Meet Jennifer Sherwood | Life Coach

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

Hi Jennifer, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I’m kind of an accidental entrepreneur. I liked the predictability of a paycheck. But, prior to launching my business, I felt burnt out and stuck in my career. Managing work, home, and two small children didn’t leave much time for fun or for me. Add to that a cruel inner critic who berated me at every turn for not doing everything perfectly and I was feeling pretty inadequate and unhappy in a life that was actually great-I just couldn’t see it. I finally reached a point where something had to change, I was sick and tired of being sick and tired.

In the quest for my next career, life coaching kept coming into my awareness. I decided to hire a coach to see what it was all about and she rocked my world. I had no idea that my beliefs were driving my behaviors and that they were what was actually causing me to feel stuck and not good enough. There’s no class in high school called “managing your thoughts”, we just muddle our way through. For so many women trying to live up to the expectation of doing and having it all, can be overwhelming. Add to that the notion that your ass needs to look great in your yoga pants while you’re hustling can be utterly defeating and completely takes the focus off the elements of life that actually lead to fulfillment. The pursuit of perfection sucks the joy right out of our lives. Once I could see that, once I knew that I was the one creating how I felt by buying into these unattainable, ridiculous ideals I knew I didn’t want another woman to suffer the way that I did. Life coaching tools changed my entire life. I quit a stable, predictable 20+ year career in health care to become a life coach and I haven’t regretted it for a second.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?

I have the privilege of helping women build confidence, say no without feeling guilty, speak up even if they’re afraid, and hold boundaries so that they can create better relationships, improve their work situation or go after the dream job, launch businesses, find their person, stop yelling at their kids, and enjoy their lives so much more.

I create spaces that feel safe to explore the hard stuff, but I’m not afraid to do some ass kicking in a loving way if that’s what’s called for. One of my clients said: “Jen’s fun loving, funny, intuitive, accepting, radiant, no-BS wisdom & coaching are priceless”.

I LOVE what I do. I work 1:1 with women, run a group membership program, and I lead retreats. I probably work more than I did in the past, but the work excites me and I’m in control of my time so it feels more like freedom.

Was building this easy? Hell no! Creating a personal brand forces you to deal with all your limiting beliefs if you want to show up authentically and, I do. I’m vulnerable about my very human experiences with my audience so they know they’re not alone. To do that I had to get honest with myself and work on what I thought I was capable of and what it might mean to open up to the world in that way.

I believe in being real. I create spaces for women to have genuine connections because I can’t stand the undercurrent in our society that women should view other women as competition. My groups and programs are the opposite to what you see on reality TV. I believe when women come together we are powerful beyond measure. That is the world I want to create for my daughters, clients, and I want to live in.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

Spending a week in the city with my BFF would have to include a tour of the stars’ homes. Is it cheesy? Duh. But, they’re still so fun. Who doesn’t want to see where Bob Barker picked up his newspaper in his bathrobe every morning?! I’d snap a few shots of her on the walk of fame before heading over for a burger at 25 degrees inside the Roosevelt. That would have to be followed by a drink in the hotel so we could soak up that Spanish Colonial style and old Hollywood glam.

We’d visit some pop up shops in the art district and lunch at Bavel followed by dinner at Bestia. An outdoor movie would be a must at Cinespia and no visit would be complete without a day at the Getty.

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?

There’s the saying that the right teacher shows up at the right time and I believe that’s true. I want to give a shout out to Martha Beck who was my first teacher in the coaching arena. She taught me to use my intuition to tune into what a client isn’t even ready to admit to themselves. I’m grateful to Byron Katie for showing me that most suffering comes from our thoughts and for creating “The Work” to shift those thoughts.

There are also friends/mentors in my life who aren’t “gurus” and have taught me so much and given generously of their time, love, and wisdom over the years. Jen Liddy (jenliddy.com) who is a genius at content creation. Brigette Serfaty (aligned-engagement.com) for her perspective on wellness and mindfulness. Sara Dill, M.D. (saradill.com) for her unflappable style of coaching no matter the issue at hand. Finally, a huge thank you to my husband, John for sticking with me through the tough growth period and always supporting me in going after my dreams.

Website: www.jennifersherwood.com

Instagram: @jennifersherwoodcoaching

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifersherwoodcoaching/

Facebook: Jennifer Sherwood Coaching

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyDs5R92ZK0&list=PLmGEb5iEcrqSAxYhnrzUKra1p7WH04ovm