In third grade, my next guest asked her Mom if she could cut her hair short.  Embracing the curiosity and exploration present in her daughter, her mom obliged.  But Cuyla Coogan’s confident first steps along this path quickly turned stressful after her haircut led to her being called a boy and sometimes mistaken as one.  

So began Cuyla’s journey with anxiety.  

In high school she grew her hair long, hoping to mask the severe acne she was forced to deal with, which further fanned anxiety’s flame.  This continued off and on for years until her anxiety grew to a wildfire at the age of twenty-two when Cuyla came out as gay.

Fortunately, the severity of Cuyla’s anxiety couldn’t be ignored, it forced her to explore a new path where she not only found relief from anxiety, but discovered an entirely new way of being.

With an undergrad in kinesiology, a minor in business management and a master’s in sports management, Cuyla Coogan doesn’t shy away from anyone anymore.  She has worked at a number of World Series Games and even sold ice cream at the Super Bowl.

She now coaches clients through their journey of coming out, coming home and coming alive.  

I’m excited to have this amazing woman on Awkwardly Awesome Podcast to talk about coming out of stress and shame and into a life of feeling fully alive. 

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**Video broadcast available** on YouTube @imperfectbest

**Learn more about Jason Freeman** at AwkwardlyAwesome.com