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

Hi Amy, what principle do you value most?
The value that matters most to me is being real with people. I never want to speak to someone in a way where I’m trying to get something from them. If the conversation is going in a way that feels fake or we’re in performance-mode (saying something because we think it’s what the other person might want to hear), I speak to it. I find when it’s addressed the conversation ends up going in a totally different direction that creates a lot of connection, builds on our relationship and it’s also way more fun because we are both so engaged in what’s happening. I think you can be honest with people in a loving way, we don’t have to hold back who we really are.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
If you want to find your spark, want to create change, want to clear out the noise and whittle it down to what’s really important in your life, then we might be a really good fit for entering into a life coaching relationship. This is about you doing what you really want to, no more performance or doing things other people expect of you. If you want to be solid in who you are, be able to speak powerfully to what’s important to you, trust yourself and have a greater capacity to be with life’s challenges, we can work together to create it.

What sets me apart is that people say they feel really safe with me, like they can just relax and be who they are, with no judgement. I also like to have fun! Self-development doesn’t always have to be so deep and serious – we can laugh and have adventures together. All of this transformation is done through life coaching, retreats and breathwork.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If you’re coming to Toronto, I definitely recommend checking out the island. It is such a fun place to go for the day. You take the ferry over, which is an adventure in itself, getting to see the city from a totally different perspective. I love bringing my bike over, or you can rent a bicycle built for 4 and ride around the island with your friends. It’s the perfect spot to have a picnic, spend time on the beach, or get out on the water kayaking or SUPing – there’s even a nude beach if you’re feeing adventurous.

After living here for almost 13 years, I am finally learning how many trails are in Toronto! Hop on a bike to explore parts of the city you don’t see everyday. I love biking down by the Don River where you can hear the birds chirping and see the ducks and other creatures playing in the water.

Evergreen Brickworks is another spot in the city I love and visit regularly. It’s a former quarry from the late 1800’s that’s been converted into a cultural centre with a focus on the environment. Whether it’s walking on the surrounding trails, sitting by the pond, touring the gift shop or visiting the weekend farmer’s market you will find a place to slow down, while still being in a large flourishing city.

I also recommend enjoying Greek food on the Danforth, touring the vintage shops in the area of Kensington Market and walking around St. Lawrence Market, a year-round, indoor farmer’s market.

I’m all about the food and the nature!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would love to give a shoutout to Dawn Armstrong, friend, teacher, and coach. She is the person that called me up one day about 6 years ago to tell me about her new coaching journey. She introduced me to the whole world of self-discovery and I am so grateful I was one of the people she chose to call that day.

I would also love to give a shoutout to my fellow Accomplishment Coaching participants for embracing me in all my messiness as I learned about myself, to Julie Zuzek for creating such an awesome RetreatU community and to Rich Litvin for creating a community of high-performing coaches and for noticing me that day in the audience at your Intensive.

Website: https://www.amyhogan.ca

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amyhogie/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyhogan-coach/

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