Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sarah Lucento. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Sarah, appreciate you joining us today. Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.
My professional career transformed into my passion the moment I realized that my story could serve as another woman’s survival guide. As a young teen, I suffered with extremely painful periods; to the point where I would have to call out of work or school at least once per month like clock work. My gynecologist put me on the birth control pill at age 15 to manage my pain. Before the pill, the first day of my cycle was insane—excruciating cramps, nausea, and dizziness completely interrupted my life. I was told that this pain was a “normal part of being a woman.” I continued to take oral contraceptives for almost a decade, and finally quit at the age of 23.
Around the same time I went on the pill at age 15, I developed debilitating anxiety and chronic people pleasing behavior. These traits and feelings were especially prevalent in my personal relationships. I wanted everyone to like me. I wanted people to feel good at the expense of my own well-being. I listened and internalized other people’s opinions of me instead of forming my own. I didn’t know how to recharge and come back to myself. I felt lost and on the edge of madness.
At age 18, I was prescribed adderall to focus all of my displaced energy. I became highly addicted to it. Adderall is a central nervous system stimulant and caused me extreme anxiety and panic attacks on more than one occasion. Pair both of these medications with regular college drinking habits and the standard American diet and you have the ultimate recipe for hormonal chaos and poor health. I decided to stop taking adderall four years later at the age of 22.
That summer after I graduated college in 2012, I moved to the Outer Banks of North Carolina and didn’t look back. I spent most of my days by the ocean and started my deep healing work. After some traveling, I started really getting into research on how the body works with regard to nutrition, movement, voice and relaxation. I started applying what I was learning in my own life and did a ton of self-experimentation to find out what worked and didn’t work for me.
Hands down the most important thing I learned while on that journey was that your period is a barometer for your overall health. It’s like your monthly report card. What’s happening with your cycle tells us a whole lot about what’s going on in your life! When I learned that the body speaks in signs and symptoms, that was the game changer for me. I finally figured out what I wanted to do with my life: help women heal!
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?
The name “Sacred Sarah” was given to me by a dear friend of mine when I was living in a deep dark depression from the ages of about 23-26. “I am sacred,” was a prominent phrase I used to rewire my brain during that time when negative thought patterns were my default. Sacred Sarah was a literal identity shift for me. When I first started my business, many people would ask me what my company name meant. At first it was difficult for me to claim the nickname, much less talk about it. When you are used to putting yourself down on the inside and allowing certain thoughts to dominate your mind, showing compassion and having true confidence in yourself is tricky at first. Sacred Sarah is a reminder of my boundaries; that I will no longer tolerate disrespect from myself or others. This namesake also reminds me of my resilience and how I can bounce back from anything and everything. Most importantly, it reminds me that our Creator always has my back as I reflect on Psalm 139:14.
I decided to become a massage therapist after discovering how deep relaxation could calm my nervous system and decrease my anxiety. Once I started getting massage regularly, I thought to myself, “I want to hold space like this for others! This is rad!” So I enrolled in a program shortly after that. Since then I have been practicing massage for 6 years and have developed my signature style by blending reflexology, deep tissue and relaxation therapies together.
Around the same time I was in massage school, I decided to enroll in a coaching program with the Institute of Integrative Nutrition to gain formal training in holistic nutrition, hormone health, behavior change and motivational interviewing. This certification required 12 months of training and coaching clients. It was this course that helped me lay the foundation for my signature coaching program “Period Peace.”
Period Peace helps women make peace with their periods for better quality of life! As women, we experience approximately 400 menstrual cycles in our lifetime! That’s about 2,000 days of our lives shedding the lining of the uterus! Unfortunately, most of us are left in the dark about how this amazing process works and we grow up not knowing how to pay attention to, or interpret, our unique biological rhythm! As a result, we think we can get pregnant every day of the month, and things like extreme period cramps and PMS are “just part of being a woman.” Period Peace helps women understand their unique menstrual cycle and learn to speak the body’s language at the deepest level. When we understand what pains like PMS, cramps, PMDD, etc. are trying to tell us, we can adapt accordingly by making appropriate lifestyle shifts and heal! The best kept secret of medicine is that the body heals itself when provided with the right conditions!
I think what sets me apart from other coaches is my ability to utilize therapeutic touch to help my clients calm their nervous systems and reduce stress. After all, stress management and blood sugar balance are the foundation for happy hormones and peaceful periods!
Period Peace is offered in two formats; one-on-one in person or group coaching in the virtual space. My office is located by the ocean front in Virginia Beach, VA; but I am able to connect with others out of state or even out of the country thanks to the internet! I also offer therapeutic massage in-person by appointment for both men and women.
The thing I am most proud of is my tenacity and love of learning! I am currently a second year doctor of physical therapy student at ODU and plan to specialize in pelvic floor rehabilitation to better serve the women and men in my community who are suffering from pelvic pain!
Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?
Empathy and ability to build (and keep) rapport! I don’t usually like to generalize, but I think everyone, deep down, wants to feel seen and heard. You could be the best at what you do, but if you don’t know how to connect with others on their level, you won’t get very far!
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
Consistent, high-quality service for every client that I work with has allowed me to tap into the best referral source to grow my clientele: word of mouth advertising! When someone truly enjoys and values an experience/service/product you provide, they want to tell others about it naturally!
On another note, social media platforms have been a great way to connect with potential coaching clients! Since virtually everything is online, I think it’s a great idea for entrepreneurs to learn how to use social media and the online space to market themselves!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sacredsarah.com
- Instagram: @sacredsarah_
- Facebook: Sacred Sarah
- Linkedin: Sarah Lucento
- Other: Email: [email protected]
Image Credits
Heather Lancaster of Creative Heat; Rebekah Morillo of BekFoto