We recently connected with Andrea Ptacek and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Andrea, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about the best advice you’ve ever given to a client? (Please note this response is for education/entertainment purposes only and shouldn’t be construed as advice for the reader)

When we step into new territory, we get uncomfortable.

I’m sure you can think of a time when you felt way out of your element as you stepped into a new role, new opportunity, new relationship, or new season of life.

I’ve not only felt this myself numerous times, but I’ve also had the privilege of supporting my clients through their own uncomfortable life transitions like starting a new school, stepping into adulthood, growing a business, recovering from a health crisis, and rebuilding after a divorce.

But here’s the thing about stepping outside what you know, into something new:

It’s ONLY uncomfortable because it’s unfamiliar.

It’s not uncomfortable because it’s wrong, we’re wrong, or someone else is wrong. It’s uncomfortable because we are expanding and growing… and that’s a good thing!

A powerfully effective metaphor and visualization I love to use with clients experiencing a difficult transition is to see themselves as a tiny mustard seed with the God-given potential to grow into something enormously incredible! But to get there, it takes pushing up through the hard dirt, and constant nourishment along the way.

I’ll ask them to identity things like:

What do you need to move through, so you can break through?

What is so worthy of fighting for, that it will motivate you to keep going when you want to give up?

What ways can you take care of yourself now, so that you can endure in the long-term?

Answering these questions brings clarity to their circumstance and always presents a path forward.

Helping my clients understand that being uncomfortable is actually a positive sign of personal growth is reassuring and gives them permission to get comfortable in the uncomfortable, knowing that soon enough what seemed new and uncomfortable before, will feel known and comfortable eventually.

Then, not only will they be more competent and confident, they will also be more likely to handle future transitions as opportunities for positive growth and expansion, rather than something to avoid, thus stunting their potential.

Andrea, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Sure! I’m a best selling author, entrepreneur of 14+ years, community builder, Certified Mental Health Paraprofessional, and Certified Christian Life Coach helping women break free from autopilot and into their God-aligned potential!

Growing up, my life was anything but a picket fence fairytale. Despite the odds, I became the first in my family to earn a college degree as a graduate from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication, and a Minor in Interpersonal Communication.

After college I went on to receive a Rocky Mountain Emmy nomination as a producer at ABC 15 followed by a few years working in PR with local and national clients. As my family started to grow, I decided to leave the corporate world and co-founded Liquis Digital in 2008.

Then, after a brain cancer diagnosis in 2015, I recovered from treatment unconventionally by competing nationally in Olympic Weightlifting for two years. I then went on to write a best selling memoir, became a Christian Youth Coach for Arizona’s largest youth ministry, a Certified Mental Health Paraprofessional, and a Certified Christian Life Coach working with women and teen girls who want to live better than ever.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

A great coach will not attempt to give their client answers to their problems. Every person already has the answers they need somewhere within, they may just need help revealing them. A great coach will deep dive with their client to help them find their clarity, without brining presumption or bias into the journey.A great coach will not attempt to give their clients answers to their problems. Every person already has the answers they need somewhere within, they may just need help revealing them. A great coach will deep dive with their client to help them find their clarity, without brining presumption or bias into the journey.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Consistency and results.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://andythenewgirl.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andythenewgirl/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AndyTheNewGirl/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ptacek/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPqTpzJYY1rPSl-05eLvLdQ
• Other: Alignable: https://www.alignable.com/glendale-az/christian-life-coaching

Image Credits
Rebecca Bailey Hobert