How it Started
I always knew that I was supposed to work with people. I just never thought the opportunity would happen. Believing in your dreams and listening to your intuition was for everyone else, not a poor girl from Mississippi – what could I possibly have to offer?
After 20 years of self-abandonment and misguided leadership, I stumbled back to myself and my authenticity to find purpose and peace.
My story of healing and transformation was birthed from a rock bottom (multiple rock bottoms, if I’m honest) when I found myself in a state of extreme burnout and adrenal fatigue. It took me over a year to feel peace again.
For most of my life (childhood, teens, 20s-30s), I lived to please others. Achieving, over-achieving, and winning was how we received love and security. So, naturally, I excelled at it and eventually lost my identity. Growing up, I was a highly sensitive and creative kid, and I never really felt like I fit in. It also didn’t feel safe to be me. I had to win at all costs in order to be seen and feel safe. I longed to belong and feel security – so badly, in fact, that I tried really hard to cover up who I was, and when it came time to enter the workforce, I wanted to prove to myself and to the world that I could win in the game of life.
This mindset eventually led me to a life that was no longer mine, and it certainly wasn’t fulfilling. I was working 7 days a week (sometimes 10-12 hours days, early pandemic days I worked 15-20 hour days) in a demanding and fast-paced healthcare industry. My home life suffered; I was physically present but mentally absent from my family. I still have so much regret for the precious time I missed with my son and husband.
My career was on a major upswing, but because of the constant pressure, I was living in an everyday state of anxiety and dread. While my life looked pretty great on the outside, day by day, I was beginning to feel more miserable on the inside. The panic attacks on Sunday evenings were sometimes debilitating.
Navigating Rock Bottom
After decades of working almost non-stop, I found the ultimate rock bottom. I was burned out and riveted with anxiety. In this darkness, it became clear I had a choice to make- I could choose me, and my well-being or I could choose what others wanted of me. It’s funny how hitting rock bottom will clarify things for you, and as I reflected on the lack of purpose and exhaustion that I felt, my decision became pretty clear. I choose ME, my FAMILY, and my well-being.
So I left the job and the role that no longer served me. At the time, it felt like one of the hardest decisions I would make in my adult life – who leaves at the height of their career to go find themselves? Now, I see that it was the only path available. I took time off to heal, travel, laugh, spend time with loved ones, and find my inner harmony. I suspected the journey would lead me to a path of healing, but I wasn’t sure how it would all unfold.
Homecoming
What I found along the way was that I wasn’t broken or weak. I had just forgotten my power and lost my identity. Up until that point, I had been lacking self-love, empowerment, and authenticity. Once I started listening to myself (and not everyone around me), my life began to thrive, my relationship with my loved ones began to thrive, and my sense of purpose became clear.
I rediscovered my inner self, my authentic self – one that was kinder, compassionate, and full of unconditional love and gratitude. I felt excited about life, and I found that I became a better mother, spouse, and friend and more aware of how I show up in the world. I realized how much inner strength I actually had and how much I had been discounting myself for all those years.
Most of all, I learned that I could trust myself – that I could allow my heart to lead the way and that when I did that, everything actually worked out more beautifully than if I had followed a safe path.
“The moment you return to yourself, is the moment your life returns to you.”
Bonnie Hazen
Burnout to Bona fide
Previously, I was a burned-out marketing executive and mother who was wildly disconnected from my family and myself. Today, I am a Heart-Centered Leadership Guide who empowers others to live authentic, empowered, and fulfilled lives.
When I returned to myself, it was in a new industry – a coaching and healing industry that I passionately loved. During my time off (my sacred pause), I completed a life coaching certification with the Dharma Coaching Institute to become a Soul-Led Leadership Coach. I completed my Level 1 & 2 Reiki Practitioner training and started my Rapid Transformational Therapy training. Going back to work this time felt different – it felt empowering and bona fide. I had a renewed sense of my values and purpose. I no longer strived to climb the corporate ladder, I no longer measured my self-worth based on my role or title, and I no longer carried the weight of what others thought of me. I was focused and present for this one precious and beautiful life that I have, and empowering others to do the same.
Looking back, it was really the combination of seeing myself clearly, loving myself unconditionally, and taking action toward what I really wanted that allowed me to create the beautiful life that I have today.
Empowering Transformation
I have dedicated thousands of hours to studying coaching, psychology, spirituality, intuition, Human Design, Gene Keys, manifestation, and self-development. With a passion for helping others live authentic and empowered lives, I have acquired a wealth of resources and tools to help others achieve their goals, overcome challenges, transform, and expand their lives.
My devotion to personal development and lifelong learning has equipped me with a deep understanding of human behavior, motivation, and mindset, which I use to guide individuals toward their highest potential.
Today
Today I help people fast-track a process that took me over 15 years to discover. My purpose is to help guide others back to their authentic selves, to support them in their ‘Homecoming,’ and to live a life that is uniquely and authentically theirs.
I believe that having a sense of purpose creates a more peaceful life, one that allows you to navigate the inevitable ups and downs on the path with a sense that there is a greater meaning to all of it. I believe that when we show up to do our purpose, life rewards us, and now more than ever, we need each of us to find our own meaning in life so that we elevate those around us.
As the author, Lalah Delia, says, “She remembered who she was and the game changed.”