Iris

One-on-one with Iris

Why did you decide to join the CF Coaching program? What was going on in your life at the time?

I decided to join the CF Coaching program because I was feeling super lost at the time as to what my next steps were in my career and just feeling really stagnant. I felt constrained with what I was currently doing, like I was being pigeon-holed into a box of my own creation, thinking I could never step outside that box because I didn’t have the skills. I had gotten very excited at the thought of starting my own business in the tourism industry, but was completely overwhelmed at what that would look like because I kept just going back to what I already knew how to do and that didn’t inspire me at all.

I tried to goal-set and do things on my own but kept getting tripped up by my own limiting beliefs. I attended one of CF’s free masterclasses, and the shift I felt even within that week was so impactful, that I knew in my heart she had the tools to get me through my old patterns to help me live a much more fulfilled life.

Can you describe the impact of the program and what you learned from it?

Wow, where do I begin? The program completely changed the way I think and live. I learned that everything I want is possible, and that I decide whether I can or can’t have it. Up until Catherine’s program, I had been deciding I couldn’t. Then, in the 9 months that I was in Catherine’s program, I was able to quit my full-time job, start my own business and immediately replace my monthly income because I no longer had limiting beliefs around money and my worth, and I learned to overcome my extremely ingrained perfectionism that had held me back for YEARS, and kept me stuck.

I couldn’t believe the revelations I was having every week through this extremely intense work. The program forced me to level up in ways that I never thought possible and when I look back at who I was a year ago, I am shocked at how my internal and external worlds have changed. Not only that but my relationships with those closest to me have gotten so much better, because being in Catherine’s program has invited me to take ownership over my actions, reactions, and beliefs about others.

Was there ever a moment where you thought “This is IT! This is why I’m taking this program!” An a-ha, or a eureka moment?

When I realized I wasn’t alone in how I was feeling, that was my moment. Hearing other women speak about what holds them back, their fears, and seeing them overcome them, gave me so much hope. It can be so lonely going against the grain of everyone else who lives a comfortable life, and stepping outside of your comfort zone.

What is the biggest change you have seen in yourself or in your life?

My perfectionism — I used to AGONIZE over everything I created that was new and tried to make everything ‘perfect’ so that I could avoid the pain of making a mistake or being wrong or being judged. When I realized through the program that there is no such thing as ‘perfect’ and this was a self-created mind game of my own doing to keep me small and keeping me from stepping into the unknown (like starting a business), I was able to give myself so much more grace when doing new things. I was able to move through with self-compassion, self-love, and support.

I used to look to others for approval that I was doing a good job, and that was motivating for me. Now, I am motivated by the joy of doing what I love instead of having other people validate me (though that is definitely still nice, I don’t rely on it).