Meet Vanessa Loder | Author, Keynote Speaker, Women’s Leadership Expert

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

Hi Vanessa, every day, we about how much execution matters, but we think ideas matter as well. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
I followed what I call “energetic breadcrumbs,” those moments when you feel really energized, alive and curious. At the time, everything on paper looked great. I was working in a very traditional corporate job in finance as a Vice President at a private equity firm, making plenty of money, on the board of a company I loved, on track to be a partner. But I would look at the partners and think; “I don’t really want their job.” I’d look at my classmates from Stanford Business School and think; “I don’t really want any of their jobs either.” The only people I was slightly envious of were the entrepreneurs. And that’s the first clue I got – my envy. If you have no idea what you want to do, start to notice who you’re envious of and why.

At first, I began researching ideas tangential to my current job. I interviewed at a different private equity firm and applied for an incubator for start-ups at Stanford. But these jobs didn’t excite me or spark any “energetic breadcrumbs,” they were more me staying in the same role just switching contexts. Look out for that trap. We often make these surface level changes that don’t really address the core issue. Next, I began researching starting my own business and was going to launch a baby products business. I did all this consumer research, put together a powerpoint deck, was going to raise venture capital so I could pay myself a salary right away. But then I woke up one day and thought; “what am I doing?! I don’t give a sh*t about baby products.” I realized I was starting this business because I thought it was a good business idea and would make money, but not because I was passionate about it. And if I followed that path, I’d just be an unfulfilled entrepreneur instead of an unfulfilled private equity investor. Back to the drawing board. It was scary as hell to admit I had no idea what I wanted to do. Taking space alone to walk along the beach, this thought came through me; “My entire life, I”ve been following my ego, mind and wallet, not my heart or intuition. Maybe that’s why I’m so unfulfilled by my career.”

I made a commitment to quit my job with nothing planned, and follow my heart and my intuition for six months (even though I had no idea how to do that or what it even meant), with the goal of finding work I loved. I figured if I didn’t get clarity in six months, I could always go back to a “safe” job or start that baby products business.

What happened next shocked me. All these people came to me for coaching advice because they wanted to quit their jobs. I would leave these coffee meetings and lunches feeling so energized and inspired. That was my first energetic breadcrumb that maybe I wanted to do some form of executive coaching. I was already 3/4 of the way through a certification just for the fun of it – having followed another energetic breadcrumb. When I followed my energy and my intuition, things unfolded at a pace that shocked me. Within a year, I had formed my LLC and was running group coaching programs and retreats for women, and doing corporate leadership development workshops and keynote speaking. It took longer to make as much money as I would have liked, but I had finally found the purpose, joy, alignment and fulfillment I’d been seeking.

If you don’t know where to start, I recommend journaling every night for a week; “What brought me energy today? When did I have more energy at the end of an activity or conversation than I had at the beginning? And what was it, specifically, about that interaction or experience that energized me?” For example, was it the person you were talking to that energized you? The topic you were discussing? The way you brought together disparate pieces of information and shared something insightful that you could tell really helped the other person? As you pay attention to your energetic breadcrumbs and follow them, they will lead you to a more fulfilling life and the idea for your business (it helps to set that as your clear intention).

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m a Stanford MBA Spiritual Teacher, with a foot in both worlds. I offer private group coaching programs and Soul Circles as well as corporate leadership development programs, workshops, team offsite facilitation and keynote speaking. I think what I’m most proud of is finding myself, my true voice, and living it in the world rather than following a prescribed path of success. Our culture has a very narrow definition of success that’s based on money, power over others, prestige and promotions. This narrow definition doesn’t include things like time with your kids and family, moving your body in nature, time for hobbies and creative pursuits, giving back to your community. I’m proud that I’m continually moving towards creating my own definition of success and honoring it, even when it’s hard. It can be scary not to push myself or do what people say I “should” do to grow my business. But when I trust my deeper knowing and take action only after I feel myself in alignment with my own truth and I feel energized, the results are incredible! I get business success + soul level satisfaction.

A simple framework I came up with to describe this process is to ask myself; Am I following my inner compass (True North Star) or chasing society’s gold stars?

We all have an inner compass. Society’s compass (based on chasing the gold stars) does not usually agree with our inner compass. When we follow society’s compass, we do and say things that don’t feel good. We end up unfulfilled. The way we set goals is fundamentally flawed in our culture today because we encourage everyone to chase a standard set of ideals rather than discovering their own True North Star. In almost all areas of our lives—career, relationships, health, beauty, spirituality, religion, and more—we chase standards without questioning who set them, whether they serve us, and how we feel in the pursuit and attainment of them. If, like me, you are a driven woman who relishes the feeling of satisfaction
from a job well done, I invite you to pause and get genuinely curious about who has influenced your agenda. Your soul or your ego? Are you following your inner truth or society’s norms?

In learning what it means to trust myself and follow my own True North Star rather than what society says I “should” do, there have been plenty of challenges. When I first quit my high paying job in finance to follow my energetic bread crumbs and realized I might want to switch careers to leadership coaching, one of my first limiting thoughts was, Oh great—so now I’m probably going to make less money. I thought that I could either work in finance and make a lot of money or find creative work I loved. Rich tycoon or starving artist. It felt like a binary choice with nothing in between.

(Hint: anytime you notice black and white thinking or a binary choice, you’re probably stuck in a limiting belief.)

“The quickest way to respond to a limiting belief is to identify it and then intentionally seek out role models who counter it. When it came to the four-minute mile, seeing living proof that the record could be broken propelled several other athletes to achieve the same supposedly impossible goal. When I recognized my own limiting belief about financial versus creative rewards, I decided to seek out role models who had achieved both. I found coaches, healers, and inspirational speakers who were making a great living, writing books, giving keynote speeches, and running large corporate trainings and massive online courses. Suddenly I had a much bigger vision for the business I was creating. I took some of these programs so that I could learn from these potential role models firsthand. Some didn’t seem to embody what they taught (which taught me valuable lessons about discernment and constantly updating my role-model criteria); others amazed me and became incredible mentors. But my journey to amend limiting beliefs didn’t stop there: Years later, I was struggling with the perceived trade-offs of growing my business, spending more time with my kids, and finding alone time to recharge my battery. I felt like something had to give, until I talked to a very successful teacher of mine, who has a growing business, spends plenty of time with her young daughter, and takes one whole day a week just for herself! What?! That knowledge stretched my perceptions and broke my limits, for sure!

As I learned how she was balancing the various aspects of her life, it encouraged me to be more protective with my leisure time. In the past, I’d taken days off to spend with my kids, but it had seemed overly indulgent to take another
day just for myself. At first I only took ten or fifteen minutes for myself, once or twice a week (not including self-care or working out; this was pure, unstructured alone time). Gradually I built up to one to two hours. One day I hope to get to a place where I take a full day just for myself every week. Meanwhile, my role model inspires me to keep moving toward that goal. No matter what your goal, seek out role models who have achieved what you are hoping to do.”

**Book Excerpt from The Soul Solution https://vanessaloder.com/soul-solution above** (last two paragraphs)

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Is this only for the LA area?

My dad lives in Hermosa Beach and I love walking, running or biking along the strand in Hermosa Beach all the way from the Hermosa Pier to the Manhattan Pier and back. It’s so fun because you’re right along the beach and the water on one side, and there are gorgeous, uniquely designed homes on the other side. Hermosa Beach also has tons of healthy and delicious casual spots to eat! I really love The Source Cafe for a casual, healthy breakfast (https://www.yelp.com/biz_redir?url=https%3A%2F%2Fthesourcecafe.com%2Fhermosa-beach&cachebuster=1668623912&website_link_type=website&src_bizid=j79iuuGNmp1WjPpFL2RBxw&s=3898b65b33b92236e2062c497b547e076f5a422e6a2fe0cb47884756a1517658). My dad loves Provisions which is near Hermosa Beach, I think in Playa Del Ray. Me and my kids are also obsessed with the gluten free pancakes from Good Stuff in Hermosa Beach. Breakfast is definitely my favorite meal when I’m on vacation! I’ve also loved the yoga on the beach at Hermosa Beach. There are classes every couple of hours through SoHo Yoga (https://www.sohoyoga.com/beachyoga)

My typical itinerary includes my kids because I’ve been with them. We like to stay at The Beach House because it’s right on strand with gorgeous sunset views. Sleep in, order pancakes from Good Stuff. Go for a walk, maybe rent bikes and bike along the strand. Watch the pro volleyball players. Go to the beach, relax and read, play in the sand. Get lunch from The Source. Then back to the beach, relax in the room for a bit, and go hear some live music at The Lighthouse (my dad loves dancing there!). Sometimes we get sushi from Japonica or we’ll sit outside at the bar and get dinner from Vista. They have outdoor ping pong, cornhole and other games. It’s super fun and right on the strand so you can see the beach and sunset.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Brian Weiss’s book “Many Lives, Many Masters” (https://amzn.to/2OVxejS) sparked my spiritual awakening at a time when I was working in a traditional corporate job and hadn’t really thought about the concept of having a soul or what that meant. It changed my life and put me on a different course. After finishing the book, I googled his name (this was in Sept 2009) and the first search result said “Brian Weiss, coming to San Francisco in October.” So I bought a ticket and found myself sitting in a ballroom with 200 strangers about to be hypnotized and taken to past lives. I thought; “Have I lost my mind?!”

At the time, I considered myself a strategic thinker, not someone who trusted mystical forces for big life decisions. This was way out of my comfort zone. But during my search for answers, I’d been led to this moment by a series of books and breadcrumbs. I couldn’t ignore a deeper, quieter voice urging me on. While hypnotized, I had a direct experience of a past life that had a profound impact on me and my perception of what it means to be a soul incarnated in a human body. I didn’t know it at the time but that event would mark a pivotal moment in my life. Whether I realized it or not, my greater soul awakening had begun.

Here’s the good news: when you follow the quiet whispers of your soul, you end up somewhere magical, as opposed to letting your ego lead and winding up with only hollow projections of success. The ego’s loud voice can order you to plant crops, but it can’t lead you to a meadow of wonder, filled with wildflowers you didn’t even know you loved or needed. When you realize those are the exact blooms you’ve been desperately craving all your life, you’ll truly understand the importance of trusting your soul.

(last paragraph was an excerpt from my book The Soul Solution)

I also want to give a shout out to my mom, the most difficult relationship in my life but also the one that taught me the most.

Website: https://vanessaloder.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vanessa.loder

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

Twitter: @vanessaloder

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vanessa.loder.1

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@VanessaLoder1

Other: Book Page (to get resource vault with free guided meditations, videos, downloadable PDFs): https://www.vanessaloder.com/soul-solution

Image Credits
@alexamiller.com