Meet Betsy Rosenfeld Vargas | Life Coach & Dog Rescuer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Betsy Rosenfeld Vargas and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Betsy, what do you want your legacy to be?
I would want people to remember me as someone who helped people and animals with tenacity and love. My mission as coach, and really as a person overall, is to help people feel seen, supported and embraced so that they can go on to live their best lives. It is not me who makes my clients change. I don’t do the work, they do. I simply create the space for them to connect to their inner value. From there they are stronger and able to thrive and more successfully take on life’s challenges. While very different, I guess you could say, this path is reflected in my work with animals. I take dogs who would otherwise be discarded by society and create new opportunities for them. I’m not making them great dogs- I am certainly no trainer the dog sleeping on my pillow at the moment could attest to that–but I give these creatures new opportunities to find love and safety.

What should our readers know about your business?
Hollywood is fun. Hollywood is exciting, and yet the go-go-go nature of the industry often leaves people running on empty and disconnected from themselves even as they achieve success. In a nutshell, I teach people in Hollywood how to fill themselves up, get connected and overcome the fear-based blocks that hold them back from finding happiness, success and achieving and enjoying their dreams whether personal or professional. What makes ‘With Betsy’ different is that I used to be a producer. I know firsthand the pressure under which people live in this business and in this town; grinding it out and grinding themselves down in the process. This is particularly true for women in Hollywood. There is such a push to perfectionism and a pressure to be all things to all people at all times. It’s no wonder there is so much burnout, and so much drama in media jobs; not to mention so many people making big salaries and yet not having anything to show for it because they are busy soothing themselves with expensive distractions. If left to my own devices, the level of pressure I could and would put on myself is be astounding. Early in my coaching career I found something that helped me make a profound shift from thinking that being harder on myself than I thought anyone else could be was a winning strategy, to a way of living in which I was willing to show myself a some kindness, and yet still succeed. Once I saw it working for myself, I knew I had to share it with people who I saw putting themselves through the same pressure cooker approach to life as I once did. The methodology is called Fearless Living. It’s a brain-science based coaching approach that helps people overcome challenges and blocks not only by looking at the ‘what’ of what people want to change or accomplish but more importantly the ‘how’ they’re going to do it on a very granular level, as well as the ‘why’ of what will motivate them plus the ‘why’ of why they were making choices that didn’t support their ultimate goals in the first place; all while focusing on being kind to yourself instead of critical. While the being kind part wasn’t so reminiscent of producing, the breaking things down into steps is actually quite similar to my work as a producer. When turning a concept into a reality, I had to work one step at a time. So, I like to say I help people produce their lives, because to me, that is what good coaching is all about. And on another note, one of the things I constantly get feedback about which differentiates my coaching from others is how I have a the best resources and referrals for everything. Whether someone needs a dog walker, a divorce lawyer, a bookkeeper or a baby doula, I have a connection to the best around. My clients, even long after they have ‘graduated’ come back looking for find the best (fill in the blank) because they know I will have it!

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.
As a mom and basically an official old person, I am abundantly aware that I have abdicated the role of the cool insider who knows all the latest greatest. So when my friends comes to LA, it’s all about connecting with each other and my old faithful spots. Here are few good spots for that, most of which are still available even with COVID-19 restrictions. 1. Franklin Canyon Reservoir- I love going up here and walking the loop. It’s 8 minutes from the Beverly Hills triangle and yet a world away. We particularly love the duck pond. 2. Malibu Wine Hikes. I don’t drink and I don’t really like to hike and yet this is the most incredible place to talk people. You get to come face to face with some of the most adorable creatures ever- including the opportunity to feed Stanley the Giraffe, but again, you get a chance to be in a wide open space of rolling hills and lush grass. It’s divine. 3. It’s a cliche at this point, but going to Craig’s with out of town guest is the most fun you can have. The people opportunities at Craig’s are beyond anywhere else, and you can get vegan ice cream What could be better? 4. Again, it’s sort of a tourist trap but I am a pretty die-hard devotee of the Original Farmer’s Market. Particularly now with COVID, I have been doing all of my marketing there. I’m there multiple times a week and I love supporting the small mom and pop businesses, while getting the freshest best food around. I also encourage people to go over to the Grove and head to the roof of the parking lot. It’s a random place I know, but the unobstructed view from the top gives one of the best 360’s of the city you can find. Particularly on a weekday, it extremely peaceful.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would love to dedicate my shoutout to Cynthia Shifrin. With all of my endeavors, whether helping people or animals, Cynthia is my rock. 20 years ago Cynthia was my therapist when I lived in Seattle. She had a thriving practice for many years, but noticed that people kept coming back to her with the same problems over and over again. Frustrated, set out to find a methodology to help people (and animals) move on from those things that held them back once and for all. Cynthia now practices a unique blend of spiritual healing, energy clearing and the reprogramming obstacles of negative energy from the soul and subconscious. Working with Cynthia helps keep me clear with my own energy. I have her work with my clients and whenever I am helping re-home a dog, particularly when they have endured trauma, she helps me clear their baggage and set them on the right path. By clearing energy whether for people or for an animal, Cynthia’s work helps you move yourself forward without the baggage that once held you back.

Website: withbetsy.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/withbetsy/?hl=en
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/betsy-rosenfeld-vargas-4a39952/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/betsy.rosenfeld

Image Credits
Photos by Mekina Saylor