What would happen to your business if you slayed the number one energy vampire holding you back? Energy vampires are the people, groups or things who suck the life out of you without offering much in return. They can be family members, clients, neighbors, friends or co-workers...they are the people or things that make you feel totally drained over and over again. 

Your time and energy could be better served minimizing your interactions with these energy vampires. Today we will explore how to slay your energy vampires so that you can reach your highest potential in business and in life. 

A common energy vampire in business is the “needy client”.  You know, the client who always wants to speak with you after business hours, wants you to do all the things for them, or has  payment preferences that make it more difficult for you to get paid.  Are you serving yourself in business by accepting everyone who walks in the door? Or does the quality of your client relationship matter? Ask yourself who is the number one person in your business who drains the life out of you without receiving much in return. You can either delegate what you do for this person or minimize or eliminate altogether your interactions with this person. You can say no. 

Tough love is the key. There are 3 steps to showing tough love to your energy vampire:

1. Decide what matters most to you in your business.
2. Set boundaries around your priorities and communicate these boundaries clearly.
3. Don’t feed the animals.

You can’t breathe life back into your energy vampires once you’ve set some healthy boundaries. So don’t continue a relationship at the same level with your energy vampire once you’ve been clear. You will get back a ton of time and energy which can now be redirected to something more important, and over time, more profitable.

Energy vampires are a big obstacle in business, but they can also be a source of success. What would happen to your business if you minimized the person or thing that is taking away your precious time and energy? What is the highest value activity on your list that you know you need to focus on? The power of slaying your energy vampires is that you now have the time and energy to do that high value activity!

I’d love to hear your story. Have you slayed an energy vampire? What changed in your business as a result? Share with me your story by email:  [email protected]

Subscribe, Rate and Review Vision to Thrive on Apple Podcasts today! I’d be honored to be reviewed by you! Please visit www.andreaseeney.com for more information about my coaching and speaking services.

Today we’re getting into it about one of the biggest fears that hold women back from starting new businesses, changing careers, and adding on new streams of income: imposter syndrome. It’s the fear that you will be exposed for the fraud that you really are. 

Unqualified. 

Undeserving.

Over your head. 

Overly ambitious. 

I share the experience of three successful entrepreneurs who have reinvented themselves in a new business or new stream of income. All of them had some form of imposter syndrome, but they each beat it back and kept pushing on to be successful.  

How did these women quiet the imposter voice in their minds? By shifting from a scarcity to an abundance mindset. By changing the narrative to what’s possible. By being authentic.

The question is not, “Are you a fraud??” The question is “What is it costing you to stay on the sidelines??”

I’d love to hear your story. Have you struggled with imposter syndrome? How did you beat it back? Share with me your story by email:  [email protected]

Subscribe, Rate and Review Vision to Thrive on Apple Podcasts today! I’d be honored to be reviewed by you! Please visit www.andreaseeney.com for more information about my coaching and speaking services.

I’m thrilled to share an exclusive “sneak peek” of the Aligned & Balanced small group coaching program enrolling now! The first program SOLD OUT, and registration for the new  section closes August 17...I will cap the group at 15 so limited spots now remain. Register here to save your spot now!   https://andrea-seeney-1531.mykajabi.com/offers/rzo6eYKW

The secret is out: work/life balance doesn't exist.  A global pandemic, children to home school, a career or side business to manage, a partner’s work from home to manage, household and community commitments...it's all overwhelming.  It is possible, however, to simplify and reclaim control.  Think of it as a totally new concept: work/life integration. Because that is what’s happening now more than ever...You are the same, 1 person serving many different people in many different ways, making the best decisions you can in each moment of every day.  And you deserve to put yourself on the list. 

In this small group coaching program, we will dive deep on creating your vision for your future, aligning your priorities, defining what is “enough” to meet your needs, saying no to all the noise that distracts you from them, learn simple systems and productivity tips to help you navigate your day, and some easy ways you can give yourself a little love and grace. In week one, we will begin to dismantle work/life balance. (Don’t worry we will build it back - promise!) The result is the confidence in knowing that priority realignment and putting simple systems in place can help integrate your work and family life, putting you back in the driver’s seat.

The learning objectives of Aligned & Balanced Month 1 include..

...Define your priorities and set your boundaries based on your vision

...Identify your obstacles and strategies to overcome them

...Adopt simple systems for your work/life integration 

...Incorporate daily self care

...Create your daily success plan to stay focused 

This program works! The support, encouragement, and accountability from the community of like minded women who are joining you is a game changer.  After 4 weeks you will have a sustainable work/life integration system that puts you on the list, simplifies your life, and leads to more overall happiness. That’s a pretty good return for $397! 

Listen to this episode to decide if A&B is right for you.  LIMITED spots remain, and registration ends August 17. We kick off our first live Zoom call on Tuesday night, August 18th at 9pm est / 8 pm cst.  

REGISTER NOW! This program WILL sell out! 

https://andrea-seeney-1531.mykajabi.com/offers/rzo6eYKW

Subscribe, Rate and Review Vision to Thrive on Apple Podcasts today! I’d be honored to be reviewed by you! Please visit www.andreaseeney.com for more information about my coaching and speaking services.

“Will I be a good teacher?” “Do I have enough patience?” “Will my kids be behind?” Whether your kids are beginning the school year with remote learning from home, or you’re developing your own homeschool curriculum, these are the questions swirling in the minds of many moms this summer.  This episode does not seek to advocate for one education approach over another, but rather, to help you decide whether homeschooling is a good fit for you and your family.  Deciding whether to homeschool your kids for the coming school year can be intimidating and overwhelming. If this has been on your heart, but you’re unsure of whether it’s the right fit for you and your family, then today’s episode is for you. 

Enter veteran homeschooler, and mother of 3, Olivia Rutkowski! Olivia shares with us today how she made the decision to homeschool her now 8 year old child over 5 years ago. Although her homeschooling decision was unrelated to covid, it was also not one she had planned on her whole life. Olivia walks us through her decision making process, and how she ignored the naysayers. 

“But what if I screw up my kids?” Olivia shares this is a totally normal fear that every homeschooler ponders from the beginning. Homeschooling is not permanent. So if it doesn’t work out for you or your kids, then you can always re-enroll back in your public school. Check your state’s education website to make sure you’re complying with the formal process of withdrawing, declaring your intent to homeschool, and re-enrollment, but at the end of the day, your decision to homeschool can always be undone. Olivia shares that if you love your kids, and you are reasonably intelligent, then that’s enough to homeschool. You and your family know what is best for your kids, and no matter what, you will make the right decision. No child will be behind.

To learn more about homeschooling, or to receive support and personal mentorship from Olivia Rutkowski, please email Olivia at: [email protected].

Exciting news! A new section of Aligned & Balanced is open now for registration! This small group, high touch coaching program is designed to be a 12 week coaching program, with a minimum 4 week commitment to begin.  Program kids off August 11! 

Prepay for all 12 weeks and save here! https://andrea-seeney-1531.mykajabi.com/offers/X8MJhfC7

Or save your spot and pay month to month here! https://andrea-seeney-1531.mykajabi.com/offers/rzo6eYKW 

Email me: [email protected] to see if Aligned & Balanced would be a good fit for you! 

Subscribe, Rate and Review Vision to Thrive on Apple Podcasts today! I’d be honored to be reviewed by you! Please visit www.andreaseeney.com for more information about my coaching and speaking services.

Today’s episode is an open invitation to you to reclaim control over your life. I am talking about putting yourself on the list, and showing up for you.  Are you ready to get off the Corona Coaster? To ditch the idea that you can have your work, or your family, but you can’t have both? It has been a stressful, overwhelming last 4 months for moms, and in particular, working moms. It’s about to get dicey again with the back to school transition. Virtual school, hybrid school, homeschool - all of it comes with uncertainty and overwhelm. How much easier would it be to tackle these challenges with a group of like minded, supportive women to share best practices and encouragement, and a trusted guide by your side? 

Over the past 12 weeks, I have had the honor of coaching 11 women in a small group, high touch program called Aligned & Balanced. It has been life changing for me to watch them transform their lives. Not because I have any answers. Not because there is a secret system that’s one size fits all.  Not because it’s easy. But because each member was willing to show up for herself, reflect inward, dream outward, and support and encourage each member of the group without judgment.  

We are facing another gigantic transition in our work and family lives with school starting back for many of us in August. Some believe it’s the official death of the working mom, but I beg to differ.  Aligned & Balanced offers a positive and uplifting program trusting your intuition, developing new systems that help you get more out of your day, and setting new boundaries to stay focused on what matters most to you. 

I am now opening a NEW 4 week Aligned & Balanced small coaching group program to meet your needs. Only 12 spots will be available - first come, first served. We will meet via Zoom 1 hour per week (all calls will be recorded), you will receive specially curated course materials to work on at your convenience, and you will be a part of a private Facebook community for encouragement and support.  Topics will include: Demystifying Work/Life Balance (sshh! It never really existed and 2020 is truly the death of it!), How to Get More Out of Your Day, Finding Your Purpose, Give Yourself a Little Grace, Consistent Self Care = A Healthier Lifestyle, Letting Go of Pleasing People, and so much more! 

Don’t take my word for it! Here is what current Aligned & Balanced small group members are saying…

“The Aligned and Balanced small group coaching program has been a very challenging yet rewarding program.  Andrea’s coaching and course work materials have helped me take a deep dive into key areas of my business and personal life.  The small group community is an amazing way to be real and to learn and grow with like minded women.  I highly recommend Andrea’s coaching for anyone looking to grow in their personal and professional lives.

“Working with Andrea has been an absolute revelation! Her skills as a leader are evident during each group meeting.  She always captures each member’s sentiments, concerns and brings it full circle by validating our feelings and asking us how we’re going to handle going forward.”

-Jen H.

“Prior to starting the Aligned & Balanced small group coaching program, I was adrift. I was going in so many different directions and accomplishing very little in my personal life. Business had taken over! There was no joy. Being a part of our small group has helped me realize that self-care is imperative to personal success. And, without personal success (in my case, making the time for self-care throughout the day), all the success in business means nothing.

In speaking with Andrea one-on-one, I realized with her help that I was truly “empty”. I had lost sight of “me”. I was just going through the motions. Now, I stand firm in my resolve to take care of myself—physically, mentally, spiritually.  Tiny steps taken every day over the course of the last couple of weeks have truly led to big results!”

-Tammy B.

“Andrea has found her calling...she is an amazing coach who has helped me in both group and personalized sessions learn how to put myself back on my priority list and helped guide me through some complex issues in my professional life in a corporate setting.  Her approach is tailored to what you need.  The group sessions have been rewarding as well.  Hearing from other women, from various backgrounds, has been so meaningful.  It’s made me realize I’m not alone in the struggle to achieve work-life balance.”

-Jen K.

Email me at [email protected] to get started on your own journey.  Aligned & Balanced is designed to be a 12 week coaching program, with a minimum 4 week commitment to begin.  We will begin the week of August 10. I can’t wait to chat with you! 

Subscribe, Rate and Review Vision to Thrive on Apple Podcasts today! I’d be honored to be reviewed by you! Please visit www.andreaseeney.com for more information about my coaching and speaking services.

We are more than 4 months into this twilight zone of a daily existence (also known as the “Coronacoaster”) with our children at home all day, our work from home all day, and our childrens’ in school instruction now not looking so hot for fall.  I am nauseous and ready to get off the ride now! We are starting to hear about school districts not opening in person next month due to pockets of coronavirus cases popping up. And everyone in your Facebook feed seems to have an opinion about it. Negativity and hostility runs rampant on social media and in the news, and you don’t need to look far for an answer on what’s best for your kids and your family this fall. 

I have no such answers for you today.

I will not join the chorus of voices who think they know more than you about what’s best for you and your family.  I do, however, have a positive, uplifting, and alternative perspective for how to address your work/life integration as we enter the next stage of this public health crisis. It involves embracing what you love about both your work and your family, and integrating these elements into your daily life. Turning away from the negativity of your news feed. Only listening to the opinions of the 3 people who matter most in your life. Reimagining a world where the perfect balance between work and family (which was a lie from the get go!) doesn’t even matter anymore. Only the things that matter most to you count - your faith, your self care, your kids, your significant other, your career, for example. 

I share how I integrated my work and family life when I created my first business from scratch and built a substantial income. Of course it wasn’t easy, and there were a ton of hard times, both financially and emotionally. But choosing between my work and my family never felt authentic to me. So I decided to make it work - imperfectly, but with intention. 

Bottom line - you know what is best for you and your kids. Trust yourself.  No matter what you choose - in person instruction, remote learning, or homeschooling - you and your kids will be ok, and no one will be left behind.

Subscribe, Rate and Review Vision to Thrive on Apple Podcasts today! I’d be honored to be reviewed by you! Share with me what you’d like to hear about next or if you’d like to collaborate please email: [email protected]. Please visit www.andreaseeney.com for more information about my coaching and speaking services.

Today we’re talking about choices.  Choice is great, except when we feel boxed into choosing between 2 things, and 2 things only. We can’t have both, and we can’t have a third option. That’s called a zero sum game.  There’s a winner and a loser.  Right now we’re inundated with “either/or” choices...you can either send your kids to school, or you can homeschool them. You can either open up the economy, or you can save lives.  The implicit assumption is that you either care about yourself or you care about other people, but you can’t care about both at the same time. Sounds pretty judgy, right? But is it a real choice. Is it a false dichotomy?  What if we took away the limitation that there are only two options? What if an alternative solution could exist? 

Today we examine the binary choice women face on work and family life (that has only gotten worse because of Covid-19):  You can either have a successful career, or you can be a good mom.  What is true about that question in your life?  Work and family are in competition with one another.  Some companies have actually told women they can no longer continue working from home unless they have made childcare arrangements.  What is fair to women to pit work and family against each other? Today we challenge this way of thinking in our lives.

What would our lives look like if work and family didn’t have to compete against one another? What if companies embraced women and offered more choices to continue a work from home arrangement (if that was working well) post Covid? What if companies partnered with women to determine what activities and responsibilities could be eliminated or curtailed, or turned into artificial intelligence so that women could simplify their work/life? What if companies subsidized childcare for women? 

This is a time of great discomfort because so much about the Covid world has challenged our way of thinking.  It is possible to walk away from the “either/or” mentality on work/life balance when you are willing to get uncomfortable and ask your support system for what you need. I share my own personal example of how I rejected an “either/or” mentality earlier this year.  What, if anything, about your work/life arrangement would need to change to serve you better? 

Subscribe, Rate and Review Vision to Thrive on Apple Podcasts today! I’d be honored to be reviewed by you! Share with me what you’d like to hear about next or if you’d like to collaborate please email: [email protected]. Please visit www.andreaseeney.com for more information about my coaching and speaking services.

We are burned out as a society right now. The daily stress, fear and anxiety caused by the Covid-19 global pandemic has stretched us mentally, physically and emotionally to the brink. Putting coronavirus aside, however, how do you know if you’re burned out in your career or in your home? Today I share the 5 signs that you might be burned out.  The concept of burnout is a controversial one. Shame, disappointment and fear can come up feeling like we aren’t cutting it.  But acknowledging that you are burned out can lead to incredible joy and satisfaction in your next chapter.

Today I share how I burned out as a big law firm attorney, and how I was able to recognize the signs of burnout to make much needed changes in my life.  

Here are 5 signs to recognize burnout in your life...

1. You’re going through the motions
2. You have little to no patience
3. You think, “what’s the point?”
4. Music does not affect your mood
5. You don’t feel valued or purposeful in your work or home 

You are a human, not a machine. If you’ve hit an inflection point in your career or your home life, it may be time to pause and to take a break. You have the choice to rediscover your interests, strengths, and priorities. It’s ok to admit you might be burned out. There is life on the other side!

Subscribe, Rate and Review Vision to Thrive on Apple Podcasts today! I’d be honored to be reviewed by you! Share with me what you’d like to hear about next or if you’d like to collaborate please email: [email protected]. Please visit www.andreaseeney.com for more information about my coaching and speaking services.

Are you waiting to feel good to feel motivated? If so, you might be waiting for a lifetime. Feelings are fickle. Sometimes we feel good, and sometimes we don’t. So our feelings can’t be the barometer for our motivation. We’ve got to be present and be intentional to get motivated.

Try these 3 easy steps to get motivated … 

(1) Stop feeding yourself negative content … limit your engagement with the news and social media. 10 minutes per day is more than enough to educate yourself about the information you need to know. Then you’re moving on.

(2) Write down 1 thing that brings you joy or moves your business forward … it doesn’t need to be a big thing. It could be taking a walk, making a phone call to a loved one, doing 1 thing on your business to do list, or reading a gratitude journal entry. The exercise of writing down that one thing is the key. Not the result, or the magnitude of the one thing.

(3) Do that 1 thing.  The action part is essential. Taking the action is not related to how you feel in the moment.  Just do it.

These 3 steps are super simple, right? Over time, taking these steps each day with just one small (different) thing will lead to consistent motivation, and eventually, to big results. But remember, whether you feel good or not before you begin these steps is irrelevant. You are going to take these 3 steps regardless of how you feel. That’s everything. The more you take action, the more positive energy you will feel, and the easier it will be to stay motivated! 

And don’t forget to give yourself a little grace when you can’t bring yourself to take these steps. Get up the next day and start over again. To get and stay motivated, just wash, rinse, and repeat as much as you can.

Subscribe, Rate and Review Vision to Thrive on Apple Podcasts today! I’d be honored to be reviewed by you! Share with me what you’d like to hear about next or if you’d like to collaborate please email: [email protected]. Please visit www.andreaseeney.com for more information about my coaching and speaking services.

Are you struggling with how to talk about race with your children, friends, and community following the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breona Taylor, George Floyd, and Rayshard Brooks (just to name a few)?  Do you want to engage in positive action to make a change but don’t know where to start? Human dignity is at the heart of my conversation about race with Dr. Tiffany Russell, Director of Diversity and Inclusion at St. Martin’s Episcopal Day School. Dr. Russell is a black woman, wife and mother, accomplished professional and educator, and the daughter of a retired black police officer. Dr. Russell brings to the table a refreshing, non-political viewpoint missing from the social media and news media platforms that appear to be obsessed with emphasizing extremists, negativity, and violence. 

Dr. Russell could not be more clear:  it’s not about being colorblind. Blackness is beautiful.  It’s hard to have an authentic conversation if you deny the topic’s existence and that it carries meaning and value. Our skin color does make us different.  According to Dr. Russell, removing the negative value placed on the black race requires work. So instead, ask yourself, “what messages did I receive growing up about race?” You can’t unhear and you can’t unlearn sharing personal stories. According to Dr. Russell, sharing your personal stories is a powerful initial action to engage in a conversation about race that recognizes the value and the difference in understanding the black experience. 

The next step is to get more information. To recognize and to educate yourself on the systemic differences in the way black people have been treated historically. Dr. Russell suggests engaging in the arts and the products of the black community, such as poetry, to understand the systemic nature of racism. She recommends the following books that interrogate systems: “Their Eyes are Watching God,” by Zora Neale Hurston, “The Fire Next Time,” by James Baldwin, “Things Fall Apart,” by Chinua Acheb, and “Between the World in Me,” by Ta-Nehisi Coates.

Dr. Russell further suggests “decolonizing your bookshelf”. Removing texts from your library that demean black people or suggest they enjoyed being enslaved, books that no longer serve you, and books that do not share the history of protests and examples of black empowerment. Dr. Russell has added diverse books to her children’s library to ensure they know they are special and loved. Suggested historical fiction authors to decolonize your bookshelf … Julia Alvarez and Edwidge Danticat.

Then it’s all about action. Dr. Russell shares this waking up period for our culture is essential for identity development.  According to Dr. Russell, the white community has their own racial background and culture, but because we don’t talk about it we don’t recognize what our whiteness means and how “white privilege” is wielded. It’s uncomfortable to recognize what whiteness means, but the process can be started by journaling quietly and by “standing in” for non-white friends to challenge racism when we see and hear it.  It’s ok to feel guilty, but then it’s crucial to push through the guilt and start taking some action. 

Dr. Russell deconstructs for us the stereotype of the “angry black woman”. She suggests reading “The Authenticity Principle” by Ritu Bhasin for a great framework on how to increase racial authenticity in your life.  Most importantly, Dr. Russell shares that engaging in a conversation that acknowledges the disparate treatment of black people is crucial to moving forward.

What questions about race do you have for Dr. Russell? Email them to me: [email protected] and we will continue this conversation together.  

Rate, Review and Subscribe to this podcast today! Please visit www.andreaseeney.com to explore my private and group coaching services. I’d love to chat with you and find out what might be a good fit for you!