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

Hi Rowena, thanks for joining us today. If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.

I have often heard that becoming a parent is one of the most life-changing, defining moments that a person can experience. For me, however, the impact was before becoming a mom.

I am an immigrant child. And with that came a lot of expectations to perform. And so I went about my life being very highly motivated at a young age. And this translated to pretty much everything else in my life. If I wanted something, I set a goal, I created a plan, and I checked off the boxes to get there. And so of course, when my husband and I decided it was time to have a child, I thought I could just do the same thing, I could apply the same process as I did throughout my entire life, and check off the boxes based on the plan and have the child that we wanted. Unfortunately, that was not the case.

After almost two years of trying to get pregnant and nothing was happening, we decided to turn to fertility treatments. After various tests, which included drawing seven, I repeat seven vials of blood, I found out that I have diminished ovarian reserve, which means that I do not produce enough eggs to bear children. So, I gave myself 32 shots in the abdomen, followed by a triggering shot to produce the eggs that were then extracted, so that we could have viable embryos, we went from six, to four, to two. And so one of those embryos eventually became my daughter, and we had another one to spare.

This defining experience was truly humbling. And it really brought up a lot of confidence issues; it brought up a lot of reflections on my life, and how this felt like a failure. I felt like my body was betraying me, and that I wasn’t good enough to get this thing — this baby — that I wanted so badly.

But now looking back on it all, I now can reframe that experience as one of perseverance, one of my own strength. I went from being a woman who felt the need to be perfect with everything, to surrendering a bit and trusting that I don’t necessarily have to follow all the steps. And that is a lesson that I’ve taken with me into my business, into my relationships, and into my life.

I’m now grateful that I had this experience. I’m grateful that I can give myself permission to relax a little bit and not be so structured and perfect in the process. And of course, I now have my beautiful baby girl to remind me every single day that bringing her into this world defined my life so drastically. It led me to launching my business, where I can now incorporate that message and my lessons to other people.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I am Dr. Rowena Winkler, The Inner Muse Mentor. I help recovering perfectionists and uneasy PhDs find their stride & activate their authentic voice for a more fulfilling, purpose-driven life.

I have always been a self-motivated, diligent worker, leading me to get my B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in Communication in less than 10 years. However, my father’s passing the same year I got my first academic job prompted me to reevaluate this stressful career trajectory and pivot from academia to the marketing industry. It was also during this time that I discovered a love for astrology, tarot, meditation, crystal healing, and wellness, and realized my empathic abilities could be used as a means of helping others. When a friend casually mentioned that my professional expertise — coupled with my intuitive abilities and spiritual guidance — could be used for coaching purposes, I took a mental note and tucked the idea into the back of her mind. But after witnessing incessant signs from the universe, including the “collective retreat” of COVID-19 and the birth of my daughter Kerrigan Leigh, I now understand the importance of following your dreams and I’ve now embraced my multi-faceted gifts and talents as a coach, helping women find authentic, aligned empowerment.

I am a content creator, a musical theater performer, and a true extrovert. I love to be with people and I love to help people. I love to write, sing, dance, and act. I love to travel. I am a team player, a collaborator, an innovator, and a leader. I am a spiritual human being and an empath that connects with others. I feel the energy of a room and feed off that energy. I am a visionary that wants to take people to their highest potential, whether that is through my insights in communication, marketing, or using tools for healing like astrology or human design.

For years I’ve always felt that I am capable of doing more and giving more to the universe. My coaching business is the culmination of that deep desire to do more, along with my vast experiences in speaking, writing, teaching, and performing. Through my Inner Muse Method, I encourage women to tap into self-love, build confidence, get unstuck, and make a change. And as a marketing professional with over 15 years of experience, I’m also a higher ed consultant and instructor who develops and teaches courses in strategic communication and writing.

Whether someone is a student trying to figure out a career path, a solopreneur trying to determine their next marketing moves, or a mom trying to find herself again — I help clients dig deep and ask the right questions to get them to where they want to go next, gracefully, unapologetically, and intentionally.

Have you ever had to pivot?

In the year and half I’ve been in business, I’ve gone through several evolutions. I started as just an astrologer, until I realized that I wanted to do more with my experience reading charts. I wanted to help and guide people, in a way that wasn’t too far off from how I helped my students over the years.

So, I called myself a Pivot Coach, helping women with transitions. Then, a Cosmic Catalyst Coach & Realignment Strategist, using the woo to work for you. Then I felt called to helping women with Authenticity, while helping fellow biz owners with Intuitive Marketing.

Despite the various iterations and changes in my title (which doesn’t mean much anyway TBH), the constant through-line in all of my work was this — helping academics translate their CV and leave the academy. I knew I was being resistant to say that super out loud. I knew I didn’t want to “niche down,” mostly because I still had my own shame tied to making the leap all those years ago.

But my clients kept showing up, attracted to my journey and my story. And I realized that I couldn’t keep hiding behind language like “Pivot” and “Realignment” and “Authenticity” anymore.

I needed to be true to myself and my purpose, which I’ve realized is this — helping recovering perfectionists and uneasy PhDs find their stride and activate their authentic voice for a more fulfilling, purpose-driven life.

It took a minute for me to get here. But as a researcher, I knew the data doesn’t lie. Time and time again, my academic clients have SHOWN UP. And whether they’ve decided to leave the academy, switch positions within higher ed, or go somewhere completely new altogether, the amount of joy and fulfillment I’ve felt knowing I played a small role in their clarity was enough to make another change.

I often talk about what makes your different makes you powerful. It’s time to follow my own advice, own my academia-to-industry story, and help the PhDs and grad students out there who need it.

I know 2016-2017 Rowena would be eternally grateful.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

This may seem unconventional, and it may not be considered a “business book” by more traditional standards, but I would have to say “Big Magic” by Elizabeth Gilbert. In this book, Gilbert talks about staying curious and inspired, pushing past fear in order to step into more creative living. As entrepreneurs we are also creatives — we are putting ourselves out there and building our businesses with the same drive, motivation, and passion that emulates an artist, or a singer, or writer. And like fellow creatives, once we are in a flow state and feeling more fulfilled in what we do, we are able to step back and celebrate our masterpieces, whether that’s in the form of a truly satisfied client or an ROI that shatters all expectations. With the help of “Big Magic,” I am empowered to tap into my innate potential, unlock the ideas I have for my business, and unleash offerings to the world through inspired, aligned action. The book is pragmatic, soulful, spiritual, and potent, and it has provided a road map, as well as the space, to think more deeply about my own entrepreneurial journey and process.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.rowenawinkler.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rbwinklerphd/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rbwinklerphd
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rbwinklerphd/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/RBWinklerPhD
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU202rmhHCf4It6jplXqHOw

Image Credits
The Branding Babe