Here’s a little bit about me so we can start getting to know each other better.
My first career (and love) was as a professional dancer. I was lucky enough to perform with classical ballet and modern dance companies, as well as perform in several musicals, including a national tour and the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. I performed and taught workshops in India and South Africa as well. I got to see and experience things I NEVER would have otherwise, had I not been a dancer. It was so much fun and I am beyond grateful for the opportunities I had.
And, I’m not gonna lie….it was a lot of hard work. Long days of classes, rehearsals, teaching and juggling side jobs. I operated from a perfectionist mindset most of the time and put lots of pressure on myself for every show and audition. There were a lot of disappointments along the way, and the constant stress of not knowing when my next chance to perform/paycheck would be.
It felt like I should take EVERY opportunity that came my way, and my schedule stayed overpacked all the time.
But I was getting to do what I absolutely LOVED and I made it work.
When I transitioned into having my own massage business, I took all these beliefs and what I considered my “work ethic” from my dance life with me.
I expected myself to show up perfectly in ALL of my new roles as a business owner, even though I had no experience doing them and was learning as I went. If I missed a phone call I told myself I probably lost out on a client. Working to exhaustion was my norm, so I pushed myself to do as many appointments as I could in those early days, and only thought it was too much if I would be jeopardizing the client’s experience. I didn’t have much consideration for my own energy-just kept on pushing through!
I stayed in the constant pursuit of being a “professional”, and even though I hadn’t really defined what that meant, I felt pretty sure I was not living up to it.
The boundaries I created around my work hours constantly shifted depending on what my current clients wanted. I assumed I absolutely HAD to work on weekends because that’s what everyone else was doing. Plus I took on any client who wanted to work on me, even if they needed to come at times I didn’t want to work. I wasn’t very good at resting or just “being”. My success felt dependent on constant motion.
And, as my own boss, I was so much harder on myself than I EVER would be to an actual employee.
While I absolutely LOVED my clients and that I got to help them feel amazing, I was wearing myself out in the process. And it wasn’t just that giving massages is tiring…it was all from the drama I was creating in my own mind about how hard I had to work.
To be honest, I don’t know how I didn’t explode from all the pressure I was putting on myself.
I had started my business in order to have the freedom to make my own schedule and do things how I wanted to.
But I soon found myself catering to everyone else’s schedules and I had a hard time trusting myself to make good decisions for my business. It felt like I was always waiting for permission from….someone?
I felt anything but free! Instead I felt trapped in a schedule I had created and didn’t think I could change. On top of all that, I was going through some major grief and was not giving myself any time to process and heal. I could hardly even enjoy the success of the business I had built.
Thankfully, I discovered coaching because I was burning out fast!
Receiving coaching helped me to see how the beliefs I held about how I had to show up to work was creating the life I was living.
In 2020 I decided to learn the skill of coaching so that I could add value to my massage sessions.
Becoming a coach was the start of a major personal growth spurt, and after a year of integrating coaching and massage, I realized my heart wanted to go full time into coaching and retire from my 18 year career as a massage therapist.
It was a big leap, (which was another personal growth journey in and of itself) but I couldn’t be happier doing this life-changing work now.
Because now I get to share what I learned along the way…
*Now I know my creativity and productivity depend on having downtime as part of my process.
*I have a proven process to get myself out of perfectionism and move forward by taking small, aligned steps. (This is the process I teach my clients too!)
*I no longer feel I have to prove I am a “professional” or “hard worker” -these were major energy drains!
*I know how to process and give space for my emotions now and use them as information rather than judging myself for having them.
Most of all, I’m now living my life on my own terms, with so much more joy and freedom! Freedom is a HUGE value of mine and I can’t imagine not being able to make my own choices in my work and life.
I’ve been helping wholistic business owners learn and integrate the skill of coaching in their businesses while also making sure the way they are working aligns with their core values and desires.
I also get to help people who are passionate about working in their purpose. We overhaul how they show up to work so they can find the work/life balance that makes sense for them, all while leaving behind perfectionism and people pleasing, just like I learned to do.
But most of all, I love getting a front row seat to witness the personal growth that each clients gets to embark on in the course of creating their dream life. It truly is an honor!
When I’m not coaching, I am probably out moving in some way- taking a walk with my hubby Mike and my dog Amos, exploring a new city, or taking or teaching a ballet class, cause I still love to dance! I’m generally obsessed with movement, which is why I also became a Franklin Method Educator.
The Franklin Method is basically a method that uses imagery to make your movement feel easier, more efficient, and all around better! It’s really what has kept me dancing into my late 40’s! It helps me be a partner with my body, instead of feeling like I’m always fighting it.
Ok, that’s me in a nutshell! I’d love to get to know you more and see if working together might be life changing for you, too!
