We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Leah Ferrone. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Leah below.
Leah , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?
I love this question because I really did hit the parent (and sibling) lottery.
Growing up, both of my parents gave us an open runway to safely explore the world and just be who we were meant to be. They embraced wonder and awe in life and created an extremely loving and open minded home for us.
My parents were also entrepreneurs; their greatest business success was a small Italian restaurant they ran for many years. The restaurant was a hit because the food was great, but I really think people kept coming back because of the warm, welcoming and authentic energy my parents created in that space.
They also showed me how to be flexible in business and that you can set off to be or do one thing, but your business can be this growing organic thing and it’s important to embrace its evolution with curiosity and trust.
That trust is key as an entrepreneur; first and foremost, being able to listen to your intuition and trust what it’s telling you before you instead of looking externally for validation. I can thank my mindfulness practice for the ability to cultivate that trust.
Fun family fact; out of the 5 of us siblings, 3 of us are entrepreneurs.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I teach mindfulness and movement to children and families! My number one goal is to lovingly offer tools and guidance that help shift and nurture self-awareness and wisdom so that my students can create their own personalized mindfulness + wellness map.
I offer a 12-week Mindfulness for Mamas program that I’ve poured my heart into. With this small group of Moms, I meet them right where they are. I pave a path of options and practices for them to explore, and they create the plan that works best for where their life is right now, without adding more stress or expectations to their plates. The opportunity to do this with a group of moms, who have many relatable experiences really amplifies the support, safety and impact of the work too.
With kiddos, our learning is so playful, curious and full of wonder (it’s actually like this with adults too), with a foundation in age-appropriate neuroscience. One of the most exciting and rewarding things is when a parent messages me to share that their child voluntarily seeks out a prop (like a breathing wand) or uses a breath we learned together when they are feeling dysregulated, or all the big feels. When something they learned during our classes resonates and they put it to use in the field of life, it’s the greatest reward.
And I feel like it’s important to say that “being mindful” feels like such a trendy thing right now, which I honestly love because that means people are shedding light on these ancient practices that are so profoundly impactful in a person’s wellness and peace in life.
But I think it’s important to recognize that being mindfulness isn’t just about taking a breath and being in the present moment. Of course it’s that, but it is so much more.
My programs help people cultivate the attributes of mindfulness, such as patience, trust, non-striving, non-judgment, acceptance, letting go and a beginner’s mind.
It’s not just learning to slow down and anchor in the moment, it’s the quality in which you do that. And from there, everything changes…and a new quality of your presence simply radiates into how you show up for yourself and others.
Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?
Having a strong village, and taking care of yourself is so critical. Within the first few months of beginning my business, I decided to prioritize my mental fitness and overall wellness above all else and hired a business coach.
I had to borrow money to pay for it, and it’s still the best investment of time and money I’ve made in my business so far.
My coach has been my rock in helping me get out of my own way, out of my comfort zone and into a creative flow that comes from a place of ease and simplicity.
Even wellness practitioners need support with their wellness, especially when trying to navigate being an entrepreneur.
Also, when possible, I like to create a schedule for myself that has “manager and maker” days. Especially on those maker days, I try to start the day off with something to nurture for myself, like a yoga class or coffee with a friend. It helps me bring so much joy into the creative flow!
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
Oh I love unlearning things! I think this is the coolest potentials that we have as humans, to challenge something that we’ve learned or been conditioned to believe.
Without a doubt, I’ve loved unlearning that you have to be flat out, hustle and forcibly push through to be successful. I danced in that culture in my previous career experiences, and I definitely had to reprogram that thinking and those habits when I began Brave Lion.
And with that unlearning, I’ve come to realize that I get to choose that things can come from a place of ease, even if they are challenging. I’ve learned that it’s not always about the action we take, but the quality of our energy.
That old thinking always left me physically and emotionally exhausted and just checking tasks off a list. It was so unsatisfying and I barely celebrated all the wins.
Not anymore. No forcing, no pushing through.
Now I keep it simple, sweet and balanced. It’s absolutely lovely.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bravelionmind.com/
- Instagram: @bravelionmind
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leahferrone/
Image Credits
Green outfit photos: Rachel Lanzi, The Content Agency “Like a Mother: Heather Bohm Tallman