We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Vivian Wu. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Vivian below.
Hi Vivian, thanks for joining us today. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?
In 2016, I wrote in my intentions that by the age of thirty I’d like to become a counsellor to help people while building my own marketing consulting business on the side. Back then I was a full-time digital marketer and had no clue as to how any of this could be possible…
Then in 2019, due to a series of incidents at work, I decided to take the plunge and invest in my first hypnotherapy training. It was a massive step for me due to the level of investment and commitment because I actually had to fly to LA for it, but I just had an inner knowing that it was the right move.
Two weeks before the training, I was informed that the company I was working at no longer needed my services. Talk about signs!
I thought to myself: wow, what incredible timing! Without that push, I would have never ended up where I am today: being a hypnotherapist AND marketing consultant. I truly learned what “rejection is just redirection” means from this life-changing chapter of my life.
Vivian, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Yes! I am a digital marketer turned hypnotherapist who is passionate about guiding conscious entrepreneurs and high-achieving individuals to elevate self-worth, break generational cycles, and expand into something grander than what they had envisioned for themselves when they were in survival mode.
There is a massive shift happening right now on Earth. We’re ready to heal, expand, and thrive, and I’m excited to be witnessing this significant shift first-hand through the work that I do.
Nine years ago, I made a decision that would forever change the course of my life. It was to get professional help because I was desperate to feel better.
I scoured the internet to find a psychologist with a spiritual approach. When I finally found one, I had no idea what to expect, but walked into my first session with the last bit of hope that my life would turn around.
The first session went okay.
On our second or third session, my therapist asked me if I’d be open to giving hypnosis a try. I wasn’t thrilled about the idea due to all the misconceptions I held about hypnosis. I felt comfortable talking about my feelings and all with my therapist, but I wasn’t ready to do the chicken dance or dog bark in front of her.
However, we hit a wall and I was desperate to feel better so I decided to give hypnosis a go. Spoiler alert: I did not do the chicken dance nor bark like a dog. The entire process was relaxing, comforting, and therapeutic, but the profound benefits were experienced after the actual session.
That first hypnosis session with my therapist created a somewhat permanent and massive internal shift within me. It was as if someone tweaked something in my brain that changed my thought pattern. When I walked into work the next day, I felt like a different person — I walked in with my head held high and I even started speaking up in meetings because I finally had the confidence that I had something valuable to share.
My interest and passion for this powerful modality were seeded at that moment.
Since then, I’ve trained with renowned hypnotherapists in the industry such as Marisa Peer, Freddy Jacquin, and Anthony Jacquin. Not only that, I’ve also had countless hypnosis sessions for myself, which have allowed me to work through childhood trauma, self-worth issues, anxiety, depression, grief, and so much more. Having this foundation myself, I now have the capacity to support others in healing past trauma, cultivating unconditional self-worth and unwavering confidence to create the extraordinary life that all beings are all worthy of experiencing.
The work I do goes beyond the conscious and analytical mind, and deep into the subconscious mind – which operates 95% of the mind. On top of that, I take a solution-focused approach to address the root of issues in order to provide lasting shifts. Our mind is like a supercomputer and in order to make sustainable changes, we must tap into the subconscious mind.
I am in love with what I do now and often say to people: this is my forever job.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
I had to unlearn the hustle. Growing up, I was always taught to go above and beyond and work harder than others. Society also fuels these deeply ingrained beliefs I already had within me. While these teachings helped bring about great “work ethics”, it came at a price. My entire worth was tied to how hard I worked, my work performance review, and my job title.
I had to unlearn all of that and cultivate a deep inner knowing that I am a human being, not a human doing; I do not need to work to the point of burnout in order to be worthy of a break. I am worthy as I am. So are you.
Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?
I think the most helpful advice for succeeding in running a (hypnotherapy/coaching) practice or business is to not get caught up in all the “$0-$10k month” or “$0 to multi-6-figure year” celebratory posts on social media. If these posts are inspirational to you, that’s amazing! If they discourage you, it’s important to remind ourselves that we’re all on different paths. Just because your business is not “there” YET doesn’t mean anything about the future you still get to create.
It breaks my heart every time I hear people say, “I can’t do X because I’m bad at marketing” because as someone with over 9 years of marketing experience, I’m here to shout at the top of my lungs that marketing ISN’T the magical thing that’s going to help you build a successful and sustainable business or practice.
Is it part of the puzzle? Certainly, but it should never be the thing that stops you from starting. (and I almost NEVER use “shoulds”!)
Why? Because the magical thing is YOU – your essence. Instead of following what marketing gurus tell you to do, follow the inner wisdom within you. Start cultivating deep inner trust so you are guided by our brilliance because that’s what makes you stand out, not the cookie-cutter strategy.
Building a practice or business can bring about deeper healing by triggering uncomfortable emotions. For example, hearing crickets on social media, putting in hard work that resulted in a “failed” launch, being stood up by clients or vendors…etc. When we heal and truly integrate our mindset work where we are not just repeating affirmations but living them, these obstacles no longer deter us from following our calling.
I’m passionate about this because I got to meet so many incredible coaches, healers, and therapists in the past years and I know the business journey isn’t always easy. I’m rooting for them. I’m rooting for US. Not to say that this industry is perfect, but I have absolute belief that the work we do, as we learn and unlearn, will bring about massive shifts in the collective.
And I’m here for it all.
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