We were lucky to catch up with Erica Adugwo recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Erica thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.
I think where my parents really excelled at parenting was in their ability to instill in me a sense of grounded faith that would then allow me to surmount some of the obstacles that life would eventually bring my way. Life on earth can sometimes be like living in the wild because without a parent’s proper guidance, a child can lose his or her way in life. One of the most challenging life lessons I had to encounter was how to face my fears. By observing my parents from a young age, I learned the value of hard work, the importance of conquering one’s fears, and the value of persistence. I saw how my dad and mom sacrificed so much of their time and resources to ensure that they provided me and my siblings with the opportunity to attend some of the best schools. At some point in life, you realize that education is in fact very important. I know that many people scoff at the idea of going to college these days. But knowledge is paramount to any form of success. It gives you the ability to learn and keep adding to your knowledge base so that you can expand your skills and career choices. While I was fortunate enough to attend a 4-year college institution, some people for lack of a better opportunity or funds are unable to see themselves through to the finish line of a tertiary institution. College was a training ground for me to begin honing in on my strengths and weaknesses. Knowing my strengths and limitations became a very helpful tool for my survival after college. It was not long thereafter that I realized that life on earth can be a bit chaotic and unpredictable sometimes as it is impossible to predict when a new challenge will sneak up behind you. Going off to college at such a young age of 18 allowed me to confront my deepest fears as well as contemplate my impact on future generations. It gave me the opportunity to apply some of the knowledge I picked up from my childhood while intermingling with fellow students on the shared campus. I navigated through certain types of spaces and gender-based ideologies that opened me up to a multitude of perspectives about life and people in general. It became apparent to me at such a young age that there will be intense rivalries and beautiful relationships amongst people because we live in a world that is host to all types of personalities. I am glad that my parents valued the need to provide me with access to a good education because now I know that knowledge is necessary to achieve intelligence. Once you realize that investing in your child’s education is one of the best things you can do for them and their own personal growth, life really takes a different turn. I am not insinuating that one must by all means attend college. It is true that the college experience is not for everyone. But if a parent has the means to send their child to one, I do not see why they shouldn’t. We need more educated people in the world because ignorance is not the answer to our problems.
Erica , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I am a registered Life and Wellness Coach and I obtained my Diploma in Practitioner Coaching. I passionately serve people as a coach and I am also a trainer of coaches and have been doing so for at least 4 years now. I thrive on seeing people equipped and transformed, enabling them to lead fulfilling and satisfying lives thus reaching their full potential in body, soul, and spirit. One of my favorite quotes is this: “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” This is a quote from Viktor Frankl, in his book ‘Man’s Search for Meaning’ which I recommend to anyone who is on a path towards self-discovery. I often contribute to coaching and personal development insights as a guest speaker or in written form to various organizations and magazines. I also have a podcast where I discuss strategies for personal and spiritual growth which is titled, “KellechieSpeaks”. In both my personal and group packages, using a dynamic facilitation process, I assist my clients to gain a deeper understanding of themselves. And as a holistic wellness practitioner, my clients and I then go on to tackle all things trauma recovery and chronic illness like anxiety, depression, and autoimmune disorders by discovering the ROOT cause using a holistic lens. This provides them with an opportunity to grow, discover who they are, and decide what it is they would like to achieve or who they would like to become. If they decide to become coaches themselves, then I put them through my coaching program which helps them clarify the best use of coaching in their lives and how they can best serve others since there are different types of coaching frameworks that exist. Another quote I really love is this, “When you look into your own heart, your visions will become clear. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakes.” This is a quote by Carl Jung.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
Most people think that having resilience means that you don’t struggle, make mistakes, or need to ask for help but I beg to differ. In my journey towards building a personal brand that I am proud of today, I have had to sleep on people’s couches, go without food for several days to weeks, and not know where my next meal would come from. After years of living in survival, I now know that the true hallmark of resilience is the ability to cope with adversity and to use challenges to forge strength and prosperity. The good news is that this can be done, that is, resilience is a skill that through hard work and perseverance can be developed and enhanced. Anyone can be resilient if they choose to be. Intense moments of fear and self-doubt inspired me to reach out to the people I knew could help me accelerate my career progress. I had to retrain my mind to think of success in a different way than I was accustomed to since I didn’t really know what success looked like as a child. I wanted it to mean more than the fame and glamour that was usually sold on Television. All I could recall seeing growing up in a third-world nation was a lot of suffering and stressed-out individuals. Many people lived with a scarcity mindset. It was the operating order of the day. So, having to figure a lot of tough times out on my own provided me with the opportunity to hone in on my vision of wanting to be a life coach, grow my skills and character, discover who I am, and steadfastly overcome the obstacles in my life and thrive while at it!
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
Life can get very unpredictable, free-wheeling and can change course without hesitation. In 2018, two years before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, I was forced to make a life-changing transition from the pharmaceutical industry to the personal growth industry. This was a decision that was long in the making and even though I had no idea where or how I was going to start my coaching practice, I knew deep down that it was a transition that I needed to make. At the time it even started to feel more like a calling. And so one day, I turned in my resignation letter at the pharmaceutical sponsor company where I was working at the time and took the leap of faith. In retrospect, I would not have quit so abruptly. I would have taken a little more time to get my mindset together or do a bit more research before going into what I thought would be a smooth and easy ride but I was mistaken. It was an expensive risk because in order to start building, I needed to first lay the foundation, and do the proper groundwork that was required to start a business. I spent an entire year learning a new industry and then acquiring the skills that would allow me to be successful in the industry. I love what I do now and do not regret the choices I have made but I would be a bit more tactical and strategic if I had to do it all over again.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ericakenechi.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erica.k.inc
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erica.adugwo
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-k-adugwo-138832229
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/kellechiespeaks
- Youtube: @KellechieSpeaks