Today It's from the Heart...

What's Now & What's Next

The year was 2020 and the world was turned upside-down. So many of us were questioning our lives, jobs, choices, and what was coming next. I was right there too. Everything I had set up for the year ahead was no longer possible, I was looking into the unknown and was overcome by fear and doubt. After a few months of being with the fear and looking into that great unknown, an opportunity arose, one that I never really saw for myself, but my curiosity was too great to ignore. It was the Accomplishment Coaching: Leadership Coach Training Program. I decided to take a chance, what I saw in it for myself was an opportunity to elevate my voice and grow as a leader. What I found was so much more, two months in I decided to start my 1:1 coaching practice and in an instant, everything changed! All this growth and change has made me think of my father a lot. This month marks 11 years since his passing and I still think of him every day. One story that has been coming up a lot is when I was maybe 25 or 26 and we were out somewhere with some of his friends for something that today doesn't feel as important as what he said. It was the moment he casually introduced me to one of his friends: “Hey, so and so,” they engage in a little small talk for a few moments and then he turns towards me and says, “This is my daughter Erica, she's the youngest of my 6 kids, the only one of them who's not an entrepreneur.” Well, there it is, and it stuck! For those of you who did not have the pleasure of knowing my dad this was him in a nutshell. It wasn't as much of a burn as you may think, but it was my fuel, that's who my father was for me, he challenged me more than anyone and when he was gone that challenge was missing. I would find it again a few years later, but that's another story for another time. I guess what this all boils down to is that I am now faced with new and demanding challenges. I am learning how to raise a strong willed, joyous 2-year-old, while simultaneously starting a business, in the middle of a global health crisis. I am learning all over again how to stretch myself outside my comfort zone and I’m learning it all through old and new lenses along the way. I'm excited but I'm also scared, I'm afraid to fail, to reach a specific level of success, and that somewhere in the middle of it all I'm going to fuck up as Jackson's mom and damage him beyond repair! Wow, that escalated quickly… if that fear wasn't there and everything felt safe and warm then there would be no challenge, the fear is what gives me the push I need, because that fear tells me that what I'm doing is real, it is important, and it is worth it no matter how it turns out. So here I am sharing a small piece of myself with the people who have made it all possible, and I am inviting you to join me on this journey as we continue to get messy and make shit happen! Welcome to my monthly Newsletter where I will continue to share my story with you and keep you all in the loop of what's now and what's next!