We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Megan Young . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Megan below.

Megan , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

The story behind my mission is unique because it is not something I truly believe had to happen for me to be in this role as a life coach, yet it has shaped the way I serve others. I have had my own life coach since I was a lost 22 year old right out of college. Most people won’t even believe this until they actually experience it, but even if you know what you are going to college for and actually succeed in finding a job in that field it may not be what you wholeheartedly want to do in the transition out of school and into the “real world”. That was me and thousands of others who were finding their passion and strengths in their early 20’s. Fast forward to today as I am 37 and help people in that exact position in life. However, now I have an additional specialization through my own lived experience and training within the grief space.

This is where the conversation about what is “meant to happen” and what was created from a pattern of choices differ. I say choices because 12 years ago a man chose to carelessly speed through Austin rush hour traffic to then hit my sister’s car and end her life. Choices because I chose to find a way to live again with my immense grief and pain which is the hardest thing for anyone to do. Finally it was my choice to pursue a career within a field that believes everything happens for a reason. See I believe I would be in this space whether my sister would have died or not however my mission was created out of the grief I felt and the healing I received. What is my mission then? It is to provide solution based, affordable guidance for those who are grieving, paralyzed by fear or in need of the best tools needed to achieve a healthy productive life. This can look different for everyone so there is not one single program that will help facilitate this. I believe it must be done with a trusted provider one on one. A life transition could be a new career, graduating from high school or redefining what life will be like without their loved one here on earth. Life transitions and grief actually go hand in hand. You could choose to relocate for a job, end a relationship or venture into motherhood for the betterment of your life. However, grief can be a part of this journey no matter the intention. I aim to normalize the conversation about grief and what control we have and what control we do not have with grief.

Grief is a monster of emotions and behavioral changes. If you have the coping practices, understanding and support, you can live a happy productive life with it. If not, it can consume your life in ways you never thought possible. You can decide to live walking side by side with grief or with it sitting heavy on your shoulders. That is why I created the Life After Loss Workbook and Life After Loss Pet Death Edition. I wanted to provide more tools and insight for people in grief and a manual that felt authentic to what we may go through today. My story may have shaped me into the life coach I am today, but it was the healers and the lessons learned along the way that led me to my life’s mission.

Megan , 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 trained life coach who specializes in grief and life transitions. I am also the author of the Life After Loss Workbook and Life After Loss Pet Death Edition. I work with my clients one on one to help guide them through the many adversities in life as well as provide solution based practices for them to utilize on a daily bases. The guidance does not end with a one hour session. I research, communicate and provide homework to continue the growth outside of our one to one. The practices provided could be for grief, productivity, accountability or empowerment to name a few. When a person has exhausted all their resources, family and self they can turn to me for a way out. The goal is to provide the insight, powerful questions and practices to send you into a life you feel confident in but more importantly that you trust your choices and own your behavior.

I am a mother of two little boys and have chickens and a cat named Dudley. My husband and I met in college and both went on our own journey as individuals to create this beautiful life we share together.

Alright – let’s talk about marketing or sales – do you have any fun stories about a risk you’ve taken or something else exciting on the sales and marketing side?

People will tell you to start with your own network to create business and marketing in the beginning of becoming your own boss. That can be easy if A) you know who you actually have within your network and B) if you do not allow fear to stand in your way of success. When I first started as a life coach I had a few unpaid clients that were crucial to getting experience. When it was time to make a profit from clients I decided to start at the point I listed above by looking into my network and margin myself. A woman who I only Knew briefly but was a fellow alumni from the university I attended worked at a big company in Austin with the demographic I was searching for. She was in charge of office growth and community outreach. So, I contacted her to see if there was a way to offer the employees there a free consultation with a special rate. I was super nervous to even press send but I got the courage to do it anyway. She responded a few days later with a “I would be happy to share with our employees”. Two weeks later I had my first consultation that led to many more referrals and clients. So take the leap even if you feel the fear of pushing the send button. You never know who is willing to help you in the smallest and biggest ways.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I had planned for quite some time to go on a three month trip to Africa. After saving and preparing for a year it was coming close to time for me to strategically quit my job and go. However, just as you think you have it all figured out, life has other plans for you. Four months before I was to leave I got a call saying that my sister had been killed in a car wreck. I really thought I had everything figured out about life until this call. Another piece to the story is that she was to be married that December prior to me leaving. There we were as a family changing our plans of a wedding to now a funeral. This type of tragedy will make you question everything about life and why you are even here. After the funeral though I decided to go to Africa where I learned some of the hardest life lessons. When I came back I gave myself the space and time to figure out what I truly believed to be the purpose of life and how I wanted to live it. I also immersed myself in as many types of therapies as I could find. From talk therapy to energy work, I tried it all. Some had a profound impact and others comfort my grief in a minor way. I tried. At the end of the day that is all that matters.

Tragedy can break a person, but we all have the choice of living or existing. For me living meant that I smell, see, feel and hear the world around me through my pain, love and indifference. Excepting all that life has for me and creating practices that support my mental and physical health. Existing meant I would may show up physically to life’s experiences but I would shut off all receiving and giving to those things I love and people I love. That is why I chose to live. My grief can stop me in my tracks some days. I now embrace those moments and know how to use them for self discovery or to feel the love I still have for my sister.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.coachmeganyoung.com
• Instagram: coachmeganyoung
• Facebook: Coach Megan Young
• Linkedin: Megan Longbotham-Young
• Youtube: It’s A Journey with Megan Young
• Other: Books available on Amazon: Life After Loss Workbook and Life After Loss, Pet Death Edition.

Image Credits
Joey Puterbaugh (Life After Loss Interview Kali Tripputi (Head shot)