Meet Brianna A Sexton

We were lucky to catch up with Brianna A Sexton recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Brianna A, so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?

I wish I could say it was written in the stars being born as an Aquarius. I think a lot of how I learned to be effective being the only one who looks like me in a room was from feeling that way growing up. Feeling different, or like the black sheep, at first was a narrative that gifted me persistence, new languages for communication and an ability to find similarities where it sometimes felt none existed. After being in enough rooms, (and years of coaching and therapy) I started to see it as a gift in and of itself. “No one looks like me…that means I get to open doors” “No one looks like me which means I get to stand out”. Whether as a ballroom dancer, a technical writing major in my university, the oldest or youngest in a room, I realized that my effectiveness came from having unique stories and perspectives to lean into.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I help people reconnect to the the truest version of themselves through a process I call Sonosomatics. I spent 2 years facilitating sound baths and women’s circles; and the feedback that I received made me intrinsically curious as to why my clients were getting the results that they were getting. I realized there were key factors that I was adding to my practice in such a way that allowed for deeper levels of personal transformation. What’s most exciting is that when I started reflecting on not just creating transformational sound journeys, but also how sound works with the body, I realized that sound has it’s own language through which we get to communicate and move through to realign our mind-body connection. These pieces became “Sonosoma” and is the space in sound that lights me up so much sharing this with others. So much so that I’ve created a mastermind called The Sonosoma Collective (Launching Feb 2) designed for personal development seekers and health & wellness coaches, facilitators, practitioners to share their knowledge of the mind-body connection, learn how to integrate Sonosomatics into their personal lives, and create deeper transformational results for their clients.

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?

3 qualities I believe have been most impactful in my journey are:

1) Curiosity: Big Bird once said in an episode of Sesame Street that asking questions is how we learn new things. It seems very “no duh”, but when we start by getting curious first with ourselves, then we unlock new tools to be able to engage curiously with the world around us. A first step to curiosity is to remove the filters of blame, fault, guilt or shame. Ask questions with the curiosity of a wonder-filled toddler. Then be open to the answers you may receive.

2) Relationships: I don’t think this is a quality, but redefining what relationships means in your life can redefine your relationship with life. Whether you categorize and compartmentalize expectations depending on the type of relationship (eg friend, romantic, sibling, coworker, etc) or develop a sense of “oneness” with everyone and everything, realizing that how you interact with all things and beings you come into contact have place and lesson in your journey if you choose to see it. My best tip for relationships is to start with the relationship with yourself-what does that currently look like? Honor where you are now. Then be honest and open about what you would like that relationship to be.

3) Compassion: Dr. Benjamin Hardy talks endlessly about compassion in his book Personality Isn’t Permanent. Viewing life through the lens of compassion allows me to not take life so personally. It’s a great reminder that while we are all living life on this floating rock that we all have our own unique experiences; it’s not all about us. Compassion also helps take away the need to try to “fix” people because you can both exist in different experiences simultatneously-and there’s something so beautiful in that. If you’re early in your journey, my advice would be to read Dr. Benjamin Hardy’s book or anything by Brene Brown for practices in understanding and releasing shame to grow the compassion muscle.

Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?

2 names immediately come to mind, and by extension the network of people I’ve met because of them.

1st is George Bryant- he has been an amazing coach, mentor and friend over the past 5 years. He held space for me when I didn’t know it was space I needed to come to clarity and I know that had he not opened my eyes to practicing compassion, space and grace, i would not have the business I have today.

2nd is Brian Bogert-another amazing coach, mentor, and friend. He saw and honored me at my lowest and continues to be a mirror of intentional gratitude in the face of challenge, pain, and joy.

Their ability to hold space allowed me and my heart to expand back to open. And furthermore have nurtured my growth in embodying through example how to navigate my relationship to self which continues to deepen my ability to create containers to hold others in their exploration.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heytherebriannasexton/
• Other: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/homefortea