Meet Gabrielle Neal Friedman

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Gabrielle Neal Friedman. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Gabrielle, really appreciate your meeting with us today to talk about some particularly personal topics. It means a lot because so many in the community are going through circumstances where your insights and experience and lessons might help, so thank you so much in advance for sharing. The first question we have is about divorce and how you overcame divorce and didn’t allow the trauma of divorce to derail your vision for your life and career.

Ope. This was a long, hard journey. At first, I did what so many do, I coped with alcohol, bars, and sex. Eventually, I’d say about a year or two later when I moved out of Kansas and to Florida, I realized how bad this was for me. It opened my eyes to see why my confidence journey wasn’t going very well… I wasn’t building real, authentic confidence. I was building/creating a version of me based on what I thought other people would like. I quit that s***.

I finally started pouring into healthier habits – working out, going on walks in nature, reading, cooking, pouring into my art. I finally started focusing on things that brought me actual joy, not the fake joy I received when drinking. I stopped drinking and going out so much. I quit letting everyone have access to me.

I finally overcame my divorce I’d say about three years after because I FINALLY focused on me instead of on others. I poured into me. I watched how I talked to myself. I started caring more about my opinion than other people’s opinions. I started setting boundaries and cutting people off when necessary. Most importantly, I went to therapy. I healed from what I experienced in my marriage and the pain and insecurities it caused me. Double most importantly, I forgave my ex-husband for how he treated me and what he did, but I also forgave myself for hanging onto the guilt, the shame, and the regret I was feeling.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I started my business, GNF Coaching, at the beginning of 2024. Full transparency, it’s nowhere near where I thought or hoped it would be by now, but I’m still so obsessed with it and with the work I do.

My business focuses on helping women rebuild their confidence, their lives, & remember who the f*** they are as the main character. My business is special because I’m the one who runs and owns it and there is no one else like me. I am not for everyone and that’s what makes my business and myself so special (and might I say unforgettable😉). I treat my clients, and my social media audience, quite literally like they’re my friends. I say what I mean, I don’t beat around the bush, I am blunt but kind, and I do it straight from my heart because I truly care about helping them reach their goals.

Confidence is different for everyone and my business is all about helping each person reach THEIR definition of confidence. I don’t push my definition, my beliefs (religious or otherwise), or my opinions on them, because at the end of the day, they are them and I am me, and that’s beautiful. I’m not here to change them, I’m here to help them see how incredible they are and how bright their light can really shine if they stop dimming because of what others may think.

My brand is all about being unhinged, being authentic, fully owning and loving who you are without a second thought of “what might others think of me.”

To really love who you are and go for what you want in life, you have to know who you are, be aligned with what you’re working toward, walk in your truth and personality regardless of what others may think, and you have to be willing to prioritize you, pour into you, and live life for YOU or you’ll simply never see what you hope to accomplish one day. That’s why I’m here.

At the end of May I am launching a new 21-Day Confidence Challenge that is going to be jam packed with goodies that each person will get on Telegram each day plus a live Zoom call each Friday during the 21 days. I am planning on having the challenge multiple times a year to give people a chance to fall into who they are now, figure out who they want to become, really step into their confidence & power while being surrounded by a community of women who get it, plus while being guided by someone who was done the work herself, and all for a really affordable price.

I am hoping to expand, probably next year, into confidence building things (more on that later) for kids and teens.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

The first thing that popped into my head is resilience. If it wasn’t for being so damn resilient (and hell maybe even a little stubborn) I wouldn’t be where I am today. I wouldn’t have the confidence I have. I wouldn’t be married to my husband or living on the land we dreamed of living on. I never would have moved out of my home state (even if I’m back here now) and met some of my (still) closest friends or experienced the growth I did. I wouldn’t have started my business and even if I had I would have given up a long time ago. My life and my confidence would look so much different than they do now and not in a good way.

I don’t know which, if any this falls under, but embracing my uniqueness. If I wasn’t so okay with doing that, I would be a completely different person and I wouldn’t coach or show up the way I do. Growing up I always had low self-esteem and I tended to conform to those around me, but I always had at least one thing I’d do or say that was different from others, because it was unique to me and I loved that, even if I used to be embarrassed to show it.

Lastly, I’m going to say the knowledge I have in mental health. I am not a licensed mental health professional, but I am in love with the topic, learning about it, and I worked in mental health as a medical assistant for a little over three years. The knowledge I have in it has helped me learn empathy, active listening, and has helped me learn why some people do or say certain things or why they have certain insecurities or limiting beliefs. This knowledge is the reason I can pick up on what my clients or people in general are trying to say when they may not know how to get the words out or they can’t connect the dots themselves and I help them.

When it comes to improving or developing them, practice makes perfect. For resilience, it’s easier said than done, but don’t allow yourself to give up if what you’re working toward is actually something you want/need/desire. You can start with small steps, as long as you keep going and the steps will eventually get you to the goal.
For embracing your uniqueness, it’s just that. If you don’t already know, figure out what about you is special, different, unique from those around you. From there, show it off in any and every room anytime you get the chance. Don’t hide it because it’s different, embrace it because it is.
With mental health, study it. Look up trauma, healing, active listening, empathy, behaviors, etc. whatever may interest you. Devote some time into learning more about it and how you can apply it in your life, your work, your conversations, etc.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?

Honestly? Getting more clients. It’s hard to do, especially when you didn’t post on social media before starting the business. I’m not letting it stop me. My mission for this business and the impact I want to make is bigger than the discouragement I feel. I’m continuing to put myself out there on social media, pitch myself and my offers, and I’ve even started exploring some local, in person ways to get my name and business out there.

The work I do is important and needed, and I am damn good at doing my job, so I won’t let this obstacle hold me back or force me to turn around, I’ll figure out how to climb over it.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Dihanah – Dihanah Photography.

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