What role do you play in life? Most of us go through the motions and stay stuck in comfortable patterns. We’re coasting through each day like bystanders to our own lives, sometimes even unaware of our life’s purpose. How long can this go on?

Remember: when we stop acting as guests and start controlling the story, we can create a life worth living.

In this episode, Andrea Freeman teaches us how we can start being a host in our life. She shares a simple but powerful acronym to help us realign with our life’s purpose. Once we tap into that passion, it becomes easier to participate actively and engage with life differently.   

Tune in to the full episode to take back control and rediscover your life’s purpose.

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

1. Discover and apply the H.O.S.T. acronym in your life.
2. Learn how to align with your life’s purpose. 
3. Find out how to make sense of your unique joy, gifts, and core values. 

Resources

• You Are a Badass: Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero
• Andrea Freeman Events
• Andrea Freeman Consulting
• Connect with Andrea: Instagram | LinkedIn | Email.   
• Episode Details

Episode Highlights[04:15] Working with the Stars

• As a celebrity events planner, Andrea is no stranger to the ultra-rich and famous. However, she explains that working with her clientele isn’t all that different.
• She gets to see a backstage version of these people and helps them create a vision.
• This perspective got her into mindful business coaching. 
• For Andrea, event planning is less about striving for perfection but more about striking a partnership and moving forward with your life’s purpose. 

[09:34] Looking Within

• In 2016, despite achieving so much success with her event planning business, Andrea felt misaligned. 
• She felt as if she outgrew some parts of her business and that the industry standard no longer resonated with her core values. 
• For Andrea, if it doesn’t fit with her inner purpose, it had to go. 
• She shifted from fancy Tiffany champagne glasses she gave to new clients to handmade organic candles crafted by African women. 
• Rather than comparison to others, Andrea learned to look within and let her internal compass guide her decisions.   

[14:37] How to H.O.S.T. 

• In life, you can either be a guest who takes what is offered or be a host and actively control your life story. 
• The H.O.S.T. acronym helps you be a host in life. H stands for honoring your why, O means owning who you are, S means shifting your perspective, and T stands for taking inspired action. 
• The H.O.S.T. method helps you appreciate the good in life and act from a place of abundance.   

[18:37] Catalysts for Change

• There were catalysts that pushed her to change. In 2015, she became a mother. 
• If she had to spend time away from her family, it had to be important. It had to be something she was deeply passionate about.
• After the 2016 election, Andrea observed a growing political division. 
• Andrea chose to talk about bringing people together as a public speaker. In an environment marked by conflict, she emphasized the power of connection. 

[21:46] Getting the Message Out

• Andrea observed that small business owners often find it difficult to get their message out or reach their target audience.
• The number one question people ask her is: how do I find clients? 
• You have to participate in discussions actively and engage with your target clients. You have to be proactive. Make your opportunities.  

[24:07] Entrepreneurial Beginnings 

• At 13 years old, Andrea started her first business selling cookies for her Girl Scout troop.  She shares that the experience taught her how to handle rejection. 
• After working at a camp for kids with disabilities, she decided to launch a similar project in her hometown. The project ran for a decade.  
• Andrea decided to become a public school teacher but only taught for a year after realizing it wasn’t for her.
• She got into cooking and studied at a culinary arts school, which eventually led to event planning. 

[32:22] Pursuing Your Passion

• Andrea feels there’s a high percentage of people miserable with their lives. 
• Entrepreneurs usually break out of this cycle. 
• Most of us think the security of a steady paycheck is more comfortable than launching our own business. But this might not necessarily be true. 
• Andrea helps people rediscover their life’s purpose and put in the work to make their dream a reality.  

[35:03] Rewiring Your Brain

• A trained hypnotherapist, Andrea explains that external forces shape our decision-making process at a very young age.   
• These forces influence our thoughts, guide our actions, and inform the results.
• However, these thoughts can limit you from exploring the fullness of a possibility. 
• If we can rewire these messages, it becomes easier to tap into our passion and participate in life differently.  

[38:34] Coaching Business 

• Andrea usually works with service-based entrepreneurs seeking to scale their business.
• She offers not only mindset training but also practical business strategies. 
• Through group programs and one-on-one sessions, Andrea helps her clients dive deep into their goals.  

[41:17] Learning Curves

• Entrepreneurs tend to struggle with aspects of their business that they don't specialize in. 
• There’s a disconnect between their vision and the operational needs of the business.
• For Andrea, this is why communities are important. You don't have to work alone. 
• Having a community of like-minded individuals can cut the learning curve significantly.
• Most people go into business not only for money but also to gain access to things that matter most in life. 

[47:08] Finding Your Life’s Purpose

• If you’re struggling to find your life’s purpose, ask yourself these three important questions. 
• First, what are my unique talents and gifts? Second, what are my core values? Lastly, what brings me joy in the sense that I could do this all day, every day? 
• Once you put these three together, it becomes easier to move closer to who you truly are and what you are called to do. 
• You have nothing to lose by taking a step in the direction of your life’s purpose and passion. 

[52:29] Moving Forward 

• After guesting on several podcasts, Andrea was inspired to start her own podcast.  
• She also looks forward to growing her Facebook community. 
• For Andrea, “create” struck more than going and seeking. Her passion for creative expression fuels her desire to help fellow entrepreneurs share their gifts to the world.

5 Powerful Quotes

[10:54] “And at a certain point, I decided this just isn't good enough. If it doesn't align deeply with my purpose, it has to go. And so, I overhauled everything about my branding. Everything.”

[25:23] “Honestly, a lot of the obstacles that I find that entrepreneurs have to selling has so much to do with avoiding a possible rejection than the opportunity to hear Yes. And I have to say more than anything.”

[33:07] “You know, I'm fortunate in working with entrepreneurs, who are mostly the kind of people who say: that's not cutting it, I do deserve to be happy, I do deserve to be the source and the creator of that.”

[44:38] “It's about helping people to step into that real CEO role in their business, and be able to do the strategic thinking, to continue to evolve the business, so that it can lead to the ultimate-- what I believe we all go into business for--true entrepreneurial freedom.”

[47:57] “ So I think the first question to ask yourself is, what are my unique talents and gifts? Like what do people thank me for? Where do I know that I excel? Sometimes, when we ask ourselves these questions, we can kind of get a little bit humble.”

About Andrea

Andrea Freeman is a mindful business coach and peak performance planner for creative entrepreneurs. She honed her entrepreneurial skills as founder of Andrea Freeman Events, a leading New York-based celebrity event planning and production company.  

As a leadership development coach, Andrea helps clients tap into their inner wisdom and guidance to align more fully with their purpose. Join the free Facebook group, The Uplevel Collective, to connect with her growing community. To learn more about Andrea’s work, visit her website or follow her on Instagram or LinkedIn. You can also message her directly at [email protected].    

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To growing and becoming all we are created to be,

Tim