Bet on Yourself and You’ll Never Lose

Bet on Yourself and You’ll Never Lose

Kirstin Purcell got fired with a week’s notice — then built her own business. Here’s how, plus her best tips for hiring smarter. Today on She’s Ready for More, recruiter and Handshake & Heels founder Kirstin Purcell opens up about the moment she got let go, how she figured out health insurance and finances with no corporate safety net, and why she made a promise that no one would ever take her security away again. We also get into her best hiring advice: the real reason most resumes get six seconds of attention, why behavioral interviewing beats the usual “where do you see yourself in five years,” and how companies are finally valuing experience and attitude over degrees. We talk honestly about being a mom and an entrepreneur at the same time, mom guilt, protecting your calendar, and why betting on yourself is scary but worth it. If you’re standing on the edge of your own “I just got let go” moment, or you’re ready to finally bet on yourself, this conversation is for you. In this episode: * Getting fired or laid off and turning it into a fresh start * Becoming a full-time entrepreneur after losing a corporate job * Recruiter secrets: resumes, job descriptions, and behavioral interviewing * Hiring smarter and building better teams * Balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship * Building your own financial safety net Connect with Kirstin Purcell: 🌐 handshakeinheels.com 📧 kpurcell@handshakeinheels.com Stay Connected with Amanda ⁠The Art of Becoming - Grab Your Copy⁠ ⁠Join the Community! I am H.E.R.⁠ Instagram ⁠@shesreadyformore⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/shesreadyformore?igsh=bXlnbWxkczlxc2t1&utm_source=qr] ⁠⁠⁠⁠@theamandajustice⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/theamandajustice?igsh=cmRiNXNlOXByN3Vx&utm_source=qr] Facebook ⁠⁠Amanda Justice⁠⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/amanda.justice.285279/] Bookings/Inquiries Email ⁠Hello@amandajustice.com⁠ [Hello@amandajustice.com] or visit  ⁠Amandajustice.com⁠⁠⁠ [https://amandajustice.com/] Want to be a Guest She’s Ready For More? Have  a transformation story to share? Email Amanda use Guest Inquiry in the subject line.

Breakdown or Breakthrough? The Power of the Pivot

Have you ever felt like everything was falling apart — and somehow that was exactly what you needed? Clinical therapist, author, and transformational speaker L’Oreal Hartwell knows that feeling all too well. From losing everything in the 2008 financial crash, living in a hotel while pregnant with twins, to navigating bankruptcy, multiple business closures, and the sudden loss of her husband — L’Oreal has lived the breakdown. And every single time, she found the breakthrough. In this powerful conversation, we talk about the pivot points that changed everything, why failure is never the end of the story, how grief and growth can coexist, and what it really means to have a gold mind — a mindset rooted in clarity, confidence, and the courage to keep going. If you’ve ever been one hard thing away from giving up, this episode is for you. Connect with L’Oreal Hartwell on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook: @LorealHartwell  Stay Connected with Amanda ⁠The Art of Becoming - Grab Your Copy⁠ [https://a.co/d/04ieHk4v ] ⁠Join the I am H.E.R.⁠ Community! [. https://www.skool.com/i-am-her-7577/about?ref=5ce365caf453472ead26e24ab3c445e9] Instagram @shesreadyformore⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/shesreadyformore?igsh=bXlnbWxkczlxc2t1&utm_source=qr] ⁠⁠⁠@theamandajustice⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/theamandajustice?igsh=cmRiNXNlOXByN3Vx&utm_source=qr] Facebook ⁠Amanda Justice⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/amanda.justice.285279/] Bookings/Inquiries Email Hello@amandajustice.com [Hello@amandajustice.com] or visit  Amandajustice.com⁠ [https://amandajustice.com/] Want to be a Guest She’s Ready For More? Have  a transformation story to share? Email Amanda use Guest Inquiry in the subject line.

A Leap of Faith: From Career to Nail Salon Owner

Jessica Weeks walked away from a 20-year career in civil rights at the Department of Justice to open her own nail salon , then opened up about surviving an abusive relationship, losing over 150 pounds, and starting over near 40. In this episode of She’s Ready for More, Jessica shares what working civil rights cases at the DOJ was really like, the day her entire department got let go, and how a single phone call led her back to the nail studio on Caroline Street she’d dreamed about since she was a teenager. We also get into her weight loss journey, from her highest weight during an abusive relationship, to choosing therapy and herself, to regaining weight while caring for her dying mother and learning to start over without shame. If you’ve ever felt like life handed you one hard thing after another and you’re still finding the courage to start over, this conversation is for you. In this episode: • Leaving a 20-year government career to become an entrepreneur • What civil rights work at the Department of Justice was really like • Surviving an abusive relationship and reaching her highest weight • Losing over 150 pounds and learning to choose herself • Grief, caregiving, and starting over after setbacks • Believing in yourself on the hard days Connect with Jessica Weeks: Website [https://jessicaanne.glossgenius.com/?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/magicalnailsbyjessicaanne?igsh=MWZnYzhiYTZobDF1eA==] Stay Connected with Amanda The Art of Becoming - Grab Your Copy [⁠https://a.co/d/04ieHk4v⁠] Join the Community! I am H.E.R. [ ⁠https://www.skool.com/i-am-her-7577/about?ref=5ce365caf453472ead26e24ab3c445e9⁠] Instagram @shesreadyformore⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/shesreadyformore?igsh=bXlnbWxkczlxc2t1&utm_source=qr] ⁠⁠⁠@theamandajustice⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/theamandajustice?igsh=cmRiNXNlOXByN3Vx&utm_source=qr] Facebook ⁠Amanda Justice⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/amanda.justice.285279/] Bookings/Inquiries Email Hello@amandajustice.com [Hello@amandajustice.com] or visit  Amandajustice.com⁠⁠ [https://amandajustice.com/] Want to be a Guest She’s Ready For More? Have  a real transformation story to share? Email Amanda use Guest Inquiry in the subject line.

Stop Putting a Period Where God Placed a Comma |Angela Wynette

In this episode, Amanda sits down with Angela Wynette , motivational speaker, life coach, seven-time author, Forbes featured, and 2025 International Impact Children’s Book Award winner. But the accolades aren’t the story. Angela opens up about being diagnosed with ovarian and cervical cancer at 19, the toxic marriage that followed unhealed pain, and how a COVID furlough became the moment God sat her down and redirected everything. She wrote her first book in a single day, sold over 100 copies in the first two hours, and hasn’t stopped since. This is a conversation about what happens when you stop putting a period where God placed a comma. In this episode: • A cancer diagnosis at 19 and the faith crisis that followed • How unaddressed pain shapes your decisions • Writing her first book in a day and launching seven total • Her reading literacy program partnering with schools nationwide • Going from feeling like a nobody to opening stages for Fantasia, MC Lyte, and Loni Love Connect with Angela Wynette: Website: www.angela1net.com Social: @AuthorAngelaWynette (TikTok, YouTube, Facebook & Instagram) Stay Connected! Instagram @shesreadyformore⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/shesreadyformore?igsh=bXlnbWxkczlxc2t1&utm_source=qr] ⁠⁠⁠@theamandajustice⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/theamandajustice?igsh=cmRiNXNlOXByN3Vx&utm_source=qr] Facebook ⁠Amanda Justice⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/amanda.justice.285279/] Bookings/Inquiries Email Hello@amandajustice.com [Hello@amandajustice.com] or visit  Amandajustice.com⁠⁠ [https://amandajustice.com/] Want to be a Guest She’s Ready For More? Have  a transformation story to share? Email Amanda use Guest Inquiry in the subject line.

Own Every Part of Your Identity With Urmi Hossain

What does it really mean to choose yourself when you don’t fully know who you are yet? In this episode, Amanda sits down with Urmi Hossain , finance professional, self-published author, podcast host, and women’s empowerment advocate , to talk about identity, belonging, and the courage it takes to stop fitting in and start showing up. Urmi shares what it was like growing up between two cultures, how she wrote her book Discovering Your Identity in just four weeks, and why you will never feel 100% ready — so you might as well start. If you’ve ever felt like you didn’t fully belong, this one’s for you. In this episode: • Navigating dual cultures and identity in your 20s • The inner work behind real confidence • Writing a book you didn’t plan to write • What choosing yourself actually costs and requires • Building consistency without losing yourself Connect with Urmi  Urmi's Book [https://www.amazon.com] Stories Beyond Borders Podcast [ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stories-beyond-borders/id1831413373] Instagram (Personal) [ https://www.instagram.com/urmamio/] Instagram (Podcast) [https://www.instagram.com/storiesbeyondborderspodcast/] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@urmihossain] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/urmihossain/] Women in Leadership [https://www.womeninleadership.ca/] Stay Connected! Instagram @shesreadyformore⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/shesreadyformore?igsh=bXlnbWxkczlxc2t1&utm_source=qr] ⁠⁠⁠@theamandajustice⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/theamandajustice?igsh=cmRiNXNlOXByN3Vx&utm_source=qr] Facebook ⁠Amanda Justice⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/amanda.justice.285279/] Bookings/Inquiries Email Hello@amandajustice.com [Hello@amandajustice.com] or visit  Amandajustice.com⁠⁠ [https://amandajustice.com/] Want to be a Guest She’s Ready For More? Have  a transformation story to share? Email Amanda and put "Guest Inquiry" in the subject line.