Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Katherine Norland. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Katherine, 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?
Finding your purpose is a journey of self-discovery. There is rarely a straightforward, clear path. The road winds, and there are forks in that road where decisions must be made. There’s discomfort on the way to your purpose; a constant pushing you out of your comfort zone into some unknown realm. Sometimes you worry if you’ve chosen the right path or not. Sometimes there’s heartache over the choices you’ve made, or the fact that you didn’t start sooner. At times, there’s a longing for an imagined more successful life that may have been found on a road not traveled.
All that worry, fear, indecision, longing, and heartache must be done away with. Those are the emotions that push you into inaction and leave you petrified in fear, looking back at your choices. You become immovable, like a pillar of salt. You stop, rigid, trying to flee a land that’s being destroyed, and end up caught in the warming light, watching the pretty flames as what could have been burns to the ground.
I had to find my purpose by going into the unknown, the “unsure,” a path that was uncharted territory. So I prayed every day that I would do the right thing. The territory is uncharted not because no one has ever done it before, but because no one with my or your unique gifts, talents, or way of thinking has done it, and it’s never been done the way you or I would do it.
There is a trust involved; a trust in yourself, your abilities, your instincts, your God, that must supersede the cling-ring-ding and distractions of other things ‒ a single-minded focus that the prize awaits, and it has your name on it.
My purpose was found through trial and error, and yours will be too. You and I make our decisions using the knowledge and experiences we’ve had up until this time, hoping and praying that it will lead us to that mysterious land of El Dorado … or at least to a place we’re not embarrassed about later if we fail!
My winding path to purpose started right out of high school. It took many different shapes and directions before I realized that the experience of all these things I tried had melded together to make the perfect combination of skills and life adventures needed to become who I am today. Now I see how they were needed to walk in the purpose I was meant for. (Do not discount your life history; it might just be what’s needed where you’re going.)
First stop: a sales rep for Mary Kay Cosmetics, doing makeovers and presentations at people’s homes. Next, it was correspondence courses at a Bible college, followed by a five-year-long prison ministry with a group from my church that would head to the local county jail every Sunday to do a service for inmates. That led to Hollywood ‒ acting in more than 100 low-budget independent projects, producing, doing makeup on set, writing, and directing. This path took me back to a love I had in high school for writing poetry. I began publishing a series of quirky motivational poetry books for “Jesus freaks, spiritual snobs, believers bustling to be better, and hypocrites hankering to be holy.” Messages from these poetic downloads started crackling inside me like sparklers on the Fourth of July. Those poetic ideas were expanded when I started making teaching and life coaching videos on YouTube to share deeper revelations, which led to people contacting me for faith-based life coaching. With so many more downloads and so much more to say beyond what I could in a book, I started to develop online training tools like the “You Are Worthy” course, which covers self-worth from a biblical perspective to help people stop building other people’s dreams and sabotaging their own, so they can step into their calling and live their purpose with confidence. After a while, though, the process of coaching individually felt a bit too slow to get my message out and help all the people who needed help, so that’s where motivational, transformational speaking came into play.
This discovery of calling and purpose was a slow progression. There are many small hills that must be climbed before you feel comfortable with the formidable mountain ahead of you. As a timid, shy girl in high school who clung to sharing her thoughts only within her notebook (that I’d never let anyone read, of course), I would never have listened to you if you told me I’d be a speaker. Not only would I not have believed you, I would have run the other way and hidden under a rock.
Every experience we have builds on another one, until we look back one day and see that each step was for a purpose leading us to where we are now, to this very moment. Poetry in high school led me to writing books. Selling cosmetics led me to knowing how to do my makeup on set and help others do theirs. Bible school helped me with the foundation of faith and belief which is a core tenet I share with my coaching clients. Getting up in front of strangers to present the benefits of a makeup company helped me get up in front of casting directors and producers when I auditioned. Writing helped me develop my thoughts that I’d eventually express in person to live audiences. And being in all those films helped me feel comfortable speaking on stage without stage fright.
That’s why we don’t have to look back at our past with longing or regret or dismay over how long it took us to get here, or how long it may take to get where we desire to go. You and I are here now, and we can take our experiences and varied past and parlay them into a beautiful, fulfilling, and unique purpose.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
In some ways my focus may feel a bit broad, as I’m just as interested in writing as I am in speaking, and as interested in acting and filmmaking as I am in life coaching. But no matter which of these vehicles I choose as a form of self-expression or to get where I desire to go, they all have a throughline that unites them: to help you stop shrinking back, stop being afraid to be yourself or take chances, and stop being afraid to live up to your highest potential.
Throughout my “You Are Worthy” book (on Amazon) and online course (KatherineNorland.com/Worthy), I’m encouraging you to see yourself from the correct point of view, not the way you were seen by your third-grade teacher who didn’t think you’d amount to much, or your ex who tried to convince you no one would ever want you, or your parent who never could understand that deep passion you have burning inside you. To see yourself the way God sees you, as more than capable of any desire He put in your heart.
I help you see yourself from the proper perspective and break off the old dirty lenses that have tainted your outlook on yourself, others, and life. (To download three free video trainings from the “You Are Worthy” online course to help you shift your perspective into an empowering one (guaranteed to inspire you), go to FreeGiftFromCoachKat.com.)
I also have several hours of free training available, which you can access by joining my free private group at PurposeDrivenChristians.com. In addition, I have over 800 life coaching videos at Youtube.com/KatherineNorland where I go live every Saturday morning at 8:00 am PST to teach as well as to take questions.
I’m most excited about helping people see themselves as uniquely, perfectly qualified for the dreams in their heart, and showing them that they have everything it takes already living inside them to accomplish their desires. It makes my day when a coaching client tells me they overcame a certain fear, asked for a raise, asked that person out, or launched a business they’d previously been too scared to do. Coaching people through their next best steps and helping them have courage to do what they previously thought was impossible brings me a lot of joy and satisfaction.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Courage, perseverance, and forgiveness are the “ways of being” that I needed to get from where I was to where I desired to be. Those and many others will be needed to reach your next mountain top as well.
You’ve got to have courage to take the first step, not knowing if this is really the way to go. Courage to step out on a limb and do something for which others don’t always see the vision yet. Courage to leap into your desired future without reservation, even though you don’t know if you’ll fly or fall to the ground.
Perseverance even in the face of adversity, when not only your enemies but those you love turn against you. Perseverance even when you have to go it alone, when you lose friends or family who just want you to give up your dreams and live a “normal” nine-to-five life. And perseverance for all the times you think it’s not working, nothing is happening, and you don’t see any fruits from your labor. Remember, when you plant a seed in the ground, the seed must first die, break out of its shell, sprout, and start growing roots before you ever see that seedling poke through the ground and get started becoming the tree it was meant to be. Likewise, you need to be patient and trust that the “seed” of your faith, vision, and work ‒ even suffering ‒ are all going through their “underground process,” transforming into something real, even though you don’t see it yet. You can’t quit until you’ve reached the level of success that makes you happy. Don’t quit when things aren’t going well. Your breakthrough could be right around the corner; your tree could be breaking through the ground right now! You must persevere through everyone’s doubts, even your own, about whether it will work or not. Like I say in my poem, “Doubt Your Doubts”:
Renew your mind, change what you think
That just may be your missing link
Don’t dwell on what your fault’s about
Right now’s the time to doubt your doubts
“You can’t achieve,” says that dark voice
Don’t listen, since you have a choice.
The voice that tells you that you can’t
Does not see straight, but at a slant
The whispers, “You’re unworthy” ‒ lies!
Ignore that hiss. Continue, try
The “why’s” you’ll fail can go all day
Don’t let them pull your dreams away
Don’t quit each time you hit a snare
That could just mean you’re almost there
When staring up that rocky hill
Keep on; don’t stay there standing still
You’ll course-correct along the road
Just trust your spirit. Go! Be bold!
Reject naysayers’ fearful shouts
Press hands on ears and doubt your doubts.
Lastly, you need forgiveness. It’s heavier and harder to get to the top and achieve what you want to if you’re holding on to unforgiveness and bearing a grudge against anyone. People are going to disappoint you; people are going to do you wrong; even well-meaning people may do things that shock you and sabotage you. Forgive them, and let it go, whether it was done on purpose or was an ignorant oversight. Carrying around the weight of unforgiveness will negatively affect you physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Unforgiveness even affects the choices you make. It’s not worth hanging on to.
And please remember to forgive yourself. Chances are you are still harboring unforgiveness toward yourself for mistakes you’ve made, for listening to others, for not starting earlier, for not getting that degree, for not leaving that abusive person sooner, and a myriad of other things. Holding on to unforgiveness toward yourself puts you on shaky ground and creates a situation where, underneath your determination to move forward and be successful, there is still a tinge of resentment, still a fear that you’ll make the wrong decision again, still a worry that you can’t trust yourself. You must let it go, forgive yourself, and realize that you made the best decision you knew how to make at the time with the experience and information you had. Let go of the disappointment and forgive, knowing that you know better now; you’ll do better.
So whatever you’re attempting to do, lead with courage, even when you think it looks impossible and you don’t know what the outcome will be. Persevere no matter the winds and adversity that rise up against you. Always be the last man standing when it comes to your dream. And be forgiving of yourself and others, knowing the many times you’ve also needed forgiveness from them. This allows you to have compassion for yourself and others, and keeps you moldable when you need to be and more in tune with the spirit of love inside you.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
The people I’m most suited to help are purpose-driven Christians who finally want to:
> Overcome self-doubt
> Step into their calling
> Make a lasting impact in the world
You’re my ideal client if you know you were meant for something more ‒ something greater. You’re a self-starter, you’ve already got a great work ethic (maybe you’ve accomplished some great things for your boss at your job, for instance). But you’re wondering, what about me? When is it my turn? You’ve spent your life doing everything for other people and have put yourself and your dreams on the back burner. Now you want to stop building others’ dreams and sabotaging your own. You desire to step into your purpose and live your calling (and need the courage and confidence to do so).
You could also be a little further along, having taken some steps towards making your dreams a reality, but you got stuck along the way. Perhaps you’re frustrated that it’s taking longer than you thought, and you feel like you’re spinning your wheels. Or you might be playing small, not wanting to outshine anyone and just stay humble. You might be overwhelmed at the thought of learning new things, or fear what others’ reactions will be if you move forward and succeed. You’re my ideal client if you’ve decided you’re ready to leap into the future God has for you but need some help and guidance on the next best step ‒ a bolstering of your confidence and self-worth. You need some encouragement and a pinch of self-assurance … someone to walk you through this next phase of your journey when it seems that others don’t understand the passion burning in your heart. And you’d like someone like me to help you realize you have everything within you to live a life they’ve always dreamed about, who will assure you that you are enough.
In a nutshell: I help women who are called by God to do something great see themselves as successful, so they can stop the self-sabotage that’s held them and finally do the things they’ve been wanting to do to make their dreams happen.
Contact Info:
- Website: KatherineNorland.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katherinenorland/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KatNorland
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherine-norland-1b33135/
- Twitter: @KatNorland
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/katherinenorland
- Other: @KatNorland on TikTok
