Listen Here:

In this episode, we discuss:

• How Illuminated helped Michelle transition from chronic illness to CEO
• How owning your identity creates space for sustainable success, confidence, and integrity
• How reconciliation shifts perfectionism and leads to soul healing
• Helpful tools Michelle integrated to gain trust and momentum in your business

 

Additional Resources:

COURSE: Illuminated

Inside of this 9-month training program for coaches and healers, you will unlock dozens of new healing techniques and step into mastery. Illuminated teaches you the techniques you need to heal yourself and your clients, so you can feel confident facilitating life-changing results. The curriculum integrates the mind, the body, the subtle energy system, and all the magical tools needed to holistically approach healing and scale your biz!

PRODUCT: Organifi

These superfood products are 100% USDA certified, organic, and keto-friendly. They have less than one gram of sugar per cup, which allows you to just fully indulge and enjoy every sip. Organifi has products for whatever mood you are in! They are simple and delicious! Go to www.organifi.com/empath to receive 15% off your order.

QUIZ: Empath Archetype Quiz

Discover which of the 5 empath wounds show up most prevalently for you AND how you can use this awareness to shift your identity.

Episode Transcript:

Welcome to the Uncensored Empath, a place for us to discuss highly sensitive, energy, illness, healing, and transformation. My name is Sarah Small, and I’m a life and success coach for empaths who want to create a thriving body, business, and life. Think of this podcast as your no-BS guide to navigating life, health, and entrepreneurship. You’ll get straight to the point, totally holistic tips from me in real-time. As I navigate this healing and growth journey right beside you. This is a Soul Fire Production.

Holy moly. I am so flipping and excited for my guest today. She is another one of the Illuminated students and our conversation just… Literally, I was just smiling ear to ear huge, fricking grin afterwards because you are just gonna feel, as empaths, you’re definitely going to feel Michelle’s energy today. So first, as a reminder, Illuminated is a nine-month coach training program that I host once a year. And it invites you into a level of mastery. So you can feel confident, you can feel competent, and you can facilitate amazing life-changing results for your clients. And have this giant toolbox of 10-plus, it’s actually so much more than 10, tools to be able to use in your calls. So that again, it fuels your energy and the resources that you have to have a big impact in your clients’ lives and on this planet as a whole. Here we are, officially enrolling now. So, there’s going to be links below. As you hear Michelle today, if you feel inspired, there’s also a code that we’re going to share at the very end for 10% off of your enrollment.

Well, let me tell you more about Michelle Etchison. She is a business coach for soul lead Entrepreneurs, and she’s here to help you activate your voice, embody your fullest expression, and allow your business to come alive. She believes that through body-based healing, women can step into their next evolution of abundance, pleasure, and impact. She, like myself, originally entered this field, this industry because of her journey with autoimmune and chronic illness. And much like myself has gone through such a journey to get where she is today and be the fricking powerhouse that she is. She holds such beautiful space for her community and clients. To say, I’m proud of her would be an understatement, but really, I just see her as a peer in the coaching industry and someone who I look up to. And I see the spark within her that is going to continue to grow and emanate outward. And I just know that she’s going to continue to have such a big impact on this world. So, let’s dive in and start chatting with Michelle.

Sarah: All right, I have Michelle on the show with me today. Welcome. Welcome. Welcome Michelle. I’m so excited to have you.

Michelle Etchison: Thank you so much. Sarah is such an honor to be here. I’m so excited.

How Illuminated helped Michelle transition from chronic illness to CEO

Sarah: So we were just talking about, and I was saying, we need to start recording because you’re dropping these gems in just our little discussion. And I want you to rewind back to, we were just saying, it’s been about a year since you were stalking the Illuminated long period program. And I want you to think about just where you were at. And so how were you feeling last January, February, early 2020 when, or right before so much shifted for you?

Michelle: Hmm. Wow. January, 2020, I was in the place of, my business was still a hobby. If I’m going to just start off being brutally honest here. My business was a hobby and I was treating it as such. And when I saw you talking about Illuminated, we talked about, how I stalked the sales pitch. I must have reviewed it a hundred times. I talked to my husband about it and he was, you want to do it, go for it. And I was, I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know. But I was really in this space of, I want my business to be sustainable. I want there to be momentum in my business. I want to feel safe to be who I really am. And to say what I have to say on social media and not be in the space of people-pleasing and perfectionism and holding back my truth.

And something about the way you were speaking about Illuminated. I was, this feels like my next step. This feels like the space that I need, the space that can hold the growth that I desire, and a place where I can’t hide. A place where there’s no space for me to play small and act like, I don’t know how powerful and capable I am. And how important the work that I’m doing in this world truly is. With that in mind, I remember after I had my discovery call with you and I decided to join. I remember on that exact day, I saw two owls fly right by. And I was, that’s my sign. That’s my sign from my soul. That is a sign from God, but that this was the opportunity. And I’m so grateful to that version of myself that said yes, even though I was scared.

Sarah: Yes, We were just talking about that too, and I’ve been able to witness just so much growth and expansion in you, in this last year. And it’s been so, so amazing to witness. We were talking about your Instagram bio and the wording at the very top, at least, currently says, «I went from chronic illness to CEO». And you just mentioned how, if we’re being honest, the business was more treated like a hobby. And I think a lot of people can resonate with that. And if they’re really transparent and truthful with themselves, say, I haven’t really said, hell yes, and gone all into what my true power is. My true capacity and capability is as a CEO. And so I’d love to have you just dive into some of that transition and the shift that has happened over the past year in the transition from chronic illness or business as a hobby to really owning your CEO role.

Michelle: Yes. So, our bios are always shifting and evolving, but right now, that just feels so true to me, that feels so empowering to me and, my journey and all of this healing space. And how I got into coaching, it’s my journey with chronic illness. And I know so many of your listeners can experience, have experienced that, and have that background as well. And, for a long time, I was so afraid of success. I actually remember on one of the first calls that we had with you, that came up. I was, I feel like I’m meeting this edge. I feel like I’m expanding. And yet every time I reached the edge, I pulled back, and I run, and I hide. And I was in this space of, it was starting to become more painful for me to stay in the same place and pretend, I don’t know how powerful I am. Than to just take a leap and go and embody that sea of energy and embody the amazing coach that I really was at that time.

But I was so scared because I was projecting all of the what if, worst-case scenarios. What if my business expands and I’m not able to take the responsibility or my health crumbles? And I have to flake out on calls. What if I become so stressed that I lose sleep? And I was in all of these scenarios where success equals pain, success equals criticism. Success equals failure. And I was in this space of, I would have my blinders up. I was only seeing all of these potential negative aspects of what it would mean to be a CEO, to freely, fully choose into my business. And for a long time, I hadn’t fully chosen into it. I had one foot out the back door ready to run. If things got a little too scary, if things didn’t work out the way I wanted them to. And until I decided to fully choose into, this is my business, this is my mission here on the planet. And I’m not going anywhere until I really fully chose into that. I was never really in that space of, I am the fucking CEO and I’m here to stay.

How owning your identity creates space for sustainable success, confidence, and integrity

Sarah: Yes. Oh my gosh I love this. So I’m curious when you literally look yourself, Michelle in the mirror, look yourself in the eyes, in the mirror. What do you feel has shifted most about you, or your beliefs, or your energy that have really allowed you to stay in that sacred place of no, I am here, I am the CEO and this is what we’re doing?

Michelle: I love that. Sacred is one of my words for this year. It’s so that feels really good. It’s yes, this sacred space, this sacred energy of, yes, as a business owner, the fears come up and the self-doubt comes up. And, I get to choose that I’m no longer available to entertain it. In the past when I used to look in the mirror, it was all of the self-doubts. All of the criticisms, all of the judgments around, I should be farther along by now, or, I should have it all figured out by now. Or I can’t do it perfectly so maybe I just won’t show up, or all of the what-if worst-case scenarios. But, now, when I look in the mirror and see who I really am, I can look into my own eyes and feel safe in this body. And feel safe in this vessel that I’ve chosen to live this life in. And the energy, even just what I feel around me, even in this moment, just feels so much more in integrity with my soul. Before it was just, I’m living for other people.

And I’m in this space of labeling myself as, I’m a quote-unquote sick girl. I’m a quote-unquote, good girl. And I was forcing myself to live in all of these labels that somebody else put on me. Versus now, when I look in the mirror, I know who the fuck I am. And if somebody else wants to put a label on me, I don’t care. If somebody else doesn’t like me, I don’t care. And that’s one of the really major things that allowed me to actually grow my business. And step into more responsibility and more clients and more money is, recognizing that I get to be exactly who I want to be. And it’s okay if so-and-so, doesn’t like what I have to say, or so-and-so doesn’t like that post, it’s just dropping that people-pleasing, dropping that perfectionist and reconciling with these parts of myself and fully owning them.

Sarah: Yes. I think so many listeners and myself included can deeply resonate with the cycle of being in perfectionism. And being in people-pleasing, that can feel like the way that we’ve just always lived, the way we’ve always known life to be. And the way that we’ve continuously shown up to relationships and to then, that transfers into our business. Are there any specific things that really helped you start to break the cycle of perfectionism and people-pleasing? You mentioned reconciling parts of yourself. I’m curious if there’s anything else that really allowed you to say, if you don’t all like me, that’s okay? And I don’t have to be anyone different or mold myself into a shape, so that you do like me.

Michelle: Yes. This is something that you’ve supported me with Sarah, really this idea of reconciling with the parts of ourselves because so often we make ourselves wrong. We make ourselves wrong for being a perfectionist. We make ourselves wrong when we get caught in cycles of self-sabotage. And, for a long time, I was in that space. Every time I was, if only I wasn’t this perfectionist, I could have that success that she has. Or if only I wasn’t so afraid to speak my truth and just be who I am. Then I could be visible in whatever. And for me, really learning to recognize that I don’t have to shame these parts of myself. I don’t have to wish them away. I don’t have to get rid of them. And instead, can I honor the part of me, can I honor my inner child, the version of me who thought that she needed to be perfect in order to be loved in this world?

Can I honor the younger version of me who thought that her value came from putting everybody else above herself? And from that space, when my perfectionist does come out, when my people pleaser does get a little loud. I can come at myself from this space of grace and compassion. No longer shaming myself or judging myself for being where I am. And that really supported me in breaking the cycle of every time I go to post, is this perfect? Or every time I go to create a program, Oh gosh, I don’t know would people like this? And really enter into the space of, my soul is telling me that this is what comes next. And this is what my intuition is telling me, go for it. Then I feel safe to do it. But, that’s really where the intersection of business and inner child healing became so clear, and so apparent to me. And it’s ongoing.

How reconciliation shifts perfectionism and leads to soul healing

Sarah: Yes, it is. And it’s so felt in the way then, the way you shift, how you show up in your business, once you’ve done some of that reconciliation. And once you have connected with the little girl within you, within all of us who did create these habits or patterns, just to protect herself or try to keep herself safe. And that was okay at the time, but it doesn’t serve me anymore. And I remember you saying something along the lines of the testimonials you were getting were these like beautiful testimonials because your work has always been beautiful. But that there was this common theme of people kind of describing you as compassionate or warmhearted, which are absolutely true. And again, fucking incredible parts of who Michelle is, but what I’ve noticed and being able to witness in you is that those parts haven’t gone away. You are still a compassionate, warm-hearted human being, but there’s this power and heat that has built within those. That I’m curious, how have you been able to bring the fire into who you were a year ago, and also just who you are naturally? Does that make sense?

Michelle: Yes, that makes sense. Oh, I love this question because this has been, in 2020, this is probably the biggest thing that I moved through is, honoring my gentle, compassionate, nurturing side, and allowing that part of me to shine. That part of me is not going anywhere. That’s part of who I am, but for the longest time, I thought that’s all of who I am. I’m compassionate. I’m sweet. I’m nice. But I was living in that label of I’m the nice girl. I never offend anybody. I hold beautiful space, and right, but that doesn’t change. I still hold a beautiful space, and I can be powerful, and I can be fiery. And to be honest, I think a lot of people find themselves in these either-or conversations. I can have this, but I can’t have that. I can be gentle, but I can’t be powerful as fuck.

Or even in the chronic illness space, I have an illness and therefore I can’t have a business. I can’t lead an impactful fulfilling life. And that’s where we get to enter into this space of both. Hell yes, I can be gentle, and powerful, and fiery, and say what I want to say and not always be so censored. And the thing that really supported me in honoring that version of myself was just letting her live. And one question that I came back to that I always asked myself is, what am I willing to let go of to become the person that I am meant to be? What habits, what ways of being am I willing to let go of, to become the woman I am meant to be? And as I asked myself that question, again and again, I started to realize that the ways of being that I get to let go of, censoring my voice. Always feeling I have to be liked. Always feeling the content that I post nobody could possibly disagree with it. And as I started to expand, and expand, and expand and collect evidence for myself that, Oh, when I show up fully in my power, when I show up as the badass queen that I am, my soul sets fire, and my business could really take off. And I just felt so much more alive in my own body.

Sarah: What shifts have you seen? So, major energetic, emotional healing shifts behind the scenes in your business. How has that translated into what you see within the more tangible pieces and exterior of your business?

Michelle: The first thing that I thought of was just the way that I allowed my content to shift. Because for a long time, it was in the chronic illness space, hand-holding, everything good, everything’s okay. And then, supporting people and encouraging people in that way. And my content outwardly has shifted a lot from being this just nurturing vibe to sometimes my content might trigger somebody. Sometimes somebody might not like what I have to say or agree with what I have to say. And it feels so much more true to me to allow myself to speak up and to share.

And also outwardly, over this last year, transitioning really has allowed me to show up and feel confident in going live. And even being on podcast interviews. It’s like, this is no big deal. This is fucking fun. Versus in the past, when I first started my business, there could have been an opportunity that I might’ve even turned down because I was so afraid to be seen and to be heard. In another shift, just thinking outwardly tangible, I’ve had the highest month in my business. And I’ve been able to sustain that. That, is truly the key. That is truly the testament to the shifts that have happened because for a long time it felt like I’d have a good month in my business, but then, the next month, it was a minimum amount of money dollar month. And it was because I would show up in my power and really show up. And then whoo, I was exhausted afterwards. I wasn’t able to fully hold and sustain that level of responsibility of showing up. And so, every time I would show up really big and have a really good month in my business. The next month, I would just feel so exhausted and depleted, I have to run and hide, because my inner child was freaked out. From more money, more clients, more visibility. And so for me, actually being able to sustain my business. And to have momentum in my business has been one of the biggest tangible results that I’ve felt and seen.

Sarah: I love that. And I think that’s such a good point that, sustaining that energy, sustaining that abundance, and that level of transformation is really the testament to something has truly shifted. Versus hitting those high months and then dipping back down. It reminds me, even of the old stories we would tell ourselves of, well, if I have this much success then I’m going to go into an autoimmune flare. And these stories that don’t have to be true. And so as we, as individuals, grow and evolve and change our businesses evidently evolve and grow and change with us. And I’ve been through it and you just went through it as well. And I’m curious, just what does it felt like, been like for you to also transition who you’re speaking to in your business? Especially, I know as I transitioned into a new message, into a new person who I was just speaking to with all my content, that there was fear. There was fear of leaving people behind. There was fear of losing people. There was fear of not being liked. We talked about the old people-pleaser selves. And I’m curious just as you have evolved and grown, I think that our message it gets to naturally evolve with us. But what permission slips have you given yourself or shifts have you noticed?

Michelle: Yes, I definitely felt that as I transitioned and move forward in my business. For a long time, I felt that same fear of who am I going to leave behind if I allow my content to shift? Who am I going to abandon if I allow myself to evolve and allow my business to evolve? Because inevitably, as business owners, we’re constantly evolving or constantly growing, because our businesses are always going to poke at our insecurity. In all of our wounding and ask us to stand at a new level of healing, and ask us to evolve and move forward. And for me, one of the biggest permission slips that I gave myself was, it is okay if people leave. It’s okay if people leave. It doesn’t mean that you’re abandoning them. It doesn’t mean that you’re leaving them behind. It just means that maybe their cycle with you is complete. That for awhile, your paths crossed, and maybe my content served them. Maybe my program served them. And if, the me that’s moving forward, we’re not aligned anymore. That’s okay. And how beautiful is it that we had that time together? And how beautiful is it now that perhaps as people leave, it just creates more space for the new aligned zones to come and find me? So we can be in connection and community with each other.

Sarah: Yes. I’ve been talking a lot about leadership on the show lately. And this is just reminding me of what it means to be a true leader, because if we stifle our growth and try to hold ourselves back in order to continue to speak to the same people forever. Even though our soul is growing and it’s evolving, then we’re not really being in leadership. We’re not taking the next step or the first step forward and putting one foot in front of the other and evolving. Instead we’re staying stagnant. And so I think there’s also so much leadership power and just frequency of being a true leadership that gets to be present when we decide to change. And we have the courage and the bravery to just let ourselves go there. And to shift instead of trying to stay in one box that, because we said, that’s what we were doing initially. Somehow there’s this imaginary rule that we have to stay there. When in fact, to be in true leadership is to continuously be showing up for that new energy and that stepping into our highest again and again, and again. Saying yes to some of the discomfort within our own lives, in order to get there.

And I’m curious because this year has been a big year of, and not that it’s just confined to this year. I think it’s a continuous process, but I’ve been able to, again, watch and witness you brush up against these edges, brush up against the discomfort. Sit in the discomfort, stay there for awhile, continue to say, hell yes to yourself. And I’m curious just what that experience has been like, because I think we so easy to avoid that? So easy to avoid and say, I’m going to stay down here. I’m going to stay in this comfortable place. I’m going to stay in what I know. And instead, I’ve seen and witnessed you Michelle say, no, I’m not staying there. I’m going over here. I’m continuing to forge this path. Can you talk a little bit about that?

Michelle: Yes, yes, yes. I love that. That is so true? We, as human beings, we seek safety and we find safety in our comfort zones. And that’s where so many people get stuck. They come up to a resistance of this new thing feels uncomfortable. So I’m going to run back to the safety of my comfort zone. And, we get to be forgiving of ourselves when that happens. But for me, this year, what that’s really looked like, I sit with it and feel into it. It’s honestly boiled down to self-leadership. Me leading myself before I’m out there leading my community or leading my clients. It’s me leading myself.

And every single day, when I wake up asking myself, what is the vision that I have for my life? What is the vision I have for my business? What is the vision I have for my own personal growth and evolution and transformation? And how can I today, moment to moment live in integrity with what I say I want? How can I live in integrity with the vision that I say I have? And just one choice after another, choosing myself, choosing my vision and choosing to show up. Even at the times when it is so fucking uncomfortable and so scary. I can’t tell you how many times in my own healing journey, I’ve been absolutely terrified to take a step. Whether that’s investing in a program or investing in a mentor, or launching a program, or sharing the posts. I brushed up against fear and self-doubt so many times that it’s really asking yourself, are you going to sit and unpack and set up camp with your fear and your self-doubt, or are you going to feel it? Are you going to choose to allow it to be there? Are you going to choose to acknowledge it and, then, move with it?

Because the fear is not going anywhere. It’s part of the human experience. And if we always are, Oh no, it’s too scary. I just won’t do anything. That’s when we standstill. And as a result, that’s when your soul starts to feel stifled. And if you have a business, that’s when your business becomes stale as fuck, because you’re not moving anymore. And that’s what you want to do. You want to move your soul wants you to move and evolve. And for me, it really has come down to the self-leadership and calling myself forward to live in integrity.

Sarah: I love this, and I just love conversations around leadership right now. They’re filling my soul up. And I think we get to really look at leadership in a different way, in a different lens. And maybe, we’ve seen it or pictured it more traditionally or over years past.

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Sarah: I’m curious how being in this container we were talking about in the beginning too. Just how this has been a really long container. And so, a lot has happened over the last 10 months. And a lot can happen in 10 months, especially in the year that we just went through. And how has it been being part of a community in 2020? How has that opened things up for you or been part of your growth?

Michelle: Oh, I have so much to say around this. It’s funny, when I entered into Illuminated, I was, Hmm, yes learning new tools, becoming a more competent, capable coach. Yes, yes, yes. And I honestly overlooked the aspect of community and having a space where I’m so held and so supported, and having community. Having the space where I’m able to be around other entrepreneurs who are growing their businesses. Who are understanding who they really are, who are claiming what they really want. Who are just powerful and embodied leaders themselves has been so transformative for me. Because honestly, sometimes the entrepreneurship journey can feel really lonely because it’s, you. You have an assistant or a team, maybe it’s your team, your assistant, but there’s not always space for community and bouncing ideas off of each other and sharing in the victories and sharing in the fears.

And having that space to be able to be home, it was just been so transformative. And another thing that’s coming through right now that, just the level of community has been so empowering. Because, Sarah, well, you’re obviously the leader and the mentor and the guide. I feel like none of us have ever put you on this pedestal where you’re better than us somehow, or you’re the leader. And therefore you know, everything, you know more. And being in a container where I’m held as an equal. Being in a container where I’m viewed as a peer, here has been so empowering. And I think that’s where a lot of things in the coaching industry get to die. Where it moves through a death and rebirth stage, but being around all of these women who are these incredible leaders. Who are these incredible coaches and healers has just been, there are no words. It’s just invaluable.

Sarah: I love that so much. And that’s what I think makes this community so special. Is that we’re all on a level playing field and going through a human experience and our business building entrepreneur experience. And I think we’ve also asked ourselves some really hard questions this year. We’ve had conversations about shifting the way that we market in the coaching industry just last week. And earlier on in this experience, we had a lot of tricky, hard conversations around ethics and being in integrity in business. And it’s been so powerful to see all of you women just show up and you are here for it. And you are there for the conversation and not afraid to make the tweaks or shifts, edits, and changes to make sure that you move forward in integrity with transparency and clarity. And what you stand for in your values, your mission, and your message on this planet. And that, not everyone’s having those conversations. And so, that’s been so cool for me to be part of those conversations with you guys. And not having all the answers for you, but being able to at least ask ourselves those hard questions. Would you agree?

Michelle: Yes, definitely.. Being in a space where we have the opportunity to have these open conversations and feel safe and stumbling a little bit and learning together, and just being around women who are committed to showing up. And to being a part of this gigantic shift that’s happening in our industry has been just, so powerful.

Sarah: Yes. And I think that’s where we all get to be in that self-leadership like you were talking about before. Where I’m choosing to show up, not just based on these outdated paradigms and old ways of marketing, and the way that I’ve seen coaches have success in the past, but not so grounded. And instead, I’m choosing to start to do business differently and to show up in a different energy. And to make sure that I have these things defined in my life and my business. So that we can look back and go, I’m really fucking proud of myself. And I’m so proud of what I’ve created and how I have chosen to show up in this little world of the coaching industry. So, there’s obviously the business, there’s a community, there’s the energetics behind everything we do. But there’s also the tangible tools. That I think you mentioned are initially what drew you in. Like, I want to have this full healing toolbox to be able to support my clients. And I’m curious, what do you find yourself going to the most or getting the most amazing results or facilitating the most amazing results for your clients? What are the tools that you would say are your top three?

Helpful tools Michelle integrated to gain trust and momentum in your business

Michelle: Oh, top three? Hard question. Okay. I’m going to feel into this. One of my favorite tools is contrastive analysis. So I’m not sure if your listeners are familiar with what that is, but it is such a powerful tool for embodiment work. Allowing your clients to get out of their heads and get back into their body. And for example, so many people might try to process their fear in their minds. Or they’re, I’m afraid, and this is why, and this is this and this, and really allowing your clients to get into their body. What does that feel like in your body? Does it have a texture? Does it have a color? What does it actually feels like? And allowing them to have this sensory experience. Allowing them to move through it in a completely, completely different way. I feel every time I whip tool out on a client call, clients are, Oh my gosh, what just happened? That was so powerful. And it’s so simple. So that’s one of my favorite tools.

Obviously, breathwork. Absolutely one of my favorite tools. And I will say another thing that I just have truly appreciated about this container is all of the emphasis on the importance of down-regulating the nervous system. And pretty much all of the tools in that toolbox. Like emotional freedom technique, and just allowing that space for down-regulation of the nervous system to happen. Because no matter what you’re brushing up against whether it’s healing, chronic illness, or it’s in your business. So often there is this upregulation of the nervous system that’s happening, where we’re in fight or flight. Whether it’s, you’re going to create a post on Instagram and you’re, Oh no, is it perfect? Let me just, Oh, it’s not. Okay I won’t post it, and getting all freaked out.

And so often, all we really need is to feel safe in our bodies and to feel safe in expressing who we really are. Showing up in the world as who we really are. And having those tools to be able to guide people to down-regulate their nervous system. Anchor into safety in their body, because for some people they don’t even know what it feels like to be safe in their body. And from that space of being grounded in safety, that’s where so much of the other magic can happen. But I think where a lot of coaches actually get caught up is, jumping into all of the strategy and all the everythings. But if you’re just upregulated and in fight or flight, there’s not as much available in your body to be able to learn, and to hold new information, and to embodying the shifts that you want to embody. So that’s a whole module.

Sarah: I love hearing you just explain that in your own words. It just makes me so happy to see that these learnings have landed and you’ve integrated them. And I’m sure you’re also integrating them into your business. And so, I know one of the recent creations in your business is, She Thrives. And I’d love for you to just talk a little bit more about what that is, in case anyone’s interested, but also, how have you been able to, because I think sometimes people get stuck on that. They’re, well, yeah, it would be great to have the tools or it’d be great to learn this, or this or that, but how am I actually going to apply this? So I wonder how, in your own words, you can talk about how you have been able to apply some of that as well.

Michelle: One thing that you taught me, actually, Sarah, is this idea that our businesses, our programs they all have their own consciousness. They all know what they want. And it’s up to us to get, to sit back, lean back a little bit and just listen and be with the energy of what wants to be created through me. And what tools do I want to bring to this? How does this want to come into the world? And for me, as I was always creating She Thrives, which is my monthly membership site. I really was anchoring into what wants to come through? What tools would be supportive? And for me, working with the embodiment piece, working with the embodiment. Allowing women, the opportunity to ground their energy, to get out of their heads, get back into their body, whether that’s using breathwork or somatic movement. Or even like I talked about the contrastive analysis and allowing that to just be a really integrated tool that I can use whenever I want to.

And then, like you said, as well, sometimes it is easy to get caught up in, Oh, I have these tools, but what does it actually look like for me to use them? And the truth is you get to use them in whatever way you want. In whatever way you want. There’s no right or wrong. There’s no, Oh, she did it this way so I have to do it this way. You get to, I think each of us has our own unique gift. Any each of us has our own unique way of sharing them with the world. Whether that’s in the format of a membership or a group program or one-on-ones. And for me, inside She Thrives, having a healing session every month, having an embodiment session every month. Having an opportunity for group coaching every month, having just the flexibility to bring whatever I want to the container every month. Based on what is everybody’s energy, what are the clients need? What wants to come through and trusting. Trusting myself that I know. That’s been one of the biggest things, is the trust piece. Just trusting in myself, trusting in my business, trusting in my programs, and trusting in the tools. And also trusting in my clients that they chose this container. They chose me for a reason, and they’re going to receive exactly what they need to receive.

Sarah: That’s been one of the coolest things, you said it so beautifully. That, you get to choose how you’re going to integrate the tools and the pieces that you really want to bring to your community or to your clients, to yourself as well. Because we can use these tools on ourselves. And it’s been so cool as your guide and facilitator, just to watch how every woman has really done that differently. That there’s not one way to do it, but each person has taken it and applied it to their business. In a way that feels most aligned, organic, and natural for their business and the community that they serve. So that’s really, really cool. After this year of, hell yes, stepping into your power, stepping into this is not a hobby, I am a fucking CEO. What words of wisdom might you share with the woman who is more like yourself a year or two ago? Or wanting to really grow and scale her mission and her business this year 2021?

Michelle: I love that, words of wisdom. You get to choose yourself. And that you don’t have to wait around for somebody else to choose you. That you don’t have to wait around for somebody else to tell you that you’re enough, or that you can do it. And own your power and stand in your truth. And whatever people-pleasing tendencies, whatever, perfectionist tendencies, whatever self-sabotage tendencies, whatever fear has been standing in your way of the growth and the expansion and the self-expression that you’ve been deeply, deeply craving. I would invite you to say yes to a container, to say yes, to the support that you need. That’s going to allow you to move forward, because I’ll be honest with you, for a long time in my business I didn’t really have any support. And as a result, I was stuck in cycles. Cycles of self-sabotage and I was never actually seeing the growth or expansion I wanted because I was trying to do everything all by myself.

You don’t have to go on this journey all by yourself, even though entrepreneurship can feel a little bit lonely. And as I sit with that, another thing that’s coming through asking yourself where you’re not embodying your pleasure? Where you’re not embodying your play? Where you’re not allowing your business to be fucking fun? It gets to be fun and you get to enjoy it. And where are you creating all the stories that it’s not able to be fun, or that it has to be hard or that it has to be difficult? But can you step back and really ask yourself what gets to shift within me? What gets to shift within my energy? What gets to shift within my body so that I feel safe to show up in this world as the person that I really am, so that I feel safe to own the gifts that I have?

Sarah: And just letting all that anchor and integrate. Thank you so much, Michelle, you do bring just so much magic to this world and it’s so powerful to be in your energy. I just want to say thank you for being on today. And also, I invite you to just let all of our listeners know where they can learn more connect with you. Say yes.

Michelle: Yes. Well, thank you so much, Sarah, for having me. This has been so, so much fun to chat. And like Sarah mentioned, you can find me, my membership at She Thrives. This is a space for solo entrepreneurs to really activate their voices and unleash their fullest expressions, and just allow their businesses to come alive. And if you want more of me, you can find me on Instagram @Michelle.Etchison. I love hanging out with you guys on stories, and reels, and posts, and all the good stuff. So, you’ll find me there.

Sarah: Amazing. We’ll link all those in the show notes. And thank you, Michelle, again for being on today.

Michelle: Thank you so much.

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