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I had planned on writing an intro to this post and tell you all about the AMAZING woman that is in my life. As I type this out, she is talking to me through Messenger. Talking me off a ledge that I feel like I have been walking for all of February. She has a power for words and for telling people exactly what they need to hear. I remember the day in February 2020 when she officially hit the publish button on her site.
That weekend was full of growth for ALL of us. She stepped into her power and her vision and created this beautiful place for people to come to. A place where those who had a past filled with pain and turmoil could feel less alone. Watching her vision come to life is a moment that I will replay for my entire life. At that moment she gained freedom and power and the ability to just be herself in a world that often makes you feel like you need to hide your pain and authenticity.
I won’t make you wait any longer. Here is a guest blog post that was written by Jody Laird about working with me.
JODY’S STORY OF STEPPING INTO THE POWER OF BLOGGING
I was born a storyteller. And the plan I wrote before I came “here” was about what stories I would live and what experiences I would go through in order to be able to rewrite them with the purpose of creating a connection with others. What I didn’t know was how my voice at different times would be muffled or silenced or shut down along this path and how that would impact not only my physical body - but my mental health as well.
Do you know what it is that separates us from most other beings on this planet? It's our ability to communicate authentically and as individuals. That is why who you are, what you go through MATTERS… your story is important. What you have to say to others in a sentence can change a life simply by living yours. On paper or in the spoken word. Someone helped change mine but I’ll get to Sam in a minute.
To uplift another soul with your story or lessons embroidered within your energy is like eating the healthiest food that tastes like the guiltiest pleasure… you just want to go back for more and fill your belly over and over. That was my life for a while.
I was teaching classes, speaking at conferences, mentoring many, travelling the world, raising babies in the language of abundance. I was hearing words of a life just around the corner but the images behind the curtains were starting to become really apparent.
As a successful leader in that business I was starting to be asked to live as an inauthentic persona - paint the struggles of the business with a social media shine in order to attract new recruits or to “stop demotivating the newbies with the nightmare of the struggle” but all I heard was lie, lie lie.
We were asked, like in many NWM companies to focus on personal development but what I didn't realize was that the books were just for the appearance on the shelf. As the voice in me started to get shut down more and more because I refused to be inauthentic and taught on the struggle, I soon found I was losing teaching spots, no longer speaking at conferences and being shamed for being real.
LEARNING HOW TO BE MY OWN WARRIOR THROUGH BLOGGING
This is where Samantha came into my life. The only scent I had been smelling was the “if you stop now you are a quitter” mantra and it never let me breathe the “you’ve grown past this” place breeze. What Sam did was help me find other avenues to use my voice.
I have known Sam for years and have watched her develop her skills as a blogger and then as a blogging mentor, coach and change agent. She loves and cares for people deeply with her bubbly personality and her generous heart - and brings all this to her business models. Every time I fell and struggled it's what lifted me out and brought my voice back and my message clear.
As I was transitioning out of my past career she helped me anchor my story into blogging so that I would have a soft place to land. This is where Sam really shines and stands out in all that she does. It all started with a “How to Blog'' class that she held at a local library a year ago.
She is an amazing instructor and so hands-on while I was a technical dummy that wasn't grasping any of the ideas that she was talking about. So the idea of Blogology was born! We spent an entire weekend developing MY BLOG! From the colours to the ideas to the format to everything! And at the end of the weekend?
Launch Party! But what was really happening for me was Hope-Party. I was being given an out of the place I was now no longer fitting into. I had somewhere that I could now be 100% ME. No more hiding. No more faking. No more social media shine.
So as one place started to fade the other place, blogging, started to take off! And Sam was there holding both my hands as if I was on thin ice and learning to skate for the first time. My brain was so filled with closure and grief and anger at work that no matter how hard I tried I could not learn the basics of blogging (or maybe was blocking it out of fear of moving on?) that Sam literally did EVERYTHING for me.
Sam was so patient and encouraging and such a positive coach. She gave me different packages along the way to support my learning and support my blog. You wouldn't believe what this girl does behind the scenes for her people!!!
And finally, the big moment came and I officially left and came face to face with my limiting beliefs, years of negative psychological re-wiring, approval addiction and loss. And I crashed. And I disappeared. My blog stopped. I stopped. But Sam didn't stop. She is this little Warrior who summons all the strength that I have left and gets me to keep fighting. Sometimes without seeing it until it's already done. Then I get to look back and say… “Sam! I did it!!!”
Where for years if I didn't make 10 phone calls a day or have 5 recruits a month it was pounded in my psyche that I was failing and even one of my leaders once told me I was “fucking it up for my family”. Sam didn't see a blog from me for over a month and she brought over two pizzas and we chatted and laughed - about life and love.
Not once about business. And I have never felt more loyal to someone in my life. I want to get through this healing for me… but also for her. I know that sounds crazy… but I want my blog and my business to be crazy-successful so she can look back and say… “Jody! I did it!!!!” And feel too like she conquered the world and knows what it's like to completely change a life.
Thanks, Sam. I truly love you.
I want to show you how you can also stand in your power and begin to grow in ways that you didn't think were possible. I want you to share your story, create a connection with your past and embrace who you are in ALL of the moments of your life. Fierce Growth Accelerator starts March 7 and runs for 12 weeks. I want you to know that you are NOT alone in this journey.
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