Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Tenenbaum.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Rachel. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
August 14th, 2013 was a most devastating day: my father passed. In his passing, he left me, what I consider the greatest gift I have ever received: a critical reflection on what truly mattered and what I wanted to create for my own life. It’s worthy to note that at 16, I was in a life-threatening car-crash (car was hit and it flipped 3 times, skidding down the equivalent of 2 New York City blocks before stopping) and walked out unscathed. In the flip, and thereafter, I knew to my bones, I was placed here for a reason and I had yet fulfilled that destiny. My father’s passing forced the hard realization that I had slowly wandered far from what I knew as a child I was born to do: impact lives.
At the time, I was living an intense but “ideal” life in New York City. I had what many might consider a “dream” job in the jewelry industry which challenged me both intellectually and creatively. It did not, however, satisfy deeper needs and I found myself dissatisfied. The quintessential New York drive for success ran my life. I knew that I could easily blink an eye and wake up in 5, 10 or 20 years with perhaps more money in the bank, a better title, but no real satisfaction. I spent 18 months working to gain clarity on what could and would create meaning in my life.
I was getting close to jumping towards something much bigger, I was excited. But then there was a moment after a Middle East work trip, where, as I was hanging off the proverbial diving board by one finger, ready to let go and I watched myself literally pull myself back up onto the diving board and head towards the ladder. I thought. “I can still do my job AND somehow impact lives…..” It was a half-assed, concessionary approach to my future.
Then, I was asked “what happens if you don’t [leave NY, trust yourself, go after your dream]? What do you lose?
I knew then, I had to jump. I did a running leap off the diving board and literally cannonballed. I called up my bosses on Sunday afternoon and told them that I would be resigning at the end of the season. I did not know how I was going to make the impact I wanted, but I did know I had to begin. It was merely switching, “I want to make a difference, but I don’t know how” to “I want to make a difference, AND I don’t know how.” That little change of a single word (but to and) enabled the wall to come down and to stand open to a myriad of possibilities.
In 2015, I left New York and I started I AM Living. Initially a yoga and coaching business, it has evolved into a personal development and leadership development coaching business. I continue to teach yoga as I believe yoga creates the space to ask life-changing questions and to begin to shift aspects of our lives and coaching, well that’s just a delicious kick in the tush to really go after every goal, every dream and beyond.
Today, I work with clients across the US, and I lead development workshops and trainings.
I am abundantly grateful every day. It has not all been easy, and I continue to learn every day, AND I am lit up by my work. It is truly my greatest joy to work with others who dare take steps to live on purpose, with purpose. I am inspired every day by my clients. Together, we have a blast lighting up their lives! We are all only on the cusp, and I can’t wait to watch everyone (myself included) evolve.
One of my core values is continued education, and so I am certified in a number of yoga training programs and a couple of coaching programs including CTI and LCP. In 2018 I will be participating in two leadership development programs, one which dives into the cutting edge research of the neuroscience behind coaching to facilitating greater leadership development. I learn so that I can pass everything on to others.
It is such an honor even to be considered and nominated for VoyageHouston’s Inspiring Stories series.
Has it been a smooth road?
I think every journey has twists and turns. Just as making the leap to leave was in of itself, a difficult process, so too was the journey after. The difference, however, was that I was living in alignment with core values. I was – and continue to fight, for something bigger than myself or a career. Getting a whole new education on how to work with others was in of itself, difficult. It often felt like I was eating something I couldn’t chew. This field has you looking at your own crap and struggles on a daily basis. You can’t slide by. If you are fighting for everyone else to win big, you must fight for yourself.
One of the largest lessons I’ve learned is with regards to how I show up. I used to consistently apologize before I spoke. “This might be obvious, but…” “This might be understood by most, but…” “I am sorry, but…” Though I had done quite a bit in New York, I was consistently made to feel small by core individuals in my life. No matter the incredible feat, it was never good enough. That, compounded a history of being made to feel small, was something I HAD to overcome. If I was fighting for others to love themselves as they are so they could step into their “more,” I had – and continue to have – to do the work myself. There is no pill, no quick fix. It takes constant work and constant rework of engrained neuro-synapses.
And each time there is a failure, I now get to say “Ok! Now what? How do I make it better? What can I learn? How will this allow me to grow?”
I will also share that I’ve had some difficult moments, such as a break-in to my office hours before delivering my first workshop. That I was able to ‘table’ that sense of violation and be wholly present for the workshop & the attendees, showed incredible growth. That (the break-in) happened, AND I had a great event ahead. I dealt with it and called another to meet with the cops while I re-centered and got present to the great moments ahead. A year or two prior, I would have “tried” to be present, and the break-in would have been in that space, in that room in one form or another. The personal work is a journey, but moments like these are victories we get to celebrate and honor.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with I AM Living – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I am a personal development and leadership development coach.
I specialize in uplevel’ing people’s lives and am known for the safe, nonjudgmental, curious, strong space I create filled with levity to help my clients discover what makes them tick and go after every dream.
The core of my business comes from those working on transformation and personal development in their lives and career, and I am currently expanding into the leadership development sector – a sector I feel very strongly about. Creating even small changes in leadership effectiveness creates drastic impacts on company culture, employee whole-life satisfaction, and overall productivity. Having experienced both great and poor leadership in my life, I know, first hand, the power – for better or worse – of both.
What sets me apart is my drive and immense level of care for every client I work with. I only work with those I truly feel I can support and the relationships we build tend to be quite extraordinary.
Additionally, my training and background are quite unique. Having worked in New York for eight years offers a great lens while my background in mindfulness enables a platform to be more aware and more curious and creative with my clients, meeting them exactly where they are. That, compounded by the globally recognized certifications I’ve chosen to invest myself in, create a powerful platform for my coaching.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
It’s where I was born. It is the home to my mother and some incredible lifelong relationships – that is largely why I moved back — because of the importance of those relationships.
Additionally, Houston has always been a very diverse city, and now Houston is becoming a wonderfully integrated town. It’s not a New York, but there is a new openness which was not here before. I love that Houston is at a pivotal point, and continues to evolve for the better AND it houses some of the best art in the country (I have a master’s in the Business of Art…I have a small love affair with art 🙂 ).
What I like least: it’s not by the ocean! AND it’s hard to go hiking or enjoy nature on a whim! Especially in the summertime! I started day trips this past summer, even if it meant driving to Austin or nearby to get my fix!
Pricing:
- $125, per 50-hour session for personal development coaching
- $250 per 50-hour session for leadership and corporate coaching
- 7% of new client fees goes to supporting non-profits which empowers others around the globe
- Scholarship rates, based on availability
Contact Info:
- Website: www.iamliving.us
- Phone: 832-974-0417
- Email: info@iamliving.us
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/iam_living_
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iamlivingcoaching/
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-tenenbaum-a4018019/
Image Credit:
Colleen Robison, Rachel Tenenbaum
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
