Today we’d like to introduce you to Ciara Gogan.
Ciara, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Several years ago I was working at a job that crushed my confidence. You know the type, constant beratement, zero support, and no purpose. All of my working life I had confidence in my abilities and knew I was great at what I did and now, after a reasonably short time of working in a miserable environment, I was feeling low, unsure of myself, and I didn’t like it one bit! I am nothing if not resilient, so I found an online class, Exploring Your Life’s Mission, determined to find some direction and purpose for myself. I had also come to that point in my life that I call the “is that all there is” phase! Don’t get me wrong, I love my home life, am very happily married, but something was missing in my work life, and that needed to change.
During the class, I (re)discovered my passion for helping people to understand their value, really appreciate what they bring to this world and revel in it. I loved the idea of working with people, one-on-one exploring their challenges, their beliefs, good and bad, and helping them see how awesome they are. This revelation led to my deciding to become a life coach. I researched schools, chose one, got certified, then master certified and set up my own business, and I haven’t looked back (maybe I’ve looked sideways, but not back!)
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The road to self-realization is rarely smooth! I believe that growth, real growth comes from the challenges that we face. I have struggled not with knowing and understanding my own ability to coach and enable my clients to make the impact they want, but with being able to portray that message to others.
Self-promotion was never my strong suit. I grew up in Ireland where we were taught to be humble, not proud. Being proud there was akin to vanity, not self-appreciation, so it was not encouraged. As a solo-preneur, I have to be able to “market” myself, what I do, and how I help my clients. Not easy to do when you have a nagging humble voice in your head. Honestly, silencing that voice is the greatest challenge I’ve faced, and I don’t think I’m alone in that.
Please tell us about Ciara Gogan Life Coaching.
At my core, I am an Empowerment Specialist and Impact Coach. I help my clients go from overwhelmed to calm, from stressed to success, and from feeling invisible to becoming shining stars. I firmly believe in focusing on our strengths, our core values and abilities, either as individuals or as companies. We spend too much time trying to “fix” ourselves, exerting all our energy in areas where we feel we lack, that we suck at. Instead, I believe in amplifying what we have within us, our innate talents, gifts and strengths, and maximizing our potential. We all have a unique combination of strengths, talents, values and abilities. By honing in on them, and unleashing them, we can achieve faster results and attain a more balanced, satisfying life. What sets me apart is that I’m not going to try to “fix” you, your company, or non-profit. I’m going to work with you to shine a light on what you do best, and help you amplify that to the point that you become unstoppable!
I believe unleashed women will change the world and it’s my mission to help make that happen!
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Hmmmm, that’s an interesting question. I’m not sure I would have done anything differently because I’ve learned so many important things along the way. I know things could have been easier but if they were too easy, would I appreciate what I have as much? Maybe not. OK, here’s one thing I would do differently, I would not get so wrapped up in what everyone else is doing. It’s so easy to get caught up in the comparison game, and that never ends well! In the beginning, I found myself feeling inadequate because I compared myself to others in my field. My advice would be to pave your own path, you are unique, there is literally no-one else like you out there so be yourself! You can learn from others but don’t follow blindly, and don’t buy into the notion that you have to use someone else’s formula for success. Define it for yourself and enjoy the journey.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ciaragogan.com
- Phone: 617-910-0446
- Email: ciara@ciaragogan.com
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