As you are thinking about choosing to let me into your life, I thought it would only be fair to share my journey and why I am here. First, the easy stuff.... I was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, and moved to the East Coast 3 years ago - I love it here! I am divorced, have two grown children and live with my partner of 12 years. I have worked in Corporate America for my entire life, starting as a receptionist and moving up the career ladder where I am now a VP of blah blah blah. That part doesn't matter too much. What does matter is that I UNDERSTAND what it's like working in a high pressure environment, trying to balance a million things at once.
Next, why coaching? Well that's a longer answer.
Let's just say my dream was never to work in an office. As a youngster I had dreams of environmental activism and all the other aspirations of youth. But reality hit when I had to pay the bills, so corporate America saved the day!! About ten years ago I was laid off and decided I was going to start a new career path and become a Massage Therapist. I went to school and became licensed, but I was surprised by how little I knew after finishing school. I thought I would get this secret knowledge of "muscle knots" and "toxins", but when I finished school I came to the conclusion that some of the things I learned were not scientific. For example, we learned that rubbing someone's foot could potentially cause a miscarriage. My eyebrows raised up at that one - how could that happen when pregnant people had to walk around? Have there been studies done? That sounds really dangerous - why isn't that plastered all over the place!!!!!! I realized things can be made to sound like a scientific fact without being based in science at all. PLEASE NOTE - by no means am I discrediting the Massage Therapy profession!!! The work that massage therapists do is important and valuable and can absolutely help people - my point here is I realized health information given to the public is not always factual, even if it is given with the best intentions.
Ultimately, I went back to corporate America because it was the best thing for me and my family at the time.
Massage Therapy sparked a fire of curiousity in me. The more I learned about how the body worked, the more I realized how complex it was! I needed more!!! During this time my partner owned a gym and I was lucky enough to work with a lot of the gym clients. I would see people with the same issue respond differently to the same therapy. Fascinating!!!
So my obvious next step was to further my education. I enrolled in a 4 year doctorate program for Naprapathy (while still working full time). This is a licensed profession in Illinois and New Mexico which focuses on helping people via nutrition, exercise and manual manipulation. I loved the courses, learning about neuroscience, nutrition, physiology, anatomy, exercise and everything in between. I spent a year in a clinic treating people for different issues. Yet still, there was something missing. I would prescribe exercises or nutrition, and sometimes it would work, other times it wouldn't. Sometimes the clients would follow it, other times they would come back with their head bowed apologizing they didn't do the "homework". I was really curious why people behaved very differently given the same situation. I knew there was more than just giving someone knowledge and telling them what to do, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. What I did know is people‘s lives are complex and making changes is hard, even if the client knew it was for their own good.
Around the time I finished up school I had the amazing opportunity to move across the country for my day-job and I couldn't pass it up. So I moved and put a pause on working with clients as I settled into my new location.
But the fire was still in me - I knew there was more to the puzzle. At this time I also struggled with my own issues trying to balance stress at work and wondering what was next for me in LIFE. Somewhere I had lost myself. I am being vulnerable saying this, but I didn't know who I was anymore. I was a hard worker, a career woman, a mother, a partner. But who was I to myself? I felt an emptiness in my days. I really struggled to find meaning in what I was doing.
This is where I found out what a coach was!!!!! I went to a career coach who helped me frame out my values and align them with the life I wanted. It took a long time, but I started to realize what I am here for - what my purpose is. I also realized that the missing piece to the puzzle was in the MIND. Our behavior and habits and how we react to situations is the last piece to understand. I began to understand why it’s so hard to change, even when you know the “right” thing to do.
I have made some drastic changes in my life that are better aligned with who I am. I am now in a completely different role at work and I spend the rest of my time learning how to best help people like yourself find your path forward. I completed a Health and Wellness certification program and found Dr. Fundaro and the Comprehensive Coaching model which is based on science and truth. This something I can stand behind and believe in. I am taking evidence based nutrition certification programs so I can be sure that any advice I give is scientifically backed. And lastly I started my Masters in Psychology to get a deeper understanding of the mind. I want to be your advocate in the confusing world of nutrition and wellness.
My true pleasure in life is seeing someone live their life to the fullest. This is different for each and every person and the exciting part is that you have what it takes. Let's work together and figure it out!!!
So now you know a bit about me:
I absolutely love learning
I believe that the body and mind work together
I believe in science and truth, no matter how "uncool" it is
I have the background and education to understand the big picture
I genuinely care about you and want you to succeed
I hate seeing people lied to in the health and wellness space
I will always be your advocate and have your best interests at heart
I believe every person and their goals are unique and deserve an individualized approach