Setting an intention was a tradition I practiced every new year (and still do). I had been divorced for a year when I chose “clarity” as my word intention. I felt self-assured again as I started a new chapter of life. My life looked pretty good, until it didn’t. Six months into the year, I rolled down an embankment in my 4-days new Land Rover Freelander with the boys in the car. Miraculously, the car landed on all 4 wheels. and while we walked away without a scratch, the invisible wounds would take time to heal. When the first responders arrived, my youngest son who was six at the time, exclaimed, “We took a tumble in mommy’s new car.”

Reinvent

Clarity-year clearly hated me and was on a mission to tumble-ruin every aspect of my life.  Here’s the highlight reel: I purchased a beautiful home in a lovely community, obtained my property and casualty and life insurance licenses, launched my insurance agency, continued to grow my copywriting business, and found a new level of happiness in our new community. Unbeknownst to me I was building a house of cards on the beach.

In November, 2008, two weeks shy of my birthday, clarity-year turned into a whole season of deconstruction. The financial tsunami hit and everything came tumbling down: I lost my house, businesses and hope. Some would refer to this period as the dark night of the soul; I choose to see it through the lens of Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey, where a character has no other choice but embark on a challenging adventure, push through adversity, experience a life-altering lesson, and emerge transformed for the better. In the movies that whole process happens in roughly two hours; that’s now how it works in real life.

Reimagine

I returned to corporate America, a truly gut-wrenching act for a serial entrepreneur. Each morning, as I looked in my bathroom mirror while getting ready, my inner voice would cue up one of two messages: the first, “Today’s word is brought to you by the letter “F” for failure;” or “You’re worthless,” my ex-husband’s favorite phrase to cut me deep. 

From the outside looking in, it appeared I was living the dream life, after all, I had a great creative job crafting the brand voice for an iconic fashion doll. Yet, my life was far from dream-house worthy. It was a chaotic hot mess; with one step forward, four steps back. “Seriously, what am I doing wrong?” I wondered. It was completely lost on me that my outer world was a reflection of my inner mindset.

Was I the drama? Hell yeah! From the negative self-talk, unhealthy habits, limited beliefs and busted old programming, I was trapped in a never-ending cycle of self-sabotage. I had two options: maintain the status quo or change.

Realign

My reprogramming process began immediately with a structured morning routine: I watched or listened to a motivational video, read a personal development book for 15-20 minutes, and meditation followed by journaling. My IG feed turned into a digital vision board filled with reaffirming messages.  The universe began to conspire in my favor. As the saying goes, “When the student is ready the teacher appears,” and my teacher came in the form of a beautiful being who served as my business/mindset coach. She guided me through the deep inner work to heal wounded areas I couldn’t possibly reach on my own.  

Now I must digress here for a moment to illustrate how extra cute the universe can be when you’re getting into alignment. Motivational speaker Les Brown was among the many people whose videos I watched, his story inspired me. Fast forward to the “graduation” of my coach certification program: Les Brown is one of the surprise guest speakers. The universe knows how to show off: about 5 months later, I was invited to share my story and write a chapter for inclusion in volume 17 of The Change, Self Empowerment for Entrepreneurs book series. I had to pinch myself when I found out I would share the cover with Les Brown. It was a humbling moment indeed. (Scroll down for the link to order your copy of the book.)

Reinvent

The version of me you see today definitely didn’t happen overnight, it happened over many nights (many clouded by tears).  The secret to having the life you want is consistently showing up for yourself. Every day and especially on the days you’re not feeling it. My motivation was my boys and my daily goal was to be a better person than I was the day before. The growth and transformation you see is the result of the holistic inside-out system I created and follow to this day; I named it SHIFT which is an acronym for Story, Habits, Intention, Focus, and Transition. If you join my program you will discover how to use SHIFT to create the life you want. I spent years doing research and investing in personal development (yes, I’m a nerd) so you don’t have to. 

My life is very much aligned with the vision board I curated when I finally came out of the dark and started to dream again. I am remarried to a wonderful man who is my partner, supporter and best friend. Purchased a vacation home/investment property in Coachella Valley where we now call home. I am the proud mom of two incredibly creative humans who are also entrepreneurs. I serve on the Board of Directors for the Women Leaders of Coachella Valley where I oversee the educational scholarship program for high school seniors. I get to travel the world. My past does not determine my future and neither does yours.

My mission as a coach is to help women transform their lives and step into the version of themselves they are meant to be, and to give them tools to boldly rewrite their stories, overcome obstacles and get in alignment with their dreams. I have found by elevating and empowering women, we have the power to change the communities around us. 

You can experience the change you want in your life, all it takes is one bold decision to choose you.