Meet Emily Schickli | Spiritual Mentor & Burnout Coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with Emily Schickli and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Emily, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Like most coaching businesses, my business was born out of a problem I personally experienced – and the desire to share the hard-earned solution I discovered during my own healing journey in the hopes that it would be supportive for other folks going through it too.

It was back in 2014 when my health and wellbeing hit a breaking point. I had been suffering for about ten years prior, but it wasn’t until I had a conversation with a friend who had a diagnosed chronic illness that I realized my symptoms of daily migraines, pelvic pain, myofascial pain, gut issues, and rampant eczema were not in the realm of “normal” health experiences. That moment of clarity and validation led me down the path of seeking answers and support – first in the Western medical system with a slew of specialists and then with holistic and Eastern medicine practitioners. I was very fortunate to be able to spend the time, energy, and resources to investigate these issues in the years to come, but it wasn’t until I hit another major roadblock that I discovered the all-too-simple “secret” that ultimately led to my recovery.

Fast forward to 2018 when I was working in the tech industry at a startup, and I burned out. I had been working 12-hour days, commuting 2 hours each way, and my body had had enough. This collapse in tandem with my on-going healing process was like the lightning bolt of understanding that the two – my approach to work and my health – were inextricably linked. It was then that all the research I had conducted, the lifestyle changes I made, and the trial-and-error from different specialists came together, and I realized that my path to balance was a combination of nervous system regulation techniques, bite-sized self-care rituals, a shift in unconscious beliefs, and behavioral change.

That spark inspired me to start my business.

I realized that my problem here wasn’t unique – so many of my friends, colleagues, and acquaintances were suffering from a lack of true balance. If I could distill down all that I had learned that worked into a repeatable process for others, I would be able to make a profound impact. And that’s exactly what I did. (I also went on to receive multiple credentials to back up my own personal experience in life coaching, NeuroLinguistic Programming (NLP), yoga and meditation, Reiki, Shamanism, and more).

While my first “niche” in business was focused on supporting chronic illness warriors specifically, I eventually opened into helping busy folks on the whole who were struggling with stress, burnout, and time and energy management. Since 2021, I further opened up my business to teach my favorite spiritual practices that have been instrumental in my own wellbeing and sense of purpose and connection to life. Now, I feel my business brings together the holistic swirl I originally hoped for to help busy folks reclaim their time, energy, and sense of magic so they can craft the life they actually want (and don’t need a vacation from).

What should our readers know about your business?
I specialize in empowering busy folks to regulate their nervous system, reclaim their time, regain their energy, reimagine their experience of life by shifting unconscious beliefs, and rediscover their sense of magic by inviting the sacred into the mundane.

As a natural-born creative who dove into the world of neuroscience and behavioral psychology to shift my own life, I love bringing together what I call the science and spirit of empowered living. That’s all to say that I take a holistic approach when working with folks – whether that’s through personal coaching, online courses, corporate workshops, or sacred ceremonies. As a result of this work, my clients on average double their energy, feel 1.4 times less stressed, and feel 1.5 times more confident managing their time – so it really works!

It’s certainly been a journey when it comes to my business. When I first started out, I was focused on helping folks with chronic pain through yoga, then I dove into the world of digestive health coaching, then I discovered Reiki, Shamanism, and energy work, then I realized it all came back to the nervous system and burnout, and finally I studied NLP… and eventually got to where I am today.

The biggest challenge along the way was a combination of running into self-doubt and confusion and then latching onto what one expert at the time told me. Essentially, I gave my power away a LOT in the early days. I see this all the time with folks who are starting their own businesses, so if I were to share a piece of advice, it would be to practice nervous system regulation and cultivate self-trust. The more resourced you are, the more you trust yourself and know what’s authentically aligned for you. As a result, you’re less likely to make poor investment decisions or get distracted by what everyone else is doing in their business. The truth is, business success relies on you being authentically you and in your power. As I stepped more and more into my own power and shared more of my gifts with the world, the more aligned my business felt and successful it became. And the best part? I love it!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
You have to understand that I am a huge breakfast person. It’s about the food, of course, but it’s also about the time of day – there’s so much possibility in the morning! So if a friend were visiting, we’d go to my favorite brunch spot and enjoy lattes and bites before wandering around town and catching up. In LA, I absolutely adore Wide Eyes Open Palms for breakfast in Long Beach, and the surrounding area is fun to explore afterwards too. After a leisurely breakfast, we’d likely go for a hike in nature, maybe along the beach or in the foothills, and enjoy the fresh air and connection to the earth.

I’m also kind of a homebody, so we’d likely cozy up at home in the afternoon, make some art, and do one of my favorite spiritual practices to recharge. In the evening, we might order takeout for dinner and watch a silly movie together – that we’d talk and laugh over, of course!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are so many folks to shout out who have been instrumental in my business growth and personal development along the way. To name a few: Amy Rogg for inspiring me to teach yoga and meditation in the first place, Emily Galvin Moore and Edna Barr to teaching my yoga certification program, Joanne Brohmer for guiding me through my Reiki certifications, Cynthia Garcia for my first life coaching certification, Grace Lever and Danielle Leslie for making starting a coaching business feel less overwhelming with their resources and courses, Cristina Bold and Kate Northrup for shifting my money mindset, Lacy Phillips for teaching me all about neural manifestation, Nicola Amadora, PhD for teaching me somatic experiencing and being a great personal support, Aria Beam and Lindsey Graf for leading my NLP, EFT, Hypnosis and TIME Techniques practitioner certification and expanding my understanding of how the brain works, Jane Sanguinetti and Kate Miller for guiding me through my earth-based shamanic training, and so many more!

Website: https://emilyschickli.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/emilyschickli

Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/emilyschickli

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mindbodydharma

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MindBodyDharma

Image Credits
Meghan Smolka