Rising Stars: Meet Telma Sanchez

Today we’d like to introduce you to Telma Sanchez.

Hi Telma, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My name is Telma Sanchez. I am a mom, author of Own Your Dance, and bilingual Life, Accountability, and High-Performance coach, not the performance that is done to feel worthy of love, but the performance that comes out of loving yourself. I have helped hundreds of busy professionals all over the world to better show up for themselves and others, by owning their time, energy, and self.

The truth is, I didn’t always show up for myself, and for a long time I stayed in what felt safe and comfortable. I worked in corporate for 14 years, always knowing there had to be more to life than trying to fit it all in during my paid time off. I would avoid most things that sounded or felt hard. I was content staying in my safe box as I felt blessed for even having one. I justified my lack of action as a form of gratitude for what I already had: my health, a home, a job, and even a great husband.

You see I was born and raised in Mexico City so moving to the U.S. was a big challenge for my self-esteem as I went from being able to communicate freely to having to rely on others to speak for me since Spanish was the only language I spoke then. My family’s first stop was Boston, where I quit using my voice and forgot the power of my own words. I thought my message was better off in someone else’s voice since they had better pronunciation and vocabulary. Almost 3 years later my family moved from Boston to Arizona where I did not have any speakers to rely on so I had to speak for myself. That was another challenging time for me as I had stopped trusting my voice, so instead of working on practicing to get better, I would find ways to be quiet unless I was helping others. When it came to making sure others did not feel the way that I did, I would find a way to speak efficiently and without a second thought. This Is How I ended up doing a double major in college. Spanish and Business.

In Mexico, I was happy and not the leader of the cool kids but I was known by all of them. I was part of the “in” crowd. In the U.S., I was most definitely not cool and I constantly found evidence that made me feel like an outsider. I tried my hardest to blend in, to lose my accent or anything that would make me stand out. Before I knew it, I was living a life defined as successful but I had lost my authenticity.

It wasn’t until I found myself sleep-deprived, scared out of my mind, and with my beautiful rainbow baby in my arms that I realized the huge impact of my lack of action. There I was, after two miscarriages, sitting in my recliner, looking at this baby fishing for my boob to nourish herself.. this baby that was a part of me, came out of my body and was immediately reliant on me. It was then that I realized healthy food was not all I needed to nourish my baby’s development. She was literally sucking what I had inside of me, and at the time, it was a ton of fear and self-limiting beliefs – My baby deserved better! I knew I could do better as I knew I was more than that.

I realized then that there was no box or status quo that would be good enough for my kids, or myself for that matter. The comfort and safety was a box I wouldn’t conform to, AND it was an illusion. If a safe and comfortable life was real, then I wouldn’t be so scared. But I was scared!! I needed to change to be an example for myself and my kids as I refused to have my kids feel like I did – not good enough for greatness. I had to show up for myself regardless AND because of all of the roles I play!

I had to let go of ‘safety’, my comfort and put myself out there. It was time to walk the talk! I stopped avoiding what scared me and I started praying as I leaned into it. Taking one baby step at a time and with my babies alongside me. Slow and steady but consistently!

I started questioning all my beliefs. I started working out using weights even when I had thought it would make me bulky, I started speaking up even when I had spent years telling myself I had nothing worth saying. I had to learn how to trust myself and my voice again. Trust my body and my mind to be enough for greatness and trust it enough to use it proudly.

Out of this, I learned how awareness, curiosity, compassion, and consistency are more than words but verbs would allow any healing journey to progress and how growth doesn’t have to be just pain because you can totally have some fun doing so! Yes! I am a huge proponent of celebrating your own journey!

I wrote a book, Own Your Dance, because I wanted to be the one to share my stories and the lessons learned through my own perspective by using my voice. In the process of writing my story, I found so much healing and growth which is why I invite the readers to review their own journey as I shared mine. My hope is that they too feel empowered by their story, their unique voice, and what makes them special. They too can release the thoughts and expectations that are no longer serving them and they too can create the life of their dreams and nobody else’s.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Struggles will always come your way, they are inevitable, but your road can continue to be on the smoother side as long as you keep lighting the path forward. Focusing on solutions vs problems. Stay in the game, keep doing your best (which changes depending on your season of life), and appreciate the process although it may be super hard and suck at times, the alternative (of staying the same) is scarier in my view.

Some of my hurts and challenges have been personal, mental, and self-limiting. I get overwhelmed, tired, and at times angry. Am I being a good mom, a good wife, and a good friend? Am I giving my clients enough value? This is what makes us human, but if you can regroup and energize yourself about the solutions, notice the progress vs the lack, your day and interaction with the world around you will be so much more fulfilling.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a super grateful life and high-performance coach who helps busy working professionals better show up for themselves and others by owning their time, energy, and self. They go from overwhelmed and exhausted to energized and empowered. I am known for accountability, awareness, and acknowledgment (happy dancing) since I am a huge proponent of celebrating progress.

What sets me apart from others is my story, my personal experience, and how deeply I care to help others. While I am certified in various modalities and use them as I see fit, I also have created my own framework that has proven to be successful.

I am also bilingual and connected to two different cultures which have come in very handy as I have helped clients from both cultures and in both languages, release the cultural expectations and beliefs that are no longer serving them, embrace their own journey and create the life they desire vs the one others define as successful.

I am most proud of watching my clients and community reach their full potential.

I offer 1:1 coaching programs that are tailored to the needs of each client. Always touch on my own framework and add whatever else I feel will get them to their next level. I am a huge fan of community building so I often throw in challenges for those that are ready to start leveling up.

I offer group programs at least twice a year for those who love to grow alongside others and a few retreats a year.

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Authenticity! Acknowledging strengths and mostly weaknesses. Owning all of what is you and your very own journey gives you the freedom and confidence. The evidence of your story can remind you that you too were made for greatness and success. It is important to recognize that we all define success differently.

Authenticity allows you to create your own success vs chasing the definition of others. For example, I define success as the moment that you realize you are living your dream life at your full potential. When you spend your days doing what you love most, when the energy you feel and give to the world is the best quality, when you allow yourself to “feel your feelings” and work through it without judgment or shame. When you feel fear but feel capable of figuring things out and go for it anyway!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://telmasanchez.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/telmasmv/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/telmassanchez88/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSMJWkkz1PYULA5vvmqO5Lg

 

Image Credits
Stephanie Escalante and Alma Photography