What Your Parents Never Told You About Escaping the 9 to 5

What Your Parents Never Told You About Escaping the 9 to 5

Our parent’s love and knowledge sometimes can cloud our own purpose and passion in life.

They don’t mean any harm. It’s all they know and they were taught since childhood. For that matter, when they tell us “you must work hard to be someone in life” or “If you don’t have a degree, you won’t be anybody in life”. All these words and statements are their own reality. It is not yours!

And it definitely is not the reality NOWADAYS!

Would you rather follow a career that you hate and doesn’t fulfill you? Would you rather do a job day in and day out like a robot just because you were told that you were not good for anything else?

What Your Parents Never Told You About Escaping the 9 to 5 and why group programs could be a choice for your business:

1 – You’ll be working with a small group of people once a week for one hour instead of overloading your schedule with your 1-on1 clients. Especially if you work 40 hours a week in your job. Where can you find the time? Small groups can be run in your spare time or over the weekend.

2 – You’ve got enough time to plan your launch campaigns ahead of time. Time is relative and precious and when we want to achieve a goal in life, time is timeless. I know, I’m being philosophical but the reality is that TIME should never stop us from achieving what we want. Ask yourself this question, “If you have all the time in the world to do something, what would you do?”.

3 – You can go visible online in your own free time. It takes literally no time at all to go live on one of your social media platforms and start talking about your journey. The problem is that pressing that GO LIVE button is sometimes daunting and scary. This is something that you must work on so that it doesn’t keep you playing small. Oftentimes, this scary act is due to the inner demons that are talking to you on a daily basis and soothing your ego with comfortable thoughts.

4 – You don’t need the bells and whistles to start with. In fact, I have helped Coaches launch their programs with just a very simple delivery system and no membership site. This is exactly what I am going to talk about in my upcoming 5 Steps to 5K in 5 Weeks Intensive Bootcamp.

5 – If you’re doing your coaching on the side you already have all the content you need. No point in overthinking it. Keep it simple.

6 – With a group model, It’s very doable to achieve £5k-£10k+ from your 1st group program launch. How much you will profit from your group program depends on the size of the group that you are envisioning to have and then you just need to do the math. Imagine you just want a quick cash injection in your business so that you can go on that holiday that you’ve always wanted! With the system I use with my clients, this is very possible to achieve. The only thing stopping you is your ability to take a risk and see the possibilities.

7 – What your parents never told you about escaping the 9 to 5 is that when you follow what you love to do, you start to work smarter, not harder. When we perform our tasks with passion, time flies and we are happy doing what we love. Your parents never told you this because in a way they didn’t know that themselves. Your parents were taught differently and then passed on what they learned to you.

Unfortunately for me, it took a long and arduous journey to realize what I was meant to do… my passionate WHY! However and in the wise words of someone, “better late than never” is a saying that I often tell myself to keep focused on my path and not beat myself up.

You see, I wanted to pursue a design career in my life. However, at the age of 15, I wasn’t mature enough to choose my direction and therefore I chose the easiest path.

I went about my life through corporate always with a feeling that something was missing but couldn’t tell exactly WHAT. For my parents as long as I had a stable paying job, that was all that mattered. They knew that I was safe and paying my bills. However, I wasn’t happy and that feeling grew inside of me like a snowball until the day that I said “enough is enough” and took the leap from my 9 to 5. I was already in my mid-forties when I discovered what I wanted to do. My love and passion for design grew once again inside me. That passion is mirrored in the results I give my clients.

Clients Results Increase Your Social Reach

MasteryAt times we don’t see clearly what we actually want to achieve until we talk with somebody that has been through what we want to be and have. That’s why I’ve put together an Intensive Bootcamp tailored for you if you want to explore the incredible possibilities with online group programs/courses. I am going to show you exactly the 5 steps you’ll need to take in order to package and profit from your first group program. My upcoming webinar is full of amazing surprises when you attend in person and ask your nagging questions.

𝘖𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘍𝘙𝘌𝘌 “𝙋𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙞𝙩” 𝘸𝘦𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘺 5 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱𝘴 you need to build your 1st group program:

  1. ⚡️ Unleash Your Inner Creative Power
  2. ⚡️ Craft Your Offer So It Converts
  3. ⚡️ Super Simple Delivery System
  4. ⚡️ Your Client Attraction Mastery
  5. ⚡️ How Top Coaches Close Sales With Integrity

Don’t miss out on this fantastic group coaching masterclass with me. 👇

 

 

5 Daily Habits to Boost Your Creative Power

Do you find yourself running out of ideas? Feeling insecure about what to create?

Or even have you ever told yourself “I’m not creative at all!”.

I truly believe that we are all Creators in a body and therefore what you might perceive as being creative, might not be serving you anymore. Are you possibly taking it for granted and disregarding this ability? Are you not seeing the greater picture?

Become aware that your creativity will allow you to think, feel and be a Creative Goddess.

Creativity is the freest form of self-expression. There is nothing more satisfying and fulfilling than to be able to express ourselves openly and without judgment.

The thing is that at the moment you believe that you are NOT creative! Maybe, others around you have told you that you’re not and so you have been accepting this as the truth and living your life as others want you to.

In a stressful moment and in times when we have too much in our head, there isn’t flow. Therefore and amongst other things creativity doesn’t flow and it’s not present. We retreat into our little cocoon and hold on to our safety net!

So, in order to have a continuous flow, we must consistently create an unfamiliar daily habit so that with time it turns into a “familiar” habit which we are confident with having in our lives. In order to create a habit, however, we need to make a commitment to ourselves and make a promise to stay consistent doing it on a regular basis. It won’t happen overnight and it will take persistence and focus so that you’re able to shift your energy vibration.

So, what can you do to boost your creative power?

These are some techniques that I’ve used over time that has worked for me. Feel free to adopt or adapt some of them to suit your needs.

5 Daily Habits to Boost Your Creative Power

Unplug from distractions

The online world can be very noisy and therefore we must find ways of switching off from our devices and recharge. I remember a time that I was glued to my mobile like an addict. I needed to be on it 24/7 as if I was going to miss out on something. Others were asking me: “Sofia, do you ever sleep?”.

It was exhausting so I ought to do something about it to restore my sanity. It all started when I went on a road trip with my family that I truly unplugged and allowed my assistant to take charge of my activities. I stopped controlling everything and I loved it. I started to enjoy other meaningful things around me.

Find your happy space

Do you have a place that you retreat to and you feel so good that when you come back from it, you feel energized and super happy? Mine is the beach and the sea. I love escaping to the beach and reflecting. Maybe it is the sea breeze or just the sensations of feeling the sand tickling my feet. All I know is that when I return home I’m a different person. Do you have a happy place? The mountains? Is it a forest? Or just your back garden?

Meditate to Alleviate

Since I started doing regular meditations, my life and myself have completely changed. Coming from a buzzing and demanding corporate life, it took me years to focus on my own business. And so, when I discovered the power of guided meditations, I started to see and feel a shift within myself. Have you tried it? What has been your experience with it?

I know that meditation doesn’t have to be hardcore and I also know that you will find the right practice for you.

As a certified 6 Phase Meditation Trainer with Evercoach by Mindvalley, I’m inviting you to listen to this guided meditation first thing in the morning. Repeat it daily as many times as you can.

Get Active

Exercise, movement, and activity are proven to expand creative thinking, brain processing, and memory. So true though… even just going for a walk for 30 minutes sends the right signals to your brain and keeps you in the right state of mind for the rest of the day. What I normally do is dance weirdly to some uplifting music to get my creative juices flowing! Ahhhh so good. Funny enough, it is keeping you fit too. Whenever I find that I’m stuck in what I want to create, build or do… I dance and sing along. Let me know if you tried this to boost your creative power?

Take a step back

Now, this is crucial… take a step back away from the problem that you are currently experiencing. Do you find yourself going around and around in circles without finding the solution to whatever challenge you are facing? Let me reassure you that you are not alone! I’m often in this situation. Therefore I have to step away from my computer, social media and oftentimes step away from people so that I can focus on certain ideas for some projects that I’m doing. Don’t take me wrong I love people and I can’t imagine myself without people around me. However, I need to retreat to boost my creative thinking so that I can better perform. 

It’s a Wrap

I hope that some of these practices will help you to boost your creative power. Most importantly is to start today with creating a consistent daily habit that you feel comfortable with. It doesn’t need to be all of these that I mention above. Start small and build it up as you go along your journey of discovery of your creative powers. Remember that once you were a child and there was nothing stopping you from imagining and just creating your sandcastles without the pressure of all being perfect.

Let me know in the comments what are you going to put in place?

Fly Away And Be A Fierce You

We are so busy doing that we forget being. The art of “Be a Fierce You” takes persistence and resilience to come to fruition.

In order for this to happen, you need to practice focused attention on what matters most in your life otherwise chaos sets in, and desperation will be your best friend. The Art of Being you doesn’t happen from one day to the next. It takes persistence, tenacity, and resilience to navigate the setbacks in your life so, ask yourself:

“Does this serve me right now? And is it aligned with what I want?

We are so focused on pleasing others and avoiding unpleasant circumstances in life that we forget to just be ourselves. Our careers take center stage most of our lives and so we forget to pursue our dreams and desires. Transitioning from a single life of no set times for anything (except going to work) and becoming a mother isn’t an easy journey to take and it comes with its tribulations.

You see… We are attracted to what is familiar to us because that is what we know and so it’s easier to endure. For anything else that is a bit more challenging, we close our eyes and don’t even think of what’s on the other side. In our minds, we make up stories so that we don’t have to experience what’s on the other side of the unknown.

The stories we tell ourselves are super powerful! Do you remember when you were a little girl and every single story you read in a book, you would live as if it was real? You were a character in that book. As you grew, the painful stories started to emerge and you were taken hostage by the narrative. The thing is, you can change that story in your head when you start being true to yourself instead of staying where you are at the moment and living by other people’s rules.

I’ve endured a few transitions in my life. From seeking my own freedom, starting a new venture in a new country, singlehood joys, several career moves, one divorce, two marriages, the pleasures of motherhood and the challenges too, moving back to my home country, and so on. You might be thinking that I am super tenacious and resilient but the truth is that I am just like you.

Sometimes I would just want to curl up and disappear… give up even. However, something stronger was keeping me on my path. And even when I felt like I was going to lose my footing, I would hop and stubbornly still move forward.

I’ve done my fair share of reflection recently and having a daughter who just turned 18, has given me a new perspective on life. My daughter is soon starting her own journey in life, which has made me ponder that no matter what I do or say I’ve got to stop projecting my beliefs onto her and let her navigate the murky waters of life herself so that she can experience each life chapter with clarity, conviction and being in tune with her purpose.

The time for her to “fly away freely and be herself” is approaching.

It is not with sadness that I see this new transition for her but with pride and my heart full of love. Coming from someone that flew away at 25 years old and has been through several storms and extraordinary moments, I know that she is going to follow her dreams and desires because she is the most fearless young woman I’ve ever seen.

I want to inspire her that no matter what happens in her life, she can be brave, and fierce to pursue her truest desires. And I want to same for you too. I hope this article will inspire you to BE you in whatever you do in life.

Fly Away And Be A Fierce You

“Fly away and be you”
Your essence is innate to you
Cocooned like a butterfly,
Subtle beauty grew
A cry and a smile fluttered by.

 

You run courageous and free
Not a care in the world,
you learned to see and be
cautiously you heard the chirping of birds.

 

Venturing into your life you have to bear
and discovered many incredible lessons
Teachings to guide you and prepare
This life chapter full of questions.

 

Gracious, loving, and loved
You grew into a powerful woman,
A million times you’ve been hugged
to turn you into a passionate human.

 

Go and fly away little butterfly
Contemplate the beautiful flowers
Life is a prairie to be discovered by
and inspire others with your Superpowers.
~ Poem by Sofia Pacifico Reis

Reflection

No matter what changes you want to have in your life, slow down to listen to the messages that the universe is giving you. Even in the most painful moments, know that it’s up to you to allow those moments to become a gift or an opportunity. You are in control of your thoughts and the words you say to the outer world. Your story can be changed, erased, and recreated just the way you want it to be. It’s your choice to find happiness in your life or remain stagnated and unfulfilled.

What are you choosing to be? Are you a human doing or a human being? Are you going through a major life transition and you don’t know which path to take?

My coaching style allows you to dig deep into the abyss and explore the possibilities you have for your life and business because I believe that we all have within us the power to excel and reach our true potential. It is time to discover the best version of you and own your power back.

My brain is broken! Go from Fearful to Fierce

I heard this from my client: “I feel like my brain is broken!”.

My eyes watered and I felt a knot in my heart. All I could think about was how can anybody feel this way. I had to shift this feeling quickly in order to guide her and allow her to dig deep into that discomfort and eventually become aware of her true potential and turn that emotion and situation into a gift.

The truth is that all of us have doubts, insecurities, and frustrations lingering and festering within us. The sooner we become aware of those negative feelings like “my brain is broken” and recognise the negative self-talk, the quicker we can shift it into an empowering one.

The reality is that… “What you think about, you bring about” ~ Bob Proctor

Moreover, this disempowering feeling of “my brain is broken” has a reason to be felt in the first place. Exploring the reason why you feel this way, can take you towards finding empowering ways of shifting it. Otherwise, your inner challenges will become your outer reflection meaning that the way you think, feel and act becomes your normal way of being. Just like a crystal glass shattered on the floor and if you attempt to pick it up, you will definitely are going to cut your fingers bringing you more physical pain.

Who wants to feel this way? It sucks, right?

Pain is not only felt physically. You can endure inner mental pain too. The first step is to notice those negative thoughts and feelings that you’ve been carrying around for so long and have the desire to go deeper and find your truest potential… aka going from fearful to fierce.

Please let me reassure you that your brain is not broken. You are just living a life that hasn’t been servicing you for a while.

A way of shifting into a more positive way of living is to build the foundations of mental fitness and experience the power of strengthening three critical mental muscles to shift the balance of power from your inner Saboteurs (your negative self) to your inner Sage (your positive self).

At the beginning of my 6 weeks journey with Positive Intelligence®, I become surprisingly aware of my inner Saboteurs (my negative self-talk) and I knew I had to do something about it so that I wouldn’t be constantly hijacked by them and ultimately embrace my inner Sage (my empowering voice).

Here are my initial Saboteur assessment results 👇

Stickler 6.9 |Pleaser 6.3 |Hyper-Achiever 6.3 |Avoider 5.6 |Controller 5 |Victim 4.4 | Hyper-Vigilant 3.8 |Restless 2.5 |Hyper-Rational 0.6

Consequently, as I start my 1st cohort with my coachees at the Mental Fitness Program group, I’ve done a new assessment as I want to be at the same level as everybody to best guide them. Besides, it is very insightful to discover how the Mental Fitness Program has changed my life. How you can grow and evolve with the help of such a great operating system.

So, here are my results after 11 weeks into the Grow Program:

Stickler 8.1 |Hyper-Achiever 6.3 |Restless 5 |Controller 5 |Pleaser 3.1 |Avoider 2.5 |Victim 1.9 |Hyper-Vigilant 1.9 |Hyper-Rational 0.6

My Findings

It is not a surprise that my Stickler would increase to 8.1. Recently I have been super focused on what I want to deliver to my audience and I started thinking if this PQ® operating system has helped me so much and I have to incorporate it into my new coaching program “Become The Best Version of You”. I truly believe that will help my audience to smoothly transition from their current life challenges to becoming fearless warriors.

So I compiled all content provided by Positive Intelligence® and added them to a private members area so that everybody is supported and has a place to go when they are challenged. This perfectionism need is due to my “General” Judge buzzing in my ear saying that “If it’s not done properly and well, why bother” or “you must give 120% Sofia”. I realise that I need to work on letting go of this need in order to have a positive impact on others and my inner growth. I know what to do now and I embrace Progress instead of being Perfect. This is the feeling I want to have every day so that I’m inspired and truly inspire others to take “inspired imperfect action” and follow their dreams.

My brain is broken! Go from Fearful to Fierce

Hyper Achiever remained the same! Years of corporate life wanting to be included in the company’s culture and be valued for what I’m worth, are still present and even though I have left 7 years ago to start my own business, it feels that the need to perform at my best still remains. I’m at peace with it because I believe now that even though this saboteur exists, it doesn’t rule my life and I know how to intercept it.

Major inner achievement: My Pleaser decreased from 6.3 to 3.1 WOW just WOW! Others are starting to notice my assertiveness and I am converting my YESes into gifts and opportunities and my NOs sound better and feel better. I am putting myself first in my decisions! This is a biggie for me as pleasing others above my own needs was always in my nature. The challenge starts when it becomes resentful and this feeling is ugly.

The setback: The Restless has risen to a whopping score of 5 however I understand now why this has happened and I am equipped with the tools to deal with this. The feeling of being “never satisfied”, I know it well and in my defense this happens to creatives like me. Always seeking the next shiny object. However, I am leaning into the strengths of the Restless to name a few:

Strengths of People with the Restless Saboteur Trait:

● High energy and vitality.
● Open, curious, and spontaneous.
● Contagious enthusiasm and appreciation of life.
● Capable of great productivity and creativity.
● Energizing and engaging others in co-creation.
● Capable of great breadth of activity and pursuits.

The restless strategy is to use “busyness” as a distraction and escape from dealing with pain, anxiety, or other unpleasant emotions. I need to stay away from multitasking even if I think that I’m being super productive. It’s a saboteur lie!

These are my 3 top saboteurs right now. I’m glad I waited 11 weeks to redo the assessment and I know my PQ® core muscles are growing steadily and I am in a much better position to tame those nasty saboteurs that have been festering inside of me for so long.

I no longer need to hear my dad say: I’m proud of you! because NOW I can hear my inner voice say that all the time. And let me tell you it feels exhilarating. One step closer to transition versus being stagnant.

My Mental Fitness journey breakthroughs!

So far this has happened…

➡️ I became surprisingly aware of which nasty saboteurs are keeping me stuck, self-doubting, and unhappy. I can intercept them and exercise my brain muscle.

➡️ I don’t get triggered like before! I now manage to acknowledge them and tell them bluntly that “I don’t need you right now, do one!”. It’s super important to STOP when saboteurs are triggering me and activate my sage powers.

➡️ I joined an oil painting class which is super therapeutic and gives me the opportunity to be creative and totally myself. I can express myself freely as I want to. I’ve always sought freedom to express myself, freedom to BE me, and follow my dreams.

➡️ I managed to have time off and really reflect on my life priorities. Time off gives you a different perspective on everything and I’m implementing this same concept in all my programs. It is important to pause and reflect on what matters the most in life.

➡️ I am putting myself first because let’s face it if I feel good and happy, I will definitely perform at my best, and… others’ judgemental remarks bounce back 😂

I can now offer you a piece of this experience as a Mental Fitness Coach and I want you to experience the same because it is truly transformational.

Are you ready to smash your saboteurs and become more confident, happy, and mentally fit to face your current life and business challenges?

How would it feel to be in a state of flow on a consistent basis? Are you putting happiness first?

Don’t know if this Mental Fitness Program is a good fit for you, leave me a comment below, and let’s have a conversation to find out which saboteurs are playing havoc with you and how to go from Fearful to Fierce.

I urge you to NOT let your brain be broken and to allow yourself to explore and become the best version of yourself!

 

Selling Without Selling Out Your Soul

Do you want to find out how “Selling Without Selling Out Your Soul” can revolutionize your business?

When I started my business I thought that selling was too hard until I find out that selling without selling out your soul is much easier and simpler.

I had this belief that selling was too hard. At corporate, I used to be a Purchasing Manager so buying to specifications was easy and natural. However, when I was confronted with the idea of selling my services, I completely froze and that is when the struggle began.

You see, we build expectations about certain situations in life and that is why we make them even more unachievable. We start creating obstacles in our mind that keeps us away from the unfamiliar. The unfamiliar is uncomfortable and so at times we give up and don’t progress further. We create images and thoughts about the difficulty of the situation because we are afraid to adventure into the unknown.

Selling was my “unknown”.

I had to change my thinking and feeling about the traditional “sales calls”. Honestly, I had to leave the corporate talk behind and start being myself and truly listening to what my potential client wanted to achieve. I had to tap into my own story to create the customer journey in their minds.

The reality is that without being able to find your sweet spot in your sales calls, you won’t be able to sell your services.

Therefore, without mastering the Art of Selling Without Selling Out your Soul, you will have…

  • No Clients;

  • Very little Cashflow;

  • An unsuccessful Business;

  • And, NO group program.

I am being as transparent as possible with you here and I know exactly what you’re going through. There are no strategies that anyone can teach you that will help you master the Art of Selling. This ability resides within you. What others do is irrelevant and sometimes detrimental to your own success. You must find that sweet spot in your business where you are selling with authenticity and there is clarity in your voice and message.

Firstly you need to master the belief that you have the power to do so authentically and without pretending to be someone you’re not. Other people will feel attracted to your honesty and ethical conduct more than if you embellish your services with things that are intangible to achieve. They will feel compelled to your own message when you speak up from a place of honesty, integrity, and truth. Selling your coaching business is a People 2 People meaningful conversation.

The moment that you shift your thinking, you will be able to:

  • Sell with integrity;

  • Own your worth;

  • Know that others value what you offer;

  • The clarity in your message and marketing activities will position you as the expert;

  • And, you will stimulate others buying desire through the power of your story.

Why Selling with Empathy and Integrity Matters Now More than Ever!

“People with integrity do what they say they are going to do. Others have excuses.” ~ Dr. Laura Schlessinger

  • Believe in what you offer your clients. You can’t sell anything if you don’t see the value it provides. Know that your potential clients are looking for the solution you provide so it would be a disservice to not put it out there. 

  • Be mindful of your client’s needs and respect their time. Listen to what they want and why they want it. Listening has been one major thing that I had to learn profoundly. I realized that my audience does not want to know the nuts and bolts of achieving what they want. They want to get to their end goal as quickly and as easily as possible. I am a VISION BUILDER and therefore now I keep that vision vivid for them and eliminate the boring details of getting to the vision. 

  • Know their pain and empathize with it. They want to Be where you are right now. BE the guide.

  • Honesty is telling the truth whilst Integrity is staying consistent within that truth”.
  • Believe that your service delivers the solution. Trust that your story is going to make an impact.

  • Be respectful and ethical when discussing your competition.

  • Appreciate the fact that your prospect has taken the time to talk with you. Honor the time and space between you two, and listen more than talk.

  • Remain honest & loyal— even in the face of losing deals. At times is best to say NO to your prospect than a YES that doesn’t feel aligned with your purpose and mission. You’ll be able to close more sales calls if you stay true to your worth and value than selling them something that they don’t need. Seth Godin has said: “People don’t buy the products or services. They buy the relations, stories, and magic”. 

I go more in-depth on this particular step in the Radical Launch System Intensive Bootcamp where I am helping you master your sales calls so you can easily convert your prospects into paying clients without feeling sleazy, pushy, or out of integrity. You’ll learn the art of selling through the power of stories and authentic sales conversations that feel great for both your client to be and you. Consequently, by the time you’re done digging deep into this crucial step, you’ll love the sales conversations almost as much as your coaching conversations!

IT’S A WRAP

Think about everything that I spoke about above and let me know if it resonates with you. The moment you start selling from a place of complete integrity, authority, and honesty, that is when things start changing for the better.

Trust and own your skills like a Sales Queen and you’ll find that you won’t go back to the old ways. Would you believe if I tell you that I have sold my services just through a simple messaging conversation? Yes, it’s true because when others know what I do and the value I provide, they’ve made the decision there and then without the need for a face-to-face conversation. The conversations took place online for a while and they knew my worth and my expertise.

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