Meet Kathy Murphy: Coach, Thought Leader, Singer/Songwriter, Author, Surfer

I think life and career/business would be very stagnant if we were not willing to take risks. People say I was a risk taker, fearless, and unstoppable. I took chances. I would have to agree. We all have a different idea about what is risky to us. For me, I was successful in creating impossible things, because I would take risks. I had, and believe everyone has an internal guidance system that we always know what to do, and it contains an internal danger meter. The danger meter will alert us if something is very risks. We can feel it. Having worked as a peace office, and firefighter, risks were apparent, and could always be present. But even in those life and death situations, if we panic, or feel fear they do not go well. You know the risk in the back of your mind, but it does not stop you from doing something. For me, I would get, and still do get alot of seemingly crazy ideas.But instead of asking myself why it would make sense to do it, I would ask myself what the risk really was, and follow it up with why not ? We get results and find the best way to do things when we just keep trying things. I never gave up anything in my life that I really wanted to do. I kept trying different ways to do it. I was very creative and found incredible ways to make things happen, even in a bureaucracy, and held a highly political position. I was wiling to take risks, and built things millions of people still enjoy, which would never have happened had I not been willing to take the risks. Most of how we stop ourselves is we are not willing to risk failure, we might try something and it does not work out. If this is what failure is, that something did not work out like we thought it would, I failed over and over. But for me, I never saw it as failure, it was just part of the process. When things did not work out, it led to a better way eventually. We are not even aware that we stop ourselves from risk taking because of what we are thinking it would mean about us if the worst case scenario came true. I knew the risk at my last job was that I would be taken out of it, because of politics. I continued taking risks until the day they sent armed men to get rid of me. It was not easy, but I did it in order to benefit the public, and I knew the risks and kept going anyway.  I trust in my internal judgement. I continue to take risks in my business because I am passionate about reaching and serving others in the best way I can. The risk of not trying things is greater than the risk of trying them When we take a chance, we do know how it will work out. But still alive, and running a thriving business serving others, I would say that so far the willingness to take a risk has served me well. At 65 I still surf almost daily, have a life I love, and get to help others create a life they love. A risk ? Depends on how you look at it.

My business is The Rising Tide. I am the CEO (creative energy organizer) and high performance coach. I work with women CEOs to help them stop the stress, struggle, and pushing themselves so hard, to hit the easy button, and find a new more powerful peace. In this space they tap into their true potential, and make their thoughts work for, rather than against them. They effortlessly navigate, change, uncertainty, and attain a higher level of performance and productivity without all the hard work. I developed the Rising Tide, out of a vision of each person rising into their true potential and power, and in turn All ships rise with the tide. I utilize science, psychology, and philosophy along with 65 years life experience, and 45 years in leadership positions. I combined these with my lifetime of surfing ocean and life waves into 3 steps system: Know, Go, Flow. The system is unique in that it is based on our true nature. There is nothing anyone needs to do to fix, change, or alter themselves or their circumstances, and therefore no hard work. I help people to understand how we work as human beings, and how simply allowing thoughts to pass without focusing on them, allows them to clear space, and tap into the infinite potential, creativity of the entire universe. What sets me aside is that people realize they are already whole and complete, and have everything they need to be themselves, already inside. there is no hard work, because there is nothing to do to become whole. This enables them to move forward in their life and career from a space of abundance, and they find more abundance, rather than lack. There is space to create their impossible life they want, All of their circumstances also seem to change, when in fact they were the ones who have huge growth. I got to where I am in my business by getting the knowledge, skills, training, and practice in order to be able to serve people like I do. I stay actively involved in ongoing training and having coaches and mentors as well. I got here by bringing all of myself and what I love into it. I am not a billionaire, but I have a six figure income, and the most incredible life. I put in the time and attention, I work long hours, but it is effortless. In a way it was easy because while it was not my title in a 37 year career I coached and lead others, in similar ways. I always helped. my staff under me to see the potential in themselves they were not seeing. We brought it out and they thrived as leaders. My business needed to be fun, so I brought what I love into it as well. I often take people surfing as part of coaching. I also started a foundation, and I teach leadership and lifeskill to girls 12-19 on and off of the water as well. When I find myself feeing like it is hard, and I am pushing a rock uphill, I come back to my knowing and see what comes to me, because I know that is not my path if it is that hard. Challenges have been where I got in my own way. Falling out of trust, that wisdom always guides me and me trying to control things. I got in my head about how I was not good enough, compared myself to others. I overcame the challenges by not focusing on the thinking and feeling, and allowing it to flow. I overcame the challenges by staying present in each moment. Trying things, until I would find the next step, then trying things again. I would have great outcomes when I allowed it to work like this. The lessons I have learned along the way. Keep trying things. Focus on what you really want. Serve others, then serve more, keep showing up and serving. Lesson, the more we try, the more we find ways to do what seems impossible. I learned that my business is and is not up to me. The parts that are up to me, are what I need to focus on. The business serving others has nothing to do with how I feel about myself each day. We must put in the time and attention no matter what we think of ourselves, we can put it aside. I learned, since it is all made up (of thought) we can make up whatever we want, so we need to make up the good stuff. After all, we cannot get life wrong. Our human system will self correct. Lastly I learned we are all playing small, relative to what’s really already available to us all. I want the world to know that the rising tide is here to help them realize that no matter what they have been through, or where they are right now, they have everything they need to thrive inside, and waiting for them to see it. I want the world to know that before I started my business, I had been completely knocked out of my life: all of it. I should have been physically dead, I was mentally and emotionally dead, and my life was pretty much over. Yet, I came back, and you can too. It is never too late to start again, in fact we can start again in each moment. It is how we are made.

I would for sure take them to the beach. I would also likely take them surfing with me, if they were up for it. I live in Ventura, Ca. I would take them downtown to see all the cute businesses, and we would eat outside at a place called Lure- seafood is a must on the coast. We would get coffee from Palermo, a great local spot, and pick up breakfast burritos at a locals favorite to go Corrales. We would take our breakfasts and go to a place called C street where all the local surfers hang out in and out of the water every morning. After eating we would walk out on the Ventura Pier. The next day we might head up the old coast highway, to Santa Barbara. We would go to the wharf, and walk the downtown area as well. We would eat fresh lobster at Brophy Brothers, watching boats I the harbor from the table outside upstairs. We would head up to Leadbetter for an afternoon surf session. On the way back, we would stop by Rincon Brewery in Carpinteria and have a glass of Avocado Ale. The next day we would take our bikes down to the parking lot by Patagonia. Pop in to look around. Then we head up the bike trial along the ventura river winding back and forth all the way up to Ojai. We would walk around downtown, and eat picnic lunch at libby park in the center of town. We would ride back to Ventura into the cool coastal breeze. The next morning early we would hop aboard Island Packers and make our way out to Santa Cruz Island, where we would kayak and hike all day, returning just as the sunset. Early the next morning a sunrise surf session again, and breakfast at Cafe Nevous, on Thompson in ventura. Beautiful patio, the best food. We would spend the rest of the day hitting the thrift stores downtown finding treasures. The last morning we would hop on the bikes and head up old coast highway to Carpinteria bluffs. On the way back, we would pull into the cliff house, get a table right above the breaking waves and have an incredible meal. Many of the activities may be closed due to the pandemic, but we would have the best ever time anyway. Interesting people would be visited with all along the journey. Ventura is that kind of town, with very friendly people. You almost always bump into people you know.

Oh my gosh where do I start. Everyone along my path who was my coach has helped me greatly. Friends, and family, are always supportive. I would have to give my biggest shout out to my coach/mentor Michael Neill, who’s books, programs, wisdom, heart and humor, have been a major catalyst in my personal growth and the growth of my business the last two years. I am currently in a program Creating the impossible, with him again and bringing a whole new wellbeing side to my business with Your Backyard Pharm. Many people in my life have taken a chance on me, promoted me to positions, trusted me to take on new roles, assignments, challenges and I am grateful to all of them. I am in a current program called BSA with Jen and Chris, who have been instrumental in me reaching out, to help more people with my message, where I had not in the past, including Shout Out. I am grateful to everyone who’s path I have crossed in life. They all affected me in some way, and there fore are part of my success in life. If not for their efforts, I would not be where I am today for sure. I am so appreciative.