We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Stephanie Wright. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Stephanie below.
Hi Stephanie, 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’ve spent my life as a people pleasing perfectionist playing it safe, staying small and seeking permission. My measure of success was how much external validation I received.
The calling came in March 2019 when a business school paper sparked my personal development journey. It led me to a coach who helped me explore the direction I wanted to go down, step outside my comfort zone and grow my confidence. For the first time, I thought ‘damn, I can do this – I can live my dreams.’ What will stay with me forever is how I felt in our coaching container – excited, inspired, challenged, safe, loved, supported, seen, heard, respected. My coach gave me the gift of believing in and loving myself.
When I was 40 weeks pregnant with my daughter, I got Bells Palsy. And while my medical team couldn’t identify a cause, I believe it was triggered by stress and burnout. This moment became a life-changing turning point. It made me realize how disconnected I was from myself. I didn’t know who I was, who I wanted to be or what I wanted to do.
In June 2021, I made the decision to leave behind my corporate marketing career to become a Coach. I wanted to help individuals show up and step out as their most authentic selves in all aspects of their lives. Today, I support individuals with their exploration of who they are, who they want to be and what they want to do.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I offer 1:1 coaching and Astrology readings. I LOVE what I do because it gives me an opportunity to share the tools that have changed my life with others. Coaching and Astrology have given me the gift of self-acceptance.
Throughout my life, I’ve poured so much focus, time and energy into banishing certain parts of myself. I thought ‘if you just didn’t exist, my life would be exponentially better – happier, more fulfilling’. That meant I would finally be one of the lucky special ones life always works out for. I would finally be the person that I wanted to be, which wasn’t me… Funny enough, the attention just caused those areas to grow like weeds. As the saying goes ‘energy goes where attention flows.’
When I discovered my Astrology, I immediately felt seen. I finally exhaled after a lifetime of holding my breath. My soul chose to be ME – all sides of me. Knowing that helped me create space for the parts of myself I wanted to get rid of. I’ve been able to show myself love, kindness and gentleness when I’m in the lowest expressions. I allow myself to be.
Coaching has given me the courage to embrace and integrate all sides of myself. It has guided me back to my inner wisdom and power, which has fueled action-taking rooted in joy, excitement and fulfillment.
These modalities have empowered me when I couldn’t find the power myself. It was the validation I needed to show up as ME – not the pretend version of me that I think society will approve of. They have reminded me that I am a complex and unique multidimensional being. My hope is to help others discover the same.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Mindset: I think the hardest part of doing anything is believing in yourself. Starting something new is scary – you play out all the different scenarios in your mind: what may or may not happen, what people will think and say, how you will be perceived and the list goes on. You get overwhelmed and the fear of the unknown is too great. All you want is for someone to confirm “YES, you are a GENIUS! This idea is the GREATEST of all time! Your success is GUARANTEED!!”
But I’ve learned it’s not enough. YOU have to believe you can do it – that your dreams are possible. Your belief is the fuel that will keep you going. Every great thing starts with the seed of belief. Bet on yourself otherwise you’ll never know what’s possible. YOU ARE WORTH IT. Remind yourself every day – you got this!
Resilience: Entrepreneurship has been the test of a lifetime. I don’t think I’ve ever received more rejection or experienced more failure. Every time rejection or failure happens, the blow to my ego doesn’t feel easier. It sends me into self-protection mode. I’ll always ask myself, “is this even worth it?!”
After I’ve had time to decompress, I create space for myself to process and recover. I walk, meditate, practice breathwork and journal. Turning to my tools helps me remember WHY I’m doing this. I remember my commitment to always getting back up after I’m knocked down. I don’t always feel 100% when I do get up but I always do. I’ve learned it’s really important to allow yourself to experience all the feelings and emotions and to honor yourself by creating time and space to process and recover.
Boundaries: It’s easy to get caught up in the race of life especially as an entrepreneur. You’re scrolling on social media – you see this person bringing in enough money to leave their full time job, that person receiving another stellar opportunity, and that person selling out their new offer! You are constantly seeing people go, go, go. It’s nonstop.
For me, there’s an internal pressure to keep up. I would push myself into frequent burnout spells, which negatively impacted my mindset and resilience. I’ve learned the hard way how important it is to set and hold physical and energetic boundaries.
Today, my practice includes having a set of values that I’m committed to upholding. Whenever I feel like I’m trying to keep up, I ask myself if what I’m doing honors those values. I’ve also significantly reduced my time on social media.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
My ideal client is someone who feels disconnected from themselves. They are struggling with who they are, who they want to be and what they want to do. They’re doing the bare minimum to get by each day and wonder how or if it will get better. But deep in their hearts, they know their authentic selves are wanting to break free. They want to feel courageous, confident and empowered to take the actions that bring them joy. They want to awaken their sleeping dreams and have the audacity to bring them to life!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thewrightsteph.com/
- Instagram: @the_wright_steph
