Altering Our Relationship with Fear Requires Awareness First EP: 40

Having spent much of her younger life as a "force-aholic," Melissa is no stranger to fear. She often found herself thinking along the lines of "do this or else…" which I imagine we all would agree is not a healthy, inspiring, or strong beginning point for anything creative to emerge from. "We are not conditioned from a young age to reflect and see who we are," she explains to Laura in this episode. Going on, she shares a story of an experience in High School, when the students in her class took a career aptitude assessment. She wanted to go into Physical Therapy and the HS Counselor discouraged her, saying she wasn't cut out for that kind of work. Because she hadn't – yet – built her self-confidence and clear awareness of who she is and what she's capable of, Melissa went into the IT field instead, spending years there – mastering the work, but not loving it – before breaking free to do what she loves most: Serving entrepreneurs, coaches, trainers, and leaders build success as they define it. Through this deep conversation, both Laura and Melissa share stories, connections, and insights. Specifically, Melissa shares her process for recognizing and releasing fear when it shows up: 1-Recognize it, 2-Love on it, 3- Do a Truth rant, 4-Act! Fear is a universal experience; we won't eliminate it, but we can change how we experience and engage with it. We can reframe what it means for us, and Melissa offers a simple process for doing just that. Melissa's Bio Melissa V. West is the founder and CEO of Xtreme Results, LLC, a powerful catalyst for business and life transformation. She encourages business professionals to rediscover their purpose and passion and empowers them to create an amazing business and life of their dreams. She helps them get unstuck and out of their own way and so they can do the fulfilling work they are meant to do. She shares this message worldwide through coaching, training, mentoring, and keynote speaking. Melissa took her passion and level of contribution to a whole new level by becoming business partners with John C. Maxwell--the #1 leadership expert in the world. For five years she served as a faculty member for the John Maxwell Team where she helped over 12,000 professionals from more than 140 countries build their own coaching, speaking, and training businesses. Melissa is a 2x time author. Her first book was: Your Daily W.O.W. – Words of Wisdom That Will Inspire, Energize, and Empower You Every Day! Her second book was: Hot Pursuit: Chase Your Dreams With Passion and Live an Exceptional Life. She is an accredited Professional Certified Coach (PCC) which is recognized by the International Coaching Federation (ICF). She graduated from the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC), where she earned her Certified Professional Coach and Energy Leadership Index Master Practitioner accreditations. She also holds a bachelor's degree in Management Information Systems from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Melissa lives with her husband, Chris, and two beautiful daughters in Raleigh, North Carolina. For More: XRCoaching.com Melissa on Facebook Melissa on LinkedIn Your Daily W.O.W. Book Hot Pursuit Book