We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Stacey Andon a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Stacey, appreciate you joining us today. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?

About 8 years’ ago, I found myself really successful in my corporate HR job. I made good money and the work I did mattered — but there was something amiss. I felt this out-of-sorts feeling that wouldn’t go away— like a nudge that didn’t make any sense given that I was pretty happy.

During my annual two week holiday I went on amazing trips and pampered myself with things I loved like spa days, farm-to-table dinners, and hikes across mountainsides in the beauty of Mother Nature.

I was enjoying my full life, ever-shifting workload, and a blossoming relationship after my divorce.

My interest in travel and having amazing new adventures led me to a life coach who offered lavish retreats to places like the Amalfi Coast.

After months of fan-girling her social media, I noticed she was hosting an extravagant dinner party to kick off the new year. It was going to be held in Atlanta, not too far of a trip for me in Baltimore.

I immediately bought myself a ticket and then completely freaked out about making such an impulsive decision.

I wasn’t one to travel alone – and all the nagging thoughts like “what if you get lost?”, “what if you don’t fit in?” and “this is probably too fancy for people like me” screamed at me inside my head for weeks.

But there was something in me going even with all these fears that I couldn’t shake.

So I booked my plane ticket, secured a special hotel room and started to simultaneously panic and get excited over what I just decided to do.

The day finally arrived for me to fly to Atlanta, get dressed (what does one wear to an event where you don’t really know what it’s going to be like?!) and walk over to the restaurant where the party was about to get started.

All of a sudden, I found myself in a room of about 30 women, mostly life coaches (which at the time I didn’t really know what a life coach was). These women exuded a different type of energy than I was used to being around – confident, friendly, unapologetically bold.

It was a Sally-Met-Harry kind of moment for me. I wanted in to this seemingly secret society of empowered women..

The first thing we were asked to do before the dinner began was to get up in front of the group, introduce ourselves and tell the party why we were here.

As I looked around at all these strangers, many of whom knew each other– I felt at odds with my typical extroverted ease that usually felt comfortable in these moments.

Someone handed me the microphone and suddenly I paused, awkward and stumbling. “Why was I here?”— I could vaguely touch the reason but I was having a hard time putting words to this nagging feeling that there was something else out there for me.

After what felt like 5 minutes (I’m sure it was less than 30 seconds) I stammered out:

“I have a pretty good life. I’ve rebuilt so many things since my divorce and yet I’m still not quite as happy as I see all of you. I don’t have anything to complain about – I think a part of me could go on this way for the rest of my life. And yet, there is a part of me that keeps quietly nudging me— that knows there’s something way better out there for me if I’m willing to go past my comfort zone”.

Whew.

That took me a bit by surprise. The uncensored truth to a group of people who didn’t know me – there’s liberation in such a moment.

As much as what I said felt true, I also had no idea what the ‘something’ was.

A few minutes later when we were all eating our salads and introducing ourselves to each other— a woman from another table hopped over and sat next to me.

She introduced herself and then said “I have a question for you”.

I nodded and she asked “if you could do anything you wanted– anything at all, without any negative consequences, what would it be?”.

Hmmm. That’s a big ask and before I could think—- I blurted out “I’d go to life coach school”.

She sat back in her chair and a slow grin spread across her face.

She looks me straight in the eye and says “do it”.

I felt it immediately— permission. Not that she gave me– but rather what she helped me access within myself.

To follow a nudge that made no sense at the time.

After having an incredibly inspired evening, I got back on the plane home and within a week had signed up for a life coaching program.

I didn’t realize at that time how pivotal a moment that was for me. To honor a feeling that came from deep within, without understanding exactly where it was leading me.

It was one of the best things I ever did– amidst the fears and uncertainties– and it would take me places I had no idea of yet including a trip to the Amalfi Coast (a year and a half later) and my own business as a Master Coach (less than a year later).

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I spent a lot of time in Mother Nature as a child.

You couldn’t drag me out of the woods, the water, the sunshine.

I thrived talking to the trees and playing with my imagination.

I swallowed books, wrote stories and baked every chance I could.

I was in love with the enchantment of life– and I shined my superpowers brightly.

I didn’t know some of their names at the time— clairvoyance, clairsensience and claircognizance

What I did know was that I felt magical, creative, artistic.

Parallel to my world of enchantment, I also was raised in a world of darkness.

Addiction. Alcholism. Sexual assault. Suicide. Mental Illness. Emotional neglect. Physical and emotional abuse.

Some of these traumas I experienced first hand– some were experiences I navigated through the experience of others.

I tucked the enchanted part of me away during most of my later childhood and young adult life — as it didn’t feel safe back then to be the wild and free spirit I knew I was inside.

All of that trauma sharpened my energetic gifts, as I later discovered.

At different points in my life– I’ve learned the path inward is the way forward. Many times the pain within me, the filters of who I thought I should be— needed my compassionate attention.

And so I took one step at a time— learning to lean in with curiosity and love rather than with shame and criticism.

The more I paused and got curious– the more my energy channels flourished, the more my life expanded with joy. My natural superpowers re-emerged and grew.

I began coaching, channeling messages for others and even became a Reiki Master so that I could incorporate loving uplifting energy into all the work I do. I even bring my former experiences as a teacher and a corporate trainer along with me as needed.

I surrendered to so much of the uncertainty of life and found in those moments of surrender– there was a peace I searched my whole life for.

When I let go– it deepens my spiritual practice— wading out a lot of the noise and bullshit in the spiritual communities that never felt true. Noticing how easy it is, even in the spiritual realm, to think there is a ‘right way’ to use your light in this world.

My specialty in this world is helping clients find their own way forward in this world—learning how to use their intuitive gifts as a guide– honing them intentionally and stepping in to their life purpose that many times has global impact.

I am a guide for taking Leaps of Faith– big, small and all the sizes in between. Learning how to honor your intuitive callings and instead of compartmentalizing into the corner of your life— bringing them out front and center to be a guide, a channel and a way of being. That through breaking through the boxes of convention and a traditional ‘life path’– there is magic and enchantment.

So many of us have done super hard things. Now is the time to invite ease and fun back into our way of being. To honor the ebbs and flows of a human life—- while also trusting our soul wisdom to guide us every step of the way.

There is no right or wrong way to be you—– there is the truth of your way. You can’t mess it all up– you can’t miss it, no matter what you’ve already chosen and how old you are.

There is no better time than now than honoring that calling that wants to connect you to that feeling (that something missing) that you’ve been feeling for awhile now (even amidst all the worldly success you may have already garnered).

I specialize in working with highly-sensitive and high-achieving woman who are ready to take a leap of faith into the unknown — because deep inside they know there is something incredible in this journey.

I host a podcast Everyday Enchantment, a free private FB Group called Everyday Enchantment, I work with 1:1 clients and small groups— as well as lead business training for leaders and serve as a guest speaker for a variety of different groups.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Sometimes, I still feel the pressure of creating a ‘perfect’ experience for myself– even though I’ve done a lot of work on unlearning the flavor of perfectionism.

I’m human and of course, it still creeps in at times.

Instead of going down that spiral today– I’m remind myself often that I can begin again from a place where I greet my messy moments with grace.

Places where I fall over and remember I know how to get back up.

A few weeks’ ago, when I was deep in sadness– I told my husband I was drowning.

He said in return, “Stacey, you know how to swim“.

Ah, not the answer I wanted from him.

In that moment, I wanted him to wallow with me, but instead he threw me one of the round life-saving devices from the shore.

As much as I didn’t want to like what he said, it was exactly what I needed.

A small powerful cold water truth to my desire to be rescued in that moment.

He was right– I can rescue myself.

It didn’t mean I immediately pulled myself out of those waters– but it gave me the lifeline I knew I could use when I was ready.

When we stumble or fall or feel like we are drowning– we can be in those messy spaces and feel the feelings– even flail around.

When we are ready, and not a minute before, we can remind ourselves we know how to get up again, to swim ashore.

And here, in these imperfect experiences— is the magic of living.

Wherever you find yourself- know that you can fall or falter and that –-instead of messing it all up— it may be the exact way forward.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

As a coach, one of my specialties is playing with paradoxes.

It seems that our minds enjoy either/or buckets and thoughts.

You may want the truth to lie in one answer.

I’m angry or joyful.

I’m a victim or a perpetrator.

I’m resigned or I’m ambitious.

I’m successful in business or I’m not.

But what if we could simultaneously be both? What if that were true?

It’s messy, I know.

The mind will not enjoy this— and yet, there is more to you beyond your mind.

Your essence. Some call it soul.

The seemingly contradictory paradoxes that make us human beings. The messy draw-out-side-of-the-lines experiences we’ve all encountered.

We also apply these buckets to our worldviews and our relationships.

If I am right, they are wrong.

If I am speaking my truth, they are lying.

Again, this zero sum game has taught us to choose a side.

That there is safety in choosing. There is also victory in ‘rightness’– or so we want to believe.

I haven’t found myself and my business that easy to label, box or strip into wins or losses.

I actually don’t think that’s the point of this life adventure (even though it could be contrary to what we’ve learned along the way).

Underneath the either-or buckets, may be there is less knowing. More uncertainty. The space where all things can be true and not true simultaneously.

Space to listen and allow instead.

The place where you are not constrained by one moment, one word, one action to define and label all the days of your life – instead, you greet a moment that expands to hold all the things— without judgment, priority or absolute knowing.

It hurts the mind to bend the rules.

Because when we invite the not-knowing and the paradox to sit within us, you may find the answer you seek.

The things you thought you’d already discovered when you were busy being right or being one thing feel less significant because their permanence is met with impermanence.

Maybe you’ll discover the answer and the question.

Life can be so much juicier with living paradoxes — and in the space where there is no ‘one knowing’—- you may just find everything.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://staceyandon.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/staceyandon/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/staceyandoncoaching
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrhodz8t6yaisCtxfsALTog
• Other: My Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/2UBOyrzV1ihVz2HPYhSeJI?si=6826a704096c4b01