Episode 108 -- Jen Roberts -- You Are You Child’s Advocate by Stacked Keys Podcast published on 2021-07-20T03:07:38Z She’s a mom, wife and boss. She is an entrepreneur and family is her number one. Joining the podcast is Jen Roberts. She and husband Andy run a few businesses from martial arts to a moving company. We talk about what it is like to open a business in completely different categories and work together as a husband/wife team. She says Andy is the field guy and she handles the inside, but if you know them…you know that they are in it together. They jumped without hesitation and learned as they went — without looking back. Working as a team is not hard for the two of them. Being a mom of three brought challenges and Jen is very open with her struggles and her own anxieties—her philosophy and theme is to say how it is and move forward. Martial arts is a natural for them and they’ve plugged into the community in Auburn to teach in preschools, camps, and special programming. They are teaching martial arts on their own terms with Andy as a black belt and Jen with her experience makes them quite suited. We talk about working with kids and why martial arts matters with a format of love and respect and learning good manners. They teach some self defense moves that are good for any age. Exercise has always been a part of Jen’s life as she grew up in the world of dancing but when she turned 21, she got a cancer diagnosis and that turned her to looking seriously as a deep need to take care of herself through a journey to be fit and nutritionally balanced. She planned all the activities she wanted to try after giving birth to her oldest child—and checked them off. Jen felt empowered learning kickboxing and being in a gym. She began to teach dancing and where she is today is exactly where she wants to be—teaching kids to love what she loves. Jen is an encourager for moms as she teaches because being a good mom is not about perfection or that it is easy and though she doesn’t ever want to lose her patience, it is all about love. So she wants parents to get it that kids in these programs aren’t there to be a professional athlete—take a step back and realize that your kid doesn’t have to be the best. “Set boundaries and ground rules but let your child have fun and learn how to integrate into programs and learn the social cues.” We talk about pregnancy and exercise and listening to your body to do what your body allows you to do. This lady models her health behavior for her children and includes them in her workouts where they can come and go in her home gym for kickboxing and weight training. Jen can go back to how she was raised and remember her mother doing similar patterns and she thinks that impact can be important. Jen is intentional in her day to day. She expresses how precious time can be through sharing the story of her sister suffering a stroke. That event makes her even more intentional today. Tune in! Music “STOMP” used by permission of artists Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff Genre Business