Happy Friday, Ya’ll!

I’m working out of town and sharing an oldy-but-goody blog from 1/18/17. Do something good for yourself this weekend!!

I’m posting this because I made a commitment to myself to release a blog every week. And as we know, commitments made to ourselves are more easily broken than those we make to others. A few weeks ago, I stayed up until 3am making a cheesecake for a friend of a friend because I’d promised her one by the next day. A friend of a friend who would have been fine getting it a day or two later. But commitments I made to myself to…

sleep more

eat well

move more

promote my business…

were easily rationalized away or put off until…wait for it…TOMORROW.

Not anymore. This is a not a New Year’s resolution.

It’s treating myself with the same respect I treat others.

It’s being good to me.

It’s living my life on purpose.

I had good reason to justify taking a posting break: a family matter rightly consumed most of my time this week. Sometimes, though, a reason becomes an excuse.

“There is always enough time. One of my biggest pet peeves is when someone’s excuse is ‘I didn’t have time.’ From getting important work done to texting someone back, you always have time if it matters.” …author Kim Stolz

Don’t ‘reason’ yourself out of keeping promises you make to yourself…out of doing what matters. If you would do it for someone else, DO IT FOR YOURSELF!

Not sure what that looks like, schedule a free 30-minute coaching consult to determine if I can help you figure that out, http://crenecoach.acuityscheduling.com/

Hello Lovely!

It’s September. We made it. Seriously. If you’re reading this, you’re still on this side of heaven with the opportunity to do what you do. And I truly hope it’s what you WANT to be doing.

The suffering and devastation that’s occurring in Houston from Harvey (and the new threat to the east coast from Irma) causes us to rally to help people we don’t personally know, hug our loved ones closer, and take a (often temporary) reprieve from taking life for granted.

Never mind, that Every Day All Day, tragedy is occurring somewhere to someone.

I attended a wedding earlier this summer and found out today that one of the groomsmen, a 24-year old man, was struck and killed by lightning while walking with his friends on a Florida beach!

My life experience (unexpected illness, death, and life transition) has molded me to put off as little as possible. The blog title comes from an article I read about birds being much smarter than previously believed and how being tagged ‘bird brain’ is far from an insult. This line in particular, struck me:

“Birds will wait for better. But if you give our gray parrot…the better treat first, he’ll look at you for about a second as of to say, ‘What, are you kidding? I’m not waiting for a worse treat.’ Then he’ll grab it.”

Many of us are presented with a great treat (an exciting work opportunity, a travel adventure, a new relationship), but we let fear or the fallacy of holding out for ‘better’ keep us from experiencing the right-now-treat.

Life is arbitrary. Stop Waiting. Be a bird brain.

• P.S. It’s book club time! Click into to getting your Right Now On. We’re reading the beautifully written and illustrated, The Crossroad of Should and Must by Ella Luna. AND registration comes with one coaching hour at no additional cost!! https://crenecoach.com/the-l-t-s-g-book-cluba-crenecoach-jam/
• P.P.S. Here’s the link to the bird article, http://time.com/4894988/studies-show-birds-remarkable-cognitive-skills/

It’s my birthday!! I wanted to write a profoundly inspiring, Kick-A birthday message. Then I saw Pablo Neruda’s words on my friend, Sharon Zink’s FB page and I’ve learned not to look a gift horse in the mouth.

These words are more than profoundly inspiring. I’m blessedly grateful to say that these words…

Are. My. Life.

If they aren’t for you now, I hope they will be soon. Back to the celebration. ♥️💃🏽🌈

P.S. If you want to stop “dying slowly” and start living your dreams, check out the opportunities to work with me under Coaching and Classes. Don’t miss the FREE coaching session bonuses that end at midnight tonight.

The Weekly News in cReneCoach-land…

Heyyyy Everyone!

This has been a mixed bag week for me and probably for most of you too. I addressed that in my blog, Afraid or Fierce. Read here if you missed it, https://crenecoach.com/afraid-or-fierce/.  No more muting myself out of fear or to make others comfortable in that icky way we do that feels like swallowing bile.

On a happier note, This is the week of the eclipse and also my birthday! WOOT!!

“A solar eclipse is a celestial event in which the moon passes between the sun and Earth and blocks all or part of the sun.” Wikipedia

I’ve been reflecting on the past birthday year and how much I’ve gotten out of my own way re letting my light shine. This has resulted in more clarity and creativity in my business which has brought more clients and opportunities. I can’t say enough how FREEING mindset work is and how much I love guiding women through it who are motivated to live what they crave. The freer you get yourself, the freer you are to help others. Fancy that!

Speaking of living what you crave, the September selection for The Freedom Chronicles Book Club is a deliciously enlightening read,  The Crossroads of Should and Must: Find and Follow Your Passion, https://crenecoach.com/the-l-t-s-g-book-cluba-crenecoach-jam/

Another ‘living what you crave ‘ opportunity re work/career is the Your Next Move teleclass, https://crenecoach.com/your-next-move/

In honor of my birthday, I’m adding FREE as in ‘no additional cost’ coaching hours to your sign-up!! Yes, I’m giving away up to 58 (my age) free hours if you sign up by midnight 8/23. Annnndddd…If you refer someone who signs up and gives your name, you also get free coaching. You can’t beat this deal with a stick!

Finally…The Desire Map retreat offer will be released soon!! Fab travel agent, Gerrilyn Grant is finalizing the details so block your calendars for April 26-29, 2018.

Happy eclipse watching and if you’re ready to stop blocking your light, sign up for one of the great opportunities above or schedule a free consult with me.

💜💕❤️

cReneCoach

 

Last night, while driving to meet girlfriends for dinner, I felt anxious and afraid. I was listening to MSNBC journalist Joy Reed interview Rev. Traci Blackmon. Rev. Blackmon gave a chilling account of what she witnessed in Charlottesville over the seminally horrifying weekend of  hate group terrorist activity and her reaction to 45’s lying characterization of those events and emboldenment of the perpetrators.

Throughout my life, I’ve been in speculative conversations with friends and family about what we would have done during slavery and conversations of gratitude for the sacrifices of our ancestors and the more recent sacrifices of civil rights foot soldiers…some we are related to or knew.

Last night, the fear of being attacked for being black weighed on me, not as a shameful part of America’s historical record, but as a clear and present danger NOW. We talked about this at dinner and stated that even depending on the police for help is not an option since we don’t know who’s in the hate club and who’s not. I stayed up most of the night watching the news shows and feeling more and more depressed and pessimistic about who we are as a country(doing less of this!).

And as always, God pulled me off the ledge of despair. The title of my morning devotion??

Not Fear But Faith (The Daily Bread)

And it’s as simple and hard as that! This week, Mr. Washington is away taking care of an older family member in the throes of dementia. Different friends are:

celebrating a new marriage,

preparing to move across the country,

supporting family members in crisis,

sending children back to school,

grieving the death of family members,

showing up and showing out for their J.O.B.

We do all of this while living with the added weight of knowing we’re an identified target. I’m a person of faith who loves Jesus. These hate-filled asshats who claim to do so are liars! If you aren’t a believer, please also don’t believe they represent my faith. If you are, we’ve got to be louder than than them and I don’t just mean by speaking…but do speak  Truth to Krazy whenever you can!

My ‘loud’ will also be in doubling down in my life mission to Free The Women. To coach as many women as possible to Live Free by doing work that feeds their purpose and allows them to direct their influence and resources towards what they value. I believe we have the power to change this world for good and say Bye to those who can’t get on board with that.

“Ain’t gonna let nobody turn me ’round.” Negro spiritual and civil rights anthem

We have to Know It. Own It. Live It. That requires stepping over fear and into Fierceness.

Join me.

P.S. If you want help getting clear on what your lane of Fierceness looks like and how you can walk in it, check out my coaching packages, or join my virtual book club. Or do both! https://crenecoach.com/clarity-to-freedom-packages/ 

https://crenecoach.com/the-l-t-s-g-book-cluba-crenecoach-jam/

P.P.S. Already know that work is your issue or you want ‘next chapter’ planning, join the Fab group of women who signed up for Your Next Move, the teleclass to get you moving on that! https://crenecoach.com/your-next-move/

 

 

 

 

Yesterday the plumber came. Not earth shattering news, but revelatory for me because that visit was a long time coming. Longer than I want to confess.

We’re doing mind detox work in the BARE group I help coach and a big Aha for me is a mental block I had around what Mr. Washington ‘should’ do. We had issues with the three house toilets and a slow-draining sink. He rigged the worst toilet enough to work, but other than that, was not concerned. I was VERY concerned, imagining flooding toilets and was irritated by the slow drain(that I use daily and he doesn’t), but did nothing because HE should handle it!

What the hay??!! I won’t list all of the things he DOES do, but suffice to say this was a totally created issue based on a limiting belief I had around what ‘the man’ SHOULD handle. Yes… Ms. evolved, enlightened, feminista was stuck in an old paradigm around house repair.

And the deeper issue? Wanting him to care about what I care about. Because I certainly get revved up about everything that revs him up. NOT!!

Every time I turn on the faucet in the now free-flowing sink, I’m reminded of how much better I feel when I drain mental junk. When I let go of ‘shoulds’ that keep me ‘clogged’.

This is what great coaching does: unclogs mental drains and flushes emotional baggage. Don’t suffer.

Call the damn plumber. Or Coach!

P.S. Got some ‘SHOULDs’ to drain? Check out my virtual book club, renamed The Freedom Chronicles. Last month’s members raved about Freedom Seeker and we even had a video message from the author. I’m excited about September’s selection which continues our focus on moving toward Living the Life You CHOOSE. Click here for details, https://crenecoach.com/the-l-t-s-g-book-cluba-crenecoach-jam/

P.P.S. Know your clog is about work? In a funk or exploring next chapter options? You don’t want to miss signing up for Your Next Move, the steal-of-a-deal teleclass that will help you get clear on the steps to take to get work that works for you. Smart women are already registered. Join them! https://crenecoach.com/your-next-move/

Within three years of what would be a 28-yr corporate career, I was promoted into management. And a few years after that, I knew that I couldn’t stay in that role. I felt overwhelmed and behind the eight ball on a daily basis. Amazingly, I was viewed as a good manager, but I knew that my faking it would soon be outed. I loved the company and didn’t want to leave, so I explored my options.

This was major! I didn’t know of a precedent for someone voluntarily stepping out of management. I only knew about people being asked out. But even though it scared me to think I could be ruining any chance of future progression, I applied for a professional non-management position and got it.

I was reminded of this recently because I made the decision to reduce my coaching prices. Also a scary move because of all the messaging I’ve heard on womanpreneurs undervaluing their services. This is true. What’s also true is that everyone’s path is different and as I often share, mine skews crooked.

As soon as I dropped my prices, women began contacting me to hire me! And this wasn’t about them knowing about the price drop. They didn’t. I believe it’s my new mindset energy. I feel good about what I’m charging and that’s translating into new clients and cool opportunities. So much so, that I had a Hallelujah-Thank-You-Lord dance break!

And my corporate self-imposed demotion?? I did well in that role and eventually ended up returning to management, running the management training program(!!), the soft skills training program for all employees, and discovering my true calling: life coaching.

Stepping back can be the ticket to moving you forward.

P.S. In a work funk and ready to figure out what your next steps should be?? Ready to feel good about your day-to-day and receive what that good feeling manifests? I dropped the price of  Your Next Move too(a $700 drop only in cost NOT value!) and it’s an incredible not-to-be-missed deal for woman ready to write their next chapter.

Don’t. Miss. Your. UP.

https://crenecoach.com/your-next-move/

Hellooooo, Everybody!

I’m an admitted personality test fanatic. The media versions used to be pretty transparent in how to skew a result, but recent ones seem to be more credible and accurate… and they’re always fun. I took one called, Which Female Archetype Are You? and got (in high to lower % order): Warrior/Queen/Maiden/Wise Woman.

Topping out with Warrior surprised me because the scared zone has been my lane All My Life.

Yep, my biggest opponent has been myself or rather the limited version of me my lizard brain wants me to be. I constantly battle ‘You can’t’…, ‘You shouldn’t’…, ‘That’s not for you.’ thoughts. Thankfully, since I’ve been in this war since teen-hood, my turn to the free yo self lane happens a little quicker.

My trick for The Lizard? Instead of trying to banish her (which makes her fight harder to be heard), I’ve adopted her as my friend. She’s trying to send help that I rarely need. I acknowledge that, say thanks but no thanks and send her on her not-so-merry way.

So, YESSSS, I’m a Warrior and a Queen/Maiden/Wise Woman too!! I fight to live the life I envision, even if I have to fight myself. And the dividends keep paying off! This week in cReneCoach-land:

• I completed a ‘scare yo self’ challenge of doing 5 consecutive FB live videos (stay tuned, I’ll be doing Freedom Friday Live on FB each week!)
• I applied and was chosen as one of two BARE coaches to manage the FB page for the BARE Daily membership community.
• The first book discussion (Freedom Seeker by Beth Kempton) for my new virtual book club (renamed The Freedom Chronicles) was a great success! Next book will be in September.
• I’m one of the workshop presenters for a FAB women’s conference called Be Golden, with headliner Awesomely Luvvie, who’s been on my ‘want to meet’ list! Would love for you to join me, http://begoldenstaygolden.com/. Use code GOLDEN for an additional $400 discount thru 8/31.
• The beautiful abstract painting series above (Strength to Love) by artist, Shauna Meiri, was “deeply inspired” by a line from one of my posts, “the goal is not perfection, the goal, is love”. Whattttttt????!!!!! Blew. Me. Away.
• I created a ‘loads of good stuff’ teleclass, Your Next Move, to help people be as happy about work as I am that starts 8/8/17. If you’re unhappy at work…if you’re reading this with the dread of Monday in the back of your mind,  It’s Time for you to Stop That! by joining this group. https://crenecoach.com/your-next-move/

We can ALL be warriors…for ourselves, for those we love, for our passions. Acknowledge your fear and keep stepping unless there’s a ‘real danger’ reason not to. The Joy of Freedom is on the other side of scary.

Scare Yo Self.

You never know who you might inspire.

P.S. Want to learn your female archetypes? Click here, https://quiz.tryinteract.com/#/597220486d5a5d00114ae961 

 

 

 

Had a chat with one of my A-team friends (accountability team) who is also a solopreneur. She was raving about the positive turn my business has taken with new clients, new opportunities and how my putting myself out there is finally paying off.

She also commented on how she loved that I combine fun with training for my craft and it inspired her to incorporate fun into staying on top of HER craft. Now she gets her c.e.u.’s in cities she’s always wanted to visit, staying in upscale hotels, getting spa treatments and having a blast!

I am a Pleasure Principle woman! Life is difficult all by itself. When I find myself feeding THAT beast, I press the ‘stop that’ button on that ‘ish’, count my blessings, and course correct to happy.

This pic is from the Georgia O’Keeffe museum in Santa Fe, where I planted myself for a life-altering week at Gail Larsen’s Transformational Speaking training.

Work I Love + Sidenote Pleasure = Bliss

Over the past 18 mos., I’ve also trained in Savannah, NYC, on the Queen Mary crossing the Atlantic Ocean, London(high tea at The Ritz, ya’ll!!), and Louisville. My wallet is crying(I’m MUCH  better about balancing pleasure with fiscal reality. 😱), but I wouldn’t trade those experiences for anything! There’s enough ‘what I love’ built into the work I’ve Chosen to re-energize me and push me through the tough part.

It’s a cliche and it’s true:

Life is what we make it!

What are you willing to do to make yours what you say you want??

Change jobs?

Enjoy dinner and a movie with only your Fabulous self?

Renegotiate a relationship that’s become untenable?

Wear that new strut-your/stuff outfit, Now?

Whatever it is…

See the links below for help with that. ❤️

***New pricing, so if you haven’t looked lately, check again!***

https://crenecoach.com/your-next-move/

https://crenecoach.com/clarity-to-freedom-packages/

 

 

I’ve been working with a bookkeeper (the Fab, Ariane Trélaün, doyourthing.biz) and this week she gave me the full report on my business numbers. I was head in sand about this last year(having TOO much fun!) and wanted to reel myself for focus on more $$ coming in than going out.

Best thing I’ve done for my business! And it made me think about how valuable knowing your numbers is not only in a business, but in life.

I told someone recently that growing this business is the hardest work I’ve ever done, but I realized that wasn’t true. The hardest work I’ve ever done was continuing to work in a job past my expiration date. And I say MY expiration date, because it finally clicked that the job wasn’t the problem. It was time for ME to move on.

It took me 4 years to figure that out.

It me 2 years more to leave the job.

90 + Sundays dreading Mondays.

$100’s of stress dollars spent on food and shopping sprees.

6 months after my mom’s death to connect the arbitrariness of death to the arbitrariness of life.

3 visits to my financial planner for the o.k. to quit.

5 people I told how I REALLY felt before I left(JUST KIDDING!).

1693 days since I DECIDED to trust the signs and leap into what’s been the adventure of my lifetime!

What are your numbers on ANYTHING you’re tolerating that’s causing you suffering?

A job? https://crenecoach.com/your-next-move/ Class starts 8/8. Email me to set up a call to answer your questions about this Not-To-Be-Missed opportunity to move from soul-sucking to life-enhancing work!

A major life transition? https://crenecoach.com/clarity-to-freedom-packages/

Your body? https://crenecoach.com/body-work/

Are you looking at your bigger picture?

This coach has got you covered. Because I know from suffering and I can guide you in how to

Release Yourself from what’s binding you.

P.S. Thanks to ALL who completed the retreat survey! I had a great response and don’t take for granted your taking the time to do it. Retreat planning is happening!