Brooke Schultz is very active lifestyle and Happiness coach. I was following her inspiring work and I also applied some of her technique to better myself and my relationships. I wanted to share her story and ideas to benefit many other people. Here’s my interview with Brooke, hope this will help you too.
Hi Brooke! I’m excited to share your story and your business with our readers. Tell me little bit about your background and how you ended up in coaching world?
My name is Brooke Schultz, and I am a Lifestyle and Happiness Coach. I have a master’s degree and a specialist’s degree in marriage and family therapy. But, when I graduated from college and began looking for jobs as a therapist, something was just missing. I had the degrees and I had the training, but I couldn’t fill a hole that was still inside.
It took a great deal of soul searching for me to realize that being a therapist was too limiting. I was only able to serve my clients from 9-5, meet with them only during our scheduled sessions, and unable to extend our time (even if it was needed). Either the practice I worked for didn’t allow for the time extension, insurance didn’t allow it, or I had back-to-back clients and was physically unable to fit the extension into my schedule.
I didn’t feel fulfilled at all, and I truly wanted to help my clients on a deeper level than I ever could as a therapist. This is what drew me into the world of coaching (which I’m now obsessed with).
I am now able to serve clients from all over the world in the deepest, most meaningful ways. My clients and I can have sessions any day, any time. We can connect between sessions, and I can support them even further. I can share my knowledge and skills in ways that resonate with my clients and make lasting impacts on their lives. The clients can get in touch with me directly rather than having to go through a front desk or secretary.
I do find it important to limit how many clients I work with at a time so that I can be as available and supportive as humanly possible. This allows me to have more authentic connections with my coaching clients – the sole reason I wanted to jump into coaching in the first place.
Having the education and the training background that I do brings forth a level of expertise that isn’t seen a great deal in the coaching world. There are so many amazing coaches out there helping clients with different levels of needs, but what I bring to the table is different; I bring a wider range of skills and tools that I’ve acquired through my education and training that truly benefits my clients on a deeper and more meaningful level.
On a personal level, I am a family girl through and through. I have 2 siblings who inspire me everyday, parents who have supported me (and continue to support me) in my life and entrepreneurial journey, and a huge extended family who I adore! One of my greatest pleasures is being a dog mom to the sweetest pup named Sophie. Animals are the most pure and gentle souls, and I love surrounding myself with them as much as possible!
In my spare time, I like to volunteer with local pet rescues down in South Florida, especially the organization I adopted Sophie from. I also love being active and am an avid crossfitter and weightlifter. Keeping my body healthy is just as important as keeping my mind and emotional state healthy!
Many time we feel confused about ourselves. How Important is it to begin self discovery journey?
Our journey to self-discovery is arguably the most important thing we will do in our entire lives. It is an ongoing experience that we go through from the moment we are born until the moment we die. Self-discovery is how we are able to connect with our own character, potential, and dreams. When we work towards self-discovery, we are able to explore the experiences that have shaped us throughout our lives. But, we are also able to identify what we need to do to become the person we are destined to be. This journey will ultimately bring us happiness, fulfillment, clarity, and purpose. It is a difficult journey for sure, but one that is WELL worth it in the end.
What advice would you give to people who are feeling down and discouraged in their life?
You cannot beat yourself up for being in a dark place emotionally. Often times, we get frustrated with ourselves for being down and discouraged as if we aren’t allowed to feel those feelings. We expect ourselves to be happy, successful, and motivated at all times. Unfortunately, this is not a realistic expectation to uphold for ourselves, and we surely wouldn’t hold someone else to that standard of emotional stability, would we? So why do we do it to ourselves?
When we beat ourselves up for feeling down, it actually disempowers us. All of our emotions deserve to be honored. They each come up for a reason and serve a purpose in our lives, so we must be sure to honor that purpose each and every time.
If you are sad, it is OKAY to cry. If you are excited, it’s OKAY to jump up and down. If you are angry, it is OKAY to yell. When we hold onto our emotions and don’t allow ourselves to feel them, they don’t go away (no matter how badly we want them to). When we allow these emotions to have space in our lives, it makes it so much easier to move through them in a healthy manner so that we can get to a place of serenity and happiness.
I would also encourage you to develop your own personal mindset practice. If you have never done mindset work, my recommendation would be to start by jotting down 3 things you are grateful for each morning. This practice can always be changed or expanded on in the future but start with it and see how it affects how you feel each day.
By allowing our authentic emotions, to have space in our lives, whether they are happy or sad, as well as developing a personal mindset practice, you will begin to create a life that is rich, valuable, and overall good.
How can individuals find their life’s purpose?
The first step to finding your life’s purpose is to get to know yourself. This is something that sounds so trivial but is so unbelievably important. You can start this journey by being true to yourself as well as engaging in self-care activities every day.
Self-care is the act of doing something for yourself. It can be as simple as taking a warm bath at night or reading a book. Identify what YOUR passions are and act on them each and every day. Often times, it can be hard to find time each day to devote to ourselves, so I would encourage you to start with something small that feels manageable like 5-10 minutes in the morning or at night.
It is also important to understand that there is no single solution to finding your life’s purpose. Everyone’s purpose is different, and the way we all discovery our purpose is different, as well. This is why I am a huge advocate of working with a coach who is trained to help you identify your purpose and live it out. What might be helpful for one person on their journey might do absolutely nothing for someone else. And that’s perfectly okay! But finding what works for YOU is the key to finding your life’s purpose!
What advice do you give to people who want to bring positive changes into their life?
You are never alone, so don’t try and do it all alone. Any type of change can be scary, but you do not have to experience the change and go through it alone. Whether it be hiring a coach or utilizing a good support system, you deserve to have someone who will support, encourage, and help you along the way.
Sometimes, we avoid asking for guidance because it can feel selfish and disappointing. We don’t want to ask for help because it makes us feel like we aren’t “good enough” or “strong enough” on our own. But, let me be the first to tell you this is absolutely not true. Would you want to explore a dark new place alone, or would you need a comforting rock to support you and have your back?
That is exactly what changing your life is like. Making positive changes so you can have the life of your dreams can be scary, but it doesn’t have to be. You don’t have to embark on this journey alone. You deserve to have a supportive person that will be your friend, your cheerleader, your flashlight, and your encourager.
How can people contact you?
You can easily reach me via email at [email protected]. You can also connect with me on Facebook through my business page, Brooke Schultz, or my free Facebook group, The Happiness Entrepreneur.