[00:00:00] Speaker A: Sam Foreign, this is your host, Noora Masri. Welcome to Echoes of Impact with Noora.
Today, as usual, we have great guests.
My first guest has a lot of experience and a lot to share with you.
Whether you are looking for a job or maybe you are stuck in one point in your career, wherever you are, you're gonna get some some advantage and some great tips from my guest today.
My guest today, Elana. Welcome to Echoes of Impact with Noora. How are you doing today?
[00:01:09] Speaker B: I am doing fantastic. How are you, Nora?
[00:01:13] Speaker A: Doing great. Very happy to have you today with me here.
So usually live for my guests to introduce themselves.
So what would you say about yourself? How would you like for the audience to know you?
[00:01:29] Speaker B: So I help clients stay on track and on brand Success Compass is my company and the idea behind Success Compass is to help navigate towards success. So for corporate clients, sometimes that's project management or getting innovation out the door or executing some consumer promotions. And for, for my private clients it can be job search or career coaching.
[00:02:00] Speaker A: Awesome. Awesome. So what did motivate you to have your own business and specifically in this industry like what you're doing right now? Can you tell us how did you end up here?
[00:02:17] Speaker B: Yeah. So this was never my forecast. It was never, okay, one day I'm going to have my own company where this is what I'm doing for people. I actually have a background in brand management and marketing and I was in some very impressive companies with some great jobs. However, I also am a single mom and after years of juggling and trying to make it work, not figuring out how to clone myself, unfortunately, I ultimately decided that I could not be in a full time corporate position at the same time that my kids needed me.
So I had to leave the corporate world and decided to start my own business.
It has evolved over time for certain, but that's what first got me into becoming an entrepreneur with a service oriented business.
[00:03:12] Speaker A: That's awesome. So how many kids do you have?
[00:03:15] Speaker B: I have two. I have two. And they were, they're, they're older now, they're more independent now and now with more work, remote and cell phone options, they, they're more accessible. I'm more accessible as well. But at the time that I left the corporate world it really wasn't an option and there were times where my kids actually needed me hands on and I would have to leave the office to go attend to them. And it just became a little bit too much of a struggle to be able to be 100% in both places at the same time.
So the Flexibility of having my own business has been amazing and it's been a journey while I've been on this road.
[00:04:01] Speaker A: Nice. So having your own business, like, while it seems like it's flexible, it's great. I'm sure you had a lot of challenges building your own business. So can you share some of these challenges you had?
[00:04:13] Speaker B: Absolutely, I'd say there, there have been maybe two that have been the most complicated. The first one is always getting business because unless you have ongoing business, you need to sing for your supper, you need to get your own clients when you are a consultant, when you're doing your own coaching.
And then the second has been somewhat of an evolution. I started by bringing out my, my brand marketing, wearing my brand management hat and offering services that I, in areas that I really excelled in, that I really enjoyed and specifically was doing presentation training, which was both training and presenting, two things I am passionate about.
But what has been the second piece that's been very complicated is actually staying on track with my own needs, my own passions and strengths, and being flexible to navigate in whatever direction is required, both from my own company needing to be out there as well as what clients need.
So I think it's a challenging journey when you have your own business for many reasons. But those have been the two that have been the most difficult for me or challenging for me, I'd say.
[00:05:30] Speaker A: So how did you, would you say you overcame those challenges?
Can you give us some tips?
[00:05:35] Speaker B: Sure, certainly. So for getting your own clients, I think referrals are fantastic. So once you have served your clients well, have them be your advocate, have them give you referrals, have them promote you, have them talk to people about you because they're going to be your best, your best talking points.
Social media has been my friend as well, so putting myself out there in as many different ways as possible and actually the biggest one, which is something I advocate for my clients to do when they're job searching, is networking.
So I have a networking course that I just launched that's open for people to take. It's this idea that even if you're uncomfortable talking about yourself, if you, if people don't know you exist, they're not going to buy from you, they're not going to use your services, you're not going to know them, they're not going to know you, you have to put yourself out there and it can be uncomfortable, it can be really nerve wracking and you can feel self conscious, but that absolutely is, is one of the things that you just have to do, you have to have the courage to do it and be okay with.
Okay, I did it and maybe it wasn't a hundred percent, but it moved me forward and that is something I work with my clients on all the time. How do we take action?
Even if you're not at a hundred percent, so can you.
[00:07:04] Speaker A: I love that and I believe in networking. I certainly when I started my business, I did all online networking because I started here in Covid, but then last year in 2024, this is when I made an intentional effort to be personally networking with people. So I signed up for networking groups, a couple of networking group actually one of them they meet every single week. And I saw tremendous growth in my business, like more than 40% of growth comparing for the previous year just because of in person network.
So I love that that you have a course on that because I know a lot of people don't understand how big that can be for their business and also for personal growth.
So I want you to tell people how to get to that course, but also give us some tips from the course or you know, like that you always tell people and you to do and you find it like when I apply maybe like 1, 2, 3 steps, they overcome the networking maybe block like they don't want, they start networking better.
[00:08:16] Speaker B: I think one of the things with networking that we forget is just speaking with somebody, just having a dialogue with somebody that you already know is networking. It doesn't have to be this huge hurdle where you reach out to strangers and you. It doesn't have to be. It can be. And that can certainly be a lot further along in the journey. But if you're feeling nervous about networking, you can call up an old friend that you haven't spoken to in a long time, send them a text, send them an email, comment on their post on social media and just say, hey, how have you been?
Haven't spoken to you in ages.
Tell me what's going on, how are your kids, what's, how are your parents, how's your life, et cetera. Catch up with an old friend, that is step number one. And in fact the dividends from that are beyond networking. I've discovered recently I've been putting myself out of my own comfort zone doing that.
And I have two examples of recently I've reached out to old friends. One was a friend from high school. We never worked together, but we both have a lot of respect for each other and we reconnected and caught up. And about two months later she launched her business and invited me to the launch party. So this was a great networking event that I went to. She, I never would have been on her radar if we hadn't caught up. And so that put me in a position of visibility where I was able to connect with people just because I caught up with an old friend. The second was a work colleague who I hadn't spoken to in maybe 20 years.
And she was working at a company that I admired. So I reached out to her saying, hey, I just realized you worked at this company, would love to catch up. She no longer works at that company. That wasn't really the point. It was just this, this, this bridge to be able to start the conversation with her. We had a catch up and she was just awarded honor with the American Marketing association and she invited me to be one of her guests at the event. Again, it was just because I reached out to catch up with her.
So first step in networking, just reach out to the people you already know, catch up with them, see how they are. Time goes fast. So I'm sure there are people out there that you know, that you've thought about that maybe think about you too. You just need to pick up the phone or send the message.
[00:10:40] Speaker A: Absolutely. And social media helps us with this a lot because you might not have their phone number, they might have changed their phone number.
But if you are connected with them on, on social media or you can find them, even if you're not connected, you can find them on social media. That will be a great way to connect. So yeah, thank you so much for these tips. Like I would be interested to. I'm sure a lot of people are asking now how to get into your course, like how we find you and get involved in the course.
[00:11:13] Speaker B: You can find it on my website, which is success compass.com you can see the, the name behind me or you can send me an email@infouccess compass.com and you'll be able to pull up the course up there. If you go up to the top of the search bar, you'll see the outreach challenge.
[00:11:34] Speaker A: Outreach challenge. And this is sixcompass.com six scompass.com okay six scompass.com so because some in some platform, they don't see the screen. So I want to make sure like we have it, they have it so they don't miss it. Thank you so much. Elana. We'll be right back with you after the break.
Guys, this is Echoes of Impact with Noura. We'll be right back.
Sam, welcome back. This is your host, Noora Masri. And this is Echoes of Impact with Noora. We were talking to Alana before the break about networking and she directed us to her course about networking. Because networking is a great thing for your business. Elana, welcome back.
What Whether someone is trying to network or maybe doing some searching for a job or maybe like want to start their own business, there's always that feeling that I am not good enough, I cannot do it. Oh, what if they hire me and they figure out like, I suck on this?
And that might be, might not be true. And most of the time it's not true. But it happens to most people.
No matter how good they are and how many people they tell them, you are great, you are doing great, it still comes to everyone one of us. So what do you say about this? Like, how can someone overcome imposter syndrome?
[00:13:39] Speaker B: 100% of the people have imposter syndrome, maybe 99%. I mean, it is so common.
And I think it, it bears recognizing that you see people out there who, who look very confident and even they probably have some insecurities as well in the job search. So we'll start there. In the job search, one of the things I like to do with my clients is work on some conf boosting techniques. One of which, and you can do this outside of the job search is as well, is take a look at things you've been successful in, things you have accomplished. Take a look at what you did this morning. You can't think of anything. Look at what you did this morning. You got up, you brushed your teeth, you've accomplished something, Right? Something to make you feel like I can do it. And then of course, with something much more complicated, like a job, take a look at what you've already done in past jobs.
It's very helpful if you are job hunting to put together what are called success stories.
So looking at what you've done in the past, what the context of it was, how you did it, and what the results were, and having some of these stories in your back pocket will be very useful if you are interviewing, but also useful for your own self confidence to know, yeah, I did that. I remember that. And these are the results. And this is how I did it. Boom, there's one right there. So that's one of the things that I like to encourage people to do, whether it's in the job search or not. Take a look at what you've already done. You've done a lot the second, I.
[00:15:15] Speaker A: Like that because we tend to forget, like we do the thing and Then we feel like, oh, we forget about it. And then when someone remind us of, of a story, oh yeah, that was great. Yeah, I did that. So this is a great tip. Thank you for sharing.
[00:15:28] Speaker B: You're welcome.
Yeah, yeah. A second thing that can be really helpful is just taking that forward momentum, taking that step. Like it's so scary and it's so easy to become paralyzed if we overthink things.
But if you are set up to move forward and put yourself in motion, you will discover there are things in your new job or in your new business that you are good at and focus on those. Give yourself some of those wins and see if you can tap into some resources or ask for help in the areas that you, you don't have those strengths. There are so many people that have inverse strengths to yours who can support you in your business, in work, in your job search, in, in whatever capacity it is.
[00:16:17] Speaker A: Absolutely. I love that. And now like with all these technology AI coming up, like you don't have to have the low book inside your brain. You just have to really find the information and find the support you can delegate. You can especially. It depends on your position of.
But the tools are there, the knowledge is available.
So no one is expecting you to know everything. They just expect you to be able to find something. Actually that reminded me of something when I was doing my master at Depot one of the professor, he used to tell us, you are here to learn how to learn. And I remember that time sitting at my desk, you know, desk, I was like, ah, all of this to learn how to learn. I was like, I was like critical of what that.
But now this is maybe one of the very few things I would remember. I remember since I, you know that my all entire master program journey. And it's true, it's totally true because especially with these changes coming up every single day in all industries, like this is what we need to, to learn, to learn things things. So it's very important to learn how to learn.
[00:17:38] Speaker B: I love that, I love that. That's super cool. I, I always believe in like having things written down that you don't have to memorize. So especially things that change constantly. You can have a sense for example that you have 90% market share, but you don't have to know that today was 90.2 and yesterday was 90.1 and tomorrow's 90.1 and 90 market share and the little numbers you can have written down on a daily basis because you don't have to keep all that in your head. I, my head's full of all sorts of things. There's not room for these, these minor things. Just know where to find it and. And you're golden.
[00:18:15] Speaker A: Absolutely. Absolutely. I love that. And things change, like, even with the law, like I tell them with the tax law, like, everything changes in a daily basis. There's so many tax law changes and when the presidents change, also that change.
So like, and that can app applied for every industry.
So I want to ask you on your career path on, or maybe in your business, like when you open one of your businesses, maybe you have, I'm sure you, you went through some imposter syndrome. Can you share those, some of these moments with us and how you overcame them?
[00:18:51] Speaker B: I think that's.
I have imposter syndrome all the time.
And yet at the same time, as I, as I said before, like, if, if I look back at what I have accomplish, it's pretty supportive and pretty affirming that I can accomplish things and I can do things.
So switching my company name to success Compass was. It took a moment to say, okay, can I do this? Can I pull the trigger? Of course. Of course I can. Why not? Why not me?
I'm a huge fan. I don't know if you know Sarah Blakely. She's the founder of Spanx and Sneaks and she always talks about failing and how important it is to feel comfortable making mistakes because then it's not as scary. And if, if you're worried about being an imposter, it's basically just worried about making a mistake. But we're human and it's okay. You can make a mistake. Just learn from it. Learn from, from it, Progress and overcome it.
And I, I think you'll, you'll feel good knowing that you've made that forward progress and you'll not make the same mistake again as well.
[00:20:04] Speaker A: Yeah, I know some people, like, think about, like, what would people say about me? Like, she's stupid. She doesn't know what she's doing. Yeah, she's having that business or trying to help people. Let her help herself first. Like a lot of people. I hear this from a lot of people.
So what would you say for these people?
[00:20:23] Speaker B: Well, I think you're always going to have skeptics out there. You need to rely on yourself, but also rely on the fact that you have a fan club. You do have people that support you, and if you can kind of turn off some of the noise or shrug it off. When my kids were little, I remember they would get upset if somebody called them something like stupid and And I'd say, well, are you stupid? No. Well, then it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter what they say, right? Like, it's like saying, nora, your. Your skin is blue.
Are you offended by that?
[00:20:56] Speaker A: No.
[00:20:56] Speaker B: You don't have blue skin, so it doesn't matter. So it's the same kind of thing. People can say what they want and you're always going skeptics. Nobody has 100% approval rate. No one.
And you have to either just kind of like let it roll off your shoulder or focus on the things that you know are true and let that be your. Your driver, your North Star.
[00:21:19] Speaker A: Absolutely. Absolutely. Thank you so much for sharing this.
If someone wants to work with you or when someone know that they need your service.
[00:21:32] Speaker B: When will they know that they need my service?
[00:21:33] Speaker A: Yeah, when will they know?
[00:21:34] Speaker B: Yes, they can reach out to me anytime for a consult. We could have a conversation and see if it would be a good fit. If it makes sense, I offer support in the job search, but I also offer my services to help companies, help businesses, help brands, help people stay on track so they can get to the finish line towards whatever it is that they're seeking.
[00:21:57] Speaker A: So accountability type of things or is that different? Accountability?
[00:22:01] Speaker B: It's both. I have a current client who I do client management with them.
I have a client who has decided to pivot from the corporate career into something entrepreneurial. So I've been helping her with the entrepreneurial side of things.
And I do a lot of brand management and project management as well. So I'm available for contract as well as coaching, depending what your needs are.
[00:22:28] Speaker A: Oh, that's awesome. So how can people reach out to you?
[00:22:31] Speaker B: The best way is to send me an email, infouccess compass.com and we could set up a time to meet and see if it makes sense to work together. And if not, I'm always happy to share resources if I'm not the right fit.
[00:22:48] Speaker A: Awesome. And do you work with people nationwide or do you have a specific place that you work with people?
[00:22:56] Speaker B: So I'm based on in the east coast in the US But I work with people worldwide.
Mostly in the us not necessarily in eastern time zone.
I, I just finished working with a client in China, so I'm, I'm available.
I, I won't work on your hours. I will sleep at night.
But you know, I can send something to you, you review it and get back to me and. And we can work as well.
I love modern technology for that reason.
[00:23:29] Speaker A: Yeah, I mean, we cannot take technology enough for just Connecting us with the rest of the world. That's amazing.
It's amazing. So can you repeat your email again?
[00:23:40] Speaker B: Sure.
[email protected] 6s is for the six pillars that I lean into to help navigate towards your success.
So whether it be leaning into support, defining what success means to you, helping you refine your strategy, stay the course, keeping things moving forward, or really identifying your strengths and leaning into what you are capable of, all these are tools that I use to help you and your business stay on brand, stay on track and reach your goals.
[00:24:21] Speaker A: That's awesome. Thank you so much, Alana. It was a pleasure talking to you today. And I'm sure, like, you'll get some people reaching out to you because they're gonna learn a lot of things and they get a lot of value from your experience and their dedication that you give to other people and being as strong as you are as single mom and having your own business, that's amazing. Kudos to you. Thank you so much again, guys. Stay with us. Of course. Stay with us. Like, don't leave. We still have more guests and more topics to discuss at today's episodes at Echoes of Impact. This is your host, Noora Masri, and this is Echoes of Impact with Noora. We'll be right back.
Welcome back. This is your host Noora Masri and this is Echoes of Impact with Noora.
I hope you catch the first two segments of this episode. If you have not, make sure to re watch the recording for the beginning of this call. You know, Echoes of Impact is available on audio and video format, depends on the platform you are watching or listening to us from. So you can re watch or re listen to.
You're at your favorite platform Now I have a new guest, an amazing guest, an amazing woman and would love to for her to introduce herself as all my guests do because she knows the best and I would love her to tell you how would she would like you to know her. About Vanessa. Vanessa, welcome to Echoes of Impact.
I'm really happy to have you here today.
[00:26:39] Speaker C: Thank you for having me. I appreciate you.
[00:26:42] Speaker A: Of course, of course. Thank you so much for being here. I'm glad like you we were able to make it for today because like, I'm sure people will get tons of value from your experience and what you have been through. So can you please introduce yourself and let people know who you are and what you're doing?
[00:27:01] Speaker B: Sure.
[00:27:02] Speaker C: I'm Vanessa Lagoa. I am an entrepreneur and a sobriety coach.
I am the mom of five boys. So I Live a very busy lifestyle.
And I came into becoming a sobriety coach and a mindset coach because after 21 years of problem drinking, I had had enough. And I found myself realizing if I didn't give up one thing, which was alcohol, I was going to kind of lose everything I had worked so hard for. So I'm now pretty dedicated to empowering other people and helping them get out of their own way and find a better life.
[00:27:42] Speaker A: Awesome. Awesome. So how old are your boys?
[00:27:45] Speaker C: My boys are 7, 9, 12, 18, and 19.
So.
[00:27:50] Speaker A: Oh, yeah, you're busy.
[00:27:53] Speaker C: You're very busy. I. I feel like I baseball fields most of my life.
[00:27:59] Speaker A: Yeah, I. I can see that.
So tell us a little bit, like, why? What was your turning point to say? Okay, now I have to really choose something, like you said.
[00:28:12] Speaker C: So I always tell people that my life was fine, and I lived what many people would say was a dream life. I live in a beautiful home. I own my own business, I have a wonderful family, and I was finding myself really unfulfilled all the time, and I was living a life of chaos. And when I really got to the bottom of what was causing the chaos, alcohol was always right at the center of that.
So for many years, I tried to. To stop drinking on my own. I would make up these rules, like, okay, this week, I'm only going to drink on the weekends, or I'm only going to drink when I go out of the house. House, you know, and all these rules that I created, I never followed. So ultimately, I just became tired of my own really. I really just knew it was time to stop making excuses and take charge of this problem that I had.
[00:29:14] Speaker A: Awesome. So what type of business did you have?
[00:29:17] Speaker C: I'm a hairdresser. I own a hair salon, which I've been. I've been doing hair for decades now, but I've owned my own business about a little over seven years now.
[00:29:29] Speaker A: Nice. And you still have the salon?
[00:29:31] Speaker C: I do, yes. That's my primary career.
So I am in Massachusetts on the south coast. It's in New Bedford, Massachusetts.
And it's. It's an amazing space. And it's been a place where, you know, I've realized how much I really love people. And I love to connect with people and make other people feel good about themselves, which was a big part of why I became a hairdresser, but also why I'm shifting more into the role of, you know, being a leader, a motivator, somebody who can inspire other people.
[00:30:04] Speaker A: Nice.
So what. Why did you choose the career of like making ladies beautiful with beautiful hair.
[00:30:12] Speaker C: You know, I always think back to this commercial that I heard.
I had gone to college right out of high school, as was expected of me, and I had quite a year. I had a year of fun, a year of partying, a year of very little schoolwork.
And I decided after that first year that I was going to take a break and figure out what I wanted to do.
And while taking that break, I heard a commercial, and I remember hearing it because it said, like, do you like to make people feel good? Do you enjoy, you know, beautiful things? And do you enjoy a freedom, a lifestyle that's filled with freedom? And all these things were. Were being presented, and I'm like, yes, yes, Y.
And it was to go. It was for a hairdressing academy. And I ended up feeling like it was a message from the universe.
So I went and signed up almost immediately, and right away, I just loved it. I love the. I love making people look good, but I really enjoy the connections that I have most with people.
[00:31:17] Speaker A: That's awesome. That's like, you know, like when you hear anything on the radio or TV and you have that feeling, the calling. This is your.
[00:31:27] Speaker B: Your.
[00:31:27] Speaker A: This is your way. This is the way you can't. You should take, I guess, at one point, like most of us, like, have that moment. And for you over there, who did not have that moment yet, you will have it for sure.
You will have it. You will know it.
[00:31:43] Speaker C: I'm a big believer in listening to universe or God or whatever is your higher power to. To guide you. And. And I think if you listen, you will hear.
[00:31:59] Speaker A: Absolutely. So you have your salon, and then now you started your own business on, like, help coaching people and helping them.
Feeling, getting, suffering.
Is that what you call it?
[00:32:14] Speaker C: Yeah. Either getting over or changing their relationship with alcohol. Some of my clients are not quite ready to say that they're ready to give up alcohol, and that's fine. It's the starting place. So we just kind of work on changing the relationship and really cultivating a new lifestyle that doesn't include alcohol until.
[00:32:35] Speaker A: You help them with that from your own experience, how you were able to overcome that.
And speaking of that.
So that's.
Well, still in this business, you have the relationship with clients like that.
[00:32:48] Speaker C: You.
[00:32:49] Speaker A: You loved the connection with clients.
So. But in terms of business, what would you say the most challenging thing about being a business owner? And what is the most beautiful thing about being a business owner?
[00:33:06] Speaker C: The most challenging thing about being a business owner would be, I think when things are good still planning. Because as we know in business, you know, there are ebbs and flows and just being prepared because I mean, something like COVID 19 happened when I had just relocated my salon. I went from a small space into this big space that I, you know, did a full build out on and basically spent my life savings to make this place beautiful.
And six weeks later we were shut down due to a global pandemic. So it's just taught me to be more prepared always and have a plan.
But the best part in business to me is 100 the connections, the people I get to meet.
People trust me, they talk to me, they. And I get to watch them grow. And I, I think that's truly an honor to be in somebody's life in that regard.
[00:34:08] Speaker A: And that's people.
[00:34:09] Speaker C: Businesses.
[00:34:12] Speaker A: Yeah, that's awesome. So, yeah, really, like I hear that a lot like being prepared. A lot of people say, oh okay, we're having client now. But if you're continuously acquiring a new client, you will find yourself like with a month or a couple of months.
Where's the income?
We need the income. So yeah, being prepared always and being planning to always acquire client, planning for things not go wrong. Like it's very important in business because you don't. You're not relying on anyone to give you the paycheck and maybe other people are relying on you, including your rent and, and everything else. So I. This is. Yeah, no, this can be like very, very devastating actually to have the salon and then you have to close the salon.
So how did you feel at that point and how did you overcame like and you still have a salon from what I heard. So how did you keep it until now and you were able to reopen.
[00:35:14] Speaker C: So when we closed for Covid, it was about three months.
[00:35:18] Speaker A: Months.
[00:35:18] Speaker C: And I got really creative. I tend to be pretty creative. I was selling little hair touch up color kits for and I was hand delivering them to people's houses, like putting them on their porches. And I was doing that because I have a lot of clients who are nurses or people who were already working using virtual, virtual platforms.
And those people were not willing to not look good. And you know, women weren't. Weren't willing to have their hair, I call it glitter, their gray hair showing at work. So you know, I got creative in that respect. I was making these little kits, I was dropping those off. I was just trying to make a lot of content at the time to remain relevant so people, you know, stayed in touch.
And you know, I really don't. I look back sometimes and I wonder how I got through that time. I think that I just had a belief that it would all be okay and I trusted that we would reopen and I wasn't going to, I wasn't going to quit. That was going to be something that I put so much into when I wasn't willing to walk away from it. So we reopened and business was booming and it's been, it's evolved. It's changed a lot over the years, but it is, is, it's doing very well. I'm very happy.
[00:36:44] Speaker A: That's awesome. And I'm very proud of you, that you're very strong woman. And we will continue about talking about your story and your business after the break. Guys, stay with us to learn more about Vanessa and maybe something is going to inspire you, give you some idea and also you would like to connect with her and work with her or maybe send someone, you know that you know that might need to talk to Vanessa. And we'll see you after the break. This is your host, Noor Al Masri. And this is Echoes of Impact with Noora. We'll be right back.
[00:37:37] Speaker C: Foreign.
[00:37:50] Speaker A: Welcome back. This is your host Noor El Mosri. And this is Echoes of Impact with Noora. We were talking before the break with Vanessa and we were talking about her business, her journey with her hair salon and being also a coach for helping people to get supper. So welcome back, Vanessa.
Thank you all for being with us here. It's a pleasure for us to be with us today.
[00:38:19] Speaker C: So.
[00:38:21] Speaker A: You mentioned, like how you overcame, like Covid and how you got creative so people can remember you. When did you start shifting to coaching and to start talking to people, helping them to get sober.
When did you start?
[00:38:38] Speaker C: Now.
So six years ago. It was March 11th. I had had enough. I knew I had to make the decision to stop drinking. And I had tried many times before, but this time was different. I knew that, like I said, I owned this business. I had everything really going for me. But my drinking had spiraled and I was definitely what I would call out of control at that point.
So I stopped drinking. I went to a 12 step program. I committed myself to changing my life.
And shortly after I started, I realized that a new life was waiting for me. And once I really embraced being sober and, you know, it was many years in, so it's been six years now. I would say it took me about three years to really start to feel comfortable with myself.
And only about a year, a year and a half ago did I become certified as a Professional recovery coach because I found that I was always helping other people in their journey but a 12 step program really wasn't it for me. So I was guiding them in a different way.
So that's just sort of how my, it's called the sobriety buzz was, was, was started was just out of a desire to help other people not have to suffer silently.
[00:40:08] Speaker A: Awesome. And you know, like find it like a lot of women, like we, we like to help other people. So always something calling you to help other people overcome what you were able to overcome. So this is amazing what you find like very challenging. The challenging moments. And anyone who's trying to get sober, what is that challenge should overcome in order to stay sober and to help them, empower them through that trip.
[00:40:38] Speaker C: So I think that the limiting beliefs and the old programming that people have, you know, as to why they're drinking, you know, it, it's a, it's a habit. People have many times started with a habit that's turned from habit to addiction.
And they just, I mean for me I drank heavily for 21 years. So from 15 to 36 I was a pretty heavy drinker and I didn't really get to know myself sober because alcohol was always invited. So I think the big challenge is having people understand that they're going to learn about themselves in a way that they've never been able to before and they're going to have to recreate their life. Their life. They get to recreate their life, they get to rewrite their story and they get to discover what really lights their fire.
So the challenge there is that I can see the excitement.
I have this excitement for people because I know that their lives are going to improve, but they are feeling really heavy in the decision to make the change. And, and I, I respect that. But that, that does become a challenge.
[00:41:50] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, I see that. And how people can overcome this challenge, what, what circumstances may are the elements if they create around themselves that's going to help them stay sober and give them that empower, that power to stay. So far.
[00:42:08] Speaker C: So first of all, I think, you know, having a support system is huge. Like I said, I did start off in a 12 step program. The, you know, the community that you get in there is, is pretty empowering because this isn't something that people have to do alone. A lot of people have a lot of shame in looking for help. So they're, they tend to keep this problem to themselves when really there's so many people out there that are just willing to help. So I think Having a really strong community or support system is huge. And I think that having some type of faith, whether it be the universe, the ocean, God, whatever you're. You believe in, I think being able to really get in touch with that is something that helps people get from a really heavy state to somewhat enlightened.
[00:43:02] Speaker A: That's awesome. So community, I'm, from what I'm hearing you saying, community and support that.
Giving strength to people to stay with and become who they are willing to become or wanted to become.
Thank you so much. And you mentioned also, like, you're focusing a lot now on mindset coaching.
So tell me a little bit about that.
[00:43:28] Speaker C: So through, you know, through this journey of, of sober coaching people, I've realized that it's not just alcohol or drugs that many people struggle with. It's, you know, it could be anything from sex, gambling, shopping, eating. We all have something that, that hinders our performance in some way. So when I really started digging into that, a lot of those things all come from the same place and people don't like to hear that. The answer is usually it's in our minds and we've created these barriers that don't allow us to go forward or don't allow us to believe that we have the ability to be better or to do things differently. So the mindset shifting has become very powerful in the coaching because it's helping people realign themselves with the version of themselves that they're striving to become.
[00:44:24] Speaker A: Got it. Yeah. So who is your ideal clients for coaching?
[00:44:31] Speaker C: So I typically work with the suburban mom whose life is fine.
Somebody who is like I was, who is sort of hiding in plain sight, who is submerged in mommy wine culture, who is somebody who is accustomed to coming home from work, having a glass of wine that turns into many more, but somebody whose life looks just fine from the outside.
Usually I will say the silent struggler, the person who is questioning if their drinking is hindering their performance and how.
[00:45:09] Speaker A: Can they connect with you?
[00:45:11] Speaker C: So I have a website. It's the sobriety buzz.com and I'm also very active on Tik Tok and Instagram under the same name. The Sobriety Buzz.
[00:45:22] Speaker A: The Sobriety buzz dot com. Awesome. And I, I took a look on your about on your TikTok, like seems like very fun. Beige. I'm going to be watching more of your tik.
That's awesome. So awesome. So people can just reach out to you through your website and they can book with you and see how you can help them.
Is it the same website if they want to do also the mindset coaching.
[00:45:52] Speaker C: Yes, I'm really updating on the back end of the business. So that's a question about business challenges are finding enough time to get everything done. But the back end of the business.
Yes, that will be soon be added to the website site along with some upcoming seminars that I'll be hosting.
[00:46:09] Speaker A: Oh, that's awesome. So you're going to be hosting online seminars?
[00:46:14] Speaker C: I'm. I'm actually going to be doing my first in person seminar. I'm looking out to October, but I'm looking forward to having like a very high vibe, high energy type day where I help lead people from, you know, maybe from a struggle and beginning to work their way through that struggle.
[00:46:34] Speaker A: That's awesome. So where is that gonna be?
[00:46:37] Speaker C: That will be somewhere in the south coast. I'm between a few venues right now, so to be determined.
[00:46:45] Speaker A: Awesome, awesome. I would love to hear about that. So maybe more people can hear and like they can join you, like whoever needs to be with you in that room.
So that's awesome. So what else? What would you like to tell that person who maybe would like to have a change but maybe they're afraid of, you know, we're afraid of people talking or you know, I, I am. You mentioned that like struggling and silence. So maybe a lot of people do not know that they're struggling and if they take any step toward like changing, maybe someone will, will know because whatever, like. So what would you tell that person and what's your advice?
[00:47:35] Speaker C: So my best advice is what I often tell my children.
Other people's opinions of you is none of your business.
That would be step one, it doesn't matter. And people are always going to have something to say about you. So give them something fun to talk about. I'd rather have people talking about how I'm putting myself out there as a sober coach and a leader and a motivator than somebody who's a sloppy drunk anymore.
So that would be, you know, other people's opinions really don't matter. And also if you do find yourself walking through the doors of a 12 step program, every single person in there is there for the very same reason that you are. And I remember the first time I went in to the halls of AA and I was so embarrassed and I saw somebody that I sort of knew and, and I thought, oh my gosh, now they know. And the reality is they, they were there for the very same reason. And nobody should ever shame somebody for trying to better themselves.
So absolutely. Yeah, if you're around people who are shaming you for your decision, then I would suggest you check your circle and look for some new friends.
[00:48:45] Speaker A: I love that. I love that. Thank you so much. Vanessa. Thank you for sharing all these information with us. Thank you for being courageous. You are an amazing mom, amazing, amazing woman and amaz business owner. So thank you so much for being here with us. I'm sure a lot of people will be inspired with your story, with what you are doing for the community, for the woman, for the people who needs help and need to hear your hear your story so they don't feel alone anymore. Thank you so much. I appreciate you.
Gosh, of course. Guys, this we came to the end. I hope the thank you so much for everyone who stayed until now with us at Echoes of Impact. I'm really happy to be here with amazing guests every single week to bring the story of the people just like you to the to the lights so you can hear it, so you can see where do you where are you fitting and what can you do so you are inspired to make your own impact.
You can always reach out to me and hello and at echoes of impact.net hello@elements of impact.net this is your host, Noor Al Masri. Until next time, keep making an impact.
