Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Keeley Ward. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Keeley, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. The first dollar your business earns is always special and we’d love to hear how your brand made its first dollar of revenue.

I did a complimentary pilot program with someone I knew who was going through grief. After they finished the program they referred a close friend to me who became my very first paid client.

Keeley, 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 became a Grief Recovery Specialist, Compassion Coach and End of Life Doula as a result of my own personal experience. When my Father died, which I describe as my wake-up call, it sent me on a path, leaving behind my 25-year corporate travel and hospitality career, to learning more about myself and how I was impacted by life experiences. My Mother’s cancer diagnosis is what led me to becoming an End of Life Doula and a Grief Recovery Specialist. I was on an emotional rollercoaster ride. It was intense and I felt overwhelmed. I wanted to prepare myself for what was coming down the pike and to be able to feel all my feelings.

Now I support others who are experiencing grief, loss, and overwhelm.
In life we’re taught how to acquire things and not what to do when we lose people, places and things. Culturally it’s acceptable to show positive emotions because they’re seen as productive, and have a positive influence. Yet when we feel sad and tearful, well that’s a different story. Sometimes people feel they have to fix the situation, or try to help the other person feel better. They may say unhelpful things to the griever who may isolate, or put on academy award winning behavior and say they’re “fine”, when they’re not because they don’t feel socially acceptable.

I work virtually with clients either privately or in groups for a period of 6-8 weeks, typically.
I provide a compassionate presence where people are safe to feel and express their emotions. They learn tools and follow a structured program to help them heal and move through grief. It provides the opportunity for emotional completion and a return to joy, balance and a renewed zest for life.

I’m proud to be doing this work, supporting others on their own healing journey. To see the transformation that happens in my clients as a result, is fulfilling and meaningful. I have purpose knowing that I’ve had a positive impact.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Fixing other people’s problems. I used to think I was being helpful by solving other’s problems, when in reality I’m diminishing another person’s personal power. In a way I’m seeing them as less than whole. I’ve learned to trust that each person has the answers inside of them. Instead, I can listen compassionately, acknowledge what they maybe feeling, and ask questions to draw out the answers for them to make their own decisions. We are in the driving seat of own lives if we choose to take responsibility for ourselves.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

In April 2020, at the beginning of the Pandemic, I experienced what I call the “Covid Cluster” My Mother, who had terminal cancer went into hospice for pain relief and caught covid; my friend and living companion was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer; I got furloughed from my job, which then became permanent; and I moved away from my spiritual community. And of course, there were all the changes that were taking place as a result of the pandemic.
There were a lot of drastic changes happening in a short period of time.

I employed my personal tools of Yoga Nidra meditation and breath to stay grounded in the present moment rather than becoming swept up in my thoughts and stories about the future. I slowed down and paid attention to my surroundings, my body and my emotions. I was kind and nurturing to myself. I maintained steadiness and calm in the midst of change. When things began to shift, I had clarity about the appropriate action to take in response to what was happening, rather than being spun out of control and stressed out.

I booked a same-day flight to U.K to be there for my Mother, who died peacefully at home less than 48 hours after my arrival. I returned back to Florida, for my friend who had hip surgery to remove a mango sized tumor 6-weeks later, and I began to work with Grief Recovery clients. Just 18-months later, I purchased the home I had temporarily rented during covid with the inheritance my mother left me.

I had no idea of how things were going to happen as they did. I let go of the need to control things being a certain way and trusted the flow of life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.keeleymward.com/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/nidragoddess?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Keeleyuk
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keeleyward