Although some of you may know me as the Intuitive Life and Business Coach that I am now, I was a fitness instructor for many years, since 2008. While I was at a corporate job doing brand management and marketing, I also taught fitness classes. After starting my own fitness company, CO2Fit, I transitioned my business to Intuitive Life and Business Coaching, and now, I help high performing business women who are really committed to big goals and making a difference in the world playing big in their business and getting the results that they deserve.
 
I’ve noticed that there are some things that I had learned as a group fitness instructor which have helped me tremendously as an entrepreneur. Here are those 5 Business Success Tips I learned from teaching fitness classes.

1. Show Up
The most important thing I learned from being a fitness instructor is to show up. When I was a fitness instructor, it was never an option to bail out of a class that I was scheduled for. Your name was on the schedule, so if you are teaching, you had better show up! Unless the gym closes, or there’s a massive leak in the gym, it was never a consideration to bail out or not show up.
I see this a lot in entrepreneur world. Often, we treat showing up like it’s something we could do or do without. We give ourselves too much leeway and freedom not to do the work. Just like at fitness classes, people are going to come to that room expecting to have a workout, we must act like there are people who rely on us showing up and delivering our work, even when we don’t feel like it.
Even when you don’t feel like working out, or when you feel a little bit under the weather, or when you don’t feel prepared, or don’t think you’ll do an excellent job. It’s never an option not to show up to the class as a fitness instructor. The same kind of commitment and work ethics can help us stay consistently visible in our business, too. 

2. Patience
 
What I learned as a fitness instructor is that it takes a long time to build a class. There were times that I inherited a class that was “dying,” where I’d be teaching to a crowd of 2-3 people, week after week. You still have to show up and do the work, deliver your product, deliver your service, even if it felt like the process is taking too long.
 
Often, entrepreneurs quit too soon. Let’s say you create a workshop or webinar, and you start to closely monitor how many people are signing up for that course. I feel like entrepreneurs are too quick to cancel when they don’t meet the initial numbers they expect.
 
I think that’s a big mistake. If five people went to the trouble of signing up, even when you had been expecting twenty people, I believe you should still deliver. As a fitness instructor, whether five people showed up or twenty, you would never cancel. For those five people, you give them the best you got. They held up their end of the bargain, so you have to deliver your product.
 
Second, it’s a practice for you. How are you going to get better at teaching the class or offering the service if you keep canceling and never deliver? The only ways to get better at what we do is doing it.
 
If we give up too soon, and we have no idea that all the effort that we’ve been making has been creating this buzz, creating this energy, creating excitement, and if you don’t follow through, you will never know how big or successful it could have gotten.
 
Patience when you feel frustrated with the progress, or the slowness of it, or when any of those self-critical thoughts come up, you cannot give up. It takes time, consistency, and persistence.

3. Break the Rules
Sometimes you have to break the rules or change the game plan. Be flexible, roll with it. Some days, I’d be really pumped to go into a fitness class with a hard butt-kicking workout plan. Then I will see that people who showed up for the class includes exercise newbies, seniors, people healing from injuries. There’s no way that I could execute the planned class – I will have to modify my plan.
Sometimes you have to change your game plan, even though you’re so excited and gung-ho about your original game plan, you need to adjust it. I trained in a program that was very rigid, where there was always a routine, and we couldn’t deviate from it. But then, I would see people lifting things in the wrong way, bad forms, inches away hurting themselves. I had to break the rules, stop my routine and correct their movements so they didn’t hurt themselves.

Many women fear breaking rules or changing plan, because I don’t know, we have all kinds of fear of upsetting someone else (who?) or being criticized (who again?).  But we have to get grounded in why we’re doing what we're doing. To serve, to heal, to empower, to teach. You want to serve your client at their highest good, not compromise it listening to our own fears.

My friend Beth says, “Adapt, adapt, adapt on the fly!” This is the goal. It’ll help you evolve.

4. Authenticity Goes a Long Way

I’ve always been really big on authenticity. If I messed up while I was teaching, people knew. If I was doing the exercise with you, and if it sucked, and if it hurt, you could see it on my face. I’d often say, “It sucks, I’m here with you.”

Being authentic, sharing your own mess up, being vulnerable, these are the things that connect you to your clients and your audience. I would mentor newbie instructors, and find out they are really good at faking it. They didn’t want to show their weakness. Their fear of failure was so great, that they acted like a completely different people because they were scared to death of making a mistake.

People can see that. When you’re not authentic and when you’re not grounded in who you are, the experience that people get from that fitness class will never be as powerful as one that was completely authentic and real. I would always say to the newbie instructors, “Be yourself! Chill the fuck out! This is just an aerobics class, you don’t have to be perfect, you just need to be you!”
It’s the same for entrepreneurs, we need to stay authentic, especially for those people who want to build an online business or people who are trying to do a lot of public presentations or public speaking, or using social media for their business.
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If you don’t keep it real, especially on social media, people see that. Energy is energy and your audience will see it. You’re not going to be able to build success if you feel like you have to play certain parts, or cover your authenticity, or package it nicely, or anything like that. Authenticity goes the long way. Vulnerability, humor, everything about who you are, that goes the long way. That’s the magic. 

5. Relationships
Relationships that you build are so important. Some fitness instructors would show up to teach their class and they wouldn’t talk to people before the class, wouldn’t engage with people after the class, they would just show up, do their thing, and book out of the gym. They’re missing a huge part of creating their “fitness magic.”
Connecting with people after those classes made me one of the most popular fitness instructors in all the gyms that I worked at. Without that connection, you’re just another fit body showing up and moving your body to the music.
In business, you also have to create those relationships and that community. When you start to engage with people authentically, that connection builds and you become a tribe. Those loyal, supportive people help you grow and become successful.

When I decided to go from being a part-time fitness instructor to starting CO2Fit full time, so many people supported me. They wore my t-shirts, shared my posts on social media, told everyone about me. Even recently at a business networking meeting, I met a woman who recognized my name because some of her closest friends had trained with me! Those connections are helping me connect and grow my business years later.

So what do you think about these tips? Can you see how we can learn so much about being an entrepreneur just from being an aerobics instructor? We never know whatever past experience we have help us in the future. What kind of past professional experience have you had that helps you become successful in what you do now? I would love to hear what you think!
Also watch FB live video of me talking about this very topic here: Coach Seo

Introduction from Seo
I get asked so many questions from people on how to become more spiritual, grounded, better at manifesting, trust intuition… and my answer is always “start meditating.” And usually the response I get is, “Oh I know, I try, but…” 
 
Usually my response to that is, start at 2-3 minutes a day, because ANYONE can meditate for 2-3 minutes. It’s bullshit when anyone says they don’t have time or it’s too hard when it’s just for 2-3 minutes right? If you are still not doing it, it’s probably because you don’t feel ready or don’t want to, whether you realize it or not (our subconscious minds can be a stubborn bitch!)

Then I thought, hmmm maybe that’s too harsh for some people – I should share someone else's experience and tips from her experience. So I asked my friend Sabrina to share her view on meditation – she came up with so many great practical tips! Enjoy!

Guest post by Sabrina Jugo
Sabrina is a millennial feminist that lives in Richmond, Virginia. She is passionate about social justice issues and plans to pursue a Master's in Social Work in the near future. When she isn't writing, she enjoys reading, lighting candles, drinking tea, and having passionate conversations with friends about how to make the world a better place.

Why People Should Meditate.
 
For many years now, I have been resistant to the idea of a dedicated meditation practice. Because I live and breathe psychology, which emphasizes mindfulness, I spent a lot of time truly thinking that I was doing “enough” to better myself. Be mindful while I’m watching the dishes? Sure. Be mindful in conversations with friends and loved ones? No problem. The truth is, while the benefits on mindfulness and meditation may overlap, they aren’t quite the same.
 
Mindfulness may help you feel connected to the world around you, but meditation connects you to truths within yourself. It’s no secret that some of the greatest thinkers in the world have uncovered great meaning deep truths about themselves, and the universe, while meditating. That said, if they can unlock all of these magical powers by dedicating a few minutes a day to it, why can’t we?

Here are the five biggest roadblocks in my meditation journey, and how they can be easily debunked.

1.  “I don’t have the time”
 
When there is something that I know would benefit me greatly, but that greatly overwhelms me, I like to use time as an excuse not to do it. As a college grad who was trapped in a pretty mentally unhealthy college environment for four years, I perfected the art of overbooking myself and neglecting most things that were good for me. Now, as a 24-year old, who juggles a few different jobs, a social life, a desire to stay connected and informed about the goings-on in the world, and future life preparations, it seems like there often aren’t enough hours in the day. Regardless of your age, I know you feel the same way! While this thought process still creeps in from time-to-time, the ultimate truth is, you make time for things that are important to you. If I can make time to play a few hours of volleyball one night a week or re-watch episodes of Gilmore Girls that I’ve seen 15 times, I can find a few minutes during the day to meditate.
 
Headspace is a great app to get people started, that is not too woo-woo or spiritual in nature.
Insight app is my favorite app - it has so much variety of guided meditations, and it also has a timer with background noise option once you get more self-sufficient in meditation on your own (when you don’t need someone else’s voice to guide your meditation)
 
2. “I don’t know where to start”
 
Everywhere we look, we see meditation advertised as something that only our most highly esteemed friends have mastered. The media, in particular, tells us we need to dedicate a room in our house to it, and make it last a few hours. The message is, if you aren’t fully committed to the idea, you shouldn’t participate at all. Furthermore, being a beginner at anything lends itself to some discomfort. This is where my perfectionism creeps in. That little voice inside my head tells me not to bother trying, since the most likely event is that I will fail.
 
The great news (especially for my fellow perfectionists) is that like anything, you can start small. There are thousands of resources out there for beginners or people looking to get back into meditation if they’ve taken a break or stopped completely.
 
3. “I have too many thoughts going through my mind”
 
Because I’ve worked with many individuals who suffer from anxiety, and I’ve experienced my fair share of anxiety at times, I can understand how debilitating it can seem to sit with your own thoughts. For some people, it can seem like the most daunting task of their day. The good news is that meditation can be an amazing tool for managing anxiety in the long run! Over time, the practice can help to calm your body, and allow you to work through your thoughts. Although it may be a challenge at the beginning, you can look at it like a long-term investment toward your overall health and well-being.

4. “It takes a long time to get any benefits, and if I skip a few days (weeks), it’s just like starting over”
 
The truth is, this one is still a challenge for me. I self-identity as a “project starter” and have difficulty keeping up with my intentions or habits in general. This is where positive self-talk comes in. A huge part of my professional life has been spent telling others to be kind to themselves, and that we should be working toward progress, not perfection. It’s easy to tell others to cut themselves some slack, but when it comes to you, it’s an entirely different story. I think back to when I played tennis in high school. I was a pretty decent player, but when I went to college, I stopped playing. Almost seven years later, I’m starting to play again, and it feels like I’m starting from scratch. It is incredibly frustrating, and I often think to myself, “why can’t I do this? I used to have great strokes and do super well”. Of course it’s not going to naturally come back to me! Instead of placing value on where I was then and where I am now, I could simply acknowledge that I did the thing in general. If I mastered the skill then, I can master it now.
 
 
5. “Meditation makes me more anxious than relaxed”
 
It’s possible that this is true, at first. I believe that the majority of us do not make the effort to sit quietly with ourselves, really ever. Sitting with one’s thoughts, without any distractions, is not sexy, and so no one tells us to do it. I can tell you from experience that after a while, you learn to control anxious thoughts, and even ward them away when they come up. [PSA, I am by no means stating that an anxiety disorder or severe anxiety can be cured through meditation. What I am saying, is that it can be a helpful tool and coping mechanism for those people as well].
 
Please comment & share what your mediation journey has been like. Both Seo & I would love to hear from you. Join Alpha Female Sisterhood.

Those of you who know me, know I’m an intuitive coach who helps high performing business women (my “Alpha Female Sisters”, if you will) realize their purpose and go after it in a big way—in part, by balancing their masculine and feminine energy. (To learn more about masculine and female energy, and how to find a balance between the two, check out my blog post: Tapping into your Masculine & Feminine Energies!)

What you might not know is how I got here in the first place.
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Back in September, I had the opportunity to talk with the ladies of The Next Tuesday Podcast—Care and Suz, two badass boss ladies themselves, who feature weekly interviews with other lady bosses making their mark on business and the world. We talked about what it means to be an Alpha Female Sister, how I transitioned from the corporate world to the world of intuitive coaching, my spiritual journey, and lots more. 

This is my story.

I’m 41-years-old now, but I spent most of my adult life—up until my mid-to-late thirties—living and working in the corporate world. Before that, I was your typical, over-achieving, straight-A student; a rule follower who did everything by the book. After completing my MBA, I entered the world of corporate marketing, where I spent 15 years. The corporate world is all about working hard, striving to out-perform your peers, competing for that next promotion, playing the game to be powerful—but, if you’re a woman, not too powerful. Anyone working in the corporate realm still knows it’s a man’s world, and women just have to know how to play the game, which usually means we do a lot more work—picking up the slack, while still being denied leadership positions. I did all of that. I was making a lot of money, my company loved me, and my coworkers envied me. And I was extremely unhappy.

Being the person I am: direct, opinionated, motivated, I was already feeling like I couldn’t be the leader I wanted to be. And the other women who held the positions I was striving for weren’t empowered, they weren’t in leadership roles, they weren’t happy, they didn’t have good work/life balances, and I thought: I don’t want to be them. There are still so many rules women have to follow, to achieve just slightly less than equal status, and that didn’t feel right to me anymore.
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I finally knew that it was time to leave the corporate world when my team—which, up until that point, had been amazing—got a new boss. What had once been a supportive team where women encouraged and supported each other became a team led by a woman in power who didn’t believing in supporting and empowering other women and I knew I couldn’t stay there.

At the time I was already teaching fitness classes in the evenings and on weekends as a way to relive stress. So I left the corporate world and started my fitness company—what became CO2 Fitness. I incorporated CO2 Fitness the same week I left my marketing position, I had my website up the following week, and I was ready to go. People might think I had this passion and inspiration and courage, but really, I had just had it with corporate life. I just had to walk away. And I started making a name for myself though teaching hardcore, badass, high-intensity workouts.
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But even CO2 Fitness was really all about that masculine energy and manifesting success. CO2 Fitness was growing steadily, but a lot of my motivations were based on fear: fear of failure, fear of not having enough money. I realized I didn’t always want to be motivated by fear. I wanted to be motivated by something else, even though I didn’t yet know what that was. And then, suddenly, that’s when my spiritual awakening happened. 

I started working with a coach—someone who I had initially hired to help me become more successful in my business, so I could make more money. But then this box opened up. My coach began guiding me through all my limiting beliefs, my past traumas, my forgiveness issues. Life coaching really helped me become a better person and develop self-awareness. One thing my life coach really encouraged me to try was meditation—which I thought was bullshit. But he convinced me to give it a shot by telling me that all successful people have a meditation practice. So I begrudgingly started meditating and suddenly things started happening. I heard a voice. I was finding clarity. And when I had the courage to act on that clarity, things really took off.

One day, something told me to “be ready.” I got this message: if somebody gives you $5,000 to do what you need to do, what would you do with it? Are you ready to say yes? What would you create? Following that message, I prepared. And then one day, I was describing this message to a group of clients, when one of them leaned over and asked: “Is that what you need?” Right then, she wrote me a check for $5,000. And I was ready for that, because I had prepared. I took the money and created different programs, I grew my business even more. As things kept happening, I kept growing personally.

Then my mother-in-law passed away very suddenly, which created a shift in my life—I began wondering, what is life, really? Her loss was so unexpected and there were so many regrets for me; things that I didn’t get to do things that I didn’t get to say. Right in the middle of this stage of growth and transformation, her passing made me really look at my life again. When you find yourself having a life-altering experience or trauma during a period of growth, things tend to accelerate even more.

I realized I never wanted to be a fitness pro. But there was still a part of my fitness business that I really enjoyed, so I needed to figure out what that was. I discovered it was empowering women, connecting with women. In fact, lot of what I really enjoyed—that space of empowerment—was happening between the actual fitness classes, or after class, among women: getting lunch, going out for coffee dates. I thought: how can I make a living by going on coffee dates? And I just decided to go after it.

I added life coaching to the fitness business, and the life coaching just grew from there. Eventually, I could afford to transition out of fitness completely and focus entirely on life coaching. I realized most of my clients were business women—for many business women life is business and business is life, and with my background in marketing I started offering business coaching alongside life coaching.

During this process, my psychic gifts opened up: I started seeing visions; I started receiving messages, my intuition opened up. I realized something was happening, so I hired another coach and started doing my own research. I discovered I have intuitive and psychic gits, and began learning how to use them. But even as it was happening I was apprehensive—I was comfortable seeing visions, I was comfortable being an empath, but I didn’t want to explore mediumship. I kind of drew the line at talking to dead people.

Then, after my mother-in-law passed away, I was exposed to mediumship. She came through to me so powerfully, and that’s how I found out I’m a medium. The messages she gave me in that moment—for myself, for my husband, and for his twin sister were so powerful, so healing, and so aligned. But even then I still thought: maybe this’ll just be our little secret.

My biggest fear throughout this journey—something I still struggle with—is that with all my years of working so hard to establish my reputation as a high performing woman, there’s a risk to showing my entire authentic self: that if people discover I’m psychic or that I can communicate with the dead, I’ll lose my credibility. My biggest fear is that all my past hard work could go away, and I could lose everything. But I know this is my own experience, and it’s okay if people can’t connect with it. That’s where the feminine energy comes in: staying grounded, surrendering, knowing that this is who I am, accepting it, and nurturing it. Now I really have that great balance of masculine energy and feminine energy.

I’m not trying to make millions right now. I’m just trying to have this journey. I’m trying to be a catalyst for people to change their lives, so that they can go off and change the world. I believe my purpose is finding other women with passion and purpose who are going to make an impact on this world, and I want to help them do it in their own way.
 
*Adapted from The Next Tuesday Podcast: "Don't Be A B*tch. Be An ALPHA" with Seo Kelleher /  Intuitive Coach; Founder of Alpha Female Sisterhood

Are you a high-performing business woman or entrepreneur who is thinking about creating your own online group course or program, but you’re stuck at the "getting it done" part?

Maybe you have plenty of passion, magic, and valuable skills you’d love to share, but are feeling overwhelmed at the thought of how to get your first online program started or how to sell it.

You might be unsure about differentiating yourself in a saturated market, maintaining your authenticity, and attracting clients whose energy aligns with your own.

Maybe you’re even stuck in a space of lack-mindset or fear: you know you have a great idea for an online program, but you can’t seem to push past your fear of failure. You might be worried you don’t have all the skills you need to launch, and technical terms like lead pages, pre-launch, email campaign, and webinar give you anxiety.

If any of this sounds familiar—but you’re still passionate about your idea, and want to explore online programming as a way to take your business to the next level—then my Program Creation VIP Intensive might be for you. 

Here’s what I’m offering: my Program Creation VIP Intensive will give you the opportunity to spend four hours working with me to gain clarity in developing your first online program, develop a detailed and specific outline of what exactly your program will offer, establish your marketing campaign, and make sure you’re ready to launch your program—in just FOUR HOURS.

Basically, four hours with me is the only thing standing between you imaging your dream online program but having nothing to launch, and actually launching your very first program.
Let me break down those four hours even further.

Hour One: Clarifying Your True Passion And Differentiating How Your Authentic Energy Makes Your Program Original
In our first hour together, we’ll answer questions like: What am I really good at? | What feels effortless to me? | What is my true passion? | What message do I want to share with the world? | What impact do I want to make? | Where am I already noticing success in my business? | Why would a client want my program above everyone else’s? | What does my dream program look like?
You’ll come away with: Program Title, Program Goal, Content Outline, Program Length, Delivery Method, Other Basic Components.

Hour Two: Crafting Your Message To Attract The Right Audience
During this hour, we’ll answer questions like: What is my messaging? | What are some of the main keywords of my program? | How am I going to articulate what this program is and who it is for?
You’ll come away with: Consistent Copy-writing To Use Across All Your Launch Efforts, A Key Messaging Strategy.

Hour Three: Creating Your Foundational Structure
Here, we’ll figure out: What you need to build this program. | How you’re going to distribute your sales and marketing materials. | How you’re going to deliver your program. | How you’re going to use email and social media.

You’ll come away with: A Lead Page, A Sales Page, A Webinar Or Video Delivery Platform (if applicable), A Sales Funnel (if applicable), New Or Updated Social Media Platforms, Email Campaign Software.

Hour Four: Marketing And Promotion Strategies
During our last hour, we’ll discover: How you’re going to promote and sell your program. | How you will promote your program through social media. | Are you going to host a giveaway or a time-limited challenge? |Are you going to collaborate with another influencer whose audience connects to yours? | How many e-mails are you going to send? | How many Facebook/Instagram/other posts are you going to create?

You’ll come away with: A Comprehensive Timeline Of Your Promotion Plan, Template E-mail Reminders, Template Early Bird Specials, Template Bonuses, Template Social Media Posts.
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Follow Up:  Personalized Email Support And Follow Up
For 14 days after we’ve completed our VIP Intensive session I’ll be available to you through e-mail to respond to questions and concerns, as well as offer extra suggestions, tips, tricks, and ideas for keeping you accountable to your launch deadlines, if you need a little extra boost.

To sum it all up: After completing my Program Creation VIP Intensive, you will walk away with a complete program outline, messaging and content to start promoting your program right away, a functioning lead page and sales page to facilitate registration and accept payment, a step-by-step launch plan to market and promote your program, and more. All in just four hours (that’s half a day!) with a $1000 investment.

Sound too good to be true? It’s not! When clients work with me, they take immediate, concrete, and massive actions to get fast results. Together, we’ll ensure that every action step is aligned energetically and strategically to your overall mission and passion, making sure you stay grounded and also keeping you accountable to your own project goals. 

In fact, one of my clients just sold-out her online program at her very first launch! Another client created her signature 1:1 package and has since raised her price three times due to an influx of new business. I’ve also launched three successful programs myself: Everyday Intuition, 21 Day Mindset Makeover, and 21 Day Mindset Makeover: Money Edition. By finding the right blend of your own authentic magic, commitment, and playing big, you can enjoy successes like these as well.

If you’re interested in my Program Creation VIP Intensive, the first step is discerning if it’s the right time to plan your program: feel free to request a consultation call, during which I can help you determine if you’re ready to plan and launch a program.

Then, apply for my 4-hour Program Creation VIP Intensive at: Program Creation VIP Intensive
For even more information on creating your own online program, check out the following videos, available to all members of my Alpha Female Sisterhood group:

Product Creation Business Tip - Go Deep Before You Go Wide!
Why Passive Income Is Not The Reason To Create Your Online Program
Four Hours With Me Is The Only Thing Standing Between Nothing And Your First Program Launch
Why So Many Entrepreneurs Get Stuck In Program Creation & How To Get Unstuck—Stop Listening To Other People

​2017 was a difficult year. For me, it’s been a year filled with tears, disappointment, and frustration. More importantly, though, it’s been a year of reflection. Most of my professional work experience has been working with adolescents and adults with eating disorders. As you can imagine, a significant portion of eating disorder patients identify as female, and most of them struggle in some way with body image. The work I’ve done with women with eating disorders has really allowed me to examine the thoughts and beliefs women have about ourselves in an up close and personal way. The biggest lesson that I’ve learned, however, is that all of us struggle with mind and body insecurities, just to varying degrees. Because of factors beyond our control (the patriarchy, the media, Donald Trump), we are universally told that we need to change ourselves, physically or emotionally, to fit an unattainable mold. While I don’t profess to know how to change systemic norms surrounding the expectations of women, I do have some thoughts that I keep in my back pocket that helped me brave the shit storm of 2017. 

1. Your words matter. 
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This has two meanings, really. The first, is that your words are impactful and important. The second, and more important meaning, is that the physical words you use matter. How many times have you caught yourself speaking about another woman in a negative way? Why do we, as women, fall into the trap of breaking each other down, rather than building each other up? The eating disorder community is very intentional with the words we use. Language about shape, size, food, and exercise are not discussed. This is because words have a great effect on our thoughts and behaviors, especially about ourselves. Close friends of mine have commented on how they’ve noticed a change in my language, and how that’s helped them to be intentional about the words they use and the topics they converse about. If we can change the way we speak about other women in particular, we can all work toward communities where we talk more about ideas, and less about people.
 
2. You have the power to empower.
 
Whether you’re a leader among your circle or not, you have the power to build others up. Empowering people can be something as simple as providing words of encouragement when someone you know is struggling, or being a support person for a loved one. Empowerment is making someone else feel as if their hopes, abilities, and needs are valued. Over my time working with young women women with eating disorders, I have discovered the true power of helping someone through their most challenging moments. For someone with an eating disorder, that may be getting through a difficult meal, and for some else, it may be grieving the death of a loved one or failed romantic relationship. The experience itself does not matter, the acknowledgement that you could be part of someone else’s journey does!
 
3. Basque in the glory on an all female work environment.
 
So this one is a bit odd, but in mental health, it is a likely that a large percentage of your work environment is female. Regardless of your work environment, cherish the women that you work with. They may be your peers, and they may also be your mentors and the women who champion you along your journey. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking “there aren’t any hot guys to stare at”. That’s heteronormative, and honestly, just dumb. You have the opportunity to grow professionally alongside other women, and be empowering influences on one another. Isn’t there a saying that you spend most of your life at work? Take advantage of the relationships you have at your workplace and make them badass lady friendships.
 
4. Build a support network.
 
This lesson, while especially true for individuals with eating disorders, is also true for all women. A wonderful mentor and friend of mine once told me that the most successful individuals who recovered from eating disorders had a support network of people who were focused on their recovery. In many ways, we all need a support network in our lives to get us through tough times. Whether your network is your mom, sister, best friend, group of coworkers, friends from bookclub, or lady friends on Facebook, the support networks you create are essential for your health and happiness. Of course, your network doesn’t just have to include women, but having a network of women will help you to feel understood. We all have similar experiences, good and bad, that other women can relate to. There is huge power in feeling like our experiences are understood and accepted.
 
5. Practice empathy.
 
This is the lesson that transcends every other thing I’ve learned. Empathy is the process of acknowledging that something within yourself identifies with something within another person. Empathy is what helps us build connections with others. This was the biggest takeaway I found in working with individuals with eating disorders. While I may never experience the level of shame or guilt that they experience related to food or body, practicing empathy helped me to understand those struggles. I firmly believe that so much of the world’s problems could be solved with a dose of empathy. Make it a practice to invoke your empathy when another woman does you wrong. It will help you feel connected with that person, and also help you accomplish all of the steps above.
 
Whether 2017 was equally a garbage heap for you, or the best year of your life, I hope that you continue to work and advocate for a truly feminist society. Keep sharing your amazing ideas and root for your fellow woman, your words could make all the difference.
 
With love,
Sabrina