I want you to know who you’re tuning into, and hopefully hitting that ‘subscribe’ button for. Think of it as and introduction to the podcast, and like one of those MySpace surveys everyone forced on you, only better. You ready? Okay.
So, I’m Kristen Wheeler and I’m usually just a hot mess of coffee and dry shampoo. I’m a blogger, a speaker, and now, a podcaster. I get so much fulfillment out of connecting with women and the community that comes from sharing the messiness and imperfections of my life. But, more on that vision later.
I’m married to my husband Byron, and we’ve been together for 18 years, married for 15. We met online when I was seventeen (holla, AIM) and I married him when I was 20. Every day I look at him, in awe of what a lucky man he is.
We have two kids: Abby and Josh, who are 14 and 13. Yep – they’re 14 months apart. I used to want 13 kids, but after being pregnant for basically 2 years, I decided that was all I could handle, because my closest friends will tell you that I was the WORST pregnant lady on the planet.
We have made our home in a cute, quiet, amazing little suburb of Denver, Colorado, that I am just in love with for its small town charm, but I always think it’s worth mentioning that I am originally from Northern California, and my husband is a 5th generation Texan, so the fact that we made it to Colorado and love it as much as we do, is nothing short of amazing.
As a family, we own and operate 15 chain fast food restaurants, with more scheduled to open this year. This seems to be the point in the conversation where people’s eyes get really big and sometimes I feel like they start treating me differently. We are not filthy rich and we don’t think we’re better than you. We just work hard and get free fries whenever we want.
I’m an introvert.WHAT! Yeah. I’m what they call an extroverted introvert, which basically means I can carry on a meaningful conversation with strangers or perform well, but I need to recharge and I really, really love being by myself.
I’m good at telling embarrassing stories about myself. My current favorite is the one where I showed up to an upscale Christmas party as the only one in pajamas.
I’m a Christian. I had a bit of a hard time deciding whether or not I was going to include this part, not because I’m ashamed of my faith, but because I think there has been a stigma of judgement and dare I say – hypocrisy from professed people of faith and members of the Christian Church that immediately turns people off…and for good reason. And while this not a faith-based podcast, my faith is a big part of who I am. I don’t judge you (that’s definitely not my job), and I’m not going to get you to try to believe the same as me or even agree with me. Telling you all about myself means telling you that I’m really in love with Jesus and He’s behind every good thing that I do.
I consider myself a music enthusiast.I have an appreciation for many types of music, and it’s a deep and constant part of my life. I have a few playlists I love sharing,too!
I’m a Broadway geek, a Disney enthusiast, and I am obsessed with Christmas. Okay, that was three in one, but That just basically means that my taste in music has a really corny side, I believe that Lin Manuel Miranda hung the moon, and my Christmas countdown starts on December 26th. I even have a Christmas room in my house, with a Disney themed office underway.
I’m a cheer mom and I love it. I love cheerleading and watching my kid do what she’s passionate about. (check out this episode all about all star cheerleading and why cheer moms can get a little cray-cray!)
I thoroughly enjoy wine (just like a good cheer mom and suburban wife), but what might surprise you is that I also really like whiskey. I love the taste of bourbon and different kinds of smooth, sugary whiskey. I think I got it from my grandma.
I used to secretly judge people who have tattoos…and now I have two.
I am a chronic over-thinker. Also what gives me worry wrinkles.
I want to encourage women to be vulnerable, BUT…I beat myself up when I’ve been vulnerable. I think things like, “Was it too much? Will I be misunderstood? Was it bad timing? Will they stop liking me?”
Words of affirmation and quality time are my top love languages. So, give me a genuine compliment over coffee and deep conversation and we’re friends. Throw in a good Friends quote and we’re best friends.
If you hop over to supermompodcast.com you can find out much, more about me, including the party tricks I practice at home, what I used to do for a living. Just click on the hostess link.
So, why a podcast? years ago I jokingly called myself the Super Mom Wannabe in response to someone asking me, ‘hey, you’ve got it all together… where’s your cape?’ At the time I was a mom of a 4 year old and a 5 year old, I was working more than full time, with a husband who also worked more than 60 hours a week, and close family pretty far away.
I was volunteering, serving, trying to make friends, all while raising kids and just making my best attempts to stay afloat and survive. On the outside, people called me Super Mom and asked me, ‘how do you do it?’ But on the inside, I was crumbling underneath the weight of my own expectations, and the mom guilt in my life was. so. real. I had meltdowns, anxiety (that I still deal with sometimes, by the way. Hopefully more about that in a future episode).
I had times of such loneliness that I could not even describe to you. I WANTED people to think I had it all together. I LOVED it when people asked me how I did it. I NEVER asked for help. I thought that having it all together – or at least looking the part – was a sign of strength and that people would admire me and want to be my friend. Instead, it isolated me. I had all these achievements, but they led to nowhere, and came at the price of my mental, physical, and emotional well being.
Then, I started to joke about the fact that I DIDN’t have it all together. I invited friends over, even when the sink was full of dishes. I made fun of the fact that I NEVER wore socks that matched. I embraced the chaos and all the “wannabe-isms” of my life. Like, “ I WANNA BE a perfect mom, but sometimes I yell at my kids.” I WANNA BE someone who has it all together, but I spill spaghetti sauce on my white shirt EVERY time. I WANNABE a Pinterest-worthy home maker, but I usually get caught somewhere between Martha Stewart and an episode of Hoarders. And people started to relate. I’d open up about an area of my life where I felt uneasy or vulnerable, and people would rush to my side and say, ‘me too.’ Been there. I’m so glad I’m not the only one.
I’ve learned that being real – being real with myself and with those around me – has set me free from the lies of perfection and comparison. By being honest about all the areas where I fall short in all the areas of my life – and believe me, I fall short in all of them, and celebrating the wins and what I’m good at, by celebrating the fact that I’m a Wannabe and I don’t have it all together, I’ve found my tribe. I’ve actually found who I am and I’ve been able to just be myself.
Now, I love to talk. I love to tell stories and make people laugh. My goal is to inspire people with my words and my life. So, I borrowed my son’s microphone, found a theme song, and now here I am. And not only do I want to share funny stories and practical ways to take charge of your life and chase your passion, but I’m going to have conversations with other women who are doing the same. The women you’ll hear are from all walks of life, but they’re just people. People like you and me. People who are going through life just like the rest of us: one day at a time. One imperfect story at a time, wondering if they’re doing it just right, fighting mom guilt, all with coffee and dry shampoo very, very close by.
My hope is that you’ll hear my stories, and spend time listening to these women, know you’re not alone, know there’s no ONE RIGHT way, rid yourself of the guilt and negative talk that holds you back, rid yourself of the idea that you’re the only one struggling and you get the courage to find and chase your passions and change the world around you.
So, now that you know all about me, I wanna know more about YOU! I’ve created a facebook group just for members of this Wannabe community, and I’d love for you to join, introduce yourself, and tell us more about you and maybe even YOUR Wannabe Confession. You can find us by searching The VIP Wannabes on Facebook or by CLICKING HERE. Seriously, the more the merrier!
Thank you so much for listening. I’ll see you over in the Facebook group and in the next episode.