Could you keep climbing when everything in your body tells you to quit?

Jennifer Harkness joins Lead Like a Girl to share her unforgettable experience attempting to summit Mount Kilimanjaro — and the life-changing lessons she learned along the way.

From intense physical preparation to unexpected panic attacks at high altitude, Jennifer gets real about the mental toughness required to face fear, push through discomfort, and redefine success.

This episode is for every woman navigating big goals, self-doubt, leadership challenges, motherhood, business ownership, or simply trying to survive life’s hard seasons with courage intact.

Whether you’re climbing literal mountains or personal ones, this conversation is packed with inspiration, resilience, and practical wisdom.

• Women leadership and resilience
• Mental toughness and perseverance
• Overcoming fear and self-doubt
• Adventure travel and personal growth
• Goal setting and mindset
• Working through setbacks
• Building confidence through challenge
• Living a purpose-driven life

00:00 — Introduction and Banter
02:29 — Preparing for Goals: Successes and Failures
07:24 — The Journey to Climbing Kilimanjaro
11:05 — Training and Mental Preparation
16:43 — The Climb Begins: Overcoming Challenges
22:05 — Facing Fears and Finding Strength
27:51 — The Final Push to the Summit
29:40 — Mental Struggles: Pressure and Self-Doubt on the Climb
31:43 — Turning Back: The Decision to Descend
32:46 — Reflections on Failure: Learning from the Experience
33:54 — The Call to Adventure: Planning for Another Attempt
35:44 — Embracing the Journey: Finding Pride in the Experience
39:26 — Life Lessons from the Mountain: Overcoming Challenges
42:58 — The Importance of Community: Support on the Journey

• Jennifer Harkness on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferharkness
• Mount Kilimanjaro: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Kilimanjaro
• Women High on Adventure: https://womenhighonadventure.com

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferharkness

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