Life and Work with Monika Hutchinson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Monika Hutchinson.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Monika. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I grew up a typical American girl – Catholic school, college degree, got married, had a stable job, and a comfortable life – essentially the “American Dream,” if you will. However, the past four years brought life-changing tumult that led to a reawakening within me.

It started with my sweet husky, Kamatz, died suddenly from aggressive cancer. He was nine and otherwise healthy prior to that. I then began undergoing fertility treatments to attempt to conceive. I went through three full rounds of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), and none of them resulted in a child. Within one year, I had four friends, all in their thirties, die from different types of cancers. Two years ago, my Dad was diagnosed with and died from lung cancer within four months, all immediately following his retirement. All of this led to a feeling of unease, a lack of satisfaction with the life path I was on, and a renewed sense of longing for purpose and to make an impact on my world. My husband and I began to encounter problems which ultimately led to our divorce. Many will attest this to the fact that we were in an open marriage, or that I came out as a polyamorous person (someone who is open to love in multiple relationships at once), but the fact is, I had been unhappy for quite some time and had been fearful to speak up for myself. I came from a family where peacekeeping took precedence over truth talking and hid behind the walls of the path I thought I was “supposed to” be following.

As my marriage was falling apart, I learned about life coaching through a friend, and decided it would be a perfect fit for the impact I wanted to make on the world. I could own my authenticity, vulnerably share my story, and help others to see their own worth through the process. I started to come into my own – I shaved half of my head, dyed my hair purple, became disenchanted with corporate bureaucracy, and quit my stable job as an HR Manager of Training with a company I’d been employed by for 13 years.

It’s been scary as hell, but so worthwhile – the culmination of my divorce and the stress and dissatisfaction I felt with the lack of impact I felt my corporate work was having led me to realize that I was worth choosing. My happiness matters more than bringing home a steady paycheck every week. I was fortunate enough to come out of my divorce with enough money to live on while I continue to build the life I want, and I have wonderful people in my life who have provided me and my huskies with a place to live for minimal rent. I have the love and support of my family and friends, and just recently publicly came out as polyamorous on my coaching social media platforms, to a positive overarching response. I love what I do, and where I am. It feels like I am on a journey I’m meant to be on. Finally.

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 detailed some of this in the prior question, but it definitely has not been a smooth road. I hadn’t been faced with many challenges growing up, so I feel the universe threw them all at me in a short period of time to see how I would fare and lucky, I’ve been incredibly resilient.

My advice to other women is to stay true to yourself and if you don’t know who she is yet, take the time to dig deep and find out who she is. I am 36 years old and when someone asks me to talk about what I like to do, my favorite things, etc., I feel unsure of my answers – they are clouded by the influence I’ve allowed other people to have. Formulate your own opinion, and stand by it. If people don’t like what you have to say, ultimately, they’re not supposed to be in your life.

And remember – YOU are worthy of all the good the world has to offer. Pursue your passions and know that there is someone out there who needs what you have to offer, or who you are. There may be a competition that is stiff, but there is enough room for all of our gifts.

And finally, DON’T DO IT ALONE. We are stronger together, particularly as women, than we are apart. Hire a life coach (ahem, hint hint). Have someone who will hold you accountable to your goals. Find a community of women who support each other and lift each other up. Be willing to be vulnerable; to share the scariest parts of yourself. Someone out there needs to hear your story.

Please tell us about Perfectly Imperfect Coaching.
As a public speaking life coach, I work with individuals on crafting the message they want to share with the world. I struggled with the label “public speaking life coach” because I don’t feel it is all encompassing of what I do. I am not only concerned with the usual platforms, like Ted Talks, Toastmaster’s speeches, work presentations, etc., though I do absolutely love working with those! My bottom line focus is helping you work past the blocks that are keeping you from SPEAKING UP in ANY REALM. That could be a conversation with your significant other or your family, a podcast you host, a book or blog you’re writing. Anywhere that you feel your voice could be more powerful and clear, that’s what makes me tick. I come from 13 years in the corporate world, and seven of those years were spent in training of all types – technical, presentation skills, storytelling, soft skills, empathy, personality tests, strengths-based leadership, and coaching. I’ve also been a performer my whole life – I hold a BA in vocal music performance and have been singing since I could make noise. All of these life experiences, coupled with the difficulties I’ve faced over the past several years, have led me to this venture of aiding individuals in telling their story, owning their truth, and being their authentic selves. The results I get happen nearly immediately, as we dig deep into blocks around confidence, nerves, and being seen. My clients often report breakthroughs in our first sessions together, and I love that they are often so unexpected, for them and for me! in my work, I’m proudest of myself for modeling great speaking through social media posts around controversial topics like infertility, divorce, polyamory, and alternative relationships, death, and grief. The more I tell my story, the more I receive messages from individuals saying that I gave them the courage to speak up around the same topics in their own lives. That, to me, is my purpose, and the greatest compliment!

What advice would you give to someone at the start of her career?
Don’t settle. It’s ok to want security and to get into a job that pays well and is stable. Just make sure that is what you really want. Does it make you happy? If it doesn’t, dig deep into what it is that isn’t fulfilling you. Ask yourself, if your 80-year-old self were whispering in your ear, what would she be saying right now about this choice? This can be so eye-opening in determining a good fit.

Pricing:

• Powerful Public Speaking Coaching Package – 9 sessions for $998 (payment plants available)
• Life coaching package – 9 sessions for $1350 (payment plans available)
• Spot coaching (try it out!) – 1 session for $150

Contact Info:

• Website: https://perfectlyimperfectcoachinginc.as.me/
• Email: perfectlyimperfectcoaching@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/perfectly_imperfect_coaching
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/perfectlyimperfectcoachinginc/

Getting in touch: VoyageDenver 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.