Look How Far You’ve Come
I don’t know about you, but I’ve come a long way in the last eight years. The reason I know this, is because I have taken the time to stop and take inventory. If it has been a while since you’ve done that, I would urge you to do it now. You might be surprised at how far you’ve come. Often times we look at what’s going wrong in our lives, rather than what has been going right. You might find that you’re doing better than you think when you look back to what you were doing two years ago, five years ago, even 10 years ago…
For me, I’ve been building this life/passion coaching business since 2010. I launched it at the 2011 Women’s Resource Fair in Lake Geneva. Over the course of the next several years I signed up for and spoke at multitude of business events, wellness fairs, spirit fairs, groups, etc… Anything that seemed like a good fit, I did it. I networked with hundreds of business owners in the Milwaukee and Southeast Wisconsin area trying to build something that I didn’t even know how to build yet. At the same time, I was battling an inflammatory auto-immune disease in my body. You may have met me at one of these classes, workshops public speaking events, etc… I may have looked vibrant, excited, and happy to be there. And the truth is: I certainly was. However, my body was tired, overwhelmed, and in pain. I kept doing what I thought needed to be done and by 2014 I began slowing down. By 2015, I just plain stopped. I put the biz on hold, focused on my health, and went to work part-time for a local friend of mine. In 2016, I was invited by my friend Lucas to have a booth at The Wellness Fair. I thought, “Why not?”… one more fair won’t hurt. Because I was slated to be a vendor there, I was given the opportunity to write an article for a local magazine. It was entitled “It’s not about going big, it’s about being you”. In writing that article, I realized that I had spent a lot more time “doing”, and a lot less time “being”. As a result, I was actually starting to lose myself. This was a realization and feeling I was very familiar with, as that was the reason I started my business “Finding You” in the first place. I had been there before, and knew what to do to get back on track. I took my attention off my business, and put it back on to me. I stopped driving all around the Milwaukee County area because, well, I didn’t live there. I lived here and worked in a little community in Walworth County. And if I was going to grow my business, or even myself, HERE is where I needed to be. It’s where my family is, many of my long-time school friends, my job, and my home sweet home. Most importantly, it was where I was. When I started working for Brandon at East troy Acupuncture, he allowed me to bring my coaching practice along with me into his location. My business had found a home, close to home, where I could relax, take my time, and just be me for a while.
Now that I have regained my inner strength, am back to hosting workshops, and regularly see/talk with coaching clients again, I feel super charged! With a delicate balance of home-time self-care, part-time employment, family/friends time, and business building, I am feeling like myself again. All systems are go – Forward HO! When I look back to where I’ve been and where I am now, I’m pretty darn proud.
What about you? What’s your story? What obstacles have you overcome these last several years or so? What has changed? How have you grown? I’d love to hear about it. (Feel free to share it in the comments below, or reply to the RSS email, if you signed up for inbox delivery.)
If not much has changed, and you need support, don’t be afraid to reach out to those who you know will be there for you. As the Beatles sing “I get by with a little help from my friends…” .
In case you are wondering, I’m still here. No, really, I’m HERE.
Much love,
~ Jody Pogo :o)
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6 Comments
Brandon LaGreca · February 1, 2019 at 7:48 pm
You are amazing Jody! We honor your life experience that is of profound value to those you coach. Blessings on your continued journey.
Jody Pogo · February 2, 2019 at 9:05 pm
Thank you Brandon! :o)
Yvonne Lauer · February 11, 2019 at 12:47 pm
Glad to hear you’re “here,” Jody, and that you’re doing well! My time spent working with you last winter and spring was very valuable and helped me to find my new career path! I’m almost done with my schooling to become an IIN Health Coach and I’ll be certified in March. I’ll be starting to work with my clients out of our existing office in Waterford soon and I’m hoping to grow and branch out from there. Let’s keep in touch!
Jody Pogo · February 11, 2019 at 3:43 pm
Wow, that’s great, Yvonne! Thanks for sharing your update. I look forward to seeing you and your business grow. We’ll definitely be keeping in touch. :o)
Anne Wondra · February 21, 2019 at 3:51 pm
Welcome back; thank you for this update; and I too ‘get’ that part about wanting to be where I am. Happy for you, all the best, and much love. Hope we happen to be in the same coffee shop again soon. That was fun!
Jody Pogo · March 9, 2019 at 1:52 am
Thank you for the response and support, Anne. Yes, I too hope to share some coffee with you again soon. It was fun. Let’s make a plan!