The Fire Within: A Path to Redemption
Teegan Braun shares her inspiring journey of resilience and transformation in this heartfelt conversation. Right from the start, we dive into how her experiences with addiction and family dynamics shaped her into the person she is today.
Teegan emphasizes the importance of having a strong support system and a faith foundation, which played a crucial role in her recovery and growth. We explore her life as a mother of four and how she and her husband, Chad, navigate parenting while instilling values of service and community in their children.
This episode is a reminder that no matter the challenges faced, there’s always room for redemption and new beginnings.
The podcast reveals a heartfelt dialogue between host Daryl Snow and guest Teegan Braun, who shares her life story filled with ups and downs. Tegan grew up in a loving, albeit complicated, family environment in Kansas, where she experienced the joys of rural life but also faced emotional challenges that led to early substance abuse.
This candid exploration of her youth serves as a backdrop for her later experiences with addiction. Teegan's journey through recovery is pivotal, as she reflects on how these hardships have molded her character and fueled her passion for helping others.
The episode delves into Teegan's current endeavors, where she balances motherhood and entrepreneurship with a focus on community service. She discusses her family's homesteading lifestyle and their involvement in local activities, emphasizing the importance of teaching her children values of hard work and empathy.
The episode is a testament to the idea that our past does not define us; rather, it is how we rise above our challenges that shapes our future.
Takeaways:
- Teegan shares her journey from addiction to sobriety, highlighting the power of faith and support systems in overcoming life's challenges.
- The podcast emphasizes the importance of being present for family, especially when balancing work and personal life, as Teegan does with her four children.
- Teegan discusses how her childhood experiences shaped her parenting style, stressing empathy and connection with her kids.
- Both Teegan and Daryl reflect on the significance of community involvement and giving back, demonstrating how their lives are focused on serving others.
- The podcast explores the impact of social media on today's youth, warning against the dangers of self-reliance without a faith foundation.
- Teegan's story is a testament to resilience, showing that with the right mindset and support, anyone can turn their struggles into a message of hope.
You can connect with Teegan on her website:
https://teeganbraun.exprealty.com/
and on her social media platforms:
FB: https://www.facebook.com/teegan.braun
Instagram: @tee_stayingfree
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thebraunteam
The music in this video is copyrighted and used with permission from Raquel & The Joshua 1:8 project © 2025 All Rights Reserved. All rights to the music are owned by Raquel & The Joshua 1:8 project © 2025 All Rights Reserved. You can contact Raquel at https://YourGPSForSuccess.Net
Transcript
I've walked through fire with shadows on my heels Scars turn to stories that taught me to feel lost in the silence Found in the flame now wear my battle cry without shame this isn't the end it's where I begin A soul that remembers the fire within welcome.
Speaker B:Back to another episode of A Warrior Spirit, brought to you by Praxis33.
Speaker B:I'm your host, Darrell Snow.
Speaker B:Let's dive in.
Speaker B:Every once in a while, you come across an individual that you just know is living life different and to its fullest.
Speaker B:They have a unique vibe and aura about them and.
Speaker B:And you can see it in their smile, in their demeanor, and in the way they make you feel when you're around them.
Speaker B:Now, I've only met this woman once, so I don't know her as well as I'd like to, but I do know that my guest today, Teagan Braun, is one of those people living life on her own terms and making a difference to those around her.
Speaker B:Tegan, welcome to the show.
Speaker C:Hi.
Speaker D:Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker B:So today's a little unique because you started a series called Yakking in youn Yukon.
Speaker B:So you're actually coming to me today live from your.
Speaker B:From your Yukon out there in Colorado.
Speaker B:So this will be nice.
Speaker B:I told you off air that I once had to do one from a parking lot at the Starbucks.
Speaker B:So this is even better because you're actually enclosed in your car.
Speaker D:Yes.
Speaker D:Well, and to be honest, it just kind of started as like a funny ha ha, you know, as a mom with four children, every time I pull in my driveway, you know, they come running out to GRE me.
Speaker D:And so sometimes I just need a minute before I enter my home to finish some things and those last few texts or emails or phone calls and wrap up what I'm doing so I can be fully present for my family.
Speaker D:So, you know, this just started as, like, a funny joke, and, you know, it's kind of turned into something a little bigger, so it'll be fun.
Speaker B:I hope it goes well and I look forward to seeing some of your reels.
Speaker B:Did you grow up in Colorado or where did you grow up?
Speaker D:I grew up in Overland Park, Kansas.
Speaker D:So my husband is from St. Louis, and I met him while he was touring in a rock band and played a show in Kansas City.
Speaker D:And a girlfriend of mine introduced us, so we did St. Louis, Kansas City, and now we're out here in Colorado for the past decade.
Speaker B:I'm from the Midwest as well, from Iowa.
Speaker B:So Kansas is a place I'm Familiar with.
Speaker B:Did you grow up in a big family?
Speaker B:A small family.
Speaker D:I have my brother and then three sisters, and together there's nine of us blended, so we have full half step.
Speaker B:When I introduced you, I said, you're full of life, and just there's always this exuberance.
Speaker B:And from the first time I met you, I've noticed that about you.
Speaker B:Were you like that as a child?
Speaker B:How was your childhood growing up?
Speaker D:Yeah, it was good.
Speaker D:We lived in rural Kansas on 180 acres.
Speaker D:And as you drove south down our street, it was my great grandparents.
Speaker D:And then once they passed, my dad, my stepmom and three sisters moved in.
Speaker D:And then next door to that, my grandparents, and next door to that, my mom, my brother and me.
Speaker D:So it was just this constant, you know, just fun.
Speaker D:You know, we lived right next door to our grandparents, and there was kite flying and gardening and cows.
Speaker D:We had a Christmas tree farm.
Speaker D:And just lots of fun growing up.
Speaker D:So lots of memories made on that acreage.
Speaker D:And so we kind of wanted to emulate the same thing once our kids started getting older here in Colorado.
Speaker D:And it's not 180 acres, but it definitely has some memories from my childhood growing up with Christmas trees.
Speaker D:We have a lot of pine trees on our property now, so I had a really great childhood.
Speaker B:That's awesome.
Speaker B:Growing up in the Midwest, you know, you think of cornfields for miles in Kansas, you think of wheat fields for miles.
Speaker B:But 180 acres, that's a lot.
Speaker B:What did you guys.
Speaker B:What did you.
Speaker B:Did you farm the land or did you grow anything other than the Christmas trees?
Speaker D:No, we didn't.
Speaker D:They actually, my grandparents leased out a lot of the land for cattle, so a lot of the back acreage was for cattle.
Speaker D:And then as they got older, they started selling, selling it off in big acreage parcels.
Speaker D:So we had neighbors eventually, but they were acres and acres away, so we still had a lot of the, you know, wildlife, the coyotes, and, you know, you would hear the whole pack howling at night.
Speaker D:And so we just did, as far.
Speaker C:As profit goes, the Christmas tree farm my grandparents ran.
Speaker B:Now, I know from my childhood in rural America, bonfires and keggers were our main activity.
Speaker B:Was that kind of similar in Kansas?
Speaker C:I mean, no, not on that acreage.
Speaker D:With my family right there.
Speaker C:I definitely found myself in a fair amount of trouble in my high school days, but not on our property.
Speaker C:No.
Speaker B:So what was your form of trouble?
Speaker C:Oh, gosh.
Speaker C:I started drinking and doing drugs when I was 12.
Speaker C:Just ran with what I thought was the right Crowd.
Speaker C:I will be honest.
Speaker C:I'm friends with a lot of them still via social media, and I think that we all just wanted to be cool, and so we made poor decisions that we thought were cool back then.
Speaker C:And so it just spawned on years and years of alcohol abuse and addiction.
Speaker C:And I think, though, without that trial, I would not be who I am today.
Speaker C:And so, you know, I think we.
Speaker C:We learn and grow and turn every mess into a message, for sure.
Speaker B:Well, that's what this entire podcast is about, is people turning their mess into their message.
Speaker B:Starting at 12 in rural America.
Speaker B:In my experience, alcohol is common for younger kids.
Speaker B:For whatever reason, it just seems to be something that you do.
Speaker B:I don't know if it's boredom or looser vision from folks because it's rural and they don't think you can get into a lot of trouble, but the alcohol seems to be a big common denominator from all of us Midwesterners.
Speaker B:What kind of mass.
Speaker B:The drugs?
Speaker B:Was it the hard drugs or was it the quote, unquote, the gateway drugs?
Speaker D:Yeah, I think that's a good question, because I think, you know, everyone has a different story when it comes to addiction and drug use.
Speaker D:And I definitely started off becoming a, what I would consider a functioning pothead.
Speaker D:I smoke pot all the time.
Speaker D:And I started working a job at 14, and I worked full time.
Speaker C:And then just moved on to heavier drugs from there.
Speaker B:Being around that much family, were your family aware of, like, going down that path?
Speaker B:Could they see it?
Speaker B:Did they sense it?
Speaker C:Yeah, I think coming from, you know.
Speaker D:I mentioned earlier that I had a really good childhood, and I will, you know, maintain that, you know, forever.
Speaker D:However, I think emotionally it was a little bit difficult with having a split.
Speaker C:Family and also living so close.
Speaker C:So, you know, we had the acreage and my grandparents in between, my dad, my stepmom, and three sisters.
Speaker C:And then my mom, my brother and me were.
Speaker C:Were separate over here.
Speaker C:And, you know, there was definitely a difference in how we were parented and how I was parented.
Speaker C:And so, you know, my.
Speaker C:My stepmom at the time is now my ex stepmom.
Speaker C:And I have a lovely, wonderful stepmom who's been in the picture for, oh, gosh, over a decade now that we absolutely love.
Speaker C:It feels like she's been here all along.
Speaker C:But my.
Speaker C:My initial stepmom of 23 years was abusive verbally, mentally, emotionally, just not.
Speaker E:Not who.
Speaker C:Living in who God created her to be.
Speaker C:And so it was hard growing up on acreage, watching my dad parent my sisters but not me.
Speaker C:It just was a line in the sand.
Speaker C:And unfortunately, at that point in time, he chose, you know, to be present for his current family and not necessarily for me or my brother.
Speaker C:And so, you know, since I have grown up and had a family of my own, my dad and I are incredibly close.
Speaker C:He found the Lord, like I mentioned, his wife that's been around for over a decade is just phenomenal.
Speaker C:And their relationship with Jesus is so beautiful.
Speaker C:And we're really close.
Speaker C:And so, you know, it just is so interesting looking back and kind of seeing that emotional trauma that I went through.
Speaker C:I always, you know, kind of joke, but it's very true.
Speaker C:And I say that I have, you know, parents who wrote the book in some ways on how to parent, and also parents who wrote the book on how not to parent.
Speaker C:And so, you know, it was hard watching that difference in our relationship.
Speaker C:However, I do feel like it was also why nobody noticed what was going on with me behind the scenes.
Speaker C:I went to school, I maintained good grades.
Speaker C:No one was any the wiser on what I was doing with my extracurricular activities.
Speaker C:I think they, they knew kind of, but it was never really questioned because I had a full time job that I maintained.
Speaker C:You know, starting at 16, I was a full time manager with Nordstrom and was the youngest manager in the company.
Speaker C:And so no one really had any reason to question what I was or wasn't doing in my spare time because I was so highly functioning with everything else.
Speaker C:So, you know, it's always said, like, check on, check on everyone, regardless of how well they're doing, because you just never know.
Speaker C:And so, you know, I think about that a lot now with my own kids and watching them grow.
Speaker C:And, you know, we homeschool and are looking at a little bit different path for this coming school year.
Speaker C:But three of the four kids are in search and rescue, and so we try and keep them busy.
Speaker C:And I think that's what a huge piece of the puzzle was for me, to be honest, Darrell, is that I didn't have something to keep me busy in my spare time.
Speaker C:So I had a lot of free time.
Speaker B:So how long till you devolved into the harder drugs?
Speaker B:You started at 12?
Speaker C:Yeah, I would.
Speaker C:I would say, I'd say a couple years in.
Speaker C:So probably by the time I was 15 or 16, started doing ecstasy and just some other drugs that I experimented with.
Speaker C:But I would say that ecstasy was probably my drug of choice for many years.
Speaker B:And you're clean for about six years now.
Speaker B:Did I celebrate?
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Yep.
Speaker C:So I am six years sober from alcohol and I stopped using drugs, oh, gosh, pretty much at 20, 21.
Speaker B:College time.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:So how.
Speaker B:How did you transit?
Speaker B:Did you go to college?
Speaker C:So I did two years of community college and then was promoted to open a Nordstrom in Dallas.
Speaker C:So I went down there at 22 years old and opened a new store with them.
Speaker B:I smile because I lived in Dallas for seven years.
Speaker B:And you went from rural partying to Dallas partying?
Speaker B:Dallas was the only place I lived where the ladies would wear their makeup to go to the gym.
Speaker B:Like, I always baffled them.
Speaker B:Like, why are you dolled up to go to the gym?
Speaker B:And they would always check your bank account before they checked your attitude.
Speaker B:And it's like.
Speaker C:Yes, it was totally different.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:So how did you survive or thrive in Dallas?
Speaker B:Did you enjoy it or.
Speaker C:I did, yes, I did enjoy it.
Speaker C:I would say that it was another gateway to being able to party and do things that I should not have been doing.
Speaker C:And also when I moved down there, I bought a house.
Speaker C:So here I was.
Speaker C:I moved down there when I was 21, turned 22, when I was down there opening a new store, I bought a house.
Speaker C:I was probably a decade older mentally than I was in action and in age.
Speaker C:And so, you know, I ran this 18 hour day job opening a new store, and then we'd go out partying at night.
Speaker C:And it just, after a while, got to be too much, you know, I ended up coming back up to Kansas to live up there and work for Urban Outfitters after that.
Speaker C:And shortly after, I was introduced to my now husband.
Speaker C:And so, yeah, just.
Speaker C:I think it was all exactly how it was supposed to be to get to where I am now.
Speaker B:So if you started at 12 in the drug use because the alcohol continued into your adulthood, but the drug use, if you started at 12, graduated to harder drugs in your teens, was it difficult for you to set those aside and just stay with alcohol?
Speaker B:Or was it pretty easy for you to just say, no, I've had enough?
Speaker C:Yeah, I think it was pretty easy.
Speaker D:At that point, you know, for as.
Speaker C:Surrounded by addiction as I have been my whole life.
Speaker C:Grandparents struggled with addiction, my dad struggled with addiction.
Speaker C:It.
Speaker C:It was very clear to me what was happening.
Speaker C:And I think combining that with my competitive nature, it just.
Speaker C:There was a line in the sand that I was unwilling to cross.
Speaker C:So, you know, something that I have not shared publicly yet.
Speaker C:I did get a DUI when I was 21, right before I moved to Texas.
Speaker C:And unfortunately, the situation was just not in My favor as far as the way the evening progressed.
Speaker C:I actually took the keys from a girl I went to high school with and had not seen in years.
Speaker C:And she had spilled several drinks on me.
Speaker C:And I had just worked a very long day, and I was exhausted, and I went home and I fell asleep at a stoplight minutes from my house.
Speaker C:And I had always been told growing up, if you get pulled over, you refuse the Breathalyzer.
Speaker C:And that's what I did.
Speaker C:And I should have just done it because I had not been drinking, and it just backfired on me.
Speaker C:So I just didn't know what I didn't know at 21.
Speaker C:And so I was put on probation and had my license taken away in Kansas.
Speaker C:So when I moved down to Texas, whenever I would come back, I'd have to park on state line, I'd have to have a ride.
Speaker C:It was a very embarrassing time of my life.
Speaker C:And, you know, I definitely hid it from a lot of people because you can't say you got a DUI without actually being drunk and have it make sense.
Speaker C:And so, you know, we tried to fight it.
Speaker D:We.
Speaker C:I hired an attorney.
Speaker C:And it just.
Speaker D:You.
Speaker C:That's what happens when you refuse a Breathalyzer in Kansas.
Speaker C:You automatically lose your license.
Speaker C:So it.
Speaker C:It.
Speaker C:It's all good.
Speaker C:You know, it taught me a lot about myself and about just saying no and.
Speaker C:And kind of walking away from.
Speaker C:From that lifestyle and the partying and all of that.
Speaker C:And so when I got to Dallas, I still did that a little bit, but not to the extreme that I used to.
Speaker C:So I think it was a good eye opener for me, for sure.
Speaker B:Sometimes it is those hard lessons that really, like, we can hear other people make those mistakes, but until we make them ourselves, we don't have the full impact on them, which is a shame, because it's a whole lot easier to learn from somebody else's errors than having to make them ourselves.
Speaker B:But some of that also, I think, makes you a better parent now because, you know, the hard life that you had, even though you had fun and you had a good childhood, you know, all that, you still know the hardships, so you kind of still know how to navigate that for and with your children.
Speaker B:And I think, you know, like I said, I don't know you extremely well.
Speaker B:I would like to, because, you know, I see your life online, and you look like, you know, someone who would fit right in my circle.
Speaker B:But I think when we allow ourselves to be fallible, it makes us better parents, because our children don't think that we're so lofty.
Speaker B:And then when they make mistakes, they are not as hard on themselves, you know, because their parents are, you know, these perfect people.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:So do you find it makes you a better parent because of all that?
Speaker D:Absolutely.
Speaker D:I think it, you know, all of all of the things that we go through can either help us or hinder us.
Speaker D:And it's all in what we do with them and how we, you know, take, like we were talking about earlier, that mess and turn it into a message.
Speaker D:And with the kids, I definitely am more empathetic.
Speaker D:I listen more, I hear them, I see them.
Speaker D:I'm more involved than my parents were.
Speaker D:And my mom is a absolutely phenomenal woman.
Speaker D:She actually lives with us.
Speaker C:She moved in three years ago this summer, and we have an awesome walkout basement apartment.
Speaker C:And she's a huge part of our lives.
Speaker C:And she raised me as a single mom, and I can't imagine how hard that was, especially being a parent now and, you know, just seeing what she went through then and now, having the ability to look back and see what she really did for us and how much she sacrificed for us.
Speaker C:And so using my own experiences in parenting, you know, we always joke the kids aren't going to get away with anything because we've been there.
Speaker C:And Chad and I come from two totally different tracks with that.
Speaker C:He was the band nerd who never got in trouble, didn't drink till his 21st birthday, and were complete opposites in our experience with the partying lifestyle and getting in trouble and all of the things that we did that we now turn into helping our kids to grow in their walk with the Lord and being authentic people and giving back to our community and honesty and integrity and just really running in good circles of people.
Speaker B:And you mentioned Chad.
Speaker B:You guys have been married for how long?
Speaker D:It'll be 18 years this year.
Speaker B:That's no easy feat in and of itself, but how you met him is actually even more interesting.
Speaker B:So can you tell the story of how you met him?
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker D:So a girlfriend of mine knew of this band that was touring, and she introduced us.
Speaker D:I had moved back from Texas just three days prior to his band playing in my city.
Speaker D:I was just right in Westport off of the Kansas City Plaza, and he played a show down there.
Speaker D:And I walked in ahead of the band playing and was like, what are we doing here?
Speaker D:We're early.
Speaker D:And she said, oh, we're going to have dinner with the band.
Speaker D:And he was actually across the room on the phone with another girl at the time.
Speaker D:And Turned around and he tells the story.
Speaker D:It's hilarious.
Speaker D:But he turned around and saw me and got off the phone with the girl.
Speaker C:And by the end of the night, I told my best friend since seventh grade that I'm gonna marry that boy.
Speaker D:And that was it.
Speaker D:We dated long distance for a little bit.
Speaker D:And I actually, Darrell broke up with him because I was 22, and who meets the boy they're supposed to marry at 22?
Speaker D:So I thought, no way, this isn't real.
Speaker D:And so I broke up with him.
Speaker D:And he was still touring all over.
Speaker D:And then my boss at the time had met him when they were in town at the same time and came to me and said, you have two weeks.
Speaker D:We're promoting you to store merchandiser of urban outfitters in St. Louis.
Speaker D:You have two weeks to get out there and reconnect with chat.
Speaker D:You made a big mistake.
Speaker C:So, of course I had to laugh.
Speaker D:And say, isn't this illegal to meddle in my personal life?
Speaker D:And they said, well, if you want your job, it's not.
Speaker D:And so that was it.
Speaker D:They had already found a replacement for me.
Speaker D:It was such a huge overreach.
Speaker D:And also, you know, I have my former boss to thank for the nudge to get me out of my stuck mindset and go after this guy who.
Speaker C:I knew was the one.
Speaker D:And so that was it.
Speaker D:We've been together ever since.
Speaker B:So let me ask you, at that moment, were you connected to God like you are today, or was this prior to your reconnection with God?
Speaker D:Yeah, that's a great question and definitely something we talk about all the time, especially with where we are now.
Speaker D:So Chad and I both grew up going to church.
Speaker D:I would say, you know, we were.
Speaker D:I grew up Presbyterian, he grew up Catholic.
Speaker D:And then we both just kind of fell away from our walk with the Lord.
Speaker D:And when we started dating and then we ended up moving in together, we actually got pregnant before we got married.
Speaker D:And then we found a church right by our house we had purchased.
Speaker D:And the Sunday we walk in, the sermon was, children are a gift from God.
Speaker D:And, you know, I like head to toe goosebumps every time I tell this story because it was such an affirmation of where we were and where we were headed in our walk.
Speaker C:And we've just never looked back.
Speaker C:So we got baptized together.
Speaker C:We kind of backtracked in our marriage and completely, like, slept separately.
Speaker C:He actually moved back in with his parents until we got married before Jaden, our first daughter, was born, and then just totally committed our lives to Christ he is now a full time or going to be full time worship pastor.
Speaker C:And that's a huge reason as to why we moved out to Colorado so he could be in ministry full time.
Speaker C:And so our lives look a lot different than they did and we could not be more thankful.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And those godwink moments happen.
Speaker B:You know, we don't see them as they're happening, but we look back and we can recognize them for sure.
Speaker B:That's pretty awesome.
Speaker B:I have a few things I want to bring up for you and you can talk about.
Speaker B:You are currently in real estate with your husband, Chad and Tegan Braun, your Colorado real estate duo.
Speaker B:Now, I've been in real estate for eight years, so I absolutely love what you guys are doing out there because you guys have so much fun from your promos, your advertising, how you market a home, whatever.
Speaker B:So what got you guys into real estate and how long have you been doing this?
Speaker D:Yeah, so Chad, his entire background is in construction and remodel work and mine is in communications, marketing, social media, and running a big, you know, or multiple big multimillion dollar teams with previous direct sales companies.
Speaker D:And so we've just always loved Chip.
Speaker C:And Joanna Gaines and hgtv and Chad has joked for years about, you know, why don't we just jump into real estate together?
Speaker C:And so, you know, Covid hit and we had this extra time on our hands and said, why not?
Speaker C:So we actually jumped in about five years ago and went through our courses together and have never looked back.
Speaker C:So it's been a phenomenal way to serve our community.
Speaker C:We've been able to do some big fundraisers and give give backs and really just in everything we do pray that we can just be a light for doing great kingdom work and for the Lord.
Speaker C:And so we say we homeschool, we homestead, and we sling homes together.
Speaker B:That's awesome.
Speaker B:And you have been blessed.
Speaker B:I've watched you guys grow.
Speaker B:It's amazing.
Speaker B:The other thing that is really cool.
Speaker B:This is a montage of what I was talking about.
Speaker B:You guys having fun?
Speaker B:I mean, you have your chicken animals, you have your massive dog that you could put a saddle on, you have your archery.
Speaker B:I didn't show the guns, but you have all that too.
Speaker B:But can you describe some of this?
Speaker B:And then your family, of course, they're in the middle.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:So our kids are now 12 to 17 and we have a homestead.
Speaker C:We're on about three acres out in Elizabeth, Colorado, and we have everything from goat to a big flock of chickens.
Speaker C:We raise meat birds every year that Our kids actually process themselves, which is super cool.
Speaker C:And then our kids are really involved in 4H.
Speaker C:So they show pigs, they show turkeys, they show chickens.
Speaker C:And so for about five months out of the year, we have right around 100 animals on our acreage.
Speaker C:And then after 4H season and processing our meat birds and turkeys, we go back to, oh, about half that.
Speaker C:So it's just a really cool way of life out here and everything's a little bit slower.
Speaker C:And our population of our town is only about 2,500 people.
Speaker C:However, we're just about 35 minutes from the major city we moved from.
Speaker C:And so we're able to go back.
Speaker C:We're back about every day.
Speaker C:But living out here has just been really cool and an awesome way to teach the kiddos about sustainability and survival and how to grow things and just take care of these animals.
Speaker C:We've been so blessed to have.
Speaker B:Yeah, that.
Speaker B:That montage picture that says Americana right across it without even saying a word.
Speaker B:But amongst all that, you also have some accolades, some stuff you've done on your own, and that's Wild Tree Girls of Grit and then your little walk of fame.
Speaker B:Can you describe some of these?
Speaker E:Yeah, of course.
Speaker E:So when we first had babies, you know, we were looking for a way for me to be able to stay home.
Speaker E:I left my corporate career on a fast track to just be promoted to oversee an entire region.
Speaker E:And I knew the moment I held my first baby that that was not in the cards to for our family.
Speaker E:And so, you know, having four babies in five years was a lot and a lot on anyone's pocketbook.
Speaker E:And being, you know, young with four kiddos, just a way to bring additional income into our home and support my husband in his efforts to build a remodel company when we move to Kansas.
Speaker E:So that being said, I jumped into direct sales as an industry.
Speaker E:I partnered with companies like 31, Wild Tree Juice plus and all of them held just an incredible place in our heart and our lives while we had younger kids.
Speaker E:I will always be an advocate for just the camaraderie and team building and team mentality that comes with running an in home and social selling business.
Speaker E:I think they absolutely have a place in this world and I am happy to support those running these types of businesses because it is not easy, especially with a baby on your hip and one underfoot.
Speaker E:And so I ran with those for a variety of years between states that we lived in and different companies.
Speaker E:Unfortunately, one of them closed their doors and so our, you know, whole team and Everyone I knew had to, you know, reposition to a new company and again, talk about learning to pivot and going through a trial that was a huge one and just learning all we could from that and to make us better moving forward.
Speaker E:So, you know, I think again, all of the communication and marketing and social media and all of that that we learned along the way set us up so nicely to be able to run with our real estate business.
Speaker E:So a couple of these slides that you see are just a nod to jumping in with a coaching team.
Speaker E:Girls with grit, with real estate.
Speaker E:They've been absolutely exceptional.
Speaker E:I've met some of the most remarkable women across the nation.
Speaker E:And where, you know, Chad has his worship pastor position and, you know, his hobby with that, it has allowed me to kind of run on this separate vein of real estate with a bunch of women who have just been remarkable.
Speaker E:So we absolutely love our team with EXP and are excited to see, you know, where this goes and could not be more thankful for all the growth along the way.
Speaker B:For sure, what those show you or show anyone who's looking is that you're willing to pivot off to whatever it takes to get it done.
Speaker B:And you're teaching your kids through those entrepreneurialship, growth, camaraderie, camaraderie.
Speaker B:But you're also showing them that even through the struggle, because direct marketing is not the easiest route for an entrepreneur to go.
Speaker B:Having been in it myself for decades.
Speaker B:You have to learn more than just your product.
Speaker B:You have to learn how to fill a need, but you have to learn how to connect, because you can't do direct marketing well without connecting with others.
Speaker B:And so you're teaching your kids connection and communication and service, not just the success part.
Speaker B:Do you find that to be true?
Speaker E:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker E:They have seen us go from living in Kansas when my husband and I had moved there to start a remodel company.
Speaker E:We were pregnant with our fourth, Liam, and my husband had been having some back issues.
Speaker E:And one day he tried to get out of bed and couldn't walk and had to have emergency back surgery.
Speaker E:And overnight we had to shut down our remodel company.
Speaker E:We plummeted into poverty level.
Speaker E:I remember that Thanksgiving we had our church show up with a trunk full of.
Speaker E:Of food and a Thanksgiving turkey for our family.
Speaker E:And we knew from that moment on, it was just.
Speaker E:There was.
Speaker E:There was nowhere else to go but up.
Speaker E:It was an incredibly hard time.
Speaker E:And the first, you know, poundage he was able to lift was our newborn baby.
Speaker E:It was.
Speaker E:It was scary.
Speaker E:It was hard and we just had to really lean into our faith and know that God had all of this under control.
Speaker E:And so the kids have been where they were little then, of course, they've been with us through every step of every business we've ever run.
Speaker E:They've seen me travel.
Speaker E:They've seen my husband and myself earn seven trips with a previous company.
Speaker E:They've seen the accolades and the stars and the awards.
Speaker E:And they've also seen the really hard months where you're reliant upon referrals and networking and really stellar communication and building relationships and connecting with other people.
Speaker E:And they've also seen us be able to give back in really big ways and to serve others exactly where they are.
Speaker E:And I think that's the entire purpose of being alive, is to serve others well and do so intentionally.
Speaker E:And so if we can hope and pray that we teach our kids anything, it's that.
Speaker E:It's that we are meant to do really stellar kingdom work, period.
Speaker E:We're meant to be a light for Christ, period.
Speaker E:And we're really, you know, thankful to wake up every day to.
Speaker E:To do that.
Speaker B:How long was Chad down?
Speaker B:Is he fully recovered now?
Speaker E:No, he actually is not.
Speaker E:We were.
Speaker E:We just talked this morning about him going back into a doctor to talk about the next part up on his spine.
Speaker E:Unfortunately, I think that just comes with the territory of being in a labor industry for the better part of your life.
Speaker E:And so, you know, we'll see what that looks like after my shoulder surgery this year.
Speaker C:You know, we just.
Speaker E:If something needs to happen this year, let's just do it.
Speaker E:Is our.
Speaker E:Is our mindset.
Speaker E:So, you know, I do think that it takes all of us around our household.
Speaker E:I mean, we could not do anything that we do if it wasn't for how helpful our 4 kids are and how much they step up to the plate and pitch in with everything from farm chores to house chores.
Speaker E:We have the girls that are starting to work for our real estate business.
Speaker E:All of it, you know, really matters.
Speaker E:We're able to do some really cool Friday night markets and music in the park events with our community.
Speaker E:We're able to be sponsors for our 4H county fair this year, which is huge and just really pour back into the community, which we love to do.
Speaker E:So I think it's a family affair, if you will.
Speaker B:Did I see a few weeks ago, speaking of family, there was.
Speaker B:Got the fur family chiming in.
Speaker B:Don't forget us.
Speaker B:They said, yeah, yeah, speaking of, did I see you guys did a kind of a swap meet type of event was that?
Speaker E:Yeah.
Speaker E:So the.
Speaker E:Oh, it's a what's mine is yours swap.
Speaker E:Is that the one you're thinking?
Speaker E:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker E:So out here in Kiowa, so if you think of our city, we're just south of Denver and a little bit east of Denver, so southeast.
Speaker E:And then we're a town of 2,500 people.
Speaker E:And then one city is further east towards Kansas is an even smaller city called Kiowa.
Speaker E:And there is a thrift store called Echo, Albert County Coalition of Outreach for Outreach.
Speaker E:And it's run by a darling woman named Erica, who's a friend of mine.
Speaker E:And everything that the thrift store sells goes to cover overhead cost, of course, but then funds go back into the community.
Speaker E:So if you're unable to pay your electric bill or you need help with your rent or mortgage, or if you need help with interview skills, they teach interview classes.
Speaker E:They also help clothe kiddos for the 4h fair if they're unable to buy outfits for the fair.
Speaker E:And so with this what's mine is yours swap, it's a really great way to go through your house.
Speaker E:Take items like books or home decor, kitchen, gadgets, clothing, kids toys, whatever it is, and you bring it to the swap.
Speaker E:And it goes into its designated area that are labeled.
Speaker E:And then the most fun part, Darrell, is it gets a little feisty.
Speaker E:You bring post it notes and write your name on them, and you put your name on every item that you'd like.
Speaker E:But if there are more than two names on an item, you roll dice to see who gets it.
Speaker E:So the whole thing is super fun.
Speaker E:It's super feisty with, you know, all these women.
Speaker E:And even some teenagers who come are like, no, like you've won the last five.
Speaker E:You know, it's so fun.
Speaker E:But the purpose is a couple things.
Speaker E:One, you're upcycling your it.
Speaker E:You're getting rid of things that you don't need any longer that are nicer items.
Speaker E:Could you sell them on Marketplace?
Speaker E:Probably.
Speaker E:But you're taking them to this swap.
Speaker E:People leave with things that mean something to them that they're excited to have for free.
Speaker E:And then at the end of the night, we typically have at least one, if not two, truckloads that then go to Echo.
Speaker E:So it's a whole huge circle of give back.
Speaker E:It really means a lot to our community.
Speaker E:And I get messages almost daily, not quite daily, but almost daily about when the next one will be.
Speaker E:So it's a highly loved event.
Speaker B:I think that's.
Speaker B:That's a.
Speaker B:That's really a cool way to share and give back with your community.
Speaker B:And I think all disputes should be, you know, let's roll some dice.
Speaker E:Yeah.
Speaker E:Yeah.
Speaker B:And I don't want to ignore one major thing that some people watching this might see is that you're.
Speaker B:Your background changed.
Speaker B:You had some issues in your Yukon that we transitioned into your house.
Speaker B:So I don't want them to think that suddenly a bookstore grew out of your trunk.
Speaker E:Yeah.
Speaker E:Yeah.
Speaker B:If you were to look back and someone was going through similarities that you went through, what would be your biggest piece of advice to them?
Speaker E:Oh, that's a good question.
Speaker E:I would say just a couple things.
Speaker E:I would say find the people who are in your corner.
Speaker E:I would not be where I am today if I didn't have supporting, loving people who cheered me on along the way and were a support system to me.
Speaker E:I didn't know what I didn't know back then, of course, and, you know, now look back and see how many people I actually had in my corner.
Speaker E:But it was very apparent through those harder years of high school.
Speaker E:You know, I had some significant trauma happen in high school.
Speaker E:And just having Indy.
Speaker E:Thank you, administrator.
Speaker E:Just really be.
Speaker C:Support system to me.
Speaker B:We're okay.
Speaker B:Yeah, we're okay.
Speaker E:My dogs are so smart that the app we have on our phone to track our family will make a certain ding.
Speaker E:And when they hear it, it signals that a family member is home and they have to run out and greet our family member.
Speaker E:It doesn't matter who it is.
Speaker E:It could be one of the kids or my husband.
Speaker E:It's my husband this time.
Speaker E:But so funny that they're that smart that they know that particular chime.
Speaker B:That's awesome.
Speaker B:So you surround yourself with good people to get to a better place.
Speaker B:Let me ask you, what part of your story do you want people to know the most?
Speaker B:What do you want people to come away with when they hear Tegan's story?
Speaker E:I would say the redemption part of life.
Speaker E:And that there are always, you know, the next pages and the next day, and that anyone can survive anything with the right faith foundation, the right support system, the right mindset, and the will to do so.
Speaker E:So, you know, I. I have a lot of people reach out from my past and say, you are not the person I knew growing up.
Speaker E:You know, what has changed and now that has lessened, because if they're paying attention at all, all glory goes back to God, and I am not anything without him.
Speaker E:And, you know, I think, Darrell, that what we're seeing today in society, especially with Teens and with raising kids is that it's not getting easier, it's getting exponentially harder.
Speaker E:Right.
Speaker E:We have social media that we didn't have when I was a kid.
Speaker E:You know, we were gone all day and no one could get ahold of us.
Speaker E:And where social media is a great tool for connecting people, it's a horrific tool for anyone under the age of 21 to 25, in my opinion.
Speaker E:And I think that we're raising people, especially young people, to think I am enough on my own.
Speaker E:And we're not.
Speaker E:I think we're raising this.
Speaker E:I am because I am culture and.
Speaker E:And I am because he is.
Speaker E:And I am enough because of God.
Speaker E:And, you know, I think that there's a myth in mindset, I think there's a myth in faith foundation.
Speaker E:You know, we see less and less people going to church and less and less people believing in God and less and less people serving others well and saddens me.
Speaker E:So if we can just do what we can do in our own household and raise kids who have a purpose to give back to others and impact others and be a light for doing really great kingdom work, I think that's where it starts, is at home.
Speaker B:If you were to look back at your life, who are you today versus who you were prior to meeting your husband?
Speaker E:Chad is definitely my better half.
Speaker E:I would say that I was really broken.
Speaker E:I came from addiction.
Speaker E:I was raped as a senior in high school.
Speaker E:I had a lot of dad issues, a lot of lack in.
Speaker E:And I completely flipped that I came across as probably overly confident.
Speaker E:I poured all of all of that into being successful in a career.
Speaker E:But I was incredibly broken as a person.
Speaker E:And so when Chad and I met, it was right on the cusp of some really hard times.
Speaker E:And so Chad and I have had to grow together.
Speaker E:You know, he didn't know what it was like to live on his own.
Speaker E:He lived at home until he was 25 because he toured full time in a rock band.
Speaker E:And so we definitely grew up together with kids.
Speaker E:And so we have a lot of grace, extend a lot of grace in our house because this is, you know, my first time being 41.
Speaker E:It's his first time, you know, being a dad and a husband.
Speaker E:And, you know, we're trying to learn all of this together and grow with kids as they age, you know, grow in different ages and go through different seasons.
Speaker E:And every new season has its own challenges.
Speaker E:You know, every parent watching this will feel the same way.
Speaker E:And so, you know, we.
Speaker E:We just do the best we can.
Speaker E:And I definitely think I'm completely different, all because of the grace of God from when I met Chad to now.
Speaker B:And I don't think we get through longevity of marriage of any kind without grace, at least a healthy relationship.
Speaker B:You know, I look back at my grandparents on my mom's side, and they were married for well over 50 years, but it was not ever a marriage that I wanted to aspire to because there was very little emotional love, very little support, very little of that grace that you're talking about.
Speaker B:So you can have a longevity marriage, but it can be a living hell, or you can do it with grace and compassion and empathy and understanding and grow together like you and your husband are.
Speaker B:And I'd much rather be in that kind of marriage than one of the first things I said when I left my grandparents for the very last time is I never want a wife like her.
Speaker B:She never challenged him, she never stood up to him.
Speaker B:She never said I love you to her children.
Speaker B:I never wanted a wife like that.
Speaker B:So, you know, I think the grace.
Speaker B:And you have to have grace not only for your partner, but you have to have grace for yourself.
Speaker E:Right.
Speaker B:Like, it's easy to give grace to my partner than it is for myself, but if I don't give it to myself, it makes my partner's, my wife's job even harder, you know?
Speaker E:Yeah, yeah, absolutely agree.
Speaker B:Well, I am going to wrap this up with one last question that I ask everyone, actually.
Speaker B:I'm going to give you two.
Speaker B:So you've seen where you were as a young child.
Speaker B:You've seen where you were in high school when you had the issues you mentioned and the hardships that you came through.
Speaker B:You've seen the hardships that you endured when you and your husband first started out.
Speaker B:And you've seen the beauty of where you are now.
Speaker B:Where do you want the next 20 years to be?
Speaker E:Oh, I would say really just diving into living life.
Speaker C:Oh.
Speaker E:You know, sometimes it feels like I can't hear God's voice.
Speaker E:And sometimes I wonder, you know, I would like a neon flashing arrow to appear to show me which way.
Speaker E:But I have found that in all things it will be made abundantly clear.
Speaker E:And, you know, we pray over each of our kids every night before they go to bed.
Speaker E:And there have been seasons that every night our prayer has that same, you know, whatever question it is about whatever season.
Speaker E:Like I mentioned earlier, we're switching from homeschooling to a different school environment for them next year to do an early college program for them.
Speaker E:And we just prayed relentlessly for God to make it abundantly clear where we're supposed to be.
Speaker E:And as long as we are doing that and putting everything at the feet of Jesus, I. I do feel like he does make it abundantly clear.
Speaker E:And if we put our own ego before our prayer for his will, he makes that very clear, too.
Speaker B:And so the very last question that I ask every one of my guests, what does a warrior spirit or having a warrior spirit mean to Teagan Braun?
Speaker E:Oh, gosh.
Speaker E:I would say that having a warrior spirit has meant survival and the ability to thrive in my lifetime.
Speaker E:So from teenage years to 20s, 30s, and now in my 40s, every season looks different.
Speaker E:But a warrior spirit is what I would say is God, and, you know, just having his fire within me to thrive amidst any situation.
Speaker E:I 100% believe that it's how you show up and your attitude and your mindset in any situation.
Speaker E:And I don't believe that you can have that without a faith and a faith foundation.
Speaker E:He is everything to us, and we owe everything to Him.
Speaker B:I love that, and I appreciate that you're in my tribe and part of this community.
Speaker B:I see definitely why, even through the hardships and through the struggles, why you still exude the vibrance and the beauty and the jubilation that you do.
Speaker B:Because everything you do starts with him, and you live for him, not for yourself.
Speaker B:And I think that's a beautiful thing.
Speaker E:Well, thank you.
Speaker E:And thank you so much for having me.
Speaker B:I appreciate it.
Speaker B:And if you would like to get in touch with Teagan, you can get in contact with her on our website, teganbraun Exp Realty, and on our social platforms, which will be at the end of the show.
Speaker B:Notes.
Speaker B:And as always, I want to thank you for joining us on this edition of A Warrior Spirit.
Speaker B:We're now available not only on YouTube, but also Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all the major platforms, as well as on Wednesday evenings at 8 Eastern on Roku via the Prospera TV app.
Speaker B:But wherever you find us, be sure to like and subscribe so you can catch all the episodes.
Speaker B:And as always, the journey is sacred.
Speaker B:The warrior is you.
Speaker B:So remember, be inspired, be empowered, and embrace the spirit of the warrior within.
Speaker A:It's how we rise from it.
Speaker C:Sam.
