterminds and this and that. And then you started getting into it, and it's just made your marriage get even stronger and better. And the reason I'm asking is because selfishly, you know, my husband is like, ex cop, like, very. Just black and white. Does not. He didn't even come to my own event. Like, he came to help clean up, but he's just not into that sort of thing. How did you start to transition to be more open to go into that as far as, like, learning and growing with your husband?

18:02
Jillian Riddell

Yeah. So I used to think. And I can totally relate to your husband in this too, because as an ER nurse, like, I used to be like, oh, yeah, you help people. I save lives for a living. Like, okay, like, good for you, you know?

18:16
Amberly Lago

Yeah. Yeah. And I could see where that would.

18:18
Jillian Riddell

Honestly.

18:19
Amberly Lago

Yeah, I could see where that would be.

18:21
Jillian Riddell

The mentality.

18:21
Amberly Lago

The mentality.

18:22
Jillian Riddell

Like, and then he'd come home and everything would just be so positive. And I. And I was over here thinking, like, oh, my God, our relationship, like, it sucks right now. Like, you're so positive.

18:34
Amberly Lago

Do you know I saved somebody's life today?

18:37
Jillian Riddell

And honestly, it was like, I almost wore, like, it like a badge of honor. Right. Of, like, you know, I didn't need to, like, feel all these mushy things in order to have a good life, you know? And so, like, I had had this wall between me and emotions.

18:58
Amberly Lago

Yeah.

18:58
Jillian Riddell

And so, like, going into a room where, like, oh, you were diving, digging into your emotions. You were around other emotional people, and you were, like, changing your life and creating this positivity, which is. Which is really what happens at these events, you know, like, it's amazing, like, and I think everybody should go immerse themselves in it.

19:18
Amberly Lago

Yeah, it's amazing.

19:20
Jillian Riddell

That's amazing.

19:21
Amberly Lago

We've got a studio audience today.

19:23
Jillian Riddell

I know. I'm so excited.

19:24
Amberly Lago

We've got a studio audience today.

19:28
Jillian Riddell

I honestly feel so loved. I have to display that.

19:30
Amberly Lago

Yeah, we have a studio audience today. People that have traveled from far away to be here to see you, Jillian, so far.

19:37
Jillian Riddell

Yeah, I feel so honored. But, yeah, I had a barrier up and I wore it like a badge, to be honest with you. Like, I thought, like, I was so good at my job because I didn't let those things affect me. But what the truth of the matter is, is we think those things aren't affecting us, but oftentimes when we aren't actually digging those things up, they're coming out in the effects on our relationships. They are coming out in our health. Right. And so they will show their face if we don't get to the bottom of them.

20:10
Amberly Lago

It's crazy.

20:11
Jillian Riddell

And it won't be in the way that we think usually. Right. And until you connect the dots, you don't know.

20:16
Amberly Lago

I remember I had a panic attack. I didn't even know what that was. And I was like, I'm fine. Like, why am I having a panic attack? You know, I was about to get on a train and leaving a conference that I had spoken at. And in this cafe, I was getting going to get something to eat. I had a panic attack. And I mean, I'd never had anything like this before. Blacked out, like, sweated, like drenched. Not just a little glisten, but like full on drenched, sweating. So much so that the people behind the counter of the restaurant came out and they were about ready to call the paramedics. I thought maybe I was having a heart attack. It was a panic attack. And I had to go, what is going on? Like, what am I stuffing down so much that this is happening? Because they're, you know, they're. You're. There's that saying that there's that book. Your body keeps a score. It does, yeah, absolutely.

21:14
Jillian Riddell

And you know, many times. And I actually relate more to men in this way, which is interesting. Like, 75% of men have like more of an avoidant attachment style. And I just happen to be like the 25% of females that carried that in my life, which is interesting. So I can relate, I feel like, to a lot more men in that way of like, what that feels like and why we avoid situations. Right. And A lot of it is just like, protecting us. It's a protection. It's a barrier that we create around us, most likely coming from our family of origin, where, whether we know it or not, it usually stems that deep because it's just a safety and security. And if we don't have a safety and security, then we won't walk in a room and experience love and belonging. Because it has to come first. You have to feel safe in yourself and your ability to.

22:05
Amberly Lago

We all just want to be loved and feel like we belong and a part of. And I think that's human nature.

22:11
Jillian Riddell

It is. But in order to be able to accept it, you know, it's easier, I think, to give it when we're missing it. But in order to truly accept the love and belonging, we have to feel the safety and security. And oftentimes that comes with vulnerability. Even though that's, like, the scariest part. Right. It seems like, oh, gosh, I wouldn't want to do that. And then for me, it was like, you know, I actually. This is funny. You're talking about going to events and you know how your husband didn't go. I remember getting into my personal development journey. It was after I went to therapy and started, like, going to therapy with my list of 100 emotions, like, okay, how do I really feel? But. And then the first event I did, and I didn't tell my husband, actually.

22:58
Amberly Lago

Really?

22:58
Jillian Riddell

Yeah. And it was a Tony Robbins event that I could do from my home that, like, unleash the power within. And I did it from home.

23:06
Amberly Lago

Sarah and I have been Tony Robbins event together, and it was. Was in. It was amazing.

23:11
Jillian Riddell

Yeah. Well, I did the one online and I, like, took a bunch of notes and I got all into it in my house. It was actually like when Covid first started.

23:20
Amberly Lago

Oh, really? That. Yes.

23:22
Jillian Riddell

Yeah.

23:23
Amberly Lago

That wasn't long ago.

23:24
Jillian Riddell

No, four years. That was my first, like, stepping into the event space. Like, after going through therapy. And like, I had been to events 2020. I had been to events, but I hadn't, liked, worked through the event. Does that make sense? Like, there's a difference. Like, you can attend just to attend, but if you actually want to apply it, you know, and actually ask for it on an internal level, you have to do the work. Right. So, yeah. So I did the Tony Robbins event, and I remember my husband coming home one time and he's like, what is she doing up there? Because I was like, yelling and like, really?

23:59
Amberly Lago

Oh, yeah.

24:00
Jillian Riddell

Oh, yeah. And I wrote that, you should have seen Sarah.

24:04
Amberly Lago

And I Yelling and screaming. And then the next, we were like, are you tired? Yeah, I'm tired. Yeah.

24:12
Jillian Riddell

Well. And you know what? I walked away going, how come everybody doesn't know this stuff? Right? Like, everybody needs to know how to heal. Everybody needs to know tools. And maybe, like, that tool isn't for you, but the next one will be. And, like, the more tools you have in your tool belt, like, the more you're going to be able to go through life and when you meet those obstacles, because that's the only thing that we can ever guarantee. Like, in life, you can try to, like, manifest and predict your future, but at the end of the day, the only thing you can guarantee is you're going to hit an obstacle in the next 365 days. I guarantee you.

24:48
Amberly Lago

Yeah.

24:48
Jillian Riddell

Big or small. And so in order to get through life, as many tools you can develop and put in your tool belt, like, to face those obstacles, the better. Right. And I had to learn that the hard way, but I'm so happy that I did, and I get to teach other people the tools that I have now.

25:06
Amberly Lago

Yeah.

25:06
Jillian Riddell

So that's really cool.

25:07
Amberly Lago

That's awesome. So we're gonna do something that we've never done before here on the Amberly Lago Show.

25:12
Jillian Riddell

I like this.

25:13
Amberly Lago

Okay.

25:13
Jillian Riddell

Okay.

25:14
Amberly Lago

Because we have a studio audience, because you're so popular. We've got people that have traveled from far and wide to be here just to see Jillian.

25:22
Jillian Riddell

Oh, my goodness.

25:22
Amberly Lago

Do we have a question from the studio audience? Anybody have a question?

25:27
Jillian Riddell

Yeah.

25:28
Amberly Lago

Sarah Delane, do you have a question?

25:35
Jillian Riddell

You didn't prep your question. I know. This is so on the spot, and I love it. I know.

25:39
Amberly Lago

Christina Dearing has a question.

25:41
Jillian Riddell

Yeah. So how have you noticed this truthful process that you created? What is the biggest impact that it's had on your life and potentially a client's life as well? I just love to hear kind of how that translated into results and into a deeper level of just being in their body. Yeah. Yeah.

26:02
Amberly Lago

Okay. So the question was, in case you couldn't hear it, like, what is the. The deepest impact, really, that this. What you teach has had on your client's life and your life and your relationship? I mean, I see your relationship. It's just. I love the relationship you and your husband have. It's beautiful. And your hubby is so amazing. Like, yeah.

26:26
Jillian Riddell

So amazing. And, you know, what is the best thing is, like. Like, I'm like, a living proof. Like, I mean, I just. I like to get vulnerable because I think that and share our story and it's. And it struggles. Like, we share so many struggles in our program because that's really how we heal, right? Because when we think we're alone, we'll still hide behind our doors and under our rugs and behind our screen. But this minute we know that, like, we'll be accepting, accepted for the struggles we've been through in our relationship. No matter what those look like, that's when we can start opening up those. The secrets I call them, or the struggles that we're having. And then we can actually dive deeper and not stay on a surface level. And so the program is really to dive deep into those things and just to give you, like, from my relationship, like, I actually looked for validation outside of my marriage before we started this healing journey. And that was when our grief cases really exploded. And I, you know, I say that, and I can say that freely because I know that somebody listening is going to like, oh my gosh, maybe there is somebody else out there that can help me because I'm going through that too.

27:40
Amberly Lago

And, you know, like, when you say external validation, what did that look like?

27:46
Jillian Riddell

So I was having, like, a intimate relationship at my work with another person. And, you know, our relationship prior to being married, you know, my husband had done some things as well in our relationship because we were both broken people. And so it's so. And so I love when you say, like, you know, like, how amazing, like, you talk about our relationship. And that's the testament, like, when you see us, you would never guess what we've been through, you know, And I mean, we, I.

28:21
Amberly Lago

And how much your husband just, oh, yeah, he talks so highly of you and he speaks so highly of you and he supports you. And I remember when I first met you, he was like, oh, yeah, you need to be in her mastermind. I want, I completely support you being in her mastermind, which, you know, a lot of husbands would be like, oh, you don't need to spend the money, you don't need that, you don't need to buy that. You don't need to go being part of that. Or he was like, yep, this is what you need to do. He was so supportive.

28:55
Jillian Riddell

Well, and I think also, like, especially in this space, like, there's a lot of go getters, right? And like, this is what I see that happens so much is that, you know, somebody's going after their dreams and then the spouse is here and then there, there is a misunderstanding and the, the couple is not on the same page. And so they're doing circles like this. And I'm holding up my fingers if you're listening to this, and there's two separate circles happening instead of one circle that you guys are working on together. And so, like, and I. We understand. We are both two people with passion and purpose, and we're both super driven, which is what. Attracted to us, to each other as

29:33
Amberly Lago

well, you know, I should have had him come on, too.

29:35
Jillian Riddell

I know he would love that. We. But we. We'd be here for two hours.

29:39
Amberly Lago

We'll do it again. We'll do it again.

29:43
Jillian Riddell

And so, like, helping people, like, you don't have to sacrifice your personal success and happiness to be in a good relationship, you know, like, you can have both. And I want to teach you how, you know, And a lot of it is like, diving deep and being able to not just speak on a surface level. Like, I'm tired. Do I have to do this? You know, it's like, what does that mean? What is tired? Like, what's really going on? And so in the magazine, I talk about resilience and, you know, what resilience really is. And I like to. I love actually, when I'm speaking, to, like, ask people in the audience, like, what does it mean to be resilient? And most.

30:22
Amberly Lago

Okay. What does it mean to be resilient? Kelly, we got an audience. Yeah, here we go.

30:26
Jillian Riddell

We have an audience.

30:27
Amberly Lago

Kelly Kilpatrick is in the audience.

30:30
Jillian Riddell

So close to me, she might. I think that when you look at Jillian, it's the epitome of resilience.

30:36
Amberly Lago

Oh, yeah.

30:38
Jillian Riddell

And so. And when I think of Jillian, the stories that she tells, it starts with courage to be truthful about what you're experiencing. I think that's the first step with resilience. Yeah.

30:52
Amberly Lago

Courage to be truthful.

30:54
Jillian Riddell

Yeah. And Kelly knows me so well, and. But most of the time, what I hear in an audience is that they say, oh, I just have to push through. I just have to be strong. Well, what does your relationship look like if all you're doing is pushing through and being strong? Right. It looks tired.

31:14
Amberly Lago

Yeah.

31:14
Jillian Riddell

Right. And so resilience is actually the amount of energy you have inside of you to show up, to prepare for, to adapt to, to recover from when your relationship is faced with stressful situations. And so at the end of the day, when all we're saying to our spouse is, I'm tired. Well, how can we change that? How can we create more energy inside of you to show up at the end of the day to your relationship? You know, that's what it means to Be resilient in your relationship.

31:45
Amberly Lago

That's so good, especially for a lasting relationship.

31:48
Jillian Riddell

Yeah, Johnny and I, that's what we want, right?

31:50
Amberly Lago

Yeah. Johnny and I are going up on 20 years soon.

31:53
Jillian Riddell

That's so good.

31:55
Amberly Lago

Well, oh, my goodness. I gotta have you back on the show with your husband. We are out of town.

31:59
Jillian Riddell

It'll be super fun.

32:00
Amberly Lago

Oh, I know. I could just talk to you for. On and on and on. We could go on and on. What's the best way for people to find your magazine to find you and follow you and also listen to your podcast? Y' all. Tune in to Life Without Secrets, her podcast, her page, Life Without Secrets on Instagram. But tell everybody the best way to find your you.

32:23
Jillian Riddell

Yeah, I mean, honestly, I'm on Instagram the most, so it's Life Without Secrets podcast. That's the Instagram I use because my original one got taken over by Instagram. They're like, you're pretending to be someone else. I'm like, thank you for noticing my change. So I can. I can. You can mostly talk to me on, like, DMS on Life Without Secrets podcast. My website is life without secrets.com so you can find my course on there if you're interested in taking it with your. With your spouse. And then you can also download the magazine for free right now off my website. Yeah. So go check it out.

32:56
Amberly Lago

Well, thank you, and thank y' all so much for tuning in. Take a screenshot and tag me @amberly lagomotivation and Jillian Life Without Secrets. And when I see you tag that on Instagram, I always repost it on my story as well. So thank you for tuning in and we'll see you next week. Sam.

Pain to purpose to joy.

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