Salty and Hungry with Krista Hengesh

GUYS!  Guess what!? I've been working on something for literally over a year now and I can finally start talking about it....THE FREEDOM METHOD MENTORSHIP! If you struggle with body image, seeing yourself as unworthy, lack consistency in either your physical or spiritual health (or possibly both), or you feel isolated and alone right now in this pursuit to create the healthiest version of you...this mentorship is screaming your name!  AND, the waitlist is now open - spots are limited, so jump on in TODAY.  If you're on the waitlist, not only will you secure a spot in the Freedom Method Mentorship program when it does officially open up, you'll also get an extra month of coaching support completely FREE for the month of December...doesn't thriving over the holiday season sound pretty stinkin' nice!?

And on the topic of mentorship...I want to tell you about Krista Hengesh, founder of Live Salted.  Krista's mission is to inspire college and millennial women to discover their God given identity and use their passions to change this world...honestly, her faith is SO fierce!

She loves to dream big and she lives her life so reliant upon the Lord where if he doesn't show up, it's almost embarrassing.  I've been following Live Salted for a while and it just so happened that a friend of mine knew Krista and connected us...I just love how she was meant to appear in my life!

Krista is 25 years old, currently lives in Seattle, Washington, and LOVES adventure and anything outdoors.  She is in a big season of transition, moving from living on her own, into a house with six other Christian ladies.  And, she is also navigating a new relationship.  So, there are many challenges and lessons showing up for Krista about independence and opening up to others.  Other than faith (which is a no-brainer for Krista) what's important in her life is MOVEMENT - she strives to be active in some sense every day!!  I love that Krista has found connection between movement, and faith and health; something you all know I advocate for!  I always say, "when you move a muscle, you change your mind".

The History of Live Salted

She's been Christian her whole life and has always been obsessed with Jesus.  When deciding between what college to go to, she knew that God was calling her to be a light in a dark place and NOT go to a Christian school...honestly, so brave!  She struggled initially because there really wasn't any support for believers, so she turned to finding support online.  But she couldn't find any online communities that were purely faith-based...it was always Jesus AND something else.  During this time, Krista questioned whether it was actually worth being Christian.  I know a lot of us have been there, it can be hard seeing everyone around you drinking and partying, and it seeming like they're having more fun than you. 

She went to a Christian camp her freshman summer and really got to experience the community she was craving.  When she came back she told God "I hate the school, I'm transferring".  But God had other plans...in his sweet  whisper, he reminded Krista that he brought her here for a reason.  People needed Krista to be the light they didn't have, so started a Bible Studies group and before she knew it, she had 60 girls coming to her house every Monday night. The Lord knew that it wasn't only her who was hungry for community, and he used her to create one! 

A few years later she got the chance to go to New Zealand where she met a whole new community of girls over there, feeling a very similar hunger.  So, she had a need, her school had a need, and a group of girls on the other side of the world had a need, and in that realization, she truly understood that there was something God wanted her to create.  So in early 2016, Krista founded Live Salted and created an online community with resources for all those other hungry girls!

Two years after the Live Salted blog was launched, they had their first conference where 300 women showed up!  This just really made Krista realize how hungry people were to be in community.  No one wants to be alone in their faith.  They want to be supported and given tools to dive deeper into it.  And that's what Live Salted has been doing ever since.  That's the heart of the 'work'...the name Live Salted comes from Matthew 5:13 "You are the salt of the earth.  But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot."  God gave us each this unique flavoring, a unique zest, a unique angle to who we are.  And if we don't come forward to the table as our true selves, the world's going to miss out.

Words of Wisdom

Krista studied public relations and advertising with a leadership minor and entrepreneurship emphasis, so she was more that prepared to take this action on paper, but she had some pretty major insecurities about speaking and feared sharing her voice (she was actually in speech therapy early on).  Now, this could have been a business limitation for Krista, but through her relationship with Jesus, she knew that this was an attack from the enemy that was trying to pull her away from what she was called to do.  So, she got feisty and found strength in her deep knowing that this what she was called to do.  She fought for what God told her she was here for.

Try to delve into your insecurities and address whatever you feel is disqualifying you and changing your beliefs by acknowledging these thoughts as an attack and understanding that what God is calling you to is the TRUTH.

Krista recognizes how blessed she is to have many mentors and also understands not everyone has that kind of support.  This is one of the reasons why fostering community is so BIG for her.  With regards to mentorship, her advice on finding support is to put yourself in places where there are people older than you, be bold, go to church and just ask.  And remember that not everyone is meant to be your mentor.  So if they say 'no', it's not about YOU...there is a bigger plan.  You also don't have to say 'yes' to anyone who offers their support either - make sure they align with your purpose.

How to hears God's voice and understand His character

God is not a genie in a bottle who automatically responds to your every desire.  He really wants to know that you purely care to be with Him BEFORE you ask for things.  You have to create space and time for Him.  Actually, Live Salted's new mission is to create space for people to experience Jesus.  So often, people talk about God, but they never really EXPERIENCE him.

We need to try and eliminate any and all expectations around what God's voice 'sounds' like...it's not a booming voice through the clouds.  Mostly, he speaks to us through thoughts in our heads, visions or images.  But you have to be patient and foster a relationship with Him first.  It's a process, and it does take most people a while to learn to hear Him, but in saying that, there also isn't really any timeline.  He speaks to us based on our intention rather than any kind of metric.

Getting to know who God is instead of expecting something for yourself is such a game changer.  When we understand WHO He is, you shift out of this selfish state and it all just flows.

Krista says you HAVE to be vulnerable and you must be honest and I can totally relate to this.  I used to go to a Christian sister if I had some kind of feelings I was struggling with, because people understand feelings, right!?  In a way, I thought God wouldn't get it, because, well...He's God.  And shouldn't He already know what I'm feeling!?  It felt kind of pointless to pray to Him.  But that's the point...he doesn't need us to pray to him.  He gave us prayer because WE need it.

There are many changes on the go with Live Salted at the moment and I asked Krista to tell us about what her prayer life looks like amidst this.  She said there is SO much prayer to the point that sometimes it feels like she's not getting anything done.  She knows she wants to create something that's actually going to be received.  And she gets this through the Lord's reaction - he gives her little insights that direct her to the right path.  But remember, it's important to spend your time in prayer and then take ACTION.

Showing Up

I help women build their online businesses use their online presence to really make a difference in this world.  All of my gals are sharing their God-given gifts, but sometimes we all struggle with sowing up.  And especially showing up consistently.  So I asked Krista what her biggest challenge is with showing up and how she manages this...

"My biggest challenge is I think it's not worth it. Mm hmm.  I've had the conversation in my head for a week and a half now...like it's not worth it...there's just no reason...I'm writing blog posts, making videos, posting things on Instagram, and I'm like, we have no likes, we have no comments and no one's reading. This is all just not worth it.  When I look at what I'm doing from a metric point of view, that's kind of the hardest time for me to really want to show up." - how many of you can FEEL that!?

What keeps Krista going is knowing that these girls out there NEED her.  And to deeply KNOW this, she needs to be aligned with the Lord to help her remember her WHY.  The joy in the 'work' comes through knowing Jesus.  If they have their friends, audience and community understand their spin on this life with God, then it'll double their joy.  It's all about figuring out that thing, that reason that's bigger than yourself.  What's going to carry you...what's going to make it all worth it?

What's ahead for Krista and Live Salted in 2020

Sadly, there'll be no conferences next year, which is a bummer, but it's really important that they take the time to  grow and nurture their online community and focus on sustainability.  They will, however, be holding a Worship Night Your in January and February that'll work through people hosting them - so if you're in the US and you're interested, get in touch! It could be a college you're part of or just a small group of girls. 

Live Salted is also going through a bit of a re-brand...just to give it a little extra life.  Oh, AND they're launching a podcast in Feb!!  There'll also be a bank of prayer videos available to really help and support people from the comfort of their homes.

There'll be a little more balance being introduced too.  Like me, Krista LOVES creating and producing content.  But she also now understands the joy of just sitting and doing nothing and laughing and not having to produce anything.  She knows what it tastes like and it's really created this hunger for her to have a better work-life separation.  And also, having a boyfriend now changes things - it's not just her anymore...I'll be praying for this balance in your life, Krista!

Find more about Krista and Live Salted through the website or follow her on Instagram @livesalted or go and listen to episode 70 of The Chasing FreedomShow podcast!  Also in this episode, I share more about what's in The Freedom Method Mentorship - why its for you what's in it and what you'll get out of it.

Xo,

Tan