Start Within w/Coach Colette

Human beings are wired for relationships. We thrive most when we’re connected and we feel lonelier when we're disconnected. In 2020, there have been lots of reasons why you may not be as in close proximity with friends, family, and loved ones. Sunday is National I Care About You Day. It's a great time to show the special people in your life that you care and appreciate them by calling or sending a text. Good relationships can promote better healing. Healthy relationships set the perfect tone for an overall healthy lifestyle, and they can give you a greater sense of purpose. 

What is your definition of independence? You may have seen the memes or posts this week about extreme independence being a trauma response. In this week's Unplugged segment, Coach Colette describes her experience of independence as an only child and solopreneur. She describes the comfort of being able to rely on herself as opposed to the risk and vulnerability of letting people know when she needs help. Do you tend to overcompensate, to do everything yourself, to take it all on, and not ask for help? Everyone needs help at times and there is no shame in asking for it. If you're interested in reading the blog post about ultra-independence, click here.  

If you enjoyed this episode, why not share it on Instagram and tag @coach_colette! She’ll be sure to share your comments and big takeaways on her Instagram Stories. Or, tweet your thoughts to @Coach_Colette. If you'd like to ask a question or make a topic suggestion, send us a message here.

While you’re at it, we’d appreciate a rating on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Or if you’d simply tell a friend about the show, that would be great too! Thanks for listening.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and today is National Mammography Day. Did you know that breast cancer is the most common cancer among women? More than 250,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in the US, and more than 40,000 women die from it. The good news is that there are over 3.3 million breast cancer survivors in the United States. Death rates from breast cancer have been going down since 1990 due to a number of factors. Chief among those factors is early detection. 

Are you actively doing self-breast exams to check for indications of lumps? It is important to examine your body to be aware of any changes. In this week's episode of Financial Fridays, we explore the benefits of having a mammogram, which is an x-ray that allows a qualified specialist to examine the breast tissue for any suspicious areas. Mammograms can often show a breast lump before you can feel it with your fingers. 

Have you ever experienced being triggered by a small inconvenience, only to have it turn into an intense emotional reaction? In this week's Unplugged segment, Coach Colette shares personal anecdotes about not fully grieving the loss of Summer. There's so much happening in our world today with the pandemic, racial and social unrest, and the political landscape. Have you been giving yourself time to process, feel, and heal any anxiety or stress? If not, beware -- it can pop up and surface in ways that you may not expect.

If you enjoyed this episode, why not share it on Instagram and tag @coach_colette! She’ll be sure to share your comments and big takeaways on her Instagram Stories. Or, tweet your thoughts to @Coach_Colette. If you'd like to ask a question or make a topic suggestion, send us a message here.

Thanks for listening; and please make sure to give us a review on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

Did you know that this past week was Mental Illness Awareness Week, or that tomorrow is World Mental Health Day? We’re still in the middle of a global pandemic, which is a type of collective trauma in addition to climate change-related disasters, financial stress, and civil unrest. Now is a great time to focus on your mental health, find ways to own your feelings, and move through emotional discomfort. In this episode of Financial Fridays, we explore some actionable steps you can take for your own benefit and for others. You also can get involved with mental health awareness and advocacy by contributing to mental health therapy funds or volunteering to assist others in need of care.

Libbie our mental health chatbot app for women of color received its first angel investment from 51 Unicorns. Also, Libbie is a finalist in the Voice Launch 2020 pitch event. All the great news! In this week's Unplugged segment, Coach Colette candidly describes her initial fears about being thrust into the spotlight because of this innovation. This anxiety may be familiar if you're a woman of color who is already more visible in your professional or personal settings. Hear how Colette is navigating this part of her founder's journey, finding ways to recognize her feelings and move through emotional discomfort.

If you enjoyed this episode, why not share it on Instagram and tag @coach_colette! She’ll be sure to share your comments and big takeaways on her Instagram Stories. Or, tweet your thoughts to @Coach_Colette. If you'd like to ask a question or make a topic suggestion, send us a message here.

Thanks for listening; and please make sure to give us a review on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

October is a month in which there is much to recognize and commemorate. We'll start the month with a focus on Emotional Wellness and Emotional Intelligence Awareness. Emotional Intelligence has been shown to improve mental health, physical health, and other professional pursuits. A lower EI can hinder your relationships with others and can affect the way you relate with yourself. 

In this episode of Financial Fridays, Coach Colette introduces the four domains of EI: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. Paying close attention to the first domains relating to the self, she shares probing questions to help you reflect on how to become more self-aware, and have more self-regulation. This is discussed within the context of our current challenges of living in the pandemic and with rampant racial and social injustices.

Yesterday was the first full moon of this month in Aries. Full moons can be a great time to release what no longer serves you. Can you start to see what’s been holding you back, find ways to move into transformation, and to get more aligned? In this week's Unplugged segment, Coach Colette shares some astrological insights from Virginia Rosenberg to help you discover lessons from the lunar energy. She also shares a personal anecdote of how she used her healing tools to help release anxiety and fear due to a panic attack during the night.

If you enjoyed this episode, why not share it on Instagram and tag @coach_colette! She’ll be sure to share your comments and big takeaways on her Instagram Stories. Or, tweet your thoughts to @Coach_Colette. If you'd like to ask a question or make a topic suggestion, send us a message here.

Thanks for listening; and please make sure to give us a review on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

Did you know that Latinx is the second largest population in the United States? In 2001, Latinx founders made up 6.5% of all founders; while in 2019 they grew to 15% making theirs the fastest growing demographic launching companies. In the midst of Hispanic / Latinx Heritage Month, we're excited to connect with a Latina founder who is building a global community where like-hearted women come to heal, rise, and lead. 

In this episode of Coach Chat, you'll meet Christine Gutierrez, a licensed spiritual therapist and author of: I Am Diosa: A Journey to Healing Deep, Loving Yourself, and Coming Back Home to Soul. As a healer, Christine uses modern therapy and ancient wisdom to help her clients channel in wisdom from higher realms. With a foundation of self-love, she facilitates supportive experiences and transformational retreats such as her annual Diosa Retreat in Puerto Rico, as well as the Diosa Tribe. 

Cosmic Christine shares with Coach Colette how she discovered her mission to help heal the world, and how her definition of Diosa disrupts traditional narratives about femininity, spirituality, and wellness. These two healers also discuss the importance of women of color having their own safe spaces to share their stories, heal from trauma, and reclaim their self-worth. 

If you'd like to order Christine's I Am Diosa book click HERE.

If you enjoyed this episode, why not share it on Instagram and tag @coach_colette! She’ll be sure to share your comments and big takeaways on her Instagram Stories. Or, tweet your thoughts to @Coach_Colette. If you'd like to ask a question or make a topic suggestion, send us a message here.

Thanks for listening; and please make sure to give us a review on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

Tuesday was the first day of Fall in the Northern hemisphere. Depending on where you live, temperatures may be starting to cool down, and leaves may be beginning to fall off the trees.  The Fall equinox offers us the opportunity to examine what you have harvested thus far and to reflect upon your abundance. How you can appreciate the Fall season. And, while you may be ready to finish 2020 as fast as you can, what are your intentions for this last quarter? What would you like to manifest as we approach the end of the year? 

What would it feel like to be scared all of the time? What do you think it would do to your mental health and physical well-being? These are questions that Coach Colette asked of potential investors during her recent pitch of Libbie, our upcoming mental health chatbot to support women of color dealing with anxiety, stress, and trauma. This week's Unplugged segment includes a personal anecdote about the challenge of responding to investors who ask: "Why to focus just on women of color?" In light of this week's disturbing news about the ongoing lack of justice for Breonna Taylor, the answer seems obvious to many. Coach Colette again articulates her reasoning for intentionally focusing on helping women of color to heal and thrive.

If you enjoyed this episode, why not share it on Instagram and tag @coach_colette! She’ll be sure to share your comments and big takeaways on her Instagram Stories. Or, tweet your thoughts to @Coach_Colette. If you'd like to ask a question or make a topic suggestion, send us a message here.

Thanks for listening; and please make sure to give us a review on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

Did you know that 1980 was the first year that the US Census offered Hispanic as an option to describe one's ethnic identity? In recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month and Mexican Independence Day, this episode of Financial Friday focuses on the diverse cultural identities within the Hispanic and Latinx communities. We cannot ignore the fact that the word "Hispanic" does not reflect the diverse multinational, multicultural, and multilingual identities. It can be said that those who are not Hispanic (or Black for that matter) have gained from erasing experiences of the diverse range of cultural identities, whether they be Chicano, Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, or other identities. This episode also celebrates the contributions that Latinx entrepreneurs are making to the US economy.

Have you been feeling tired, overwhelmed? This week was the New Moon in Virgo. In this week's Unplugged segment, Coach Colette shares a personal anecdote about being more specific about what it was that she needed to heal this week. This New Moon can help you to examine all of the unprocessed, undealt with wounds; to look at the areas in which your energy is being drained; to look at where you may have been overextending yourself; to look at where you've been fighting against things, as opposed to allowing and receiving. 

If you enjoyed this episode, why not share it on Instagram and tag @coach_colette! She’ll be sure to share your comments and big takeaways on her Instagram Stories. Or, tweet your thoughts to @Coach_Colette. If you'd like to ask a question or make a topic suggestion, send us a message here.

Thanks for listening; and please make sure to give us a review on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

Did you know that 1 in 6 U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year? Or, that suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among people aged 10-34? Black and Latinx youth may experience even higher rates of some psychiatric distress due to a number of environmental challenges that place them at risk, including a lack of access to mental health services.

Too often, it seems like mental health and well-being is perceived to be something that only a privileged few get to achieve. We don't believe this -- and neither does our guest Dr. Alfiee Breland-Noble. She’s the founder of the mental health nonprofit The AAKOMA Project, which provides mental health outreach and care for youth of color.

Given that 50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24, the team has its work cut out for them. In this Coach Chat episode, Coach Colette talks with Dr. Alfiee about the mental health issues that young adults are facing, particularly in marginalized communities. As a psychologist and researcher, she presents strategies to help reduce mental health disparities in underserved populations. The two also discuss how to combat cultural stigmas and normalize the conversation around mental health across different generations.

If you enjoyed this episode, why not share it on Instagram and tag @coach_colette! She’ll be sure to share your comments and big takeaways on her Instagram Stories. Or, tweet your thoughts to @Coach_Colette. If you'd like to ask a question or make a topic suggestion, send us a message here.

Thanks for listening; and please make sure to give us a review on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

Today is a National Day of Service and Remembrance to ensure that we strive to make our world a better place, and pay tribute to those who lost their lives on September 11th. As we are wrestling with the current racial and social injustices, sometimes these issues can seem so much larger than our personal impact. In this episode of Financial Fridays, we share some of the 11 Good Deeds suggested by 911Day.org that you can consider taking on to demonstrate your recognition of this important day in our history. 

How often when someone asks you: "How are you?" do you respond honestly? Do you share what's really going on with you? In this week's Unplugged segment, in recognition of National Suicide Prevention Week, Coach Colette discusses her challenges to authentically share her feelings and experiences, especially as a content creator in the public realm. She also offers resources to support you on your mental health journey, including the #HowAreYouReally campaign created by the Mental Health Coalition to amplify real stories that embrace a wide variety of mental health experiences. 

Know that help is always available. You can always reach out to the Crisis Text Line by texting “coalition” to 741741. Or, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

If you enjoyed this episode, why not share it on Instagram and tag @coach_colette! She’ll be sure to share your comments and big takeaways on her Instagram Stories. Or, tweet your thoughts to @Coach_Colette. If you'd like to ask a question or make a topic suggestion, send us a message here.

Thanks for listening; and please make sure to give us a review on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

Did you know that September is Self-Care Awareness Month? How do you feel about taking time for yourself? Often, we may feel guilty about putting ourselves first before taking care of others. At Start Within Coaching, we host a 7 Day Self-Care Challenge to create an opportunity for you to explore what your body, your mind, and your spirit need to rejuvenate. In this episode of Financial Fridays, you'll hear Coach Colette talk about the benefits and the challenges of committing to a regular self-care routine. If you'd like to access the Self-Care Challenge guide, sign up here.

During this pandemic have you confused physical distancing with social distancing? In this episode of Unplugged, Coach Colette shares personal anecdotes about community, connection, and isolation. You may be surprised to learn that early studies show that after initial spikes, loneliness during the pandemic has leveled out. How have you maintained your social and emotional connections? Have you formed new bonds, new connections, or identified people with whom you have things in common that you didn’t know before? This situation can be an opportunity if you’re willing, to examine what your life was like before the pandemic and discover the things that you'd like to shift and change going forward.

If you enjoyed this episode, why not share it on Instagram and tag @coach_colette! She’ll be sure to share your comments and big takeaways on her Instagram Stories. Or, tweet your thoughts to @Coach_Colette. If you'd like to ask a question or make a topic suggestion, send us a message here.

Thanks for listening; and please make sure to give us a review on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you listen.