How to create success and the life that you love with ease and grace
A successful author and the owner of a marketing and consulting agency, Vanessa Horn was diagnosed with adrenal fatigue, which affected her memory, her vision, her voice, and her the ability to type. She was forced to stop and listen to her body and listen to her heart in a new and deeper way. She gained a profound perspective on success, fear, and honoring our true gifts, which she shares with us on the show.
How is began?
How did your journey begin?
14 years ago, inside of my belly was a growing boy.
At the time I was a corporate financial analyst.
I became desperate to find a way that I could still have this outlet but be present for my kids.
That became this massive adventure into entrepreneurship.
To me, it is all about sharing my message and empowering others to identify what they are on this earth to do.
I struggled for the first 18 months.
Drained our savings.
It wasn't working.
You are the creator of your life
What is the X-Factor there between somebody who makes it to the top, like yourself, and somebody who struggles?
My working hours are between 11 and 4.
I don't do calls in the evening.
My business reflects when I want to be available.
Because it fuels me.
Truly creating a life that you love.
Being in that congruency, reverse engineering your business to create the life that you want.
Chasing the destination
It was this constant chase, "When is it going to be enough before I can allow myself to relax?"
Meanwhile I was missing my life.
I was missing being present to the joys that were in the day-to-day.
It is not some destination to pursue.
But how can I be present and accept the gifts that are right here, right now.
Listening to your body and your heart
How did you learn to stop chasing after the destination and start living in the moment?
I believe that whatever challenge we have been through in life is part of our gift to others.
Recently I hit an invitation to live my message at an even deeper level.
My body completely shut down.
This wasn't just exhaustion.
But my body was speaking to me.
When I went and got diagnostic tests, they were like, Vanessa, you have got adrenal fatigue.
My brain was not operating the way it used to.
My short-term memory was not accessible.
I completely lost my voice.
I had such inflammation in my hands, I couldn't type.
I'm a writer. If I don't have my brain, my voice, and my hands, I don't have a business.
These are my three greatest asserts of my business.
My girlfriend said, "You didn't even mention your heart. Maybe everything else is shutting down so you will listen to your heart."
What's the worst that can happen?
I remember one time my coach asked me this and I was like "I am scared I will end up in a homeless shelter."
It won't be all that bad.
I can handle that.
It made me realize that no matter what it's going to be okay.
For me, playing out the worst case scenario and realizing that when we are surrounded by love I would still survive and be fine.
It made me realize that I create this anxiety in myself.
Rather than giving myself permission to trust.
Inner work
You have this amazing capacity to not give up. Have you always been like this or have you learned this?
I am a huge believer of the inner work.
I couldn't be authentic if I wasn't real about my journey.
If we are not willing to do the inner work, if we don't connect with our own hearts, we can't connect with the hearts of others.
It is the connection with the hearts of others that helps us be successful.
Being curious to remain present
You stand out in any crowd because you are so present, so authentic, so real, so warm. Did you come to this planet like this or did you grow into this through different experiences?
I grew up all over the world.
My parents were on a spiritual pilgrimage.
We went from Brazil, to India, to Europe, to South America.
I got to see such a diverse experience of life and people.
That made me really curious about others.
I realized that part of my younger self had a desire for affirmation from others.
Now, knowing who I am as a woman, I have integrated the parts of myself that I may not have wanted others to see.
I have discovered that my affirmation from others had to really ground in that "Vanessa you are enough".
Your gift is to be present for others.
I don't have to be extraordinary.
I just have to hold up the mirrors to help bring out other peoples brilliance.
Self doubt to success
I sold my network marketing business to become to coach and an author.
18 months in, I had no clients.
I thought, "What is wrong with me? What am I not getting? Why is it not going off?"
Desperate. Struggling.
The struggle is part of your gift.
Me getting adrenal fatigue, I went to a deeper level in the journey to share with others.
I don't need my client to affirm my worth.
I don't need someone telling me I am amazing.
Because if I am seeking that I am not fully present for them.
Communicating with decisiveness and grace
When you lost your voice that was a sign that some deep work was happening at the throat chakra level, that invitation to go inward, to be quiet, and to really simmer in that inner work. Does that resonate with you?
I am living it right now.
I got sick in September.
I told myself that fourth quarter, all I am going to do is self-care.
And give from the overflow and not from the little bit that you have received.
At the beginning of this year I had this dream, there was this dear with a lion head.
The dear represents elegance, grace, and compassion.
The lion head represents boundaries, leadership, and decisiveness.
I knew my invitation was to step into that new level of decisiveness.
It really is possible to be a powerful woman, a powerful leader, and exude grace and elegance.
Tips on managing the your inner stress junkie
Getting everything that's in our head onto a sheet of paper.
I keep a little notebook.
If it comes to my mind I write it down.
Everyday I look at that list and choose three things.
They are not big project things.
We have a finite amount of energy.
We have got to be mindful who we are giving it to and not push ourselves.
I would want no woman to experience what adrenal fatigue looks like.
Being gracious with yourself.
You don't have to conquer the world in a day.
Our favorite tips from Vanessa:
Be so bold that you and others think "Who the f*** do you think you are?"
Fast-forward and think what kind of person you would want to be in Oprah's chair and live that from today.
Embrace the baby steps.
Give from the overflow.
Resources and Links:
Visit Vanessa's website: www.vanessahorn.com for free gifts and trainings
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www.yourtrueselfie.com
www.inchargequiz.com
In the free report at the end of each quiz, you'll get an invitation to join our Facebook community. I hope you accept it.
I look forward to connecting with you soon!
Until then,
Stay in your heart.
xx
Valerie
In this episode, we talk about: stress, adrenal fatigue, grace, ease, successful business, marketing, true gifts, confidence, self-doubt
Quotes
"Your best marketing strategy is truly creating a life that you love." Vanessa Horn
"What if you can achieve the success that you want with greater ease, with greater grace, with less pushing energy and more receiving energy?" Vanessa Horn
"If we don't connect with our own hearts, we can't connect with the hearts of others." Vanessa Horn
"Fast-forward and think what kind of person you would want to be in Oprah's chair and live that from today." Vanessa Horn
"Be so bold that you and others think "Who the f*** do you think you are?" Vanessa Horn