
The Penultimate Step
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $14.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Vanessa Y. Bucklin
About this listen
The penultimate step is the second to last step prior to takeoff, particularly in the long jump event. It sets the jumper up for the correct trajectory and is critical in launching the athlete into the jump with purpose and conviction. As in sports, without having the preparation and focus in the penultimate step, a person cannot channel forward movement into a successful launch in life.
Raised in rural Montana, Vanessa Bucklin graduated from UNLV and began her business career in Las Vegas. She married her college sweetheart, moved back to Montana to start a family, and was a bank vice president by the time she was 25. She was successful, but she wasn't fulfilled. Despite numerous obstacles, she decided to open an insurance agency from scratch. Her thriving business has become a cornerstone of her small community, generating jobs, creating partnerships and alliances, serving neighbors, and giving back.
In addition to her professional path, she shares stories about her youth, her core values, her mentors, and her family—some with great humor, others heartbreaking. She pays tribute to her parents, who gave her a solid foundation, and to her brother, who died way too young. She talks about how she took up running as a way to heal following a tragedy (a competitive runner, she has completed eleven marathons and three ultramarathons). She honors those who have inspired and supported her.
Bucklin believes that your opportunities shape and unfold by how you perceive them, and the only limits you have are those you impose on yourself. In both running and business, she had to learn to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. She followed the simple but fundamental rule that you have to crawl before you walk, and walk before you run. She shares the many lessons she learned as she sought her truth: I am a simple girl raised as a farmer's daughter in rural Montana. I am not rich, famous, or extraordinary in any way, but I have worked hard, been brave and determined.
©2020 Vanessa Y. Bucklin (P)2022 Vanessa Y. BucklinListeners also enjoyed...
-
Immigrant Millionaire
- The Story of One Asian Woman Obsessed to Succeed in the Land of Opportunity
- By: Kelli Nguyen-Ha
- Narrated by: Gina Dobbs
- Length: 1 hr and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Immigrant Millionaire: The Story of One Asian Woman Obsessed to Succeed in the Land of Opportunity by Kelli Nguyen-Ha.
-
-
Reach the success you deserve!
- By FitFreak on 07-19-22
By: Kelli Nguyen-Ha
-
Giftology
- By: John Ruhlin
- Narrated by: Drew Birdseye
- Length: 2 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Radical generosity is the against-the-grain secret weapon of real influencers, and it will allow you to boost referrals, retention rates, and ROI like few other strategies. But be warned, gifts with strings attached backfire. There is a right, and wrong, way to give. John Ruhlin has gifted on behalf of everyone from Forbes Magazine to the Fortune 500, and his tactics lead to appreciative responses and wide-open check books. Give wholeheartedly to Giftology and reap the rewards of an expanding business and fruitful relationships, professional and personal alike.
-
-
Has one beautiful sentence
- By Robin Ruud on 07-05-17
By: John Ruhlin
-
Courage Is Calling
- Fortune Favors the Brave
- By: Ryan Holiday
- Narrated by: Ryan Holiday
- Length: 6 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Almost every religion, spiritual practice, philosophy and person grapples with fear. The most repeated phrase in the Bible is “Be not afraid.” The ancient Greeks spoke of phobos, panic and terror. It is natural to feel fear, the Stoics believed, but it cannot rule you. Courage, then, is the ability to rise above fear, to do what’s right, to do what’s needed, to do what is true. And so it rests at the heart of the works of Marcus Aurelius, Aristotle, and CS Lewis, alongside temperance, justice, and wisdom.
-
-
Not his best effort
- By Amazon Customer on 09-30-21
By: Ryan Holiday
-
The Art of Significance
- Achieving the Level Beyond Success
- By: Dan Clark
- Narrated by: Dan Clark
- Length: 7 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What would you rather have - conventional success or a high level beyond success? Dan Clark, one of the world’s leading inspirational speakers and leadership trainers, vehemently opposes the conventional wisdom about success. He believes it’s tragic and superficial to build our careers and personal lives around getting more money, bigger houses, cooler toys, and fancier job titles. What’s it all worth in the end? How many outwardly successful people still feel empty inside?
-
-
Excellent resource
- By J. Richter on 03-09-15
By: Dan Clark
-
Traction
- Get a Grip on Your Business
- By: Gino Wickman
- Narrated by: Kevin Pierce
- Length: 6 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Do you have a grip on your business, or does your business have a grip on you? All entrepreneurs and business leaders face similar frustrations: personnel conflict, profit woes, and inadequate growth. Decisions never seem to get made, or once made, fail to be properly implemented. But there is a solution. It’s not complicated or theoretical.
-
-
this is for 50+ employee companies, not small ones
- By Ryan Taft on 03-06-18
By: Gino Wickman
-
Exactly What to Say
- The Magic Words for Influence and Impact
- By: Phil M. Jones
- Narrated by: Phil M. Jones
- Length: 1 hr and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Often the decision between a customer choosing you over someone like you is your ability to know exactly what to say, when to say it, and how to make it count. Phil M. Jones has trained more than two million people across five continents and over 50 countries in the lost art of spoken communication. In Exactly What to Say, he delivers the tactics you need to get more of what you want.
-
-
Handful of Good Scripts
- By A. Yoshida on 05-28-18
By: Phil M. Jones
-
Immigrant Millionaire
- The Story of One Asian Woman Obsessed to Succeed in the Land of Opportunity
- By: Kelli Nguyen-Ha
- Narrated by: Gina Dobbs
- Length: 1 hr and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Immigrant Millionaire: The Story of One Asian Woman Obsessed to Succeed in the Land of Opportunity by Kelli Nguyen-Ha.
-
-
Reach the success you deserve!
- By FitFreak on 07-19-22
By: Kelli Nguyen-Ha
-
Giftology
- By: John Ruhlin
- Narrated by: Drew Birdseye
- Length: 2 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Radical generosity is the against-the-grain secret weapon of real influencers, and it will allow you to boost referrals, retention rates, and ROI like few other strategies. But be warned, gifts with strings attached backfire. There is a right, and wrong, way to give. John Ruhlin has gifted on behalf of everyone from Forbes Magazine to the Fortune 500, and his tactics lead to appreciative responses and wide-open check books. Give wholeheartedly to Giftology and reap the rewards of an expanding business and fruitful relationships, professional and personal alike.
-
-
Has one beautiful sentence
- By Robin Ruud on 07-05-17
By: John Ruhlin
-
Courage Is Calling
- Fortune Favors the Brave
- By: Ryan Holiday
- Narrated by: Ryan Holiday
- Length: 6 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Almost every religion, spiritual practice, philosophy and person grapples with fear. The most repeated phrase in the Bible is “Be not afraid.” The ancient Greeks spoke of phobos, panic and terror. It is natural to feel fear, the Stoics believed, but it cannot rule you. Courage, then, is the ability to rise above fear, to do what’s right, to do what’s needed, to do what is true. And so it rests at the heart of the works of Marcus Aurelius, Aristotle, and CS Lewis, alongside temperance, justice, and wisdom.
-
-
Not his best effort
- By Amazon Customer on 09-30-21
By: Ryan Holiday
-
The Art of Significance
- Achieving the Level Beyond Success
- By: Dan Clark
- Narrated by: Dan Clark
- Length: 7 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What would you rather have - conventional success or a high level beyond success? Dan Clark, one of the world’s leading inspirational speakers and leadership trainers, vehemently opposes the conventional wisdom about success. He believes it’s tragic and superficial to build our careers and personal lives around getting more money, bigger houses, cooler toys, and fancier job titles. What’s it all worth in the end? How many outwardly successful people still feel empty inside?
-
-
Excellent resource
- By J. Richter on 03-09-15
By: Dan Clark
-
Traction
- Get a Grip on Your Business
- By: Gino Wickman
- Narrated by: Kevin Pierce
- Length: 6 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Do you have a grip on your business, or does your business have a grip on you? All entrepreneurs and business leaders face similar frustrations: personnel conflict, profit woes, and inadequate growth. Decisions never seem to get made, or once made, fail to be properly implemented. But there is a solution. It’s not complicated or theoretical.
-
-
this is for 50+ employee companies, not small ones
- By Ryan Taft on 03-06-18
By: Gino Wickman
-
Exactly What to Say
- The Magic Words for Influence and Impact
- By: Phil M. Jones
- Narrated by: Phil M. Jones
- Length: 1 hr and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Often the decision between a customer choosing you over someone like you is your ability to know exactly what to say, when to say it, and how to make it count. Phil M. Jones has trained more than two million people across five continents and over 50 countries in the lost art of spoken communication. In Exactly What to Say, he delivers the tactics you need to get more of what you want.
-
-
Handful of Good Scripts
- By A. Yoshida on 05-28-18
By: Phil M. Jones
-
Be Where Your Feet Are
- Seven Principles to Keep You Present, Grounded, and Thriving
- By: Scott O'Neil
- Narrated by: Scott O'Neil
- Length: 5 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When we’re moving at 115 MPH, we rarely see the wall coming. But it comes for all of us and when it does, we grasp for lessons, for meaning, for purpose. Each moment (good or bad) and each win or loss, provides us an opportunity to learn, and if we choose to take it, that opportunity can change our lives - and the world - for the better. The human spirit craves connection. Authenticity. Belonging. Touch. Gratitude. Purpose. We need to make our interactions count.
-
-
Full disclosure in PR blurb?
- By Deborah Laxague on 12-20-21
By: Scott O'Neil
-
Blind Ambition
- How to Go from Victim to Visionary
- By: Chad E. Foster
- Narrated by: Zach Hoffman
- Length: 5 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
While most people were preparing for the adventure of adult life, Chad E. Foster was watching the world he grew up with fade to black. But that didn’t stop him from becoming the first blind person to graduate from the Harvard Business School leadership program and climbing the corporate ladder as a successful finance/sales executive. With determination, ambition, and drive, Chad created what Oracle said would be impossible. He gave millions of people the ability to earn a living by becoming the first to create customer relationship software for the visually impaired.
-
-
Can’t wait to hear him speak!
- By Danielle on 01-31-25
By: Chad E. Foster
-
Sleeping Giants
- Authentic Stories and Insights for Building a Life That Matters
- By: Dr. Nathan Mellor
- Narrated by: Dr. Nathan Mellor
- Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Your mental model is not rigid. At any point in life, you possess the ability to change your perspective. Have you found that success does not erase insecurity and self-doubt? Do you know what it feels like to long for a different life? Sleeping Giants provides practical insights into how ordinary people can choose to build lives that matter.
-
-
Like blurry eye sight that becomes clear
- By Dallas on 02-25-23
-
Unleashing Your Hero
- Rise Above Any Challenge, Expand Your Impact, and Be the Hero the World Needs
- By: Kevin D. Brown
- Narrated by: Kevin Brown
- Length: 5 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Unleashing Your Hero, renowned speaker Kevin Brown shares how the heroes who transformed his life are people just like you. People who stepped up and used their talents to make a positive difference within the hectic moments of everyday life. The same person your employees are looking to and trusting in for guidance and support.
-
-
Must read for anyone who wants to be a hero or to be reminded who their hero is
- By David M Cohen on 09-07-22
By: Kevin D. Brown
-
10 Rules for Resilience
- Mental Toughness for Families
- By: Joe De Sena, Lara Pence
- Narrated by: Joe De Sena, Lara Pence
- Length: 7 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Joe De Sena has spent his life running toward challenge and discomfort. Why? Because how we react to challenging situations defines us and our families. The only tools we have as humans to survive the many peaks and valleys of a full life are preparedness, health, leadership, and most importantly, resilience. Why do so many parents struggle to finish things we start, delay gratification, and protect our health - and why do our kids continue to struggle in every facet of life? Because we haven’t showed them a path to resilience, and we haven’t fought for it ourselves.
-
-
Words to live by !
- By ELIZABETH PATNODE on 10-21-21
By: Joe De Sena, and others
-
Blue-Collar Cash
- Love Your Work, Secure Your Future, and Find Happiness for Life
- By: Ken Rusk
- Narrated by: Roger Wayne
- Length: 7 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In a period of skyrocketing student loan debt without the promise of high-paying employment, and in an economy in desperate need of skilled tradespeople, many are seeking new paths. Ken Rusk, the "million-dollar ditch digger", is here to show you that blue-collar trades are a source of pride and that you can - and will - find your version of happiness by pursuing a good old-fashioned craft. In Blue Collar Cash, Ken shares his insights from more than 30 years working in blue-collar trades as an entrepreneur, mentor, and life coach.
-
-
This book should be required reading for everyone.
- By Jay Romanoff on 11-07-20
By: Ken Rusk
-
Radical Relevance
- Sharpen Your Marketing Message, Cut Through the Noise, Win More Ideal Clients
- By: Bill Cates
- Narrated by: Bill Cates
- Length: 4 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Radical Relevance is filled with value proposition examples and unique branding case studies. It is your road map to growing your business in a crowded and noisy marketplace and about finding the bull's eye for your business. You start with a relentless passion for truly knowing your clients - for identifying and solving their critical challenges and maximizing their opportunities.
-
-
On point, relevant and actionable information
- By Osiola Henderson on 02-15-20
By: Bill Cates
-
Find Your Extraordinary
- Dream Bigger, Live Happier, and Achieve Success on Your Own Terms
- By: Jessica Dilullo Herrin
- Narrated by: Jessica Dilullo Herrin
- Length: 6 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What if you could, with a little effort, live an extraordinary life? A life in which you feel deep passion for everything you do and always have time for what matters most? A life in which you have the power, the daring, and the will to make your boldest dreams come true, all while you happily leave feelings of inadequacy or guilt behind? Yes, it is possible to take your life from ordinary to extraordinary. The secret? Cultivating the entrepreneurial spirit inside you.
-
-
the most amazing book every!!!
- By Hillary on 02-02-18
-
Entitlemania
- How Not to Spoil Your Kids, and What to Do if You Have
- By: Richard Watts
- Narrated by: Tom Parks
- Length: 5 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Entitlemania is an epidemic. Well-intentioned parents across the country are enabling a ''me'' generation of children who lack the wisdom and satisfaction of accomplishment that only struggle and adversity can bring. A groundbreaking book, Entitlemania sheds important light on an increasingly pervasive social trend affecting children at every age - and at every income bracket. Entitlemania will provide practical strategies like creating boundaries, walking your talk, and allowing children to fend for themselves.
-
-
Very thought provoking
- By Brian Saroken on 09-16-22
By: Richard Watts
-
Where We Belong
- Journeys That Show Us the Way
- By: Hoda Kotb
- Narrated by: Hoda Kotb
- Length: 5 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this incredible collection of stories, Hoda Kotb reveals individuals who reached critical points in their lives and suddenly found they were being pulled in completely new directions. By following their passions, their guts, and their hearts, these people learned their life purposes were utterly unlike what they'd planned.
-
-
Nice Little Read
- By Julia on 01-18-16
By: Hoda Kotb
-
Oola for Women
- How to Balance the 7 Key Areas of Life to Have Less Stress, More Purpose, and Reveal the Greatness Within You
- By: Dave Braun, Troy Amdahl
- Narrated by: Marlin May, Ailie Holland
- Length: 8 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
If you haven't heard of the Oola phenomenon yet, it's time to catch up. First, though, you need to understand what it is: Oola is that state of awesomeness you experience when your life is balanced and growing in all the key areas of health and well-being. It can be a noun or a verb. It can be a destination or a feeling. It can be as complex as a life growing and balanced in fitness, finance, family, field, faith, friends, and fun (the seven F's of Oola), or as simple as a sunset.
-
-
Female voice excruciating!
- By Lana S on 03-06-18
By: Dave Braun, and others
-
Unapologetically Ambitious
- Take Risks, Break Barriers, and Create Success on Your Own Terms
- By: Shellye Archambeau, Ben Horowitz - foreword
- Narrated by: Shellye Archambeau, Dan Triandiflou
- Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Full of empowering wisdom from one of Silicon Valley's first female African American CEOs, this inspiring leadership book for fans of Dare to Lead and Start with Why offers a blueprint for how to achieve your personal and professional goals, drawn from the author's own compelling story of how she weathered life's difficulties to build massive success.
-
-
A Must for Every Ambitious Professional
- By Jasper W. Kuria on 12-30-20
By: Shellye Archambeau, and others
What listeners say about The Penultimate Step
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Ted Rusinoff
- 04-05-23
Great message and inspirational story
Hearing Vanessa’s story gives me an extra dose of energy to push through whatever is in my way to accomplishing my goals! So well done and authentically shared!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!