Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lauren Donahue. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Lauren, we are so happy that our community is going to have a chance to learn more about you, your story and hopefully even take in some of the lessons you’ve learned along the way. Let’s start with self-care – what do you do for self-care and has it had any impact on your effectiveness?
Self-care is an essential aspect of my life, and I prioritize it to maintain a healthy work-life balance and enhance my overall effectiveness. I believe that taking care of my physical, emotional, spiritual and mental well-being not only benefits me personally but also positively impacts my professional performance and productivity. My favorite way to practice self-care is by ditching the devices and fully unplugging on a daily basis. I even created my own practice called Unplugged Mornings that I now share with all of my clients and retreat attendees.
I launched Unplugged Mornings in 2018!
Unplugged Mornings came to me one morning during an “Unplugged” energy healing. I had a vision that I was surrounded by outlets and those outlets all represented a different source of seeking happiness. For example, a relationship, a job, a car, a house…thinking that WHEN I found the perfect partner, perfect career, nice car, big house etc THEN I would be happy. We also plug into outlets to numb certain pain or bring external comfort when in reality we should be going within to find true happiness.
As I was seeing all of these outlets that I had plugged into throughout my life, I started visualizing myself connected to a cord that was plugged into those external outlets and I reached for the cord and unplugged from the external outlet and plugged into myself.
It was then that everything in my life made sense. All the answers lie within…we just have to figure out how to access them! It was in this moment that Unplugged Mornings was born!
I created a 9-Step practice using “UNPLUGGED” to help us disconnect to reconnect! A practice to help you start focusing on your outlook in life and not your outlets!
U – Universe – Deep breaths, meditate, pray
N – Nourish – Water & fuel (I fuel with @laleighcoffee ☕️)
P – Play – Fun things
L – Learn – Read
U – Unleash – Forgiveness & letting go of 1 thing each day
G – Gratitude – What are you grateful for? Express abundance.
G – Generosity – What is 1 thing you’ll do today that’s generous for another human being?
E – Exercise – Move your body! Movement is Medicine!
D – Declare – “I AM” statements
I truly believe that how you start your day sets the tone for not only that day…but your entire life! The most successful people I know all have a morning routine and my hope is that you will join the Unplugged Mornings Movement and start living your best life NOW!
Outside of these practices listed above, I believe part of self-care is setting boundaries. Establishing clear boundaries between work and personal life is crucial for my self-care. By respecting these boundaries, I can recharge and disconnect from work-related stress, ensuring that I return to my professional responsibilities with renewed enthusiasm and creativity.
I also really focus on quality sleep. Prioritizing quality sleep is vital for my well-being and effectiveness. Getting enough rest enables me to maintain focus, productivity, and emotional resilience throughout the day.
Lastly, I seek support. I value open communication with my support system, including friends, family, coaches and mentors. Sharing my challenges and seeking guidance when needed helps me gain perspective and cope with stress more effectively.
Prioritizing self-care has been a game-changer for my effectiveness and overall well-being. It has provided me with the tools to manage stress, stay focused, and maintain a positive outlook, all of which have translated into greater productivity and success in my professional endeavors.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
My WHY is to facilitate relationships so we can live in a more connected world. For me, this means creating safe spaces for people to come together and connect + transform their lives. A place where they know they belong.
This is why I founded Rise Wellness. At Rise Wellness we host wellness retreats, events and share the most up-to-date information on how to live a happy and healthy life! At Rise Wellness, we believe we must feel good to do good.
Our heart to help as many people as possible to live happier, healthier lives! We will be featuring our retreat leaders and their upcoming retreats so people can truly find an experience that best fits their current needs and desires personally and professionally. Rise also has some incredible retreats coming up in the next few months. One is a luxury Palm Springs retreat September 14th-17th, 2023 + soul and strategy mastermind where we will do life together for three months after the retreat. In October we have a luxury retreat in Santa Barbara, CA!
At Rise, we believe in times like these, hitting the reset button is imperative for personal and professional growth and to not just survive, but thrive in times of uncertainty, it’s vital to do the counter-intuitive thing and intentionally disconnect from the world and the hustle and bustle of everyday life and reconnect to you. Throughout our weekend retreats, you’ll be spending time with like-minded leaders, entrepreneurs and high performers and reconnecting with your true purpose. We believe it is TIME to fully live in alignment with WHO YOU TRULY ARE and what matters most and the best way to navigate uncertain times is to consistently show up as your best self, from your best state of being so you can consistently show up as the leader you really are. We believe tapping into abundance and creating the success so many people crave right now means connecting to your truth, living your core values and leading from a place of clarity and integrity. We work hard toward facilitating those life goals at the Rise Wellness Retreats!
At Rise Wellness we also offer retreat coaching. The Retreat Launch Formula program is a 60-day retreat launch program for retreat leaders where we help you with:
– A proven formula to plan, price, promote and launch your first transformational retreat
– Secrets to scaling your retreat business to make 50K or more
– How to attract ideal retreat participants without spending any money on ads
– Support via LIVE interactions 1 x per week, as well as unlimited email support
– Templates for reaching out to sponsors + my personal contact list
– How to develop your interpersonal skills & mindset to overcome your mental blocks
– Support you from idea to launch
Lastly, Rise Wellness launched a clean coffee brand called Laleigh Coffee.
Laleigh Coffee provides fresh, organic, fair-trade clean coffee! You can count on Laleigh Coffee to be healthy and free of mold, toxins, pesticides and anything that could make you feel jittery or anxious!
Laleigh Coffee helps you get your morning started right to set you up for a successful day! Laleigh wants you to feel good so you can do good!
Laleigh truly believes you are only one cup of coffee and a good conversation away from a completely different life!
Laleigh believes you deserve the very best. This is why we roast to order. We roast every Thursday, which means every order will be roasted and shipped each Thursday. This ensures your coffee is fresh and ready to brew when it arrives at your door!
Our Mission: Help people start their day with a smile!
We Value: People!
Giving Back: In honor of my grandpa Raleigh – a portion of each bag of Raleigh Roast purchased will be donated to Parkinson’s Foundation!
Connect with us: @laurenldonahue @laleighcoffee @risewellnessretreats
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Reflecting on my journey, three qualities, skills, and areas of knowledge that have been particularly impactful in shaping my success and growth are resilience, effective communication and being a lifelong learner.
1. Resilience: Resilience has been a crucial quality that helped me navigate challenges and setbacks along the way. Embracing resilience allowed me to bounce back from failures, adapt to changes, and stay persistent in pursuing my goals. To develop resilience, I advise early-stage individuals to:
* Embrace Failure as a Learning Opportunity: Rather than seeing failure as a setback, view it as a chance to learn, grow, and refine your approach.
* Seek Support and Mentorship: Surround yourself with a supportive network of friends, colleagues, coaches and mentors who can offer guidance and encouragement during difficult times.
* Cultivate a Growth Mindset: Adopt a mindset that embraces challenges and believes in the potential for growth and improvement through effort and learning.
2. Effective Communication: The ability to communicate effectively has been instrumental in building relationships, collaborating with others, and conveying ideas and vision. For those starting their journey, honing effective communication skills is essential:
* Active Listening: Practice active listening to truly understand others’ perspectives and foster stronger connections with teammates, clients, or partners.
* Clear and Concise Expression: Develop the skill of articulating your thoughts and ideas in a clear and concise manner, tailoring your message to different audiences.
* Seek and Accept Feedback: Be open to receiving feedback on your communication style and be willing to make adjustments to improve it continually.
3. Continuous Learning: Embracing a mindset of continuous learning has been transformative for my personal and professional development. In the early stages of their journey, individuals can adopt the following practices to foster continuous learning:
* Read Widely and Stay Curious: Engage in reading books, articles, or industry publications to expand your knowledge and curiosity about various topics.
* Invest in Personal Growth: Attend workshops, webinars, retreats or conferences related to your field of interest to acquire new skills and stay updated on industry trends.
* Embrace Challenges and New Experiences: Don’t shy away from stepping out of your comfort zone. Embrace challenges and new experiences as opportunities for learning and growth.
Overall, my advice for those early in their journey is to be patient with themselves, embrace failures as learning experiences, and always strive for personal and professional growth. Building resilience, effective communication, and a commitment to continuous learning can set the foundation for a fulfilling and successful journey ahead. Never underestimate the power of perseverance and a growth-oriented mindset, as they can be the keys to unlocking your potential and achieving your aspirations.
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
I am a small-town gal from Valley Center, Kansas! I grew up playing sports, mainly because let’s face it, there isn’t much else to do in Kansas! I was blessed to live with and be raised by my grandparents (and mom) and I attribute most, if not all my success to the guidance and love from my grandfather, Raleigh. He was my mentor, coach, teacher, friend, father-figure and hero! Anything that comes out of my mouth that resembles wisdom is something he taught me. He was the most impactful man I was ever blessed to know. He loved to pour into people. He offered value everywhere he went. From Cowtown to Colleges to Churches to Classrooms to Basketball Courts & beyond – he was always sharing the latest tips and tricks to help people improve different areas of their lives and become the best versions of themselves. Most of the time his wisdom nuggets came in the form of a quote or clipping from the local newspaper. If Raleigh was alive today – he would undoubtedly be sharing his favorite podcast episodes and Instagram posts! I am the woman I am today because of Raleigh! In fact, I recently started a coffee company named Laleigh (Lauren + Raleigh) Coffee in honor of him. Our first roast was named after him, The Raleigh Roast and we donate a portion of the proceeds to Parkinson’s Foundation. Raleigh passed away October 15th, 2021.
Raleigh helped me see that the level of success I would achieve would be directly related to the obstacles and challenges I would face along my journey. I know a lot of people see obstacles as roadblocks and end up turning around and going back the other way. For me, I see obstacles as opportunities to grow and expand into my next level. In fact, I now get excited when challenges are present because I know it means I am about to level up! Now, that doesn’t change the fact it is still painful in the moment, but I have always believed it is in the pain, not the pleasure, that we grow the most.
As a business owner, I’ve faced many financial setbacks and business partnerships gone ‘wrong’ but I never let that stop me from moving forward. Whenever I faced a struggle, my grandfather would say, “Remember, the cream will always RISE to the top.” What he meant was, when you keep your integrity, tell the truth, show up for people, do what you say you would do, stay positive and patient…you will eventually get to the top and it will be worth all the blood, sweat and tears. During those tough times with different business partners, I remember saying, “I picked the perfect partners to teach me the lessons I needed to grow and evolve into a stronger and more confident leader.” My grandfather always taught me to see the silver lining in the situation and to find the joy in the journey. Entrepreneurship has been quite the journey and I am learning and growing every day but looking back, I wouldn’t change one thing. It all has shaped me into a more calm, courageous and committed leader!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.laleighcoffee.com/
- Instagram: @laurenldonahue @laleighcoffee @risewellnessretreats
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laurenschwab
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenldonahue
- Twitter: @LaurenLDonahue
Image Credits
Theo Yang Christa Mortimore Greg Fulks
