We were lucky to catch up with Corinne O’Flynn recently and have shared our conversation below.
Corinne, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
Several years ago, I was in the midst of a gnarly burnout. I was writing fiction full-time, and doing what we called “rapid release” with one of my pen names – chasing the algorithms by launching a new novella every 30 days. There was a group of us doing this together, launching and promoting together, and it was really fun and lucrative, until it wasn’t fun anymore for me.
I’m one of those people for whom the flame of enthusiasm is either lit or not, and once it’s not, I can power through, but it turns out that using that kind of will power to work is not sustainable. I found it to be soul-crushing, and exhausting, and it is what landed me deep in a hole of burnout that affected my author business, and my coaching business, and my personal life as well.
At the time, I was devastated and desperate to get my spark back. It’s humbling to be a go-getter and then wake up one day realizing that you can’t get anything done. When I finally settled in, accepted what was happening and started calling my burnout what it was, I was able to begin the work of healing myself, and finding a path back.
That’s when Human Design found me, and I am not kidding when I say that it changed my entire life. Human Design is this beautiful system that combines multiple systems of knowledge, including Eastern and Western Astrology, the Chinese I’Ching, the Kabbalah, the Hindu Chakra System, and Quantum Physics. This unique combination of wisdom and science creates a powerful tool for anyone who wants to achieve greater self-awareness, fulfillment, and success.
A risk that I took stems from this experience. Once I learned about Human Design, I became aware of how I am meant to use energy, make decisions, and how to truly become embodied in a way that I have never understood before. I started “living my design” and embarked on this on-going journey of exploring and understanding so much about myself, my family, the world… but most important of all, I began healing.
The idea of risk-taking is one that I tend to push against, because I don’t think about things in terms of them being risky or not. I know it may sound trite, but I truly do believe in living life as an experiment, even in my business, and I think that’s been something that’s allowed me to pivot and explore and grow my business in ways that keep me excited and engaged. That said… I know it was a huge risk when I decided to completely shift my work life around so I could focus on bringing Human Design into my coaching.
I’m what’s called a Manifesting Generator in Human Design, which means I am meant to thrive with lots of projects going at once, so being an author, a life coach, and a non-profit executive director is natural for me; I like lots of things to draw my energy. I also know that the flame of enthusiasm isn’t just a nice thing to have, it’s actually vital, and my job is to make sure that I listen to my body at all times and assess the flame, using that wisdom as my compass.
The challenge of pivoting in my business in this way is that there is no framework to follow-there can’t be. So, the shift has not been without its bumps. But no matter how I look at it, I can only see how it’s been so worthwhile for me and for the people I work with. Everything in my life is different after coming through my burnout. My priorities, my world-view, and my self-worth. Being able to bring that transformation into my coaching has been really exciting, powerful, and beautiful.
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.
My main focus in my coaching is a single, simple question: What if well-being was the goal?
I am a certified life coach, Quantum Human Design™ Specialist, certified EFT/TFT Tapping Practitioner, USA Today Bestselling Author, non-profit Executive Director with Rowan Tree Foundation, and a multi-passionate entrepreneur with over twenty years’ experience being self-employed.
I am also a wife, a mom of four young adults, podcaster, avid reader, board gamer, theater nerd, hydroponic vegetable garden enthusiast (pandemic hobbies anyone?), a sometimes knitter, scone baker, and the alpha to a small herd of very demanding blue heeler rescue dogs.
I believe we need to change the way we talk about work, stop chasing the figment of “work/life balance,” and instead embrace the vision of an easeful, integrated work & life. I help entrepreneurs focus on healing in specific core areas of our lives that help us on that path. These core areas, called Resiliency Keys in Quantum Human Design™, offer a roadmap to unlocking your true potential so you can live your highest expression of who you came here to be. They are: Lovability, Empowerment, Courage, Decisiveness, Emotional Wisdom, Self-Trust, Vitality, Authenticity, and Self-Worth.
We all struggle with each of these to varying degrees, and at varying times, and that doesn’t make us wrong, it’s proof that we are human! There is a way to be intentional and strategic as we decondition, craft a different story, and develop ourselves in these key areas so we can heal and be whole again.
If you’re interested in learning more about this, you can check out The Calm Entrepreneur Podcast, sign up for 1-on-1 coaching, or jump into my brand new membership, BE*INWARD, where we will do all of this and more, in community.
Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?
Beyond training and knowledge, which are vitally important to finding success, I believe the most helpful attribute one needs to have for success is integrity.
I don’t think there is anything more valuable than integrity, and I use this word specifically because of its dual meaning. To me, integrity means that you’re an honest dealer whose word is your bond. And that when something goes awry, you manage it honestly, with care for all parties. It means that you’re operating from a place of true service, for the highest good of all. The “come-from” in all you do really does matter, and it’s important to be mindful of that, not only because it’s good for your soul, but also because your clients and customers can tell when something isn’t aligned.
The other meaning of integrity speaks to managing your energy and your physical body. Maintaining this structural integrity looks like honoring your word to yourself and your work, Being sustainable with your energy so you aren’t burning out, and making sure that you’re keeping your teacup overfull so you can serve from the world from your saucer. When we become depleted, we are no longer in our integrity.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
This one comes from my adventures as a brand new author, and it’s something I share whenever I am asked that question about “the best advice you’ve ever received.”
Release the sense of urgency.
If I could bottle one piece of wisdom into a pill and send it off to everyone in the world, it would be to release that sense of urgency in everything you’re doing.
There is time for you. There is space for you.
When you see others are riding a wave of success, don’t try to jump in. Instead, be inspired, and get your own surfboard ready because there is another wave coming for you. But you have to do the work.
When we are living with a sense of urgency, we are chasing. We are seeking something external, and that will never be fulfilling. It may provide a temporary win, but in the long term, racing against urgency costs us in originality, energy, and takes us out of integrity not only because we are defying our own true nature, but because we are not trusting in divine timing and that the Universe has our back.
We live in an ocean of opportunity. Your job is to work on your surfboard: hone your skills, polish it up, do the work, and then you’ll be ready and able to catch *your* wave.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.corinneoflynn.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/corinneoflynn
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/corinneoflynn
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oflynn/