Today we’d like to introduce you to Caitlin Cecil.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Caitlin. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
After graduating from college, the country was in a recession and jobs were hard to come by. Luckily, I was introduced to a woman who had a perfect position for me in marketing for a law firm. I loved my job and stayed for years, before making the tough decision to move to another law firm for a promotion. Deep down I knew the legal environment was much too formal for me. I felt I was not contributing to society in a positive way. After suffering from a terrible stress-induced panic attack in the middle of downtown Houston, my work product, and life spiraled downhill. I was let go from my position at a prestigious law firm and unable to find a job. I had to quickly seek out alternative aids to help me in my new predicament: journals, meditation, yoga, volunteer work, and fitness. I had to get back to the basics of what I wanted from life and how I wanted to show up in the world. I knew two things, I wanted to help people, and I wanted to spread the importance of health and wellness so that others could avoid the stress burn out I had succumbed to. I spent my last remaining money on fitness certifications and coaching certifications in order to get started in this industry. I took a position teaching children’s gymnastics while struggling to pay rent.
Often I had to chose to fill my car with gas instead of eat or clean out my savings account. I was very grateful for a few family members and close friends that stepped up to help me while I found my way back. I was able to work my way up to the position of Fitness Director of a large gym in Houston. The position started to fulfill me in a way I was looking for until I discovered I had to focus on making sales numbers and commission in a way I did not find ethical. I again had to go back to my self-care tools and re-envision what it was I wanted. I was soon introduced to a woman who would find me my current position, I work in a nonprofit community center as their Health and Fitness Coordinator. I am able to teach group exercise, implement wellness programs, and utilize my skills in the nonprofit sector. I have been in this role for over a year now and I continue to challenge myself daily to make it a better place. I am also able to work on my own coaching practice in my spare time, I recently started a podcast called The Rebel Babe Podcast to talk about strong women standing up to societal norms. I draw on my own journey in sobriety, as I have been sober 3+ years, mental health awareness, and other important issues that are tough to talk about. I am also able to write and speak out on my experiences through outlets who need sober authors. I have been featured in The Numinous and The Huffington Post. I have learned through this journey so far how important it is to remain self-aware, to dream big, and to make the hard choices.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has absolutely not been a smooth road up until the last year. The hardest part was feeling like I lost everything when I lost my job. I felt as if my identity had been taken away, along with my income, and I felt like I had let my family down. The hardest part was the guilt of letting down my family. I knew they were so proud of me, and I had tried my very best, I worked extra hours, I took work home. Giving up alcohol along the way was a challenge but also a blessing. I am so glad I was sober throughout my struggles or I doubt I would have been able to make it to where I am today, Alcohol made me increasingly sick the older I got. It would knock me on my rear for days at a time and always made even the basic days more difficult. Once I realized that a job or anything for that matter did not identify who I was as a person, everything got a lot easier.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Caitlin Cecil Wellness Coach story. Tell us more about the business.
I own a coaching business in which I specialize in wellness coaching, sobriety, and health. I have been able to help people with communication tools and get to breakthrough moments in their life. I coach in a way that focuses on self-care, living in the present moment, and not hiding behind alcohol or other crutches that may, in fact, be keeping people from living their best life. I believe in an increase in productivity through self-care instead of overwork, and I feel we could avoid work burn out in so many situations with the right coaching. I have found people mostly come to me for advice on how to live life without alcohol, how to date, how to interact in social situations, etc. I would like to be a resource for all women who feel they are in a rut or may need some help reconnecting to themselves. I am proud to offer coaching from the heart with a genuine belief that all people can excel if given the right tools. I feel what sets me apart from others is my willingness to help people with an alcohol-free lifestyle or breaks from alcohol. I do not identify as an addict, so I feel I can offer a different definition to the word sober, and my goal is to take the negative connotation out of the word. I would like to encourage people to speak up about their journeys and break barriers.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Not to sound too woo woo or spiritual but I am not sure I fully believe in luck. I believe that we are in control in some part of our own destinies with a little luck from the universe. I strongly think that a positive mindset, gratitude, and aligning with your personal goals will lead to success. I have found that nearly everything I have visualized for myself and strongly set an intention behind has happened in one form or another. It may not always appear like what I originally asked for but it always ends up working out and making me a better person in the process. When I was jobless and sad I pictured myself helping people and working in fitness, I visualized it, wrote about it, and it eventually happened. With that being said, I had to go through a lot of rough trials and times before I got to the place I am in now. Patience and perseverance have served me well in this regard.
Pricing:
- Packages vary in price but a typical 1 hour coaching session is 100.00
Contact Info:
- Website: www.caitlincecil.com
- Email: caitlinmcecil@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/caitcecil
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/caitlincecilwellnesscoach/
Image Credit:
Stefany Ficut Photography, Clinton Bales Photograph, Nathalia Allen
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