Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Denise Cordero. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Denise, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
I found my purpose in a dark period of my life. Ironically, it was the period that by all accounts, I should have felt successful. I was at a pinnacle in my career in healthcare practice management. I was respected in a community of physicians and other health care leadership. My children were grown and I really did not lack for anything yet, I felt utterly unfulfilled in my life. I know that I had created a life that my parents would certainly be proud of but I felt empty.
After taking inventory of everything that I had acquired and accomplished, I decided to search somewhere I had never thought to look, inward. This, and the guidance of some key people in my life at the time, helped me to rediscover who I truly was. This was about 14 years ago. The first few years were a complete breaking down of everything I thought I was so that my authentic self could emerge. It was during this healing process, that I found my purpose, to help other women heal and remember who they truly are in a world that is constantly informing us who we should be. All this time, I have been dedicated to unlearning deeply embedded familial, cultural and societal conditioning while learning several healing modalities and coaching women in the power of transformation.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
While I have been coaching women for over a decade, I am so happy to recently have joined with a dear friend, Julie Freeman. Julie is a licensed integrative nutritionist and functional medicine expert with over 40 years of experience. Over the years, we often talked about creating a wellness center for women. In the beginning of 2023 we decided to synergize what we call the science and the sacred and create a virtual health and wellness practice, Intrinsic Wholeness.
We’ve been hard at work in the background rebranding and honing our services. In the beginning of 2024 we will be launching our new website. Our audience couldn’t wait and we already have clients enrolled in our new signature program, Intrinsic Immersion. This is the beginning to a deeper journey of wellness and healing. Here we begin to uncover the root causes of dis-ease and dis-comfort by looking at the genetic foundation. We gather a lot of data from our clients from medical records, lab tests and also personal assessments. Once we’ve gathered all these data points, we co-create with our clients a plan for holistic wellness through nutrition support and coaching.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I would say one of the qualities I possess that has impacted me the most on my journey has been empathy. I am sure you’ve heard, “Be kind. For everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.” This is so true. When I was younger, I really didn’t understand this; I was more reactive. As I became more aligned with my purpose, empathy helped me to connect to people on a deeper level and understand that we all have our private battles and pain hidden or buried from the world and sometimes even ourselves.
A skill that I acquired through my many years in leadership and problem solving was listening. While this may have been initially listening to my boss, listening to patient complaints, listening to staff’s needs, this skill became paramount in listening to our clients. Many of the women I coach have never been deeply listened to. In fact, many have felt unheard and unseen most of their lives. The greatest superpower and most effective skill in creating transformation for others is deep listening. Deep listening is a bridge to connection and creates a sacred space of safety.
Another skill that has been key is patience. It is a skill that I have thoughtfully honed through the years. Unfortunately, we live in a society that is consumed by instant gratification. We are looking for a quick fix for all our problems and ailments. If we can learn to delay gratification, we not only strengthen our patience muscle, but we can take in the journey itself and not just jump to the end goal. Through patience, we gain focus, control and resilience. Afterall, life is meant to be savoured and it requires our full presence.
I engage in empathy, listening and patience with our clients consistently in their healing journey as each is needed to tap into the power of our own intuition (listening). Healing can be hard (empathy) and it looks different for everyone. We need to practice self compassion when we’re experiencing the death of who we used to be, sometimes lifting layers of guilt, shame and feelings of unworthiness as I often see in our clients. It is a process that takes time (patience). Transformation does not occur overnight. It requires shedding self-limiting beliefs and shifting to a more positive, life affirming mindset.
All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?
I am turning 50 in February. Just writing that seems incredible to me. I have lived for half a century!! This for me is a time of celebration and yet it is a time of challenge and great transition. I would say that I am representative of many of the clients we have in our practice, a woman in transition with hormonal imbalance who is asking what’s next in this stage of my life. I have been noticeably perimenopausal for over one year now. It began with uncontrollable mood swings. I would have bouts of sadness and sobbing for no apparent reason. Then it was the brain fog. I would get lost mid sentence and forget the point I wanted to make. In general, I was just forgetting things more often and this has been frustrating.
Thankfully, I have the support of my friend and business partner, Julie Freeman. Having an experienced integrative nutritionist and functional medicine expert at my fingertips has made all the difference. My background in healthcare and my constant quest for knowledge has also empowered me. Many of the tools I have used to help me feel balanced and focused, I suggest to our clients. During this time, understanding where the imbalances are through precision medicine lab testing are important as the first step. With these results, a qualified health practitioner can create a protocol that includes proper nutrition, targeted supplementation, exercise and mindfulness practices personalized to you. I am happily walking the same path we support our clients with. In turn, I am able to better support the many clients that come to us with the challenges of this transitional period into menopause and beyond.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.intrinsicwholeness.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intrinsicwholeness/
- Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/intrinsicwholeness
