Meet Trailblazer Hillary McCaskey

Today we’d like to introduce you to Hillary McCaskey.

Hillary, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Through many seasons of life, learning, growing, and seeking to understand God’s purpose for me, I began to realize my life had a specific plan: To help others move forward, be brave, keep going, and never give up. I want to partner with others and champion them as they learn to move forward, find their joy, and do brave things.

I’ve been through thick and thin of life. I lost my mom to colon cancer. She was my biggest champion and my best friend. If I’m really honest with you, losing her made me want to stall. I wanted to just stay where I was at. To stop moving forward. To stay in my grief. It took bravery to get up each day and go forward. I realized through this tragedy that life is short, too short to not be living out God’s best for me. So, I sucked in a deep breath (okay, LOTS of deep breaths!), took a brave step forward and became a certified Life Coach through the Professional Christian Coaching Institute. I launched my business shortly after and have loved partnering with women to help them live life to the fullest!

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?
Oh yeah, there have been lots of obstacles. The biggest struggle has been the techie side of owning my own business. I’m called to be a life coach but I’ve learned that’s sometimes that’s the easiest part of it. I quickly had to learn how to build and launch a website. Get my social media business accounts up and running. Figure out how to legally do everything correct. Let’s just say, the struggle is real.

Another struggle was, it’s hard to be alone so much. In most jobs, you have co-workers who create your community. As a self-employed life coach, it’s just me in my workspace, talking with people on the phone all day. I had to adjust to this and learn how to be more intentional with my time when I’m not working.

Some advice I would have is don’t get discouraged if things don’t immediately go the way you planned. I think with everything in our lives being so instant, it’s easy to just assume your career success is going to happen overnight, and then get discouraged when it doesn’t. Also, the best place to look for help is from people who have already gone before you. As a Life Coach, I always tell my clients, confidence is key! Talk your self up. Don’t undersell yourself. Believe in yourself!

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about It Takes Bravery Life Coaching – what should we know?
I’m a certified Life Coach.

My heart is to coach women of all ages and to encourage them to be brave, be bold, and find their purpose. Life’s too short to be unhappy, unsure, or unfulfilled. I’m completely faith centered. I approach sessions with the knowledge that we need God for every step of the journey. I open sessions in prayer and pray for my clients regularly. I am your personal cheerleader. It is my job and pleasure to encourage, support, and affirm you as you explore new avenues in your life. I will listen carefully to you, ask purposeful questions, and help you achieve the goals you set. I lend all my strengths in listening, discerning, providing clarity, creative thinking, brainstorming, strategizing, energizing, and motivating. I’ve helped my clients break through the obstacles that seem to be holding them back in life. I too have felt stuck, trapped and defeated. But I’ve taken the courageous step to begin building a business and creating a life that I adore living. I want the best for others and know how to help them achieve it!

So much of the media coverage is focused on the challenges facing women today, but what about the opportunities? Do you feel there are any opportunities that women are particularly well positioned for?
Most definitely! In this day and age, women are positioned for lots of great opportunities. Women are standing up for one another, supporting each other, it’s a beautiful thing!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ittakesbravery.com
• Phone: 952-688-7023
• Email: hillary@ittakesbravery.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hillarymccaskey
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hillary.mccaskey

Image Credit:
Matthew Figueroa, Shawna Yarbrough

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