February 16, 2023

004: Owning Your Power

27 minutes

Life: The Podcast.

With Host Ashley Calhoun

Episode 004

Guest: April Frazier, Confidence Coach

SUMMARY:

Are you ready to come fully into your own power? That’s the question posed by April Frazier, who is Host Ashley Calhoun’s guest on this episode of Life: The Podcast. A successful confidence coach, she’s all about teaching us how to show up for ourselves – unapologetically and authentically. Whatever our life stories, this charismatic confidence coach tells us, they deserve to be heard, honored and integrated. These are the hard-earned life experiences that help us grow and evolve. So why not celebrate our histories – even the bumps and bruises? April invites us to embrace our creativity and cultivate confidence in all that we do – which, as women, is so much. We don’t have to be trapped in the “strong woman” armor, struggling and unwilling to ask for help. After all, being open and vulnerable is part of true and enduring strength – the kind we want to model for our daughters. It takes bravery, as April learned firsthand when she dared to walk away from a high-paying, highly successful 18-year career as a software coder. The leap was profound – and scary – but from it came tremendous insight and the fulfillment of her desire to unleash her creativity in service of others. Today April’s coaching practice provides a structured, safe place where her clients are free to tap into their truest selves. We don’t have to be programmed or conditioned by the messages society, our parents or co-workers or spouses deliver. We can step away from the noise, get quiet and find clarity. “I’m here to do is help women clear the clutter so they can stand in their genius and their power and gifts,” says April. “That gets me out of bed in the morning. That’s what it’s all about.”

If you’re ready to come into your full power and confidence, the time is right to come on over and check out April’s courses @Good Womanhood. She offers both an email course and a more comprehensive course, “The Knowing Woman,” at this link.

And if you’d like to jumpstart your business or figure out your real estate roadmap, check out Ashley’s coaching website here or schedule a discovery call with her at this Calendly link.

KEY TOPICS:

Who is April? A wanderer in pursuit of self-actualization. Eager to bring her vision – and the visions others harbor in their hearts – fully to life.

In Another Life: April used to “sling code,” leading teams of software writers and navigating the IT industry for nearly two decades. She excelled at it – but was unfulfilled.

Freedom Is All: Although gifted as a code writer, April’s soul, energy and creativity felt compressed and constrained. There was no salary high enough.

Leaving Safety for the Wilderness: Nobody does that! At least not without lots of hesitation and second-guessing. April chose not to stay caged.

How Ashley has made a very deliberate choice in 2022 to say no to stress and instead create an intentional life that is nourishing, not depleting.

It’s Okay to Have Those Moments: Despite being all-in on her current journey, April still has those moments when she thinks about the security a paycheck represents. It can be like a siren song – until she remembers the trade-off: Personal freedom.

A Great Awakening: How the end of a relationship created turmoil that ultimately set the stage for getting really clear about April is and what she wants in her life – and it wasn’t necessarily all the things she was taught to do as a “good woman.”

The Danger of the Duty Call: You know you’re acting out of obligation rather than love when the act comes along with a “boatload of resentment.” Serving others has to be aligned with your values and heart.

Embracing the Strength in Surrender: The strong woman ideal – a transgenerational role model that is propaganda – does not serve us in the end. It’s an identity that does not embrace and fully allow for our humanity.

The Great Comeback: What April hears in stories of so-called failure are actually tales of triumph over adversity. It’s about getting honest, owning the past and telling the whole story – the good and bad, the growth and a view to the other side.

What It Looks Like to Work with April: She acts as a mirror, helping her clients to see their authentic gifts and inherent genius. Not what our families of origin or society or co-workers or friends tell we are!

Coaching can be uncomfortable and it’s an ongoing journey, but the payoff is enabling ourselves as women to “take back the goodness in womanhood … and all the gifts that (we) have to give.”

The Knowing Woman: About April’s course, which is designed to help clients slow down, get present and listen to their deep inner knowing.

Intrinsic knowing happens when we feel safe to explore who we truly are and be in touch with what’s at our cores. It’s like showering in the dark: No one needs to tell us where our body parts are! All that’s required is space and permission.

Parting Thought: Know your power. It’s just that simple. And it’s a lot!

QUOTABLE:

“I’m a woman that’s a wanderer in so many ways. I feel like I live in the wilderness of self-actualization. I want to create what I see in my mind and help others create what they for themselves.” (April)

“We live lives in these boxes and it’s time to break out of them and become the best versions of ourselves.” (Ashley)

“The bottom line is that there’s a distinction between what we’re good at and what we love.” (April)

“(Entrepreneurism) is one of the greatest personal development journeys you could ever take. I had no idea until I started a business that that was true … but in retrospect I’ve just learned so much about myself.” (April)

“I’m not dreaming about the money. I’m dreaming about the freedom. I like having my own time. I like making my own schedule.” (April)

“There’s nothing like living every day with a slow death because you have no idea what you were put on this earth to do.” (Ashley)

“The (romantic) breakup was also kind of a breakdown. And all that breaking actually created the great awakening of my life.” (April)

“We grow through the hardest times. Sometimes everything has to fall apart before it can be put back together.” (Ashley)

“I was so conditioned to think of myself as a strong woman and do all the strong woman things that it made it difficult for me to surrender, to be soft, to say I need help or I don’t want to do that!” (April)

“For so long in certain communities woman have been the strong ones and it has taken a toll on our health and our wealth. It’s time for us to take our power back!” (April)

“Let’s rewrite the past and the story we tell on the inside so that we can honor that!” (April)

“Part of what I’m here to do is help women clear the clutter so they can stand in their genius and their power and gifts. That gets me out of bed in the morning. That’s what it’s all about.” (April)

Further Resources/Related Links:

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ABOUT ASHLEY:

A Certified Professional Coach, Ashley is certified by iPEC and has also received an Associate Certified Coaching credential from the International Coach Federation. She is a Certified Core Energy Coach who specializes in helping people access their inner resources so they can move forward with their lives, careers and businesses. Ashley is also a real estate professional whose credentials include: Accredited Buyer's Representative (ABR®), Short Sales & Foreclosure Certification (SFR®), Real Estate Negotiation Expert (RENE®), Commitment to Excellence Endorsed (C2EX), iBuyer Certification, Knock Home Swap Certified Agent—all of which will offer you peace of mind when working on your next sale or purchase.

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