3 Years!

Hooray!

Three years ago today I launched Lumina Advocacy & Coaching. This anniversary almost passed me by without fanfare...but I believe in taking time to celebrate. To celebrate is to acknowledge. And man, there is so much to acknowledge about launching a business!

Reflecting on my journey as an entrepreneur, I remember the decision to launch a business was riddled with much stress and tears. It meant leaving my beloved Twin Cities. It meant saying “farewell” to friends who had turned into family after living in Minnesota for almost 9 years. It meant confronting the fears and limiting beliefs such as,
 

“I’m not smart enough to start a business.”
“Where will I find clients?”
“I don’t know anything about running a business.”
And, “What if I don’t know all the answers” (Ha! of course I never will).

Those questions pointed to a larger issue.  I was playing small….in my work, in my relationships, and in what I thought I was capable of. This internal dialogue felt heavy and near impossible to move toward what I was passionate about.  

So, I asked for help! I worked through all of those questions (and hundreds more) with a Business/Life Coach who held up the mirror to help me see and build on the many things I had going for me, rather than magnify what I perceived as deficits. I started deciphering truth from untruths and put action steps to my dreams.  I am forever grateful to Sara Lebens who beautifully supported me during that time and for the way our journeys intertwined. 

 Moving to Kansas and deciding to launch was a risk. Let me tell you, that’s exactly why I needed to do it. 

Because the greater risk was in staying…

Perhaps you’ve experienced this before, the pain of playing small? Have you had that tug on your heart to step more into the gifts and talents you’ve been given? Have you desired to expand outward with all the best parts of yourself to serve your loved ones? Do the fears loom large? Was it hard to see the light?

I was stuck there, and it felt crappy. I had a choice: stay, feel crappy, and continue to get by, or jump.  In early 2016 I realized I could no longer operate by shrinking my dreams, shrinking my talents, and putting a glass-ceiling on what I thought I was capable of.

So I jumped! I leaned into the risk. I decided that I was going to be okay with discomfort. I shifted my mindset from “I’m not smart enough” to, “I am enough” and, “What can I learn today?”

What a wild ride it has been! I can honestly say I have loved every minute of it.Today, 3 years later...

I am so grateful for all the learning
I am so grateful to my amazing community of support encouraging me onward.
I am so grateful to have challenges that bring me energy.
I am so grateful to embrace what is “new” and “different”.
I am so grateful for the opportunity to explore and decide the healthiest path for me, my business, and my clients.

I am so grateful to live a life that feels BIG.

It’s a life built on my strengths, built on my passions, and designed with wellness in all areas of my life in mind.

Lumina means, “to bring light to”.  It’s a reminder to myself to share my light with others, as well as a calling to support others in finding their light.  Partnering with clients and witnessing breakthrough moments is the greatest gift of being a coach.  For as many people are on this earth, there are that many ways to live BIG.  My aim is to continue partnering with men and women to confront the ways they’re playing small and design a life that embodies what “living BIG” means for them.

Thank you for being a part of my journey and celebrating with me!