Audacious Expansion: How Bold Action, Adversity & Fearlessness Unlock Your Next Level (with Erika Rothenberger)

In this powerful episode of the Be The Solution Podcast, host Maria Quattrone sits down with keynote speaker, leader, and newly published author Erika Rothenberger to unpack her new book Audacious Expansion.

Erika shares the life-altering moment that forced her to rethink everything — and how that traumatic experience became the catalyst for stepping into bold leadership, writing her book, launching her summit, and living fearlessly.

This episode dives deep into:

• What it means to be audacious
• How adversity can fuel expansion
• Why fear is often the gateway to growth
• The difference between playing small and living fully
• Why inaction is a decision

If you feel stuck, scared, or capable of more — this episode will challenge you to expand.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• ⚡ What “Audacious” Really Means
• 💥 The Punch That Changed Everything
• 🔥 Fearless vs. Fear-Free
• 🧠 The 3-3-30 Method for Daily Expansion
• 🏔 You Are Not Climbing the Mountain — You ARE the Mountain

Best Quotes

Erika Rothenberger:

“We all have a one-in-400-trillion chance of being here. We are not meant to play small.” 

Maria Quattrone:

“If it’s to be, it’s up to me.” 

Guest Information

Erika Rothenberger
Author – Audacious Expansion
Host – Grit, Grace & Glitz Podcast
Founder – Audacious Women’s Summit
Instagram: @erikarothenberger
Summit: October 16, 2026 – Philadelphia Suburbs

Connect with Maria Quattrone:
Facebook: Maria Quattrone
LinkedIn: Maria Quattrone
YouTube: Maria Quattrone
Instagram: @maria_quattrone
TikTok: mariaquattronerealestate
Website: MQrealesate.com
Office number: 215- 607-3535

Transcript

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Launching Audacious Expansion

Maria Quattrone 0:00

Friends, welcome back to the Be the Solution podcast, and I'm your host, Maria Quattrone, and today I am super excited to bring Erika Rothenberger on. And Erica just lost launched a new excuse me. Apple edit this. Erica just launched a new book, Audacious Expansion. And Erica, I have a quote particularly for you today. Fortune favors the audacious. A powerful quote, I think, for turning bold action into success. And today I want to unpack uh a little bit about you, but also about your journey and how you came to write this book about being this audacious expansion. And it's going to be launching um very soon here this month, February. February 22nd. Here we come. February 22nd. So we're a couple weeks out from that, but by the time this airs, it'll probably be right at the launch. So let's dive right in.

Erika Rothenberger 1:07

Absolutely. Well, I just want to say I honor you and respect, mad respect towards you. I'm so excited to be here. I'm so excited to dig into how we can be more audacious, how we can next level so many aspects of our life.

Maria Quattrone 1:19

Yeah. I mean, that is a bold statement. Be audacious. What does it mean to you?

Erika Rothenberger 1:26

I love that question. And I'll answer it with

Defining Bold Action

Erika Rothenberger 1:30

a little bit of a story if we want to start out. You know, I remember the days of when I first graduated Villanova. I was a civil engineer. And I remember interviewing and I thought, well man, I'm supposed to get a job designing bridges and piles and roadways. And because that's what I went to school for. And then someone said, well, what about getting into the construction industry? I thought they were a little crazy. Like I knew nothing about the construction industry, but I knew I had this degree that obviously could be a doorway to open something else up. So I dared to look behind the curtains. I dared to go start interviewing with construction companies. And 22 years later, I have been navigating through the construction world, hard hats, steel toe boots, job sites, board meetings, and everything about in between. And so when I think about being audacious, I think about taking bold moves. Like lacing up those steel-toe boots, bold moves like putting on that hard hat, bold moves of being knowing you're not fully prepared for something, but willing, being willing to take the action, even when it feels messy, even when it feels uncomfortable. But sometimes too, the bold move is actually saying no to something, shutting the door on something that doesn't serve you anymore. So being audacious doesn't mean always just going after it. Sometimes it can make the decision to actually pivot. Sometimes it can be the decision to actually say no. But sometimes it can be that bold action to say yes to the thing that's been on your mind, on your heart, and on your soul. And I'll tell you, I don't know where I would be if I didn't say yes to the construction industry 22 years ago. Did it seem like the right move at the time? Absolutely not. Was I scared? A hundred percent. But looking back, it was the bold action that I took that laid that foundation for so many aspects of my life. To be able to build the additional floors, to be able to continue to expand myself, to be willing to say, I did it and I can do it again, whether it's building a building, whether it's running a marathon, whether it's becoming a mother, whether it's something else in between that you have on your heart or soul, that you can go after it. And nothing has happened without bold action. Think about any leader, any football player, anyone that's out there, we've needed to take sometimes steps that don't always feel comfortable. And sometimes those bold moves may actually teach you a lesson. It may actually not be the right move, but it always teaches you something.

Maria Quattrone 4:01

So good. So much there to unpack. Oh my gosh. That word pivot, the the odd being audacious is like, you know, my word, I pick a word every year. My word this year is fearless. So fear fearless and not just doing things, but not doing things. So fearless and making that decision. Maybe I've been doing something that I have to pivot from, but I'm so used to it, you know, stepping into something that feels uncomfortable, super uncomfortable. And you know, that's I think you know what exactly you're saying with be audacious. Like that's why, you

Saying Yes To Construction

Maria Quattrone 4:40

know, I know you have a podcast, Grit Grace and Glitz, which is I love the name of the podcast, by the way. So, so and mine as we're on the be the solution, it's the same idea. It's like, you know, at the end of the day, the only people that can control our life is ourselves, and it's decisions that we make, even in time of fear or in time of the unknown, in the time of God, I am scared to death of what's next. And will I survive it? But it's it's what you said, it's like the action of taking it and doing it anyway, and either you you go and learn, or you grow and succeed. Sometimes you don't succeed, sometimes you just grow and you just learn. And maybe see, here's the thing we can't connect the dots forward, we only can connect them backwards to the things that brought us to where we are today. Because should you have not taken that action 22 years ago, got in the construction industry, I don't know that your path would have been anything to bring you to your path where you are now. It was all meant to be.

Erika Rothenberger 5:50

Yes, yes, above everything, like like you're saying, right? Like, and there's just like I think about the game like when we were kids, like playing Candyland or shoots and ladders, right? Like sometimes you had to go like back to start. Sometimes you had to go back to the beginning. Sometimes the pathway was a circuit route, but like looking back, you're like, oh, that's why I had to take two rights and one left and jump over the river, right? Because the universe, God was trying to teach you something that was like so much more profound. So I think with the word I love, you know, you know, that you bring up fear, right? Like fear, let fear be your fuel. And when you feel that feeling of like, oh, I don't think I can do this, to me, that's the opening to say, okay, you're on to something. Like you actually feel alive and just feel like you're like, okay, I'm ready to tackle this.

Maria Quattrone 6:38

You know, the what's discussing doesn't seem like it's really a big deal, but it it's in this environment that we've been in over the last decade plus, people are afraid. They're afraid to speak up, they're afraid to them, they're afraid to tell their truth for fear of being judged. Because regardless of what we say, who we say it to, how we say it, people take things the wrong way, they judge us, you know, they poo-poo us, they they cases, it breaks people down, so they shut down. And so I love the message of being audacious, of thinking about like almost not thinking, just be you, like find who you like because we are somewhere there, and some of us just get lost in the everything else that's going on in our world, yeah.

Erika Rothenberger 7:36

And in the same breath, we have a one in 400 trillion chance of being on this earth, a one in 400 trillion, not billion, trillion with a T. Like we are meant to do something with our life, we're all meant to leave some sort of legacy. And some of us, that's a huge, you know, vast, massive legacy, and others of us, it could be, you know, something more minor, but it doesn't matter. We're all meant to leave the world with a little sprinkle of us, right? And so we weren't put on this earth to play small, and everyone's big will be a different definition, and that's the beautiful part about it. Like your path is going to be different than my path and anyone else's path. And how beautiful is that? But I

Fear As A Signal

Erika Rothenberger 8:20

always say, listen, you're also paving the way for someone else. When you're fearless and you're willing to go after it, you're giving that woman or that man behind you permission to also do it and to show them that they can do it too. It doesn't need to be pretty, it doesn't need to be neat, it doesn't always need to be calculated. And I find that the times that waited the longest to actually take the action are the times that either A, I don't do it, and B, I let the fear come in, right? It's like the Mel's rule five, four, three, two, one. Like make the decision and just do it. Because the longer we wait, we can come up our with our brains, we have 80,000 thoughts a day, of which 95% of them are negative. We could talk ourselves out of just about everything. Like we could convince ourselves that brushing our teeth probably wasn't good for us if we really wanted to, right? Like we need to just make the decision and make the move and take the bold action. And the bold action may be writing that first page today, picking up that first book today, making that phone call, setting that boundary. It doesn't have to be massive movements, but to me, it's consistency. It's the little things that we're doing every day. I have a method actually called 3330, and it's 2% of our day. It equivalents to 36 minutes of our day, three minutes to yourself, no phone, no doom scrolling, no nothing, right? Just yourself, what your intention is for that day, whether it's reading scripture, whether it's reading a meditation book, just stillness in the morning before you get out of bed and you let your mind, the thousand tabs, start to open. Then three things that you're super grateful for. Bring so much gratitude into your life and really feel it. And it's not just I'm grateful for my house, I'm grateful for my kids, like be so specific. I'm grateful that I got to put my, you know, seven-year-old son to bed last night and read him, you know, X story. Like write it down pen to paper. And then I would say take 30 minutes a day, could be two 15-minute blocks, it could be three, 10-minute vlogs to work on that one goal, that one audacious action that you know you want to take, that you have that burning desire, you know it's something that you've been wanting to do. Maybe it's that yoga class, maybe it is reading a book, maybe it's writing a book. I don't know what it is for you, but what I do know is that once you start to take the action, all of a sudden, like the road, the it becomes so easier because inaction is actually a choice. And when you don't decide not to act, to me, the more barriers just show up in your life.

Maria Quattrone 10:55

So true. Because if we have action that we need to take, keeps us in integrity for ourselves as we take action and it builds more confidence. The confidence makes us want to do more of that. It's like getting the reps in.

Erika Rothenberger 11:09

And I, you know, I'm sure you see it a lot in the real estate world, right? Like it's like, okay, listen, like, you know, someone that you know isn't making the phone calls, isn't just doing the showings, isn't showing up, like, you know, it's really hard to get yourself back into action than just to have something that's consistent, consistent. Maybe it's 10 a day, right? Whatever that is, right? Or five a day, but it's better to do a little bit every day than to try to go, you know, turn the car on and then turn it off and off, right? That creates so much capacity and so much resistance, and then we get uncomfortable to do it. But if we're ride every day, it's so much easier.

Maria Quattrone 11:43

Well, we lose the big mo, we lose the momentum, right? Yes, it's all about gaining that momentum in whatever it is in any industry that you're in, it's all about getting that mow. So even if it's only five a day, when you should be doing 20, you do five, and then you consistently do 10, and then you work it up, work up your your strength to do more. But I found even in my own experience, that the more we do and the and we start some wins, the more we want to do. So getting into action is the number one thing to change the result, even if it's this much, even if it's just enough.

Erika Rothenberger 12:20

And some people are like ask me a lot of times, you know, I do a lot of keynotes and I do a lot of coaching and I have an Audacious Woman Summit writing this book. Some people are like, I don't even know what that action is. And I'm like, it's okay. Like it doesn't always have to be the right action, but just taking the action. It's like going to the gym, right? Like, okay,

Speak Up And Be Seen

Erika Rothenberger 12:40

you might do the wrong move, right? But at least you win. And I always say the the hardest weight gonna lift when you decide to make the action like going to the gym is the front door. It's actually just walking in and saying, hey, I'm there. Because once you're there, everything else becomes easy, right? But it's making the decision to actually do it. And sometimes we procrastinate so long to actually just do it. And because we're so worried to your point, and I love that you made this before about oh, what if this is the wrong move? What if someone's gonna judge me? What if this is not gonna like give me the outcome that I want? Well, you're never gonna know unless you give it a try.

Maria Quattrone 13:18

You're never gonna know. And the thing is, you know, Mel Robbins was on CBS this morning today, ironically. And she she she like literally kind of was in a little bit of tears about you know how many people like dreams are in the graveyard. And the end of your life, it's like, did you take the chance or didn't you? Right, right. And we know when that's gonna be, sadly. Yeah, we don't, you just you just don't know. It's like, what are we waiting for?

Erika Rothenberger 13:51

And I love that you're bringing that that up because exactly what the reason I wrote my book. That's exactly why I wrote Audacious Expansion, because I truly believe it does take bold action, but we're all meant to expand to a certain capacity, right? I think we all have a rubber band in our life that like you can stretch it really, really far. It can feel uncomfortable. And some of us don't need to stretch it as far, but at some point it needs to feel that resistance. We need to feel that resistance to be able to go to that next level. And in this book, that's exactly what we talk about. It's a talking about, hey, listen, don't let those ideas get mustered down. Don't wait until the kids are older, the house is paid off, the debt is not there. Like there's always going to be something, right? And I realized this, you know, three and a half years ago. Um, you know, three and a half years ago, I had something, you know, happen to me that really woke me up, that really showed me that like, listen, I'm I can't play small because I saw my life actually, you know, almost come to an end that day on June 16th of 2022. I was brutally assaulted. And, you know, it was a day that it was never gonna happen to me, a day that I never expected, driving to work on this beautiful summer day, kids with the sitter husband in Kansas City, pulling into the parking lot where I worked for 22 years, taking that last sip of Himalayan sea salt water and thinking about my day. And then I opened the car door and well, there he was. You see, it was a man I'd never seen before. I quickly asked him, sir, could I help you? And before those words even finished coming out of my mouth, I was punched straight in the face, grabbed by my hair, thrown to that asphalt pavement, and punched four, five, six more times. But at that point, I wasn't even counting anymore. I was doing everything I could to stay alive, kicking and screaming as blood, saliva, and tears were dripping down my face. And in that split second, I realized the crease of his elbow was coming under my throat, and that that most likely would have been my last breath on earth. The last time I was going to be a mom to Drew and Adeline, the last time I was going to be a wife to Andy. And in that fleeting moment, thinking back, had I done everything that I wanted to do, had I taken those bold actions, had I really lived that big, bold, audacious life I thought I was living in suburbia in the office building that I worked in. And obviously a lot transpired after that between lawyers and doctors and hospitals and trauma and therapy and everything else in between. And that's how my book starts. It's called the punch or pivot, because that punch taught me more than I ever would have imagined. And yes, it was a horrific action that happened that day. But let me tell you, that punch showed me that I couldn't play small anymore, that my life was not intended

Legacy And Living Bigger

Erika Rothenberger 16:45

to be in that office building for the rest of my life, that the world needed me to share my message, that I needed myself to share my message. I needed my four my kids to look at their mom and that she was going after her, the goals and dreams that were really deep inside of me. But I had been making excuses to not go after it. So I asked myself, would I have written a book? Would I have started a summit? Would I have spoken on stages with women like yourself or met women like yourself if I decided to continue to play small? And that's exactly what this book talks about opening yourself up, being vulnerable, being bold, being willing to do those things that don't feel good all the time. Looking back three and a half years later, I realize how much it's changed my life. And what I want you to relate to, listening to this today, perhaps you've been physically punched or maybe you haven't. And I'm hoping the latter, but we've all had a punch in our life. Was it the bitter divorce? Was it the kid that got sick? Was it the parents that passed away? Was it the financial debt that you went through? I don't know, but we've all had a punch in our life. Well, what are those punches teaching us? And how can we actually use them to fuel our future? When we learn how to use them to fuel our future, we become a lesson for others, we become a light for others. And damn, that feels good. Because isn't that why we're on this earth? Because no money, no fame, no success, no car, no house will ever replace the feeling that I have inside when I know I've made a difference in someone else's life, including my own kids.

Maria Quattrone 18:22

So powerful and so true. And there's so much, there's so much passion that you brought in who you are. And you know, unfortunately, unfortunately, it brought that brought you to your knees further not just you and all the people you can share the story and message with. Because I believe that you know how pain whatever pain that we are caused, whether it's physical or mental or emotional, that God brings something to us for us, not in spite of us. For us to see the path. It's for us to say, wake up. Horrible thing, right? It's horrible. These things that happen are horrible. And they're only more horrible if you don't wake up. But you woke up and look what you did. Look what you accomplished in the last three years. Creating a summit, writing a book, stepping out of out of the life you thought that you were to live into the lake that you knew deep down inside you really meant to live. And that's the beating solution. Because we all are our own solution, and we know deep down what they are. And I know that your story is going to change so many women and people's lives. And it's your responsibility to share it, and it's your responsibility to write that book, and it's your responsibility to keep getting on stages and keep sharing it and keep bringing the incredible message and powerful Erica that you are, because that's what God intended for you. Okay, well, it was a fact. So amazing. I'm like emotional.

Erika Rothenberger 20:07

And I just want to honor you because again, I want to go back to just you know, as we close up here today, just that it is women like yourself who continue to honor other women and lift other women up and men, but you know that we need to that light for other people. We need to remind them that their message should be heard and can be heard and that you can make a difference, right? Because sometimes I think we think our story is too small, that we don't have enough to share, that what's so special about me, and at the end of the day, we all have a story, we all have something to share. We all have a legacy to leave.

Maria Quattrone 20:42

We do, and you know, I listened to

Consistency Over Perfect Plans

Maria Quattrone 20:45

something that I was shocked about. It was actually Ed MyLette talking about it, that it takes 4,200 and some ancestors for you to be here today, and for all of the hardship that they had to go through for you to have a life, and what they walked through, and the courage it took for them to leave the countries they were in to immigrate to immigrate to America in this case, and that really like just like you said, uh what's the chances of you being born? You know, all those people had to come before you and and live for you to be born. And so and I I have the same belief of you, like we are here to to share our message, share a story for somebody, because every single one of us, everyone who's listening to this, you have something to teach somebody. Somebody wishes they are right where you are right now. And I wish I was somebody I was further along, right? So I have mentors above me and people that aren't where I am right now wish they could have done what I did last year. They pray for that to happen. They pray to be who you are today, Erica. But it won't happen for them unless they hear the message and they have the inspiration to take that bold action and just be audacious. That's what it's about. I'm so excited to read your book. I ordered it. Mine's arriving on February 23rd, I think it said. And so I'm gonna have you back on soon because I want I'm gonna read this book. I'm gonna unpack it. I'm gonna have a whole shitload of questions for you. I got to get back. We're this is your first time on the show. Finally got you on. I'm so excited for you, and and I am so impressed by all that you stepped and done. And I know you got a lot of stuff going on in your life and your family and all these things, but you still showed up and you still put the time in. And that's you know, that's being leader. That's a leader, that's leadership, and doing and and nobody really knows what goes on. Like only the tip of the iceberg, they don't see the big fat, ugly iceberg underneath, and everything else that's happening. So power to you keep on being the solution and you keep being audacious. And everybody, you can tune in to Erica's podcast at Grace and Glitz. And Erica, what's your Instagram?

Erika Rothenberger 23:18

Erica uh Rothenberger, R-O-T-H-E-N-B-E-R-G-E-R. I know 12 letters. It's a lot. I told my kids when I got married, my husband. I mean, it's half the alphabet almost. So, but absolutely go grab a copy of the book, come to the Audacious Summit. You know, we're gonna we gotta get you there. It's gonna be absolutely phenomenal. And I can't give me the dates.

Maria Quattrone 23:37

I'm booking it in my calendar.

Erika Rothenberger 23:39

October 16th, 2026. It's gonna be amazing in the uh Philadelphia suburbs, absolutely wonderful. And we are gonna be the solution there. Exactly what your platform talks about. That's exactly what happens in that room because everyone is something. Let's go.

Maria Quattrone 23:54

Amen.