How gratitude helped me go from $11 and 3 cans of beans to over $22,000 in one week. I had officially launched my business, but had yet to sign on a client and the funds had dwindled. While driving home on a bridge one day, my car kept stalling. I quickly became anxious and a bit scared, knowing that I only had $11 and 3 cans of beans to my name. I started and stalled my way to the closest gas station with a mechanic and dropped off my car. They called two hours later to tell me what the issue was and the cost to repair, which was over $700. When the mechanic asked if they should fix it, I said sure...without having any idea how I was going to pay. To calm myself down, I shifted my focus to gratitude and started saying out loud everything I was grateful for while pacing back and forth in my condo. This shifted my energy back from feeling desperation around money to how can I be of service and help others. I reached out to two individuals I met a couple of days prior (not knowing whether we would work together or not) and in one week, I had signed on new clients who paid in full for their coaching programs. I went from $11 and 3 cans of beans to over $22,000 in a week.

"One of us is wearing the wrong outfit" kept running through my mind. A traumatic event turned my world upside down and led to the end of a lengthy teaching career that I truly loved. I was in my early 50s, with no income and wondering how I could move forward in life. While I was grateful to eventually find work that paid the bills, I was still feeling a regular tug in my soul for something more. Several months into my new job, an outside consultant was brought into the office to conduct a staff training. It was bittersweet recalling how much I enjoyed the countless teacher trainings I facilitated in the past. I sat quietly observing the consultant in action. She was a friendly person and dressed impeccably, but sorely lacking in leadership and organizational skills. I could see the frustration on my colleagues faces as we all grew impatient. I recall sitting in that uncomfortable chair, arms crossed, with a "you've got to be kidding me" look on my face watching the training filled with countless missteps. I couldn't help but think, "One of us is wearing the wrong outfit." In that moment, I knew I had to make a change and thus began the path to starting my own business. I reinvented my life and decided to become a professional coach to help others create their next chapters, professionally and personally.