We recently connected with Sofiya Stasiv and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Sofiya thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?
What is the meaning of life?
I faced it every day.
I watched and cared for different faces each day. Some were the same, but I met hundreds to thousands of faces regardless. Each rotated through the system of healthcare.
A new stranger, a new story, and a new meaning.
During the start of my nursing career, I tended not to see it. I was afraid of myself, praying I wouldn’t make a medical error, knew how to explain the tasks need of me to patients, to not make a face when I saw, smelled, or touched bodies I did not know well, and the other 100 things I had to do. My attention to detail was strong, but I was too distracted by this new environment I was inserted into when it all began.
It took time, many mistakes, and many awkward conversations with patients, but with time I learned to become an amazing nurse.
I learned to care better, to remember better, to hold my head a little higher to lift those that needed me on a hard day as their bodies were sick. Their minds were weak as they were sanded down with the lack of sleep, poor food, lack of movement, and proper environmental exposure.
Some days were heavier than others. Yet, I began stepping into my responsibility. The ownership I had to take on behalf of my patients, encourage them, remind them, and tend to them when they did not have the means to any longer.
Despite the lack of glamour, I truly did have a moment where I loved my job as a nurse. It didn’t matter the things I had to see, hear, smell, or witness that was going to change what made us human I realized. It was such a raw exposure to play a role in.
I felt like I had special access to witnessing the many states we could all enter into our lives. With this exposure, I brought my own intensity, my spark, and my life into the rooms that I took care of. I made the most of it with the help of the other fellow nurses.
Yet, no matter the help and assistance, the work was often still left undone. The patients were getting sicker. The time to tend to them gradually increasing. Yet, the life within them simultaneously withered away.
Suddenly, the rooms felt dark. Seeing how the light of the humans I cared for was dimming their lights, as the pandemic of COVID had entered our society. Slowly, the isolation was the new normal. The contained prison that made sure to keep them and us safe.
Human life was treated in ways I imagine how certain people must face in wars. The conditions were cluttered, the orders unclear, and the protocol of how to move forward always changing. Lives were being lost slowly, others suddenly. The heart giving up. The soul letting go.
Being a nurse showed me the meaning of life. It awoke me so powerfully, that I knew I had to live the fullest life I could. I saw how quickly it can all change.
All of a sudden, I heard the voice inside me speak.
It said,
“You are meant for more—to live, to inspire, to help before things would become hard to save”
“You are meant to show others that life needed to be lived, unlike the ways you witnessed it was lived within the hospital walls”
This lead me to pursue my own private practice as a Lifestyle & Wellness Coach. With the aid of my medical background as a nurse and becoming a certified Nurse Coach, I could guide and partner with clients that wanted a greater life than those that I witness people fall too quickly into within the health care system.
I wanted to pioneer in shifting the paradigm of what health could be to someone. I wanted them to know how full their life could be if they just saw the adventure, curiosity, joy, connection, and resilience needed to live that quality and rich life we were all gifted.
The trajectory of my current career wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for my first. I thank the years I was given those moments, filled with joy, stress, anger, shock, disease, fatigue, overwhelm, etc. It showed me all the ways we live as humans. With the multitude of states I saw human life, it gave me the confidence I needed to know that becoming a Lifestyle & Wellness Coach was one of my callings. Combining my inner wisdom and perspective of life, the scientific knowledge I knew of the body, and the holistic versions I viewed life through gave me an incredible leverage to aid people in becoming their most authentic and best selves.
My ultimate inspiration lies in empowering individuals to embrace their own unique stories and become the main characters to create their version of adventurous lives. I wish it to be full of practices and tools they can use to be their own leaders, with the help of my assistance be a mere co-lead with them. I am dedicated to creating an environment where people can explore their potential, rewrite their narratives, and embark on a transformative journey toward a happier, healthier, and more fulfilled life. Witnessing the transformative power of personal growth and seeing individuals embrace their true selves is what fuels my passion and keeps me inspired every single day.
We all must know that we define our own lives. It’s time we lean into that power within ourselves for the sake of our health.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
*“How you live your life is the influence you have on the world.” – Sofiya Stasiv
I am a Transformational Lifestyle and Wellness Coach and Registered Nurse. My business is called You vs You Wellness Coaching. I am a woman full of vibrance, connection, curiosity, and wonder. My mission is to help those see that your health is worth the journey if allowed to be seen through an adventurous lens. I believe in rekindling a bright zest for life once again with the power of life & wellness coaching. My story of caring for patients in a conventional medical system from birth until death, deeply investing in the art of connection, navigating being a first-generation immigrant, exploring the cultures and people of the world, and embodying the journey of being your rawest, truest, and honest self has equipped me to help guide others into seeing the world within them through a new lens.
The problems I help solve are overcoming the inner battles of what you know about yourself, finding playfulness in the art of learning to take care of yourself, and understanding how be heart-centered to liberate your health & well-being. Each of us has You verse You battle in who we want to be and how we want it to be displayed. As your coach, I make sure we create this together while also giving you the tools and practices needed to be more proactive in your overall well-being to live the life you are allowed to have.
There are several ways to learn more about me and the services I offer. I offer high-level 1:1 online coaching, a mastermind called Adventure Mindset Mastery, workshops, and retreats. These interactions are focused on self-development, mindset work, and somatic practices to lead you into a healthier & balanced life, and each offer varies on intensity of proactive action needed. Lastly, I provide education, tools, and resources about important aspects of the body, mind, and spirit to create a full connection within the self. You can visit my personal website at http://www.sofiyastasiv.com/, where you’ll find detailed information about my background, approach, and the services I provide. You can also email me at [email protected].
I also encourage others to follow me on Instagram (@sofiyastasiv), where I share authentic aspects of my life. Through my posts, I aim to highlight our shared humanity and ongoing growth while offering relatable tips and insights for individuals on their journeys.
What sets me apart from my service is the inside-out approach I use to address the core of the issue at hand they wish to resolve. My theme of adventure helps my clients see that life is unavoidable in all the array of obstacles you have, and rather it is the way you react and move through it. The adventures we have in our lives are all different, and it is my mission to help you see how unique and special it is to tend to what excites you inside to best take care of yourself. My approach creates a space for safety, vulnerability, and connection for my clients to place who they want to be for themselves without judgement.
What I am most proud of in the business is how heard, seen, and valued each of my clients have felt in their time with me. There is an aspect of true human connection that happens as I learn the vulnerable parts of you. I have witnessed profound transformations in people’s lives when they recognize the value of creating a sense of community and connection with themselves. Through coaching, individuals can realign their entire lives, finding support and inspiration within their chosen communities.
By fostering a sense of connection and demonstrating the significance of building a supportive community, I help my clients understand the immense benefits that come with embracing coaching as a catalyst for holistic growth and personal development.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
You can’t make yourself happy by making everyone else happy. I am a recovering people pleaser. I use to need everyone and their mother to validate me. As a first-generation immigrant, I was having to do more than what was expected of me. I needed to use extra energy to get noticed as my parents worked long hours to create our American dream. This early behavior made it difficult for me so ever know what I needed versus what the world needed of me. Oftentimes, I made sure I could keep as many people happy as possible so their reflections could make me happy. After facing much hardship in my career, my romantic life, and a few core friends moving away, I realized how much I relied on others to be my mirror. I believe social health is very important for your well-being, but the perspective I held during that time was not right. I am thankful that my training to become a coach brought this to light for me. I still have days where I have to unlearn this behavior. There are still lessons I have to remind myself of when I start to notice I am suffering for a reason that is not my own. It takes daily practice, and I am grateful that I have the tools to recognize this within myself to pay better attention to my needs first as I take care of myself the way I need to have my best health in mind.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
A time I had to pivot was when I traveled to Europe to celebrate the start of my business. Little did I know that this particular day as I was flying into Europe would be the same day that Russia invaded Ukraine. A country I was wishing to visit to see family and friends. I learned that all the flights were canceled and I could no longer see my family. This trip was meant to be a celebration, yet quickly turned into a nightmare as I learned what a visceral feeling occurs in your body when something you care deeply for is being taken away from you. All of a sudden, this trip felt wrong. Why did I deserve to be happy when simultaneously lives were changed forever without their control? I was about to volunteer at the borders of Poland to help fellow Ukrainians being affected; however, my family told me to stay where I was in case transportation became difficult when I had to return to the United States. So, I pivoted the trip by joining protests in different countries in Europe to spread the message where I could. I needed days to speak with my family and friends. I needed time to not get lost in all that was occurring nearby. After the first week of the war, I was able to not have a sense of survivor’s guilt in the placement of where I was in the world. I still have my moments, yet now I am able to pivot from the pain of what is occurring to the pride, courage, and bravery that this homeland of mine displays. I have used this hardship to help fuel me, to make me less afraid, to remind to fight for what I believe in, and to remind myself that I am part of a collective of people. Seeing yourself within a community of others has given me so much resiliency when it comes to my life & business.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.sofiyastasiv.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sofiyastasiv/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sofiya.stasiv.1
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sofiya-stasiv-56803122a/
Image Credits
Photographer: Hannah Escobedo