The Commons with Karla

Do you have friends that you consider family?   Today we are talking with Laurie about how to be intentional when it comes to maintaining connection with family and friends during life's crazy seasons.  Laurie is a wife, mother, and school counselor. Although it would be easy to make excuses to put off other relationships, Laurie and her husband make time to hold get-togethers at their house,...

Are you satisfied with the life you are living?   Johanna is a true friend and a ray of sunshine. Today we are talking about how Johanna navigates life as a business owner of three Pilates studios while also nurturing her personal life.   During our conversation, Johanna shares her background and her deep desire to always pursue her dreams, travel, and never settle for less. As you listen to our c...

Have you ever felt distracted?   I think we can all agree that in today’s society - it is SO easy to get distracted from the things that are really important to us in our life. One of the main distractions that comes to mind is Social Media. In our world, Social Media has taken over many of our lives. In this Episode, we are speaking with my podcast manager, Bethany. Bethany tells us how she and h...

Have you ever been around a person that is so compassionate that you love to be in their presence?    Tanya is definitely one of those people. I think we all aspire to be that person for others as well. However, sometimes that can be challenging when we get caught up in our own lives.  In this episode, we are talking with Tanya about how she seems to effortlessly care for others in her career and...

Life is full of many beautiful seasons. Some are full of joy, some are more challenging, but one thing that they all have in common is that they bring change. Change is one thing that we can always count on. While enduring these life changes, having friendship and connection is so important to help keep us afloat. Today we are talking with Shirley, who describes herself as “seasoned” in life. She...

We all know a person who is a “helper.”   The one who is willing to drop all their wants and needs to take care of everyone else around them. Maybe YOU are the helper. Oftentimes these people are the ones who do not make time to help themselves by participating in self-care. In this episode, I am speaking with Kristen, who was introduced to me by a mutual friend. Kristen and her husband have set o...

Are you someone who has family living close by, ready to help at the drop of a hat? Or are you someone with family miles away?   Today we are talking with my friend, Salena, who is blessed to have family nearby. She shares with us how having her family so close throughout her life has been such a blessing. Having family so close was especially important when tragedy hit with the loss of a loved on...

Have you found yourself in seasons of uncertainty and inconsistency, yet longing to be deeply rooted?   Kellie Gimenez is a mom of three and as a Major League Baseball (MLB) wife, finding roots in seasons of uncertainty was surely something she became an expert at. As you will learn, Kellie quickly found her primary job as a MLB wife was to move their family wherever the league needed. As you can...

Have you ever felt like you had to change who you truly were in order to make others comfortable? My friend Angel has. Angel is real, authentic, and a lovely friend who loves her well exactly as they are. Today, we are peeling back the layers of Angel’s story as she openly talks about her struggle with being vulnerable for the sake of sparing others. Through her story, she shares how overcoming th...

Have you ever felt like your life is constantly on the go, but completely lacking adventure?   Today I am sharing a conversation with my friend Lynsey who lives life fully and authentically. Lynsey is a mom of three and is passionate about living a life of adventure. What I love most is that she hasn’t let her kids stop her from living life to the fullest, but she has included them in this journey...

Lizz has been a friend since high school, and today I am so glad to share her with all of you. Today, Lizz tells us about her life and interwoven throughout her story, you will hear her absolute love for those around her. She tells us about her close-knit community in Ohio, and shares stories about how they all rally together in times of need. She is definitely a connector and also shares about ho...

Have you ever needed an outlet, but were hesitant about embarking on a new journey alone? Kari is an occupational therapist, wife, and mom of three who lives in Nevada. Today Kari shares with us how she began her running group, now known as 5:20. Like many of us, Kari was looking for an outlet and was hoping to get up early and run before taking on her day. The only issue was that she didn’t want...

“Things changing are ok. Having boundaries is ok. Realizing you can’t say no to everything is ok. It’s important to ask what’s important to you.” Corrie is not only a sweet friend, but a wife, homeschool mom, pastor’s kid, and writer for Proverbs31 Ministries. Today Corrie shares many elements of her life such as what it was like growing up as a PK, her journey through infertility, and also how in...

“Everything you do has the power to make an impact on someone.” Jessica has been a friend of mine for over twenty years, and while we have many memories together, there were still things I learned about her through today’s conversation. Jessica is a family support services coordinator in Nevada, but that’s not the career path she was always on. Today she shares how one dinner table conversation wi...

“When you start sharing your baggage or childhood experiences, you realize how much more you have in common than you ever realized.” Crystal Ricciardi is an occupational therapist, health coach, mom, wife, student, and soon to be certified functional nutritionist, and I am so grateful to have her on the show today. Crystal shares her story with us and expands on the importance that friendships and...

Cathy and I first bonded over our shared love of golf, but little did we know that in the near future we would be connected in an entirely new light--organ donation. Cathy is a beautiful friend who shares so much about her life on the podcast today. Many of you will likely relate as she reminisces over fond memories from her childhood. Cathy shares her love of bikes and why she began biking, funny...

My dear friend Elena Taneva is a servant hearted woman and nurse who lives in Florida. Elena was born in Bulgaria and today she shares her unique upbringing growing up in a communist country. Elena’s story is full of hardships, but when you listen to this episode, you will find yourself surprisingly encouraged and inspired as Elena shares how she tackles those hardships with complete wisdom and gr...

Jessica is the founder of Jeanie Clip and one of less than 4% of solo female patent holders with two patents.  I am excited to share this conversation with Jessica as she not only shares many practical life applications, but she also shares the story behind her business, the challenges that have come with it, and why she feels so passionately about celebrating women and community over competition....

Kim has been a close friend for over twenty years, and I am elated to have her joining me on the podcast today. Kim is a wonderful friend who truly invests in the people that she surrounds herself with. Today she shares so much of her life with us including her interests, her background, her strong suits as a friend, and even a bit on her grief journey after losing her husband. She has so much inn...

Has anyone else felt a shift in how they are finding community or making friends during this crazy season of COVID? Today, I am chatting with my friend Karen who I actually met during COVID through an online book club. We had a great conversation about the adjustments that we have been forced to make as all of our lives have changed in this last year. Making friends and even nurturing the current...

Have you ever yearned for connection while being surrounded by a group of people who were in a completely different phase of life than you? Nicole is a mom, wife, and masters student and today she shares all the details about what it’s like to go back to school for her masters while also being in the next phase of life that comes after college. She shares her experience of having classmates that w...

When you are in the face of lonely seasons, what do you do to get more intentional about finding connection? If you have found yourself in unknown places with a lack of community, what do you do to build those friendships? Today on the podcast, we are discussing all of that and more with my dear friend Lauren. Lauren is a mom and wife, a home stager and designer, and she has so much depth to her s...

Do you struggle to find the confidence to pursue authentic friendship with those around you? Jennette Bratzler is a wife and mom of three. She is also an entrepreneur and a homeschool mom! In the midst of doing all of the things she does, she is still an unwavering and truly authentic friend, and I’m so glad to have her on the podcast today to pick her brain about friendship, how to push past the...

Wondering what the Commons with Karla is all about?! Listen to the official trailer to hear more about what you can expect from this podcast! Whether you struggle with loneliness and are looking for connection or you simply get fired up by listening to the stories of others, one thing is for sure---you are always welcome here! Episode Highlights: What is The Commons all About? Who is the host? Who...