About Local Life Leaders: Building Connections Through Community Involvement and Volunteering
Welcome to Local Life Leaders, hosted by Janessa Storlie, a dedicated community leader with over a decade of experience in local engagement. In this podcast, Janessa shares her invaluable insights and lessons learned from years of community involvement, aiming to empower you with the knowledge and tools needed to make a positive, sustainable impact in your neighborhood.
Each episode of Local life leaders dives into the essentials of volunteering and economic development, helping listeners understand the building blocks of creating and sustaining community projects without facing burnout. Whether you’re a seasoned volunteer or a newcomer eager to contribute, this podcast provides a holistic approach to community work that emphasizes joy and fulfillment in service.
Join Janessa as she engages in enlightening conversations with other community heroes from across the United States. These guests bring diverse perspectives and stories of triumph, showing how different communities overcome unique challenges. From developing impactful projects to fostering economic growth locally, these discussions are meant to inspire and guide you toward leading a fulfilling local life.
Tune in to Local Life Leaders Podcast to start your community leadership and innovation journey. Discover how you can leave a lasting change and live a passionate life through effective community involvement. Whether it’s through listening to our episodes or taking active steps in your local area, let this be your starting point for a richer, more connected local life.
In this episode of the Local Life Leaders Podcast, Janessa Storlie concludes her series on the Five Pillars of Everyday Leadership, focusing on acceptance, responsibility, and communication. She explains that acceptance involves seeing and appreciating others without judgment, and acknowledging your own reality for positive change. Responsibility is defined as taking ownership of your power and how you respond to circumstances, freeing you from a victim mindset. Communication, where all pillars converge, emphasizes authenticity, honesty, and vulnerability to build genuine connections. By integrating all five pillars—self-awareness, social awareness, acceptance, responsibility, and communication—listeners can become more confident and effective leaders.
9 Sept 2025
5 Pillars of Everyday Leadership
In this episode of the Local Life Leaders Podcast, Janessa Storlie introduces the first two of what she considers the five pillars of everyday leadership: self-awareness and social awareness. She explains that leadership is a skill that can be built and that self-awareness is the crucial first step, involving a deep understanding of your own character, feelings, and motives. Janessa shares practical tools like journaling, meditation, and reading to help listeners look inward and lead themselves first. She then defines social awareness as the ability to empathize with and interpret the emotions and perspectives of others, which is key for building trust and creating a safe space for others. By building these twin pillars of emotional intelligence, you can become a more impactful leader in your community and create meaningful connections with those around you
3 Sept 2025
Happy Birthday to Me! Reflections on my past year and hopes for the future
In this special birthday episode, Janessa Storlie offers an honest and vulnerable reflection as she turns 33 on September 3rd. As a self-proclaimed Virgo who loves to have everything planned out, she shares that her past year was filled with a lot of change, transition, and disappointment. She dives into what she calls the "messy middle"—a challenging transition period where you are shedding a previous version of yourself to move on to a new one. Janessa hopes to bring more peace and forward momentum into this new year of life.
Despite the difficulties, Janessa has a lot to celebrate from the past year. She graduated with her Master's in Organizational Leadership, a big milestone for someone who grew up in a rural community. She also relaunched the podcast. She's grateful for the change and growth in her marriage and for becoming more in tune with her emotions.
The episode's core is a raw discussion about the pain and isolation of the messy middle. Janessa shares her struggles with high expectations and the desire to blame external circumstances when things don't go as planned. She's learning difficult but crucial lessons about acceptance, forgiveness, and trust, particularly the need to release control to a higher power.
For anyone else going through a messy middle, Janessa offers a powerful message of encouragement. She reminds listeners that they are not alone and that they still have the ability to learn, grow, and take small steps forward. She emphasizes the importance of using this introspective time to set healthy boundaries and prioritize self-care to protect your peace.
Key Takeaways from this episode:
Birthdays are a time for reflection and celebration. Take the time to look at what you’ve experienced and what you want to see moving forward.
The "messy middle" is a natural part of growth. It is the difficult, in-between time where you shed a previous version of yourself to move into a new one.
Releasing control is essential. Letting go of the need for an exact plan and trusting that you are being guided can provide a sense of freedom.
Pain can be a catalyst. You have the power to move forward in your desires, even while experiencing pain and emotional exhaustion.
Practice self-care and set boundaries. The messy middle is a time to become introspective and protect your peace by giving yourself the space you need to grow.
Connect with Janessa!
If this episode resonated with you and you're also navigating your own messy middle, Janessa would love to hear from you. You don't have to do this alone.
DM on Instagram: [@JanessaStorlie]
Connect on LinkedIn: [Janessa J Storlie]
Podcast Authority Score: 14 / 100
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