Meet Michelle Kenney, M. Ed.

We recently connected with Michelle Kenney, M. Ed. and have shared our conversation below.

Michelle , so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
I came to parenting as a former educator with an inflated idea I would be successful. What I came to realize was parenting could have been the single most frustrating and challenging endeavor I had ever encountered. It was one part licking the wounds of my childhood and one part walking on an unmarked path with no real direction. Once I came to terms with the fact that I was lost both in unwinding my childhood hurts and in navigating the complexities of raising kids I surrendered. I acknowledged my defeat and sought help…I could no longer bear the emotional pain of going to bed thinking things didn’t feel like I had imagined they would. Asking for help was the pivotal moment that eventually gave me purpose. Learning how to “do” things differently in parenting was the single most transformative journey I have embarked on, and continue to undergo. During this great change I quickly realized raising kids with connection instead of with control was something many people around me knew nothing about. I set out on a mission to spread the word, in order to help kids feel seen, heard and understood. The very thing that was lacking in my childhood, and the thing I was on my way to repeat with my own kids. Each time I help a parent make this connection I feel like I heal myself and my family just a bit more, while also preventing this hurt to travel generations in other families.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Peace and Parenting was born out of the idea that we can change a society through changing the way we interact with kids. Children are the next generation, our future and legacy. We have a unique opportunity to promote dramatic change in this world inside each of our homes. It’s so simple and yet can be extremely profound. Peace and Parenting began in my living room in Laurel Canyon, with friends and local teachers I begged to be my first students. The “aha’ moments and real change I saw within these first few months had me hooked. I was determined to do more, dream bigger and focus on helping as many people as I could. As I met with parents in my living room while my daughters were at school I slowly grew a tiny business. Then the pandemic hit and the combination of Zoom and Instagram catapulted me into the homes of family’s all over the world. Along with COVID came the podcast and Peace and Parenting started to feel like a real business, with email lists, online courses, webinars and my steady local groups that kept me grounded. Today I have coaches who are trained in connection who run both my Connected Parent Mastermind Group and private coaching sessions. I still see clients myself and our community continues to thrive and grow everyday. I feel lucky to be able to do what I love with some incredible people by my side.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Determination is far and away the thing that has allowed me to be successful. There have been moments where I wanted to give up, slow down or even go back to the classroom. My determination is what kept me going, and what has helped me continue to grow and thrive. Focusing on helping others and staying true to my passion keeps the heart of Peace and Parenting authentic. At the end of the day I want to make change in this world and this focus feeds my soul and ultimately drives my business. It brings great people into my orbit. I work hard and my work ethic might be both a helpful aspect to my business and one that I often need to keep in check. When I allow the balance of hardwork and rest is when I feel the gentle hum of the planets aligning in my world. Working for yourself is not easy or as my dad would say: “Not for the faint of heart”, but if you want it, its just there waiting for you. Believe in yourself fearlessly and never, no matter what, give up. There’s an entire universe of possibility out there.

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
Overwhelm is a feeling I move in and out of…it interchangeably enters my ethos with joy and elation. The combination of these makes business feel like a rollercoaster, much like parenting. My business journey eerily mimics the journey I have taken as a mom. Full of moments where I know I am making all the marks, and meeting all my goals and full of just as many moments which are quite the opposite. When overwhelm seeps into my psyche I draw on my self confidence and the belief in the core of my message. I know I have a message that speaks to those of us looking to do things differently and having the self confidence to believe deeply in my abilities and brand helps me stay grounded in order to chase the overwhelm from my mind. Some might say that thinking in these terms is arrogant or self centered, I rather believe it is a matter of survival. We can become the picture we paint in our minds, all it takes is shifting our thoughts to a new ideal.

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