Below is a copy of an email that we sent out today, just in case you are not on our email list.
I love stories, and I want to share a true story with you.
I created, owned and operated a large scrapbook store for nearly 15 years. My husband and I were business partners and I ran the day-to-day store activities and he took care of building fixtures, the technology and finances at night after his “day job”. I hired and trained over 100 high school students, college students and moms re-entering the workforce, including our four daughters. Our girls learned to work hard at what we called “our family farm”. Over the years we had grown to a staff of about 22 and an email list over 20,000. Our store sales reached in excess of $1.2 million per year. We all worked hard and really loved helping people creatively preserve their photos and family memories. Then came the economic decline starting in late 2007, when our sales dropped by nearly 30% seemingly over-night, never to recover. Because our employees were like family, and they depended on their earnings from our business, it was hard reducing hours and eventually laying off staff. We had to work harder because our customers had higher expectations for their dollars, and they were grumpier because they too were worried about the economy. We had always described scrapbooking at a “happy hobby”, in fact, that was our business tagline. However it became harder and harder to keep up the happy faces as our sales and the economy continued to slump – with no end in sight.
Our daughters were finishing their college degrees, getting married, having children and starting their own lives. The scrapbook store wasn’t as much fun anymore, and to make it more challenging, we weren’t bringing home any money. So after much discussion, consideration and anguish, we decided to close the store. The result was unemployment for us and our staff.
During the same time my mother had Parkinson’s disease and my recently retired Dad was her caretaker. They seemed to be getting-along well enough – until they weren’t. My brothers and sisters all pitched in to help our parents however a short time later my father passed away, and my mother joined him 6 months later. It was my first experience with real, prolonged grief, and I really felt like their passing was so unfair.
Shortly after the passing of my parents, my husband of 35 years made a decision to step away from the church that our entire family belonged to and had made a central part of our lives. Three of our daughters also decided to take a break from their faith. I was sad and mad that things were not going according to the fairy tale story I had in my head. I felt alone and I felt lost. There were so many BIG changes that came so close together. I could not imagine what the future held for me, and everything that I thought would be in my life had changed. I felt raw, like I was out in the world exposed, that all my skin had been torn away, everything hurt and I cried a lot.
One of our daughters moved into our home for a while with her family. She had been there a few weeks when she said that she had something she wanted me to listen to. She introduced me to a podcast by Jody Moore, and concepts called “thought work” and “life coaching”. It was all Greek to me at first, but I loved what I was hearing. I binge listened for weeks and then started listening to Jody’s teacher, Brooke Castillo. Everything they taught made sense to me. They taught that we alone are responsible for the results we see in our lives. They taught that we can’t blame others for what is happening to us. They taught that if we feel like we are at the mercy of everyone and everything, we are suffering from victim mentality. Best of all, they taught that we don’t have to feel that way. I learned about choosing and agency and having a life that I create. I also learned I could have a life that I love to live, even when it isn’t perfect.
I loved everything that I heard so much that I knew that I wanted to be a life coach and share these amazing principles with others. Brooke was conducting her certification program in a couple of months and they had openings. Unfortunately I hesitated too long and the program was sold out. When signups opened again 6 months later, I was first in line. While I waited to participate in this training I enrolled in Brooke’s “Self-coaching Scholars” program and I did the work. I learned concepts and put them into practice. I felt confident in my ability to create exactly what I wanted in my life, and I worked especially hard becoming an emotional adult. This is someone who takes responsibility for themselves and they don’t blame what’s going on in their life on anything or anyone else.
What are the rewards of my 3 years of intense self-coaching?
- My relationship with each member of my family is better than ever.
- My marriage is more solid and also more fun and enjoyable for both of us.
- I have friends.
- I am excited to have “work” that I love, using my time and talents to speak with and create programs for women who are like me, not sure what to do now that their lives have taken some twists and turns, and their full-time mom job is over.
- I have lost 35 pounds and am healthier than ever.
- I know what I want, and I know how to get there.
- My relationship with God and Jesus is much more personal and I deeply know they love me and always have my best interests at heart.
- I know that everything that has happened to me is a blessing.
- I have found meaningful ways to serve others.
- My life is better in every way.
- It wasn’t easy, but it is worth it.
I am a life coach for empty nesters and women that are a bit lost and not sure what their future holds in store for them. I would love to help you discover that these years are the best years of your life. You have the time to get to know yourself and choose how you want the second part of your life to unfold.
I work with women for twelve weeks, helping them get to know themselves, exploring what they want, overcoming obstacles, and discovering new joys in the life ahead of them.
If this sounds like you – click or tap on the button below and schedule a FREE consult call with me. We can discuss where you are right now, what you might like your future to look like, and help you decide if working together we can improve your journey.
All my best!
