#1 The One With the Origin Story. Pt 1

Hey friend,

I almost lost it all, and myself, in motherhood.

I haven't talked about my work much, but as I approach the relaunch of my brand and business (Friday 3/1/2024). I feel like I have so much I need to get off my chest. TBH, I just don't care what anyone thinks anymore, and I hope this helps a mom who needs to hear this.

I lost myself somewhere in 2021. I told myself it was the surgery I had on my ear and brain. But really, covid was hard on me as a mother. Much harder than I thought it would be. I think a lot of working moms, are just now getting a glimpse of what life was like before. Maybe you can relate? I let the fear of what was happening in the world totally pull my focus away from my career, who I was, what my dreams and purpose were in this world... And molded me into this fierce "mama bear" in protector mode. I had to keep my babies safe, and my sole focus was on them.

(Before I get to the part of losing myself in motherhood, I have to tell you what happened leading up to 2021)

I started creating content, sharing my thoughts, teaching, etc in 2014. 10 years of content. Back then, no one had heard of the term creator or influencer. It was weird that I left my really successful corporate ladder climb to start online health coaching.

It was strange to my friends that I shared my inner monolog on facebook or instagram. It was odd that I took selfies, and documented my life. It was weird that I gave advice on social media that no one asked for...

Until... it wasn't. It became normal that my day was filled with answering questions, solving problems, and well.. helping.

Coaching, teaching, and building a personal brand were new fringe things that were just starting to catch on. By 2016, I had replaced my corporate salary.

By 2017 people started asking how I did it? How I grew a successful online brand. I ran Facebook ads for local small businesses, and stopped getting questions about my workouts. So, I pivoted to business education and coaching others to do the same. I made $250k+ that first year of my pivot.

The Slay Coach was born and all of a sudden I went from "some chic posting on social media." To the titles of networking event leader, podcaster, speaker, educator, course creator, and by year two... the label of "7 figure online coach by year 2."

I was featured in every major business magazine I had ever dreamed about. I was asked to speak at conferences, on podcasts with millions of downloads and at tables with almost every self-help and business podcaster and author you see on the shelves of Barnes and Noble, at Target, and in your new and noteworthy feed.

If you name your favorite thought leaders, I probably have their phone numbers. But I never quite felt like that was where I was supposed to be. Not because they weren't lovely, but because, it just... wasn't really me.

I was the shiny new overnight success. The purple girl who cussed too much. But looking back, I didn't know how to handle that level of attention and success. Was it because my nervous system wasn't wired for it? Was my heart too big, or my skin too thin?

The bigger my success, the more I feared falling. I was told I needed to move to LA or Austin to get to the next "level," but even at dinner in Nobu with people I looked up to, I still felt like I was just a beauty school dropout from south Louisville, a Kentucky girl who beamed pride for her hometown. I felt like everyone wanted a piece of me, and I was so afraid I would be seen as a money-hungry, awful human if I let anyone down.

There is so much you have to be when people look to you for inspiration and put you on a pedestal.

I had to be humble, but with radiant authority and confidence, or I would be seen as cocky.

I had to be a present mother, but also had to say yes to every opportunity in every corner of the earth to grow my business (speaking engagements, meetings, networking, etc)

I had to make sure I was the poster child of humble beginnings and success, but I was so worried if I didn't give that success/fame/money away to everyone who needed a boost, then it would be clear that "success had changed me."

I felt like I had to stop what I was doing in my business to be an advocate for every disaster/cause/movement, or fear getting canceled or losing friends and followers. Or be seen as "out of touch."

I was in such a hustle zone of my work, purpose, and message for 3 years, that I don't even remember how I got to where I did.

Then- enter our frienemy, 2020. That's when it all changed for me, again.

Months before lockdowns, I was in LA... Just about a mile from the helicopter crash, the day Kobe died. I had just wrapped hosting a vip retreat for my mastermind clients. When I turned on the news... and all of a sudden all of what I had worked so hard for seemed... pointless.

I turned on the news in my luxury hotel room...and heard the anchor say that Gianna passed away in her daddy's arms. That's when I made one of the biggest decisions in my career. (Part 2 tomorrow.)

I love you