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

Amy, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

I have the photo of them meeting for the first time. My mom’s blonde hair is tied up on top of her head, and she’s lounging in her bikini. My dad’s shoulder-length, thick, dark hair looks very hippie-like, and he has a big grin. They met on the beach of the Hotel del Coronado in California. As the story was told, my mother asked my father, “Why are you reading that boring old book on such a beautiful beach day?” My dad, somewhat startled and looking up at her, replied, “That’s a great question.” He closed his law school book and engaged with the beautiful woman before him.

Good choice, Dad.

A serious person who wanted to surf, be adventurous, and have fun, my dad always had this internal pressure to be the most financially successful person in the family. He had drive and determination … and, let’s face it, loads of stress. Of course, he didn’t know it then, but stress was his ultimate killer years later.

My mother, on the other hand, was the person who never measured a successful life on school achievement or money. She was born with a heart defect and was among the first children in the United States to have open heart surgery. My grandfather wrote letters to my great-grandmother while my mother was recovering at Johns Hopkins in 1957. I often read them and think of my mother’s fighting spirit. The surgery saved her life; she was only five years old.

This experience shaped her. Of course. How could it not? And so she lived her life with spunk, laughter, free love, an open heart, and terrible money management because “every day needs to feel LIVED.” She followed that mantra until the day her heart gave out.

They married shortly after meeting on that beach in California and had me a few years later. Their marriage didn’t last, and both lovingly parented me with what seemed like disparate ideologies. Drive and determination and also be a free spirit? How does one do both?

I’ll be honest. Up until recently, I couldn’t figure it out. The first few years after college, I drifted from career to career – finance, Peace Corps, pastry chef. Then I spun into the uber-determined and responsible part of me and spent 15 years in New York City hustling, grinding, and making my way up the fashion retail ladder, only to find myself burnt out and wondering what life was all about.

It wasn’t until I became an entrepreneur that I realized how to bring in that free spirit with determination. Over the last four years, I’ve built a business helping others heal and come into greater alignment with themselves. I love that my business is on my terms, timeline, values, and schedule, which is the freedom I found myself seeking in the corporate world.

While my parents found it hard to learn from each other, I somehow found a way to make the best of how they wanted to live and integrate into my own. Life for me is full of spunk, laughter, drive, determination, open-heartedness, and freedom. And I’m grateful they helped me finally land in this place I call success.

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.

The Recreated is a coaching and healing business founded in 2020. Initially, my goal was to coach individuals ready for a career pivot. I had extensive experience mentoring and coaching teams as an executive in the retail industry, translating well into a coaching business.

However, during the lockdowns in New York and the subsequent isolation, I explored additional healing modalities, such as breathwork. During a breathwork session, the importance of the body became clear. The body had so much to say and needed to be seen and heard.

This realization led to a deeper understanding of the body’s power in healing. After becoming certified in somatic stress release and incorporating nervous system practices like vagal toning and body attunement into my daily life, I finally found peace in both body and mind. This prompted a shift in my business, and I created a 90-day healing program focused on supporting highly sensitive individuals experiencing burnout. I’ve also continued to offer breathwork as long-form journeys and 30-minute mini-sessions. The business also continues to grow through corporate wellness workshops and my mindful leadership program.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

In 2018, while celebrating Christmas on the beautiful tropical island of Kauai, I had a big realization about myself. I woke up to the sound of soft rain in the quiet house we rented, feeling a sense of total dread. Despite achieving a major milestone in my 15-year career in fashion retail, becoming the VP of Retail for a large French brand, and being well-respected in the industry, I was unhappy and exhausted from chronic stress that had begun to show up as physical symptoms.

For my entire life, I had been doing what I thought would be best for everyone around me. I was known as the “good girl” and received praise for it, but I had ultimately abandoned myself and didn’t know who I was anymore. It was a difficult realization to admit and face, but it led me to retire from retail several months later.

After doing a lot of healing, I learned that my unhappiness was not solely due to my career or job expectations. The fear of not being the good girl led me to neglect my needs and not love myself. Over the last four years, I’ve turned my lessons and insights into helping other women who find themselves in the same place.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

After doing all of the social media strategies, I found that I’m very effective at creating deep connections when in person. I’ve walked away from focusing solely on social media and have gone back to hosting in-person workshops, collaborating with other coaches and healers at retreats, and networking. It’s helped to skyrocket my business in the last 18 months.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://therecreated.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_recreated_/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyrecreated/