Hi! I'm jen
My mission is to help women turn their Never. Fucking. Again. moments into living & loving the hell out of themselves and their lives because what doesn't become possible?
it's wonderful to meet you
My Never. Fucking. Again. came in 2015 when I decided I was done looking happy on the outside and feeling miserable on the inside and all it took was almost blowing up my entire world (and my family's) and realizing the enormous mistake I was making at literally the 11th hour
Decades of anger, resentment, and bitterness.
Decades of why me-ness. Decades of disassociating.
Decades of trying to escape my life in all sorts of unhealthy ways.
Decades of fooling everyone and doing a damn fine job of it.
Decades of not doing the work to heal from a shitty childhood that left me feeling unlovable, unworthy, and not worth saving from traumas & abuse.
It came to a head in 2015 when I almost walked away from the one person who'd always had my back and loved me no matter what - my husband.
Thankfully I realized the enormous mistake I was making at the very last minute and gratefully, he took me back.
The biggest AHA I had? Wherever you go, there you are
I had tried all sorts of things to 'fix' myself in all those decades - self-help books, therapy, workshops, retreats, trips to India, etc. but what I hadn't done until I had my knees swept out from under me in 2015?
STOP FIXING & START LIVING
Who did I want to be? How did I want to feel as I lived my life? What would bring me meaning and purpose? What could help fill even the most mundane of days with joy & delight?
What did I need more of in my life so I could feel deep fulfillment, safety, and contentment?
What did I need less of?
And what was getting in my way of becoming the version of myself who today, is bold, unapologetic, confident, courageous, happy, loving, vibrant, deeply fulfilled, excited about life, etc....and yes...a woman who loves the hell out of herself and her life?
this became my work
want to learn how i did it?
my entire view on life changed as i became the woman i decided i wanted to be
Gone are the days of sitting around feeling sorry for myself, replaced with days spent with a radical commitment to loving myself and always having my own back no matter what.
WHICH ALLOWS ME TO DO MY MEANINGFUL, EPIC SHIT IN THE WORLD
This work is exactly what I help other women with now.
AND I'M REALLY FUCKING GOOD AT IT
Life is too damn short to feel (un)happyish & unfulfilled and, my fellow badass?
YOU have too much epicness inside you that the world needs.
Decide who you want to be and then decide what actions you're bravely willing to take to become her so you can have the life you want to have.
Be. Do. Have.
ready to leap? let's do it
What becomes possible?
Going back to school for the career you've always wanted instead of the one you thought you should have but literally makes you want to poke your eyeballs out?
Having the adventure of a lifetime as you retire to the mountains of Ecuador only to finally find YOUR people as you quickly shed 50 lbs. with all the walking you do through city squares full of vibrant and rich culture?
Starting the non-profit that's been on your heart since forever and being a leader in your local community as you do good, important work alongside others who care deeply too?
Surrounding yourself with deeply rich and meaningful relationships...your ride or dies...that make you laugh so hard you almost pass out and hold you when you cry without judging the reasons why you're crying?
Bringing your full self to how you mom / wife / partner / sister / daughter / friend / leader / whatever else roles you play and seeing your most important relationships thrive...including the most important one of all...your relationship with yourself?
Filling your days with meaning & purpose as you make those long held dreams a reality (like finally putting your art out there?)...the ones you've squashed down as you did all that adult-y stuff?
Riding the waves as a small business owner as you build your team, become the boss you've dreamed of, and create your legacy?
High-fiving yourself while you yell, "Fuck yeah, I did!" as you bust through what you used to think wasn't meant for you time and time again?
What becomes posible when you're loving the hell out of yourself and your life?
Imagine using your Never. Fucking. Again. moments as fuel to stop fixing & start LIVING
I help you design your own, unique version of A Fuck Yeah Life that is boldly & unapologetically YOU and then go after it one courageously tiny or bold action at a time
official bio
Jen Vertanen is a Certified Life Coach + Mentor helping women for a decade+ fall in love with themselves and their lives by intentionally creating the future they want instead of leaving it to chance. Her motto? Stop fixing & start LIVING.
Jen has been on the frontlines with her own personal transformation (from loneliness and self-loathing to not only loving, but liking herself and her life) as well as the thousands of lives she’s helped through coaching and podcasting.
Using her signature candor, humor, and unique approach to doing the work, Jen wants the world to know it’s never too late but you do kind of need to get going.
When she’s not worrying about her three adult children or helping women intentionally fall in love with themselves, you can find Jen getting a massage or unwinding at the end of the day curled up on the couch with her hubby and newfs bingeing old episodes of The Amazing Race in Saint Paul, MN.
Website: jenvertanen.com
Instagram: instagram.com/jen.vertanen
Check out all my podcast interviews here...I'm an engaging guest and not afraid to go there (which happens to be the name of my first podcast)
have me on your show
I love vintage Aquaman and extra 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ smut (hello, Bigfoot 👣), and you already know my love for an extra dry red
I don't do clutching your pearls, playing the neverending victim, all the reasons why something won't work for YOU, or an unwillingness to 'go there'
I identify as queer (pan if we're being exact) in a cishet marriage with a dude (Mr. V. aka my Batman) I love deeply
I am neurodiverse (ADHD) and love learning how to partner with my big, beautiful and sometimes maddening brain. It's an obsession really, lol
I have an aversion to toxic positivity, love & light, positive/high vibes only. You can miss me with that harmful, gaslight-y bullshit. There's gold in both the light & the darkness and I'm not willing to be one-note
I'm a Type 2 diabetic and love finding foods that keep my blood sugars balanced AND taste hella delicious. Just another example of rising from the ashes to come back better than ever
I don't take for granted the privilege I have as a straight-passing, middle-aged, white women from a middle-class background. I have my own shit but don't have to worry about my safety, putting food on the table, being pulled over by the cops, or getting my family's needs met
on a more personal note
my promise to you
I promise to treat you like the grown ass, amazing woman you are and always show you respect, compassion and kindness. I'm here to walk alongside you (sometimes with a titch of tough-love because again...you're a grown ass woman and sometimes we need that), inviting you to experiment and find your way to living your own unique version of A Fuck Yeah Life.
I will always be honest with you which means I will never, ever pretend to have all of my shit figured out or sugar-coat what it's taken me to do the work, and continue to do the work, to live my unique version of A Fuck Yeah Life.
I also will never tell you exactly what to do because your life and experiences are different than mine. What you want is different than me. What brings you joy and happiness and fulfillment is different from me. We each get to have our own journey in life.
But...I am a mentor and guide deep in my bones and will freely share my life lessons, wisdom, failures, and experiences. I invite you to take what resonates and say a ginormous, "Hell no" to what doesn't.
jen v. xo
© 2024 Jen Vertanen & A Fuck Yeah Life
An ADHD & LGBTQ woman owned business