I Changed My Business 3 Times in Under 2 Years and This is What I Learned

When I first decided to open a coaching business in 2017, I was recovering from a major health crisis and was still trying to figure it all out. I was obsessed with my health. I was reading and learning and experimenting. I was changing my diet, my lifestyle and my overall approach to life. I also had been witnessing the toxic cultures of the organizations I worked in that promoted overworking and burnout and I was deeply passionate about helping others to live a better life, even if they had jobs that were super demanding.

It just made sense for me at that time to become a wellness coach. So, I enrolled in certification programs for health coaching and life coaching, and Antara Wellness was born. 

I immediately had some wonderful clients to work with and was truly having fun serving them. I didn’t really have a specific niche. I worked with almost anyone that would hire me.

Most of my initial clients, however, were people in executive or mid-management leadership because that was my network before I become an entrepreneur. Because of this, a good portion of my coaching was focused on leadership development. And I loved this!! I was well versed in leadership development, have a doctoral degree in organizational development and to this day, I believe that good, strong leaders change the world. 

I then decided to go all in with executive leadership coaching in July 2018, and things really took off. I re-branded using my name and was so blessed to work with so many incredible leaders. For 7 months, I really learned about my clients' pain points and honed my methodology. I learned to speak their language and serve them deeply. I learned to write content that resonated. I was showing up consistently and really developing my brand. I hit six figures and finally felt like I had a strong foundation for my business and was getting ready to grow and scale until…February 2019 when the universe shook me to the core.

Rewind a bit...
In October of 2018, I began practicing energy healing using a method called, “The Emotion Code” by Dr. Bradley Nelson. Though my health was significantly improved, I was still struggling and believed that energy healing was the missing ingredient to get me to the next level. As I grew in my energy healing skills, I began getting what I can only call, “downloads” during my morning meditation. I was being told that I was a healer.

I ignored this for several months and continued to practice energy healing on myself and my practice clients for certification while running my executive coaching business. 

In late February 2019, I was getting ready to double down on marketing my executive coaching business when suddenly I felt some serious inner turmoil. I didn’t know what was happening. I felt “off” to say the least. I was so discombobulated inside that I couldn’t even get through a 20-minute yoga practice. I sat down, got quiet, and the downloads came in hard and fast. “You are a healer, you are a healer, you are a healer...You are a coach and a healer for spiritual entrepreneurs….” were the messages I heard. 

For 48 hours I sobbed. I slept. I meditated. I resisted. I’ll never forget sitting on my meditation mat with snot all over the place and an empty box of tissues screaming aloud, “Why?????? I just figured out how to build a business for leaders!!!!” 

In my mind, the tape that was playing was, “Who am I to be a healer? That’s for those special people. People will think I'm nuts.”

My resistance was strong. The pain was real.

More messages came.

“Trust, we will hold your hand every step of the way.”

I had just recently read the “Surrender Experiment,” by Michael Singer. The premise is to put aside your preferences, and instead, just say “yes” to the opportunities that arrive.

Inspired by this concept, I had just made a commitment to a life of surrendering, and low and behold, here was my chance to do so - and not in some small way.  Though the resistance was intense, the urge to take a leap of faith was growing with every minute.

I said, “Okay, I’ll trust you spirit, but I don’t know what the hell I’m doing here so I’m going to need a lot of help!”

As soon as I made the choice to trust, my body relaxed and I felt tremendous relief.

I then proceeded to interview 10 different spiritual entrepreneurs within a single 24 hour period about their pain points and desires  and Divinely Guided Coaching & Healing was born. I used that research to build out my services and within four short months, I was fully booked and had a waitlist for 1:1 coaching. 

Since then, I've learned to invite spirit into my business decisions. Sometimes it’s a gentle back and forth conversation. Other times there is a force that lovingly sits me down at my desk, puts the paper in front of me, picks up the pen and makes me write. It’s intense, messy, and special and I love it.

So what did I learn through all of this change and re-branding?

1. You must actively serve clients and be doing the work for the path to become clear. The path doesn’t become clear first, then you start working. It’s through the work that you become clear about your gifts, who you are meant to serve, and how you’re meant to change the world.

2. Businesses are meant to evolve. When you run a service-based business that is in alignment with your values and your purpose, it will flex and change. As we grow and evolve into higher versions of ourselves, our businesses should too. 

 3. Even when you make a huge pivot in your business, you haven’t lost anything! Everything you did before comes with you in the form of experience, knowledge and skills.
 4. Worrying about what other people think while you keep changing your mind and direction is a complete waste of emotional dollars. Don’t do it. It serves no one and drains your energy. 
 5. As you grow and change, your niche might change too. That’s okay! When I was hanging out with other leaders all the time it made sense for them to be my main clientele. But now I spend a lot of time with other coaches, healers, and spiritual entrepreneurs because that’s my new circle. It’s a lot easier to get clients when you are part of the same circles as them. And it makes work really fun.
 6. Just be yourself! Don’t be afraid to come out of whatever closet you're hiding in. Sure, it was scary for me to open up about my spirituality and connection to the divine. Lots of people are very judgemental. But who cares?!                             I'll do me. You do you. It’s absolutely liberating to take off the mask and fully own who we are. 

So what do I hope that you take away from this?
I want to give you the permission you’ve been needing to pivot, to change, to do something different because you’ve had this nagging feeling that something isn't quite 100% aligned.

I want to reassure you that all is not wasted or lost if you change direction.

I want to inspire you to get in touch with your deepest sense of intuition and higher power. You don't need to figure it all out on your own.

I want to tell you that you are so capable of doing amazing things in this world and that I believe in you.

Please share if you think there’s a chance my story can help someone else have the courage they need to do the work that makes their soul most happy. ​

Wanna chat? carrie@dgcoachinghealing.com