In this episode of Keeping Abreast Dr. Jenn Simmons sits down with keynote speaker, author, and 2025 Dynamic Woman of the Year Erika Rothenberger for a conversation about what happens when life forces you to stop playing small. Erika had a day in 2022 that changed everything. What she did on the other side of it is what this conversation is about. Dr. Jenn and Erika get into the trauma we avoid, the life we keep deferring, and why the hardest moments tend to be the most clarifying ones.

If you have ever survived something hard and wondered what you are supposed to do with it, this episode will give you your answer.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What Erika survived in 2022 and why she considers it the greatest turning point of her life
• Why playing it safe is the most dangerous thing a woman can do
• Why Dr. Jenn believes a breast cancer diagnosis can be an opportunity and what that actually looks like in practice
• The real reason most women never go after the life they want and why it has nothing to do with time, money, or circumstances
• Why the trauma you have been avoiding is not behind you. It is driving you.
• A simple daily method that takes 36 minutes and rebuilds your entire mindset from the ground up
• The science behind why the people you surround yourself with are either quietly lifting you or quietly costing you
• The gap in Pennsylvania law that leaves women unprotected and the legislation Erika is fighting to change
• Why the most powerful thing a woman can do for her health right now has nothing to do with her body
  
  

Episode Timeline
01:07 Introducing Erika Rothenberger
03:09 Energy, seasons, and the permission to give 60%
06:56 Erika's story and the morning that changed everything
12:41 Playing small vs. playing large
16:36 Fear, inertia, and the life you keep putting off
19:45 Writing the book and going public with her story
27:32 Why healing is a choice you make every day
32:27 How to protect your time and fuel yourself first
35:35 Why no is a complete sentence
38:01 Finding the good in every setback
40:02 Why a breast cancer diagnosis can be its own kind of punch
43:00 Why your circle determines your ceiling
45:22 What Erika took away from watching Mel Robbins
50:57 The Audacious Summit, October 2025
52:45 Money, legacy, and what you are building
59:22 Finding your thing and going after it
1:05:44 Where to find Erika and closing thoughts

Where to Find Find Erika Rothenberger:
Website: erikarothenberger.com
Instagram: @erikalearothenberger
Book: Audacious Expansion

To talk to a member of Dr. Jenn's team and learn more about working privately with Dr. Jenn visit: https://calendly.com/stephanie-1031/clarity-call

To get your copy of Dr. Jenn's book, The Smart Woman's Guide to Breast Cancer, visit: https://tinyurl.com/SmartWomansBreastCancerGuide

To purchase the auria breast cancer screening test go here https://auria.care/ and use the code DRJENN20 for 20% Off.

Connect with Dr. Jenn:
Website: https://www.jennsimmonsmd.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrJennSimmons
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjennsimmons/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dr.jennsimmons