InsightfulImaginative. Inspiring. At least that’s what I tell myself.
I’ll start by saying that “tell me about yourself” is pretty much the most intimidating (and exasperating) thing you could say to me from across the table at a dinner party. I seem to get a smidgen tongue-tied summing myself up in a neat little package.
On that note, here’s my story…
Wait first, a note on what I’m not: I am not a life coach. Ha! I am totally a life coach. I just cringe at that flaky, flowery, fluffy bunnies & rainbows image. Yuck. It would be awesome if someone could just sexify the whole notion.
I’ve always been a seeker, completely obsessed with reconciling the wisdom and wonder of science with the mystical world of spirit and grace. I’m constantly learning to be both whimsical and grounded, and to live in a way that connects my head with my heart.
I have a wacky talent for making connections. I love connecting you to the science & magic that will ultimately connect you to yourself. I like connecting people with ideas, each other, and themselves. I love putting these connections and patterns together like a puzzle; it’s just the way my brain works. And it allows people to see more possibility, in themselves and the world around them.
A few other things I really love:
• Paradox, and surprising juxtaposition. Coincidences (or when I’m feeling spiritual, serendipity & synchronicities). Ribbon. The buzz of a hummingbird outside my window. Sunlight dappled through a canopy of trees.
It’s a good thing I love paradox, because I’m full of them myself:
• I’m sarcastic and I’m earnest. I love to travel and I get homesick every time. I’m a healthy eater and sometimes I eat cookies and ice cream for dinner.
A few things I’d be if I weren’t a coach:
• A photojournalist covering hard news stories like “Which Polynesian Island has the Best Beach?” & “Maui: It is all Sunbathing and Snorkeling.” A comedy television writer/producer (not because I think I’m funny, but because I really, really wish I was). A pastry chef and decorator at Charm City Cakes. Those people just really rock.
I also made the leap from a “successful” corporate career to the world of doing what I love. I’m a reformed certified public accountant, with a bachelors degree in accounting from Arizona State Uiversity and a masters degree in business taxation from the University of Southern California. I once had an office with a view, and a client list that read like the who’s who of corporate America. Now I have joy in my heart and a bounce in my step. Fortunately I leapt and the net appeared and now I am kind of fanatical about believing it will happen for you, too.
Oh, and one last confession:
I was captain of the cheer squad in high school. Many of the friends I’ve made as an adult find this fact endlessly hilarious. I’m not entirely sure why. I think it has something to do with their view of me as too intellectual or sarcastic or down to earth to fit their own personal stereotype of the bubbly, chirpy, (flaky) cheerleader.
But what about the metaphor? What about the role itself?
Isn’t the cheerleader’s purpose to enthusiastically support the quarterback (that’s you!) as he throws a hail mary pass (takes a giant leap) to win the championship game (a bigger, bolder, blissful life)?
So call me a coach, or a bliss advocate, or a cheerleader. A smart, sarcastic one with a slightly longer skirt, and a little more substance, a little less rah-rah. Oh, and less boy crazy, more joy crazy.
Get in touch – I would love to hear from you! ~briana(at)blisscovery(dot)com~
Can we please talk about me now?
I’ll start by saying that “tell me about yourself” is pretty much the most unnerving (and exasperating) thing you could say to me from across the table at a dinner party. I seem to get just a smidgen tongue-tied summing myself up in a neat little package.
On that note, here’s (the slightly relevant part of) my story…
I work with people who have been struggling with their bodies and eating habits forever. We work through their stuff and change their patterns so that they can get on with their happy, healthy lives. And yeah, learn to maybe like themselves a bit along the way.
My stuff? It was big.
I spent a long time believing that getting and staying thin was the whole point of my whole life. Sure, I knew how to deprive myself skinny. But, crazy enough, it never led to bliss. Still, there was a part of me who kept believing if I could just do it one more time, this time it would last. You know, so my favorite jeans and I could ride off into the sunset together.
Yeah, no. Eventually I did figure it out and here’s the deal: Finding freedom has nothing to do with deprivation or willpower and everything to do with meeting yourself where you are. And realizing that this struggle doesn’t say anything bad about you. You are perfectly lovely, as is.
Not that I’m perfect. Gah, that would be annoying. Of course I still slip. But I can always find my way back and even keep on liking myself. Usually. And of all the things that qualify me as a wellness coach, healing this stuff for myself absolutely takes the cake.
Experience is one thing, training is another. I’ve learned from some of the very best. I trained with both Dr. Martha Beck, author and columnist for O Magazine, and Brooke Castillo, author and masterful weight-loss coach.
I constantly devour the latest research on wellness, psychology, creativity, neuroscience … this stuff is just candy to my hungry brain. I also love learning about nutrition and fitness and I’m happy to share what I know. But that’s not the sweet spot in my coaching. That’s not even the fairy dust.
Other (slightly relevant) superpowers:
I have a wacky talent for making connections. I love connecting people with ideas, each other, and themselves. I love putting these pieces and patterns together like a puzzle; it’s just the way my brain works. Recommending the right book or concept or tool to the right person at the right moment makes me delirious with excitement.
Dealing with all of this food and body stuff truly helped me figure out who I am and what I’m all about. And discovering my own version of bliss means always learning how to be happy, creative, and productive. Because of that, I am also crazy in love with helping people find their thing.
A few other things I really love:
Paradox and shocking juxtaposition.
Coincidences (or when I’m feeling spiritual, serendipity & synchronicity).
Abundant sunshine. No, like really, really abundant.
That elusive intersection of comfort and style.
It’s a good thing I love paradox, because I’m full of them myself:
I’m sarcastic and I’m earnest.
I love to travel and I get homesick every time.
I’m a healthy eater who sometimes eats cookies and ice cream for dinner.
I’m a self-help skeptic and I cannot help myself from gobbling it up. Cannot. Help. Myself.
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