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

Erin, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

I am a recovering people pleaser. I have spent much of my life ensuring that everyone else felt good, but I didn’t know how to feel good myself. I truly didn’t know who I was until my 40s. It took a lot of work, processing a lot of painful feelings – but I finally know who I am. Every day I’m learning something new about myself and it feels really good.

Now I’m a mom, I’m an entrepreneur, I’m a coach and there’s more. I finally feel at peace and comfortable about who I am.

I’m passionate about supporting women to be their authentic selves. My mission is to aid women who are going through messy transitions, helping them find their power in their voice. I want women to be comfortable in their own bodies because each one of us is amazing. This isn’t about women getting rid of the fear, but validating that fear and still being able to push through obstacles to get to things they love to do. My message to women everywhere is that you can rest easy because you can still be afraid and STILL do this. Life may be messy, but YOU are unstoppable.

Erin, 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 am the mother of two wonderful children, an entrepreneur and a guide. My own journey as a woman, a professional and a parent has inspired me to help support other women seeking to grow, heal and be their best selves.

My son was diagnosed with autism in April 2020, right in the heart of the initial COVID shutdowns. It was a challenging time and I had to work very hard to find him the appropriate support and services. That part of my journey led me to launch Mountain Summit Coaching in May of 2021, with the goal of helping parents of neurodivergent children best support themselves and their kids.

While doing that work and engaging with many different individuals and families, I also continued my own journey of healing and self-discovery. Along the way, I at last shed my people-pleasing ways and have really begun to discover and express my own voice. Doing this work can be scary and difficult at times, but it is also incredibly liberating and fulfilling. My path of discovery has truly inspired me to help other women find their own power and their own voice.

This passion to support women in their path has led me to grow my business to now also include women’s empowerment coaching. I’m here for women who are tired of living a life for others, and not for themselves. For many of us, the thought of doing something for ourselves energizes us, but we just haven’t known where to go. That’s where I come in.

I’ve lived it. I am a recovering people pleaser. I have allowed others to dictate my happiness until I finally hit a breaking point. It got to a point where my feelings caught up with me. I was exhausted, burnt out, confused and it all compressed into depression and anxiety. It wasn’t until I learned how to go inward, listen to my body over my brain and learning how to build my life bit by bit around what sparked joy for me and not doing things out of obligation for other people. This has gifted me a sense of freedom, happiness and relief.

Doing this work has given me the courage to start my own businesses, make boundaries with family and friends that were taking from me and to finally see myself for the first time. I’m passionate about helping others do the same and have the same positive outcomes that I have.

My 1:1 coaching service is designed to meet women exactly where they are at and support them. I meet weekly with clients to hold them accountable and to keep them rooted in consistency as you navigate these changes. I know transitions are messy, and I can’t take that away, but I can support women so they know what strength they have within themselves and that they are unstoppable.

And further to that point, I am launching a new podcast called “Messy and Unstoppable” in early 2023. The goal of my business as a whole is to help women through difficult transitions, which can indeed be messy in the process, but the power we all have inside ourselves can propel us through it.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

The biggest lesson I’ve had to unlearn comes down to people pleasing. It was such a part of who I was for such a long time, and many of us don’t even realize we are doing it. It is a survival tactic that many of us, and certainly many women, possess. What I came to learn in my own healing journey is that people pleasing is, in reality, a form of manipulation. By doing what you think others want at the expense of your own needs, you both depriving yourself and trying to subtly shape the behavior of others. In the end, it does no one any good. You’re doing a disservice to yourself and those around you by not being true to your own needs and your own voice. As I’ve come into my own, I’ve made the choice to walk away from people pleasing behavior and instead be my genuine self. Achieving this is always a work in progress, but it’s a path I’ve chosen and it’s why I refer to myself as a recovering people-pleaser.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

I have social media and newsletters to connect broadly with my audience, but I also take the time to personally follow up with clients via phone calls and emails. Every so often I like to reach out to the people I’ve worked with to see how they’re doing, ask for updates and offer my continued support and assistance where needed. I periodically offer free seminars and paid group programs that I always let former clients know about. They are always first on my list.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.erinbschneider.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erinbschneider/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinbschneider/

Image Credits
Good Morrow Photography