Life and Work with Erica Hanlon

Today we’d like to introduce you to Erica Hanlon.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Erica. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I’ve always been interested in people. I like to know why someone does something. I want to understand how they think. And you can’t climb into someone’s brain without wanting to help them. So it’s no surprise that I became a mental health therapist.

I moved to Colorado 16 years ago for graduate school. And Colorado is, of course, amazing. So I stayed. I met my husband, had the kids, bought the house, and built a fantastic life.

During that time, I moved away from client-focused work and transitioned into corporate wellness. I’ve spent the last ten years as a mental health consultant and educator, helping companies create healthier, happier workplaces. It’s been fun and exciting and I’ve had the opportunity to speak to leaders in some of the country’s biggest organizations. But I missed the connection you get from working with someone over time and seeing them achieve things they never thought possible.

Then a year ago, over coffee, a grad school friend invited me to join his a new company. And here we are. I’m doing the entrepreneurial thing as a life and career coach. And I’m back to doing what I love – working directly with people, helping them live the lives they want. Seriously, what’s better than that?!

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I think anyone who tells you their road has been smooth is either lying to you or lying to themselves. I have a lot of support, like an amazing husband and a great business partner. But I struggle each and every day.

First off, there’s life. Bills to pay means working your day job as you build your side hustle for a while. Three kids means lots of activities, birthday parties, and yelling, “Be nice to your sister!” So time and energy are resources I have to spend wisely. It’s so easy to say, “I don’t have time” or “I’m too tired” or “Such and such needs me so I can’t get to it.” You have to commit yourself to your goals. Then commit again. And again. Because this stuff is hard.

Secondly, my brain likes to make things difficult! It’s always telling me to stay in my comfort zone. When you decide to tackle a dream, you have to do things you’ve never done before. So you live in a constant state of fear. Fear of failing, looking stupid, not being perfect, or letting people down. I get flooded with self-doubt and anxiety on the regular. But as Brooke Castillo says, “Discomfort is the currency for completing your dreams.” So I tell myself that if I’m scared out of my mind, I’m doing it right. You have to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

And finally, I’ve had to face failure. And let’s be honest – failing sucks. It feels bad. It’s tempting to try and be someone you’re not to please others. But you need to be authentic. And you have to learn how to fail. You need to learn how to embrace it. Falling on your face is the second-best outcome after success. Doing nothing and staying comfortable is the worst-case-scenario.

Please tell us about Beyond The Words Coaching.
Beyond The Words is primarily a life and career coaching business. A lot of people are high achievers and they check all the boxes for success but they don’t feel satisfied. They’re stressed. They’re spinning their wheels. And self-care feels like a luxury item. We help them get out of their own ways so they can achieve real results and live the kind of lives they want.

Working with any coach can be an amazing experience. And we’re not the right fit for everyone. But we’re really proud of our pedigree. We have over a quarter of a century’s worth of combined experience helping people meet their goals. We’ve guided people through some really tough cases and situations. We’ve coached managers and leaders from major corporations. And we’ve stood on stages, helping hundreds of people understand what it means to achieve a state of well-being.

As licensed mental health therapists, we have a deep understanding of how people think, feel and behave. We know how to harness the mind to drive desired actions. And this means we’re able to not only coach our clients to achieve their desired results, but we give them the tools they need to coach themselves moving forward.

Often it feels as if the media, by and large, is only focused on the obstacles faced by women, but we feel it’s important to also look for the opportunities. In your view, are there opportunities that you see that women are particularly well positioned for?
Right off the bat, I should tell you I was raised by a feminist. My mother was ordained as a pastor in 1984, which was almost unheard of at the time. I’ve seen her face misogyny her whole life. And her strength inspires me. Thanks to women like my mother, we get to make our own opportunities, regardless of what challenges we face.

I think our challenges as women are also our opportunities. Movements like #metoo are bringing important conversations to the forefront. We’re questioning status quos that never served us. We’re looking at these glass ceilings and asking, “What’s this doing here?” before breaking them into a million pieces.

We’re not asking permission anymore. We take up space and get loud and stop apologizing for being who we are. And we’re seeing amazing role models like Lizzo, Jameela Jamil, and Laverne Cox empowering women to embrace their authenticity.

Sure, there are still a lot of doors that say “no girls allowed.” But I think women are well-positioned to first, see a door as an option, not a destiny, and then push that door open to find out what’s on the other side.

Contact Info:

• Website: btwcoaching.com
• Phone: 720-295-5803
• Email: info@btwcoaching.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beyondthewordscoaching/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beyondthewordscoaching/
• Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCToHMjZdovGMNOBRUHcHTkQ

Image Credit:
Talia Kite Photo is responsible for the family picture.

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