We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Maura Mitchell a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Maura , appreciate you joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I need to explain a little bit about my journey.

I moved from Austin, TX to LA at the age of 21 with big dreams of becoming a “movie star.”

I wanted to be famous, make great and meaningful art, and I wanted to be “somebody”.

Marilyn Monroe, my idol since age 16 said, “I just want to be wonderful” and I shared the same burning desire. I was desperate to be wonderful.

After little to no real success in acting, I pivoted into the music industry. I wrote songs and performed all around Los Angeles in a duo and sometimes full band for fifteen years. The band broke up and I eventually found the nerve to “go solo” and record an album.

It was such and amazing and fulfilling ride, but I had this huge “aha moment” on stage in 2014 that changed EVERYTHING for me.

You see, I’d always had this insane drive and ambition inside me, and all of a sudden I realized (while performing) that my motivation was actually part illusion. My deeper motivation was that I was chasing love and a sense of worth in my quest for stardom. I had equated “making it” in my mind as meaning that then I would finally be “good enough” and “loved”.

I was so blessed that day to be struck by undeniable cognitive dissonance.

You see, there was a great turn out for the show…I was performing well… and people were loving it…but I felt so SAD and EMPTY.

Something clicked inside me.

Now, I was by no means famous, but it was just enough validation, success, and “being wonderful” that I understood, in a very visceral way, that it doesn’t matter if everyone else loves you, and you’re living in your purpose and doing a great job…if YOU aren’t happy within yourself and you don’t really love yourself, none of it means a thing. You can’t actually feel any of it.

This began a very intense ego death and dark night of the soul that sent me on a seven year journey back to myself.

I took those years to really take care of myself in ways I simply hadn’t before and repaired that internal relationship. I healed old beliefs and inherited dynamics. I went to therapy, life coaches, healers, got hypnotized, joined a 12 step program. The work fascinated me. It felt so good to be free.

The journey back to myself transformed me and I became so excited to share everything that I had learned with other people.

So many of us are chasing external validation, only to receive a rude awakening like I had on stage in 2014….that something is missing and they don’t feel truly happy.

I decided to get certified as a coach and start my own practice, teaching others the tools I’d learned and supporting them on their journey.

It has been my absolute joy to do this healing work with people.

Please don’t misunderstand me: following your dreams, doing amazing work, living in your purpose and getting recognized for that is AMAZING and we should, but WE have to love ourselves first.

The secret to happiness is that it truly is an inside job. I enjoy helping other people heal and find their true happiness.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I offer 1:1 private coaching in the form of single 90 minute sessions or a 6 Week mind•body•spirit Glow Up.

What sets me apart is the additional 30 minutes I give to my sessions (most coaches do an hour), I have found 90 minutes will REALLY lock in the work.

I also tailor my process per Individual. No two people get exactly the same coaching style from me as I use my intuition to personalize our joint approach and get the best results for my clients. I also send notes after the session for easy review. I get very excited about this work and I am really in it with my clients. I have been told that they can feel the difference this extra attention makes.

I’m most proud of the fact that the work I do with my clients feels sacred. To me, it transcends just helping someone with a goal or a problem, but rather helping people make progress and find contentment on a soul level. I feel privileged to connect to people in a way that makes deep parts of them feel seen, heard, and supported. Healing is a beautiful, messy and vulnerable process and it is my honor to partner with them and hold the space for it.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

They say that if it’s your calling, it will keep on calling.

One thing that has really helped my resilience (and this is going to sound contrary), is being willing to “give up”.

I have found that when I don’t resist a problem, and am willing to quit, pivot or change, this allows the space and detachment needed for my calling to call again, in a truer form.

The way forward and my “why” becomes clear and I find the inspiration, meaning and strategy to keep going.

I have had so many ego deaths and rebirths. I am not scared of them. Breakdowns bring breakthroughs. This helps me not only bounce back, but bounce back BETTER.

This is how I am the most resilient.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I have pivoted many times…acting to writing, writing to singing, singing to healing, and healing to coaching. Not only pivoted in those terms, but also in approach ie: from performing music in a band to performing my own music solo. Sometimes a pivot isn’t a change in WHAT you are doing, but in the WAY you are doing it. Pivoting is essential for growth and survival.

If I look at my life, the calling has always been generally the same. It’s just taken on different vehicles of expression and I am very willing to experiment with that. My intention has always been to connect in a creative way to the deepest parts of others through the expression of my own experience, and I have always intended to facilitate healing and inspiration.

One cool thing that I have noticed, is that even though I pivot, no era is wasted. I use things in my coaching that I learned from my time acting, writing, singing, waiting tables or even from when I worked at the gym. You always take your knowledge with you. No venture is ever a useless one, it all adds up and enriches your current expression.

Even the times when we feel we are “off our path” are part of the path.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mauramitchellcoaching.hbportal.co/schedule/61a9a00d3d89a500352533fb?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAab5KcLP800PcDbPdJ0n36OiIhB2DauTOnLGSwTi2wXtF3GHOdtaW8IYMzk_aem_H_jVqwzzj1FZYb6kGzTZfg
• Instagram: @iammauramitchell