Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Eliza Hill. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Eliza, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?
oh wow. i have never been asked this question, and yet it is a feeling i have had much of my life. here are some thoughts to set the scene, and then reflect.
i grew up in the South, and very religious. i was always expected to behave in a way becoming of a lady, and a southern one at that. too much of a girl to play with the boys. too Christian to hang with the cool kids. i learned to be okay by myself, and yet was never really allowed to be alone. balancing respect and kindness with rebellion and individuality was a struggle for a long time. always trying to fit in while never truly feeling like i belonged anywhere.
i studied Theology and Education in school. did the Theology part of this make sense for me? nope, yet i was good at it. it didn’t make sense because i was a woman and there was not any room for growth or a career in Theology. i didn’t “fit” (although the education part definitely fit!), yet i loved the parsing of words and beliefs and thoughts and understanding the why’s behind it all. i went on to graduate school in Theology as well, and ended up dropping out of my program — after a really beautiful and heated discourse with my advisor — because i could not get past the way men acted within organized religion and within the church (both historically and presently).
i had gotten married at 21 because it was the next step. it made “sense”. and the interesting thing about it is i was chosen by him because i was not like the other girls. i walked to my own beat, and despite the best efforts of society and the culture we were in, i was different and that was attractive. yet “different” like me was not what he really wanted, and that became really clear really fast.
i have worked in bookstores and retail, cafes and coffeeshops, boat building schools and law offices, nannied and taught in independent schools. i got jobby jobs when friends were building careers. i had a kid when no one around us did, and while they loved her like crazy (how could they not? she is amazing), their lifestyles were always oh so different from my own. i was vice president of the Home & School Association at my kid’s school because i was good at showing up, being involved fully, and i loved volunteering at her school. on paper, as a doctor’s wife, it made sense, yet with my shaved head and different rhythm to life, i was mostly definitely the only one in the room who looked and moved like me.
i left my marriage. the church. i came out as gay. definitely the first in my family for all of those things. and while i know my family loved me throughout, there was the awareness of the deep sadness they felt around my choices.
so when i think about your question of what being effective and successful means when you are the only one in the room who looks like you, i very much believe it means so many things to every different human. it is interesting to reflect on spaces where i have been the only one in the room who looked like me, and while that felt so deeply true in my moments, i was not the only one. for every me in each and every moment of my life, there were/are leagues of others just like me. my uniqueness is my own and also shared alongside other humans walking their paths of individuality, rebellion, tenderness, and breaking open a little more with each chapter of their life.
i have wrestled with the guilt and shame and grief that comes with all the bits and pieces of my choices and life, and i continue to dig deep and work on myself, and to own my shit, today, tomorrow, and always. so my effectiveness and success, both personally and professionally, continues to be me, showing up as truly as i can, and reaching others who are longing for the same. i call it “like heartedness” and when we can encourage and build up one another, seeing each other within all the beauty of mistakes and flaws and growth and expansion, all rooted deeply in love and belief, THAT is success and effectiveness to me.
one of my values is “messy in the middle is magic in the works” — i will never stop believing in the good of humanity. there are good humans out there doing beautiful things in this life. and often, they don’t look like everyone else, and that is where you will find me.
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?
i am an intuitive guide, a belief and energetics coach, a body connected trauma informed breathwork facilitator.
within all this, i am first and foremost a human doing her best to show up everyday and in every way as truthfully and fully as i can. i am deeply guided myself by the concept of expansion and connection. as above, so below. rooting and grounding in while reaching and opening out. messy in the middle is magic in the works.
it is absolutely one of my true honors to be able to intuitively guide humans as they are seeking clarity, insight, and deeper understanding. this is not me answering questions necessarily, yet rather connecting to their guides, and allowing whatever messages and/or insights to flow through. this is a powerful and vulnerable space, and one i honor deeply.
a friend once likened me to a MATCH. when we connect, my energy ignites what you are longing to bring forth. when you speak of what you are dreaming (or releasing sometimes), of your visions and longings, i am able to support you as you bring this to life. it truly is amazing and makes me smile everytime.
i believe our breath connects us not only to our physical bodies, yet also to our energetic and higher selves. in a space that is safe, i ask my clients to allow themselves to be held and nurtured, while releasing all that is ready to let go, and tune into their inner knowing and strength.
in my offerings (6 and 12 session containers), i connect humans with their soul’s purpose and values, while deepening their beliefs and trust in themselves. this is often sprinkled with intuitively guided Human Design as well, creating such a potent vessel for growth and transformation.
all of this this goes for all humans with whom i have the honor to work – it is not a one size fits all, nor will it ever be. this is what i absolutely love about guiding and coaching. looking at where you are and where you are going, and lighting that belief and trust in yourself as you unearth and unfold all that is ahead.
the belief i have in what my clients are creating and who they are becoming is immense. the space i hold while they are figuring some of this out is one in the frequency of love and empowerment.
and as a beautiful side note: my wife and i created a Tarot deck together. HeART Tarot with Microcosm Publishing. she created and illustrated each and every card, and i wrote the guidebook to go along with it. it was a collaboration of my dreams, and i am so grateful to have been a part of it alongside her.
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?
definitely immersing myself in the world of energetics, belief work, and intuition. ancestral connection and generational healing. both as a student myself and a guide who leads others.
body connected trauma informed breathwork certification. breathwork moves energy in such deep and massive ways. this can be both in Holotropic and restorative breathwork journeys. sometimes the release is huge and sometimes minute, and yet always moving through. it is powerful.
the last is life itself. we are all on our own journeys, and each one is different with similar threads woven throughout. these threads connect us, and the unfolding that happens when we loosen the tightness of old beliefs, and release the resistance of shame and guilt, we are able to move forward with steadiness and compassion.
Alright, so before we go we want to ask you to take a moment to reflect and share what you think you would do if you somehow knew you only had a decade of life left?
oof.
playing. living. releasing the stories that still rattle in my mind of what i “should and should not” be doing with my life. simply put, BEING in my life. listening to live music, eating good food, getting amazing tattoos, laughing and being with those i love and who love me.
traveling and connecting. talking with humans and loving my alone time. all of it.
creating spaces where people feel the belonging they long to feel. infusing my work and life with the beliefs in others, and encouraging them to see and believe in themselves in what they are here to be, in their highest good and what is possible for their lives. guiding them with the tools and modalities i have learned along the way. this is no small thing, and yet if we can begin to see life from an aligned and deeply rooted perspective, that is huge.
the amazing part is i am doing these things now, and for this i am truly grateful. so i would continue on!
Contact Info:
- Website: coming! it will be: elizahillcoaching.com
- Instagram: elizah_coaching
Image Credits
All the photos are owned by me.
