When Life Smacks You in the Face: Shelby Stanger on Choosing Authenticity

Sep 11

Shelby Stanger has been on my dream guest list since day one of Tarin It Up. Back in 2020, I was binging her podcast Wild Ideas Worth Living while stuck at home, and it gave me the final push to launch my own show. Hearing Shelby’s mix of humor, honesty, and straight-up courage showed me that storytelling doesn’t need to be perfect, it just needs to be true. Sitting down with her for this conversation felt like a full-circle moment.

When Life Smacks You in the Face

Shelby shared how life has a way of “smacking” her when she’s not living authentically, sometimes literally, like the scar she carries from a surf accident.

“If I’m being inauthentic, life slaps me in the face. And it’s happened many, many times.”

That wake-up call became a reminder that trying to be someone else never works. It’s not about perfection, it’s about listening when life nudges (or smacks) you to shift back into alignment.

Courage Isn’t Fearlessness

People often see Shelby as adventurous and assume she’s fearless, but she quickly set the record straight.

“I’m scared a lot, but I know that when I do something scary, I feel so good after, I feel so courageous, and then I can spread that courageousness to other people and encourage them to go for something that scares them.”

Her reminder: courage isn’t the absence of fear. It’s acting anyway.

Surrender or Get Wrecked

Whether it’s paddling into a wave or navigating business, Shelby has learned that trying to fight forces bigger than you doesn’t work. Surrender isn’t weakness — it’s a form of strength that allows growth, change, and resilience.

Community is Currency

At the heart of Shelby’s journey is connection. She grew up in a home that was always full of characters, and that sense of community shaped how she lives and works today.