We recently connected with Alexa Kline and have shared our conversation below.

Alexa, appreciate you joining us today. Often the greatest growth and the biggest wins come right after a defeat. Other times the failure serves as a lesson that’s helpful later in your journey. We’d appreciate if you could open up about a time you’ve failed.

Several years ago I moved across the country From Detroit to Los Angeles. For the longest time, I had been longing to get back to Los Angeles, which has always felt like home to me so naturally I was filled with vigor and determination. At the time, my intention was to move with a job so I had an opportunity to ground me and of course ensure my bills were paid. I was interviewing a ton, however nothing seemed to land. Finally, an opportunity presented itself and the interview process moved fairly quick.

Sure enough, I got a job offer and of course I was thrilled. There was a part of me that questioned whether this job felt aligned, as something intuitively felt off. However, because I was filled with determination, I accepted the job. Naturally, there was also a part of me that was afraid that if it wasn’t this job, would another opportunity present itself? Would I miss the boat?

What did I do? I packed up and moved to Los Angeles.

It only took 6 months before I left that job. Call me dramatic but I was miserable. I went to work everyday consumed with fear, anxiety and doubt. The environment was undoubtedly toxic and everyday that I worked there, it felt like I was losing a part of myself. I left that job without any financial safety net, no job lined up, no clarity on what was next, nada, nothing. Scary, right? It made absolutely no sense and objectively speaking some would’ve probably called me crazy.

The path was unclear and I had absolutely no clue how I was going to pay the bills or take care of myself, however I knew based on how I felt that it was not an aligned fit. I knew the longer I stayed the more tested I would be until I finally understood the assignment. So alas, I took the leap of faith. Here’s what unfolded….

Just as I was about to settle up my last day with that company, I received a text message from a mutual connection asking if I would be interested in nannying. Would I have chosen nannying as my first choice then? No, however I knew this was a sign that the Universe has my back.

It took me 10 months before I landed another gig. Those 10 months were incredibly painful. Although, I was blessed with the opportunity to nanny, it wasn’t consistent or reliable, meaning I was behind on bills and I ultimately acquired a decent amount of debt that felt impossible.

So what felt like the longest 10 months of my life, was actually an inner unfolding of what catalyzed me into one of the most expansive chapters of my life thus far. When I would incessantly interview and experience rejection after rejection, it triggered so many stories. I felt like a complete failure, stupid for leaping without a safety net, disappointing, not good enough, unworthy, you name it.

Here is what I learned from my inner unfolding…

The job opportunity I fled from was a gift. It was a mirror showing me where I did not love myself.

Although, I felt like a complete failure, I came to understand this Universal truth: Failure is an illusion.

There are only pivots and opportunities to reroute into a more aligned aspect of ourselves. Failure is actually an important part of being human because it is where we collect data and information that provides a map of understanding of where we are being called to grow and evolve. The failures we individually experience are a part of our unique blueprint. There are here to expand us not derail us.

Rather than seeing failure as something to be afraid of, see it as an opportunity to download wisdom that helps you evolve even more into all that you are and all that you came here to be. A beautiful aspect about failure is that it also has the ability to expose your greatest potential. If I didn’t take that leap of faith, despite how terrifying it was, I would have never known how resilient I am and I would have never had the opportunity to repair the fractures of trust within myself. During those 10 months, I did a lot of inner healing that reframed how I see myself and how I show up in the world. When I did the inner work, I quickly started seeing that mirrored back to me via the callbacks I was getting and ultimately the aligned job offer I received.

If I can offer any wisdom from my experience with failure (believe me I do have many more stories) is that you are the author of your story and you get to decide whether failure is your friend or your enemy. Failure unmasked my greatest gifts and showed me my potential and I trust it will for you too.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m currently serving as a women’s empowerment coach.

Prior to coaching, I spent nearly 10 years flexing as a project manager/producer in the Advertising industry.

A bit of historical context and what guided me to the coaching path and why I am so passionate…

After college, I landed a gig in the Advertising industry where I spent a good decade. Undeniably, that experience provided me with a wealth of invaluable skills. However, there came a point in my then career, where it was very clear that what I was doing was not in alignment. As a passionate individual, I knew there was something more for me. So naturally, I became passionate about understanding my soul’s purpose.

The discovery unfolded in the most divine timing, which is a story I will save for another day. When I discovered coaching it all “made sense”. You hear about the people who always knew what they wanted to do when they grew up and there are people like myself who didn’t always know and I wasn’t meant to. When I did experience this “AHA” moment, I finally understood what was possible for me and that we all carry a unique purpose and for those life myself who stumbled in the dark for a long time, that discovery came as part of my own inner unfolding and is possible for you too.

For most of my youth and early adulthood, I remained fairly disempowered and carried many limiting beliefs that held me in state of perpetual fear, doubt and lack. The unworthiness stories I had been subconsciously holding onto were reflected back to me in nearly every job I fulfilled. An adaptation I subconsciously used to avoid feeling not good enough was burying myself in work and inevitably experiencing burn out. I experienced incapacitating anxiety that felt impossible to overcome.

When I discovered coaching, I started personally working with a coach 1:1 and it became clear how disempowered and powerless I felt. After committing to doing the inner work and being in devotion to myself, my entire world shifted in miraculous ways and not to mention, very quickly. It was exhilarating to see how good life gets when you choose yourself. That expansiveness that I continually felt as I continued to show up for myself was what ultimately became the catalyst that grounded me in the coaching path and how my mission to empower women to activate their power and create a life without limits was born.

There are so many fabulous coaches out there that all serve a different purpose but what sets me apart for those who are in resonance is my ability to hold space, listen, and understand. One of my values is living with integrity so I wouldn’t hold space for things that were outside of my scope and that I didn’t already live through and download wisdom from.

I’m incredibly proud of myself and it’s really the most rewarding feeling to genuinely be able to acknowledge that I love myself and the person that I am today and I love to be able to share this medicine with other women and show them what’s possible.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

When I shifted into the coaching path, it meant that I had to completely start over. Abandon a career of 10 years for the unknown. Betting on myself despite the uncertainty. Leaving safety and comfortability behind in favor of choosing myself.

It was hands down one of the scariest decisions I ever made, however even though there were so many unknowns, the one thing I was certain of was myself. I knew with absolutely certainty that the seeds were planted in my heart on purpose and I trusted myself so fiercely that success was inevitable.

What’s important to highlight is that despite the pivot being filled with many challenges and a lot of trial and error, I unlocked a level of abundance, freedom, and joy that I had never experienced before.

I was living in alignment with my purpose and even if I had to start over and the path wasn’t linear it proved to be the most fulfilling journey.

The space between where you are and where you want to be is where you develop resilience and certainty.

Resilience is built in your willingness to fail and ask yourself how your experience is happening for you not to you? Certainty is developed in your ability to choose yourself even when you are not feeling chosen, over and over and over again.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Work harder, get further.

For all the recovering perfectionists, this is a myth!

I spent a good amount of my twenties constantly trying to prove myself. Working tirelessly, some days 14-16 hour days, to the point of inevitable burnout. For what? There was a part of me subconsciously that believed that if I proved myself then I would be good enough.

We live in a culture that teaches us that the harder you work, the further you get or that working hard equates to success. What’s important to distinguish is that effort and hard work is important and inevitable, however we often take working hard too far. We exert force and overextend ourselves beyond our capacity to the point of our own detriment. We say yes to things even when the body screams no.

This was a difficult truth for me to unlearn because my programming said otherwise. What I ultimately learned through experience was that listening to my intuition, my limits, what is aligned vs. what not provided me with a clear understanding how to show up for myself with integrity and to create boundaries. What I also learned was that creating boundaries was an expression of love and that when I created boundaries not only did I teach people how to treat me but I developed trust within myself.

I invite you to explore where you are making agreements with yourself or others that are out of alignment with your authenticity and your core needs. Practice creating boundaries and honoring your truth. Life becomes easier when you are living in alignment with your true essence. I’ve experienced for myself and witnessed others living a life of ease while also creating success and generating abundance. It gets to be easy.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.alexasheakline.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexasheakline/