We recently connected with Cyndi Combs and have shared our conversation below.

Cyndi, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear how you think where to draw the line in terms of asking friends and family to support your business – what’s okay and what’s over the line?

The ONLY reason I am living my purpose of coaching women today is because I was willing to ask friends and family to support my dreams! The story of how I became a life coach is one of my favorites to tell.

As an exploration to see if life coaching might be the right encore career for me, I signed up with the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC) for their immersive 3-day training. I wanted to dip my toes in the water to answer two questions before diving into coaching school: 1) Was coaching truly my next calling? 2) Was iPEC the right school for me?

A great big YES turned out to be the answer to both questions.

I didn’t have any of the tuition, but that did not dim the flame of desire burning within me. One of the themes throughout that first weekend at iPEC was, “Ask for what you need.” I woke Monday and sent an impassioned letter to friends and family explaining that I had found my new direction and purpose in life. I asked for interest-free loans, or cash gifts to support my iPEC Scholarship fund. The first rush of money came in from the people I had JUST met at my iPEC training weekend! My friends and family followed in force.

I must have done or said something to make all these wonderful humans believe in me because eight days later I paid my full tuition and started studying to become a life coach. I return to this memory often when I need to remember how it feels to let the Universe fully support you in pursuit of your dreams!

Cyndi, 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?

I’m a core energy coach, and mind body eating coach with a core belief that our path is more deeply healing when we’re having fun. I’m also a master massage therapist, and solopreneur of Cyndi Combs Photography. My love for travel and nature photography, combined with my purpose to help women tap into their core energy gave birth to my soul offering, the Art of Positive Thinking, where I blend my photographs with soul-reminders that inspire and uplift – 100% FREE for anyone.

I write a blog called Transformation Playground where I play with topics to help people lighten up physically, emotionally, and spiritually. My passion lies in helping women release what’s making them sick and tired so they can energize their lives and thrive.

The thing I am currently most excited about is my Relief through Release Playgroup, where women play with releasing recreational sugar and self-criticism to create relief from all kinds of unwanted symptoms. I provide guidance as participants explore simple adjustments designed to leverage the inherent potential of human biology, effectively curbing compulsive overeating tendencies. Some of the unique qualities of my playgroup include daily support sessions, focus on replacing the inner critic with an inner cheerleader, creating a deeper connection with Divine energy as a means to revitalize our physical vitality, and an emphasis on FUN.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Listen to your intuition!

I was happily working as the assistant editor of a small, local, weekly paper, when the major financial backers withdrew support unexpectedly. Two weeks later I was on unemployment and applying for anything that might pay my bills. I’d held a variety of jobs including dance teacher, vineyard worker, copywriter, and office manager which gave me a truly unique set of skills, but no career path. I was feeling beleaguered after a particularly awful interview, and sat in the parking lot ugly-crying before beginning my drive home. I began to repeat, “What can I do?” over and over again.

What can I do? What can I do? What can I do?

It began to sound like I was reciting a prayer. What can I do? What can I do?

And then, I heard an answer. A tiny voice in my head very CLEARLY said, “massage therapy.”

I never questioned it. I had never considered massage as a career, but I dried my eyes, drove home, and started researching massage schools in my area. I supported a family of three on my massage income for almost twenty years. Throughout my career, many people asked me what I was going to do when I wasn’t physically able to do massage anymore. My answer was always the same, “I have no idea, but I’ll recognize it when the universe drops it in my lap.”

Interestingly my next pivot happened exactly like that, but this time the universe spoke through a beloved friend and therapist.

I had been considering psychotherapy as a career because I felt drawn to helping other women. When I expressed that I felt the path to helping others through therapy might take a VERY long time, the universe inspired her to say, “Have you ever considered being a life coach?” It sounded like she had rung a bell that only I could hear. I eagerly replied, “What’s a life coach?”

I was off and running again in a whole new direction because I was willing to pivot when I felt guidance from the universe.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I love books and I have a long list of ones that have influenced my path, and the Spiritual Sandbox Podcast is the one resource that I turn to over and over again to recharge my batteries or shift my perspective. The podcast is hosted by Jill Lebeau, a spiritual psychotherapist, author, and guide for living in the magical flow, and Amit West, a transformational healing facilitator, guide, and ceremonialist.

Jill and Amit are incredible uplifters. They blend human perspective with higher perspective in a beautiful tapestry of love, joy, and laughter! I recommend the podcast to friends, family, and every one of my clients no matter if her goal has to do with elevated health, love, or money.

I’m an advocate of connecting to the energy of our soul to increase our physical vitality, and listening to the podcast to charge my spiritual batteries is one of the ways that I walk my talk. Every time I listen to the podcast (and I have listened to some episodes repeatedly), my vibration raises effortlessly, and I feel lighter spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. Spiritual Sandbox podcast aligns completely with my belief that our path is more deeply healing when we’re having fun, which means the podcast is deeply healing. In my humble opinion.

Spiritual sandbox podcast helps keep me centered and spiritually aerodynamic – super important for a solopreneur of three businesses.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://cyndicombs.com/coaching/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cyndicombscoaching/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cyndicombscoaching
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cyndi-combs-5a3a45178/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@cyndicombs/videos
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/cyndi-combs-coaching-vallejo
• Other: Transformational Playground Blog: https://cyndicombs.com/coaching/blog/

  Google profile: https://g.page/r/CaxZryLiJOYHEB0/review

Image Credits

donnio Mettz, Bekkie Combs