The fastest way to spot real resilience is to listen to someone who had every reason to quit and chose to build anyway. We’re joined by Veronica Ventura, a Puerto Rican entrepreneur, mother, and author of *Working for Her: Puerto Rican Entrepreneur, Making It With No Excuse*, and her story is equal parts raw and actionable.

We talk about what “no excuses” actually means when the stakes are high: miscarriage, infertility, single motherhood, financial stress, and relationships that leave scars. Veronica shares how she draws the line between acknowledging pain and letting it become an identity, and why she believes the hardest seasons can shape character if we keep moving forward. We also dig into the power of telling the truth, including family secrets, and how putting things in the light can take their power away.

A major turning point comes from a toxic workplace that threatened her peace and her confidence. Veronica explains how walking away felt like failure until she realized it was growth, and how that moment helped spark her book. From there, we shift into faith and purpose, and why her Catholic faith isn’t a label but a daily practice that keeps her grounded.

We also get practical about entrepreneurship: becoming a certified health coach, building a candle business with her family, taking on small business loans, looking for grants, and using modern tools like AI to learn faster. If you feel stuck, her advice is clear: stay in your lane, start smaller than you think, and don’t stop. Subscribe for more conversations like this, share this with someone who needs a push today, and leave a review with the one “excuse” you’re ready to drop. Find Veronica's book here: https://amzn.to/3UcuJ1J

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Elsa Kurt: You may know her for her uncanny, viral Kamala Harris impressions & conservative comedy skits, but she’s also a lifelong Patriot & longtime Police Wife. She has channeled her fierce love and passion for God, family, country, and those who serve as the creator, Executive Producer & Host of the Elsa Kurt Show with Clay Novak. Her show discusses today’s topics & news from a middle class/blue collar family & conservative perspective. The vocal LEOW’s career began as a multi-genre author who has penned over 25 books, including twelve contemporary women’s novels.

Clay Novak: Clay Novak was commissioned in 1995 as a Second Lieutenant of Infantry and served as an officer for twenty four years in Mechanized Infantry, Airborne Infantry, and Cavalry units . He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2019. Clay is a graduate of the U.S. Army Ranger School and is a Master Rated Parachutist, serving for more tha...

Some stories don’t just inspire you, they steady you. Curline Matthews joins us with the kind of wisdom you only earn through time: 45 years of marriage, raising four children, loving eleven grandchildren, and learning how faith holds up when life breaks your heart. Her memoir, *Where Faith Meets Family*, began as a way to keep her late husband’s memory alive, but it became something more a practical guide for anyone trying to build a family legacy that lasts.

We talk honestly about what tests a marriage in the real world: money stress, two imperfect people learning each other’s habits, and the quiet damage of expecting a spouse to “just know” what you need. Curline shares why cultivating your own happiness matters, how clear communication can prevent resentment, and what forgiveness looks like when you refuse to keep reopening old arguments. If you’ve been searching for Christian marriage advice that feels doable, this conversation stays practical without losing depth.

Parenting brings its own pressure, especially when kids demand attention and couples feel stretched thin. We dig into balancing marriage and children without turning the home into a competition for affection, plus what children truly need most: consistent love, patience, and parents who let them have a voice in their own future. Curline also pushes back on the prestige trap, reminding us that every honest job matters and a child’s calling deserves respect.

The heart of the episode is trust in God during grief. Curline shares how she redirected her mind toward gratitude, leaned on Scripture, and kept showing up for others even while mourning. If you need hope for your family, your faith, or your next season, press play, then subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find it. Find Curline's book here: https://amzn.to/3UIyLin

Support the show

Elsa's AMAZON STORE
Elsa's FAITH & FREEDOM MERCH STORE

Elsa's BOOKS
Elsa Kurt: You may know her for her uncanny, viral Kamala Harris impressions & conservative comedy skits, but she’s also a lifelong Patriot & longtime Police Wife. She has channeled her fierce love and passion for God, family, country, and those who serve as the creator, Executive Producer & Host of the Elsa Kurt Show with Clay Novak. Her show discusses today’s topics & news from a middle class/blue collar family & conservative perspective. The vocal LEOW’s career began as a multi-genre author who has penned over 25 books, including twelve contemporary women’s novels.

Clay Novak: Clay Novak was commissioned in 1995 as a Second Lieutenant of Infantry and served as an officer for twenty four years in Mechanized Infantry, Airborne Infantry, and Cavalry units . He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2019. Clay is a graduate of the U.S. Army Ranger School and is a Master Rated Parachutist, serving for more tha...

A chef’s story can be inspiring, but Chef Franco Lania’s story goes far beyond the kitchen. He is an award-winning master chef, culinary educator, and entrepreneur who has cooked at the highest levels, from elite restaurants to luxury cruise lines. He’s also a 9/11 survivor who was evacuated from Tower Two, and he shares what that morning felt like from the inside, including the chaos, the noise, and the long, frightening hours it took to get home to his pregnant wife with no way to contact anyone.

We talk about why he chose to write a memoir, “Cooking Inspired: Design Your Dish, Design Your Life,” instead of a cookbook, and how cooking can become a practical way to care for your mind when stress, anxiety, or depression pulls you off track. Franco takes us back to the unlikely start of his career, when his dad pushed him into a job at a gourmet supermarket after a painful family divorce, and how that early structure led to the discipline and accountability he later learned in Michelin-level kitchens.

From there, we get honest about purpose, legacy, and faith. Franco explains how trauma can shake your beliefs, what helped him find his way back through church community, and how his “Design Your Dish, Design Your Life” mindset connects food to a life built with intention. We also dig into the differences between American and European food culture, ingredients, and portion sizes, plus his boutique Italy culinary travel experiences through Tavola Tours.

If you care about resilience, mindful cooking, culinary storytelling, and finding meaning after hardship, you’ll want this conversation in your ears. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs hope, and leave a review so more people can find it.

Find Franco: https://www.francolania.com/

Support the show

Elsa's AMAZON STORE
Elsa's FAITH & FREEDOM MERCH STORE

Elsa's BOOKS
Elsa Kurt: You may know her for her uncanny, viral Kamala Harris impressions & conservative comedy skits, but she’s also a lifelong Patriot & longtime Police Wife. She has channeled her fierce love and passion for God, family, country, and those who serve as the creator, Executive Producer & Host of the Elsa Kurt Show with Clay Novak. Her show discusses today’s topics & news from a middle class/blue collar family & conservative perspective. The vocal LEOW’s career began as a multi-genre author who has penned over 25 books, including twelve contemporary women’s novels.

Clay Novak: Clay Novak was commissioned in 1995 as a Second Lieutenant of Infantry and served as an officer for twenty four years in Mechanized Infantry, Airborne Infantry, and Cavalry units . He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2019. Clay is a graduate of the U.S. Army Ranger School and is a Master Rated Parachutist, serving for more tha...