Leading Ladies - Gervase Kolmos
Gervase Kolmos and I originally connected through a webinar I did for Best Kept Self. Afterwards, we had a fun phone call to talk more about videos. From that first call, we instantly hit it off and I wish our worlds could come together more often! Gervase is a CTA certified life coach specializing in personal coaching for new moms. Her blog (which includes video!) can be found at Shiny.Happy.Human.
Get to know Gervase even more!
HOW DID YOU GET YOUR START?
I suppose I would informally say that the birth of my now-two-year-old daughter was the impetus for everything that exists in my life and business right now. When she was born, I had a bit of an identity crisis, feeling like I didn’t fit into my new mommy skin and I wasn’t feeling proud of how I was taking on the new role. I was guilt-ridden, super anxious and battling PPD, while I plugged away at a job that I had outgrown even before motherhood. I was far too concerned with everyone else’s expectations of me and spreading myself so thin that my sanity was hanging by a thread. So in a sense, hitting rock bottom was what helped me launch into my current identity as a mother, entrepreneur and life coach for mothers. I made some serious changes to my lifestyle and priorities after hitting rock bottom and it was exactly the drastic change I needed to get started in my new role as an entrepreneur.
WHAT RISKS DID YOU TAKE?
I quit my job without having another! I had applied to a couple other corporate positions that would have kept me in the same mental and emotional state, so in hindsight I’m so grateful they didn’t work out. Needless to say, it was pretty unorthodox for me to explain to my husband that [quitting one job without another] was the absolute best option for me and our family at the time, but it 100% was.
WHAT IS SOMETHING THAT SCARES YOU?
Regret scares me. The feeling that something “should have been” or “could have been.” Every choice and action I’ve made in my life has been spurred by a very intuitive decision to switch directions. From the outside, it may appear impulsive, but I think it stems from knowing that if I don’t take action on what I’ve set out to do when I’ve decided I’m ready to do it, then I will be paralyzed by regret and self-loathing. So - action for me is always preferable to inaction. :)
LOOKING BACK ON YOUR CAREER, WHAT WAS A MAJOR TURNING POINT FOR YOU?
A major turning point for Shiny. Happy. Human was joining Hello Fearless’s class of Boss School. I knew I was at a pivotal moment in my life as an entrepreneur when I could grow beyond myself or crumble under the pressure (and it’s a lot of pressure). I thrive under the tutelage of a coach or mentor paired with sisterhood, and when I joined the Boss School community I was suddenly supported so holistically that I thrived as a mother, woman and business owner. I learned key principles in business management that I didn’t learn in my coach certification program (that most people learn in grad school, I think!) and I gained a priceless sisterhood and community of mentors. I learned what it TRULY means to align my life and business and began to steer the ship to truly stay that course, realizing that’s what would serve me, my family and my clients. I’m still turning the ship a bit, and exciting things are on the horizon, but I know the major turning point was Boss School.
WHAT ARE THREE PIECES OF ADVICE YOU'VE RECEIVED THAT YOU'VE CARRIED WITH YOU THROUGHOUT YOUR CAREER?
There are so many ways I could answer this question, but I think I’m going to stick with three quotes.
"Just keep swimming!" -Dory from Disney's Nemo AND Shauna Mackenzie ;)
“You are the foundation of your business (and family).” -My mentor, Sara Davidson
“The moment you’re ready to quit is usually the moment right before the miracle happens. Don’t give up.” -By some unknown trailblazing genius
BIGGEST MISTAKE?
My biggest mistake thus far would definitely be reverting to old, unhealthy tendencies midway through my entrepreneurial journey and letting my self-care take a (way) back seat to my business. I started the nasty habit of working around the clock, unnecessary hours, and choosing sacrifice over self-care. This always (always) backfires. It’s like Danielle Laporte says, “The primary intention is feeling GOOD.” What’s the point of building a successful business if I feel insane? I want to feel grounded and proud every day, and my intention is to build a business that allows me to feel that way, so burning the candle at both ends is just a mistake that I’ll pay for in the end.
