Meet Cindy Warden | Life Coach & Resilience Expert

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

Hi Cindy, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Initially, I moved to Los Angeles for the same reason so many others flock here: I wanted to be in the entertainment industry. I spent many years as a comedic actress, singer, and pianist. Then eventually, I transitioned into the music industry where I worked at a pop record label. But all the while, behind the scenes, I had a secret: I wasn’t happy. Even more so, I wasn’t happy with myself. (In fact, I struggled with chronic depression for so many years, doctors told me that I was just “one of those people” who would never live her life off medication.) While I’d love to tell you that one day the clouds parted, a choir of angels sang, and in one fell swoop that all changed, it didn’t happen that way. Instead, over the course of many months, like a falling row of dominoes, everything in my world fell apart – my marriage, my social circle, my career, and my finances. Ultimately, the stress of my situation even affected my health, and not only did I find myself navigating an excruciating auto-immune disease, but I also found a lump in my breast (fortunately, it wasn’t cancer…yet). As I was wheeled into surgery, I’d truly never felt so lost and so low. But among all the broken pieces of my life, I realized there was one common denominator: me. I abso-freaking-lutely believed with all my heart I was meant for so much more, and to get it, I knew I needed to change in a big way. So, I sought out every resource I could find to help me do that. Bit by bit, as I bounced back, with the changes I was making, I was feeling the self-acceptance, freedom, and wholeness I’d craved my whole life. Consequently, the big shifts I was experiencing on the inside inspired me to make some big shifts on the outside. And in time, as I reinvented myself and my life, I knew where my journey had been leading me all along: I was meant to help others overcome their own versions of what I’d experienced by teaching them what I’d learned.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
While I do have coaching credentials that give me street cred, my life experience is definitely the “calling card” that sets me apart in my business. I continually hear from my clients that they choose to work with me because I can understand, empathize, and guide them from the place of someone who has “been there.” My clients tend to be high achievers who have experienced a profound personal or professional setback, and despite keeping up appearances, they’ve not only lost their way, everything they believe about themselves, what they’re capable of, how smart, how confident, or even how loveable they are is being tested by the disappointment of their situation. The logo for my business is a phoenix, because there’s nothing I love more than helping my clients discover how their biggest disappointments and setbacks can be catalysts for incredible transformations in themselves and their lives. Currently, I work with clients around the world, and given the shifts they’ve made on the inside, some have gone on to create extraordinary achievements on the outside. One of my clients wrote her memoirs, landed a book deal, and the audio version of her book was nominated for a Grammy. Another client became a Top 10 finalist on THE VOICE. In addition, clients have released frustrating careers and kicked off satisfying new ones., or executives I’ve worked with have discovered how to happily excel in a position where they were initially so burned out, they were ready to quit. Other clients have repaired relationships with family members, reclaimed their sense of self-worth after a divorce or betrayal, or evolved into their first healthy romantic relationship (and I’ve even had the honor of officiating some of my clients’ weddings). At the same time, there have been clients who have discovered a new lease on life after a diagnosis sidetracked their world. But perhaps the best piece of feedback I’ve ever gotten from a client (that made my heart turn cartwheels) was, “Cindy, for the first time in my life, I really like myself.”

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Oh, my gosh. There are so many fabulous things to do in L.A., where do you start? A jaunt up and down the PCH in order to take in the beauty of our incredible coastline from Venice to Santa Barbara would be a must. A day of shopping at the Grove would be on the schedule. The Getty Center, for its art, architecture, and the views of the city as well as Huntington Gardens in Pasadena would definitely be part of the plan. If my friend was up for a hike, a trek up to the Hollywood sign might be on the agenda – or perhaps we’d do something like a Warner Brothers studio tour. When it comes to fun things to do at night, Universal City Walk is always a fun place to go. And of course, dinner at Yamashiro, with all the night-time views of Hollywood is so exquisite. Not to mention, on another evening, dinner at Gracias Madre in West Hollywood for the most phenomenal vegan cuisine ever.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I remarried a couple of years ago, and through all the ups and downs that come with building a business, I don’t know where I’d be without the support of my phenomenal husband, Chip. Additionally, my heart swells with gratitude when I think of all the wonderful mentors who have supported me along the way – not to mention, friends and family. Of course, I’d love to give a shout out to my clients who not only inspire me out the wazoo every day, their referrals helped me get my coaching practice off the ground. But ultimately, when it comes to building my business, the person who truly gave me my wings, is my own coach, Jason Goldberg. (www.TheJasonGolderg.com)

Website: www.CindyWarden.com
Instagram: www.Instagram.com/cindy_warden
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/cindy-warden-75713b21
Facebook: www.facebook.com/cindyLwarden

Image Credits
Chip Heller Brittney Bertier