We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sara McCready. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sara below.
Sara, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
The biggest risk I took was leaving behind the familiar world of corporate structure to follow my soul’s calling after experiencing a complete emotional breakdown. This wasn’t just a career pivot – it was a total life transformation. Moving from a career in financial services and balance sheets, to creating a business and programs for mind, body and soul, has been life altering.
In the aftermath of a high-conflict relationship ending, I found myself at rock bottom, questioning everything I thought I knew about success, fulfillment and relationships.
Instead of pushing through as I’d always done, I took the risk of completely surrendering to my healing journey. I knew that I had to do things differently to support myself through the grief and loss I was experiencing at that time.
I discovered the energy healing modality, Reiki, and various other modalities which not only healed me emotionally, mentally and physically, but also awakened my true purpose.
The risk wasn’t just in founding my business, Illuminated Joy; it was in being vulnerable enough to share my story of breakdown-to-breakthrough with other high-achieving women who might be silently struggling like I was.
I left the corporate world to become an entrepreneur, CEO and Founder, without a back-up plan, and very little awareness of what creating a business would ask of me. This risk has transformed into my greatest reward.
Today, through the Illuminated Path mentorship program, I guide other high-achieving women to find their own path to self-love through soul-care, proving that sometimes our greatest challenges lead us to our most authentic calling and our true joy.
Betting on ourselves is always a risk worth taking!
Sara, 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?
As the Founder of Illuminated Joy and creator of the Illuminated Path mentorship program, my journey into the wellness and mentorship space emerged from my own transformation story.
After experiencing burnout, heart-break and grief, which compounded into an emotional breakdown, I discovered the healing power of Reiki and energy work. This discovery completely shifted my life’s trajectory.
Today, I serve high-achieving, professional women who are ready to move beyond external success to find true inner fulfillment.
I am known for my unique ability to bridge the corporate and spiritual worlds, helping accomplished women master emotional regulation, energetic boundaries, and intuitive leadership. Through a unique blend of spiritual guidance, Reiki, and transformational mentorship, I help women who are outwardly successful but inwardly struggling, shift from overwhelm to OVER-JOYED!
What sets me apart is my integrated approach – merging the corporate and spiritual worlds using my proprietary CCP (Clarity, Confidence, Peace) Framework. I’m not just teaching theory; I’m sharing a proven path that I’ve walked myself.
I’m most proud of creating a safe space where powerful women can be vulnerable and authentic, whether that’s in our one-on-one mentorship sessions, Reiki treatments, or through in-person or virtual transformative workshops.
My brand stands for the belief that true success includes both external achievement and internal fulfillment. And that self care is not soul-care, because without soul-care there is no JOY.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
As an entrepreneur, the most significant lesson I had to unlearn was the ’employee mindset’.
After years in the corporate world, I had internalized a structure where someone else always set the rules, boundaries, and definition of success. Transitioning to entrepreneurship meant completely rewiring how I showed up in my business and life.
In a way, this was an extension of my emotional healing journey to unlearning the habit of seeking external validation and permission.
The journey of becoming self-led and self-directed was (and sometimes still is) both terrifying and liberating. I had to give myself permission to be multifaceted – to be both a CEO and a healer, a business strategist and a spiritual guide, a social media maven and a meditation teacher.
This unlearning process taught me that true entrepreneurship isn’t about fitting into someone else’s box – it’s about creating your own unique container that holds all of who you are. And this is a direct parallel to the emotional healing journey and learning to fully and completely love yourself first!
Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?
Beyond training and knowledge, the most crucial element for success in my field is authenticity and integrating the wisdom I’ve learned through experience.
In the wellness and mentorship space, people don’t just buy your services – they invest in your energy and your truth and wisdom. Having alignment between your head and your heart is what makes you unstoppable.
My ability to create deep, transformative connections with clients comes from my willingness to be vulnerable about my own journey and to show up as my full, authentic self.
This authenticity extends to how I run my business, create content, and build relationships. When you’re genuine in your approach, you naturally attract the right clients who resonate with your message and mission. It’s about being brave enough to share your story, including the messy parts, because that’s often where others find their own healing and inspiration.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.illuminatedjoy.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/illuminatedjoy/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IlluminatedJoy/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-mccready-8374281/
