This week, I was listening to my guru Chani Nicholas, and she encouraged us to ask ourselves what we can do to build more trust in our relationships, including with ourselves. To say what we mean, mean what we say, do what we say we'll do.

Today, you're going to read the reflection I had around that question, and how I've been asking myself to show up in my full energy.

I have been thinking about how I can build a bridge between me and the people I’m meant to help, for a while now.

I started my business online after I graduated from the Jay Shetty Certification School. I was feeling the excitement of having graduated.
All I wanted was to coach.

But the thing that made me hesitate to do the school was thinking about how painful it would be to find clients. How marketing makes me uncomfortable.

But the desire to have my online business had been growing since my 30s, and now that I was living in rural Hawai’i, it aligned.

The idea of helping people, of helping the younger version of me that was lost, depressed, feeling like I was living next to my life, got me to start the school.

I had a session with Justin, a fellow life coach who offered a free session on LinkedIn for anyone who was blocked by something on their journey. I contacted him because I knew one of his friends, who is also a brilliant coach. I felt that I have a hard time building that bridge between me and the people who need my help.

I told him that I had tried to follow the advice of different people.

I had opened an account on LinkedIn after reflecting on which social media I would be willing to start being present on. The constant work that this platform required... How I started to share my stories and other stories, my clients’ struggles, personal development topics in a weekly newsletter and podcasts.

I shared with him that I had shown up in places I didn’t really want to be, but challenged myself to go to.

But unfortunately it wasn’t very successful. Some reach, but not great.

That’s when he asked me why I was doing something I didn’t really want to do, and that wasn’t even working.

Why do I show up in places where I don’t really want to be and that aren’t even rewarding?

Personally, I find it rewarding to challenge myself, to get out of my comfort zone. That experience got me to start writing seriously and consistently.

But why was I still doing something that wasn't working, and still forcing myself to keep doing it?

Because some people said to me, keep going. It will work out.

No one encouraged me to do things differently other than the usual: “You should be on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Reddit...”

No one asked me why I was still doing it.

The first reason I think is that when you start LinkedIn, you know you are getting into a serious relationship with it. You hear how LinkedIn is for the “long run,” it’s all about consistency, and how “you’ll be rewarded” at some point.

And as a good Swiss student, I took the challenge and I practiced everything I learned after a 7-day “Masterclass”. I was all in.

At the same time, a new revolution was happening and I slowly started to make friends. I started to build a community. And for me, living so far away, it really mattered.

The thing is that after one year I was burned out. Everyone was.

The world was not doing great, and the platform was reflecting that too well. The injustice, the bias, patriarchy, racism, promoting only specific people...

I had to take a break at the end of last year. I had to slow down.

I started my business alone, without money to invest in any help. I started without knowing what I was doing and did it anyway.

I had to be honest with Justin, I didn’t know what else to do.

I was full-time on LinkedIn, my clients, the weekly essays, the promotion, the sharing on other platforms. I was sad that the hard work I had been doing wasn’t as successful as I hoped it would…

What clicked for me was when he said that to attract people, you have to be in your energy. By doing something you like, with your heart, you attract the people that will need you. And maybe that will change your life too. Working weekly with my clients, they become my friends.

So here I am today, sharing how I’m trying to figure out how to be in my full energy professionally.

Stay the same and find a way to be in the frequency I need to be in, so people that I’m meant to help find me.

How can I stop listening to the advice from the “pros” and do me?

To not let people’s perceptions of what I should do and not do pressure me.

I think since I started over eight years ago, I embraced living my truth and being my full self. I had spent enough time living a life that wasn’t for me. I was done forever playing a game that I didn’t want to play in the first place.

And I was continuing to do that with my business. I just realized what I had been doing.

I am honestly showing who I am, but still playing a game I didn’t want to play in the first place.

The change is real. I am showing up authentically, but I am not allowing myself to fully own it.

There is still the shy inner Nina that shows up and worries that she bothers people and can’t show up if not invited.

I would like to find a way to feel safe by protecting my privacy, being authentically me, and standing in my light. Finding my way without inviting any shadows to it.

What I know is that I really enjoy writing. I enjoy the interaction and conversations that my words bring up. The testimony of other souls around the topics I write about.

I love it! I can’t believe how much more courageous I have become. The fact that I am on podcasts, as an introvert and private person, feels crazy to me…

Maybe because it’s not in front of people, I can be more comfortable and feel as if we were in a private room, just with the hosts. I like to share my story, and again have conversations about life, mental health, life transitions, and my beliefs about people based on my experience.

I love meeting new people on the platforms and making friends, being a part of a special community. I love to talk about what I do and why I am an empowerment coach.

So today, that’s my way to be in my full, honest, authentic energy.

I’m figuring out how it looks, what feels good, where to invest less energy, and where to continue to show up.

I really believe in what I do, and that I am a good empowerment coach.

Seeing my clients slowly glowing back their light at me confirms that I am where I need to be.

Helping people and being the person I needed when I was younger to help me embrace my light.

I said ten years ago that I would have an online business so I could travel and be flexible. Here I am. I’m not physically traveling yet, but I have a flexible life.

I live in the jungle I always wanted to live in. I am building a strong relationship with my husband and going through the ups and downs of it.

I am sharing my wisdom and love with others. I continue to assist people as I did for more than ten years in Switzerland. For the past few years, I have been doing it in a more personal and direct way, through one-on-one sessions.

I am living a life that I chose for myself.
I am present in my life.

With gratitude,
Nina

If you are interested in learning more about my work as an empowerment coach, I invite you to visit my website for detailed information. There, you will find insights into my coaching:

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