Building Your Life On a Solid Foundation

Building Your Life On a Solid Foundation

At the end of 2019 I was speaking at a retreat in Scottsdale, Arizona.  This retreat was designed for six, seven and eight figure female entrepreneurs to come together and to take their lives and their businesses to the “next level”.  I was honored to be a keynote speaker on the last day teaching some advanced concepts around goal setting.  I was told these women “had it all”.  So I was customizing my workshop accordingly.  But when I was participating in the 4 days leading up to my workshop I found something very different from what I was expecting. While having meals with these ladies, going on hikes with them and participating in the workshops there was one word these ladies used more than any other word…. 

Exhausted. 

These ladies were all exhausted.  They were overwhelmed and drained.  Sure they had created a lot of financial freedom in their lives but that financial freedom wasn’t buying them the inner peace and the happiness they were all desperately seeking. The reason why might be very simple but it’s not always common practice.  

They were exhausted because although they spent time, energy and attention on their career and financial life, they never dedicated any time, energy or attention on their foundation.  They worked on their business, but they never did the work on themselves. 

Most people are trying to build their lives on a weak foundation. 

Trying to build their relationships, their careers, their financial independence, their environments, their experiences on top of weak pillars. 

The foundational pillars that I see lacking most often are the foundational pillars in our personal life. 

  • Our health and fitness 
  • Our emotional resilience 
  • Our mindset 
  • Our character traits and values 
  • Our religion or spiritual connection 
  • And who we show up as in the world 

When we put energy, attention and focus into these 6 pillars we can build not only a career we love but a life we love. But it takes work.  It takes daily work on ourselves.   It takes getting in the right state and thinking the right thoughts.   Feeding our mind, body and soul the right things so we can show up in the world as everything but ‘exhausted’.   When we work on ourselves we are ready for any of the challenges that life can and will throw our way.  And we’re more present to the moments we all live for, the peace, the joy, the reverence for life and all its beauty and all its imperfections.  

Jim Rohn put it best when he said “Your level of success will rarely exceed your level of personal development, because success is something you attract by the person you become.” He was encouraging his students to build a solid foundation.  Because he knew that foundation is what would lead to their ultimate success.  

Why We Need To Work On Ourselves

Why We Need To Work On Ourselves

We all know we need to work on ourselves. It’s common knowledge but not always common practice. It’s important to understand WHY we need to work on ourselves and WHY we often don’t.  Jim Rohn the famous entrepreneur, author and motivational speaker has a great quote about why we should… 

“Your level of success will rarely exceed your level of personal development, because success is something you attract by the person you become.”

If it’s true that our success will not exceed our personal growth then our success in life is dependent on the work we do on our foundation.  It’s dependent on the energy, attention and focus we put into our inner world and our inner world will create more success and a fulfilling life experience in our outer world.  What’s more important than that?

Just imagine what your life would be like if you had a strong solid foundation. By foundation I mean the 6 pillars of our personal life.  

  • Our health and fitness 
  • Our emotional resilience 
  • Our mindset 
  • Our character traits and values 
  • Our religion or spiritual connection 
  • And who we show up as in the world 


Imagine what life would look like if you were in the best shape of your life physically, mentally and emotionally.  If you felt great in your own skin and loved your body.  If you had all the energy you desired.  Imagine what it would be like if you felt incredibly emotionally resilient.  You never got triggered at small things or even at big things. If you felt like nothing could rattle your cage. If you felt unshakable at your core. If you had the mindset of a monk – calm and peaceful all the time. If you longed for nothing more and your character traits and values supported those desires. Imagine what life would look like if you did all that you said you would do. If your habits were designed to fuel your life in powerful positive ways.  And most importantly, if you were showing up in the world for yourself, for your family, for the people you love as your best and highest self. And you were happy… truly, deeply, unwaveringly happy no matter what your circumstances.

That’s what working on ourselves can do for us. But here’s the thing….

We don’t do it. We certainly don’t do it daily.  We don’t give it the energy, attention and focus it needs.   Why don’t we?  Because we’re waiting. We’re waiting until things get worse. We’re waiting until the shit hits the fan so to speak.  Until tragedy strikes. Until things get really, really hard. Until we just can’t bear it anymore.  

Well guess what? Life is always going to throw us challenges. It’s always really hard. Tragedy will strike and we won’t be ready for it.  We need to work on ourselves when things are good. We need to do the inner work DAILY so we can stay ahead of the game. So we can be prepared for the challenges and the curveballs that life can and will throw our way.  

We all want a life that’s successful and fulfilling.  We have to do the work now.  We can’t wait for tragedy to strike or for things to be perfect.  We have the power to shape our outer world when we focus on our inner world.  

Isn’t that dream life worth it?  All that you pictured you can have when you work on your solid foundation, isn’t that juicy enough?  It should be.  We need to work on ourselves like our life depends on it.  Because it does.  And we deserve it.  And our family deserves it. 

“Life is amazing. And then it’s awful. And then it’s amazing again. And in between the amazing and awful it’s ordinary and mundane and routine. Breathe in the amazing, hold on through the awful, and relax and exhale during the ordinary. That’s just living a heartbreaking, soul-healing, amazing, awful, ordinary life. And it’s breathtakingly beautiful.” 

L.R. Knost

We do the work on ourselves so we can be our best selves.  And it’s so worth it.  

Your Next Level/NEW Normal….

Your Next Level/NEW Normal….

Two Years ago I taught a course at Mindvalley University in Barcelona, Spain.  It was an incredible experience.  But there was one problem. I had my own coaching business but I was teaching someone else’s program.  And I was good at it.  I was great at it.  AND I was traveling around the world teaching it WHILE doing my own coaching.  Win.  Win.  Right? 

No.  Not right. 

I was teaching someone else’s program.  Not my own. 

I felt it.  And kept feeling it.  That pull that comes from your heart when you’re ready for more, when your soul is whispering.  Will you listen? 

I’ve heard this before…. over and over I’ve heard it.  Sometimes I listened.  Sometimes I didn’t. I only regretted the times I didn’t listen. 

And so I leapt. 

The next time I was asked to teach that program….I said no.  Even though it was good money.  Even though it was an amazing opportunity.  Even though it was a very enticing destination. 

Because here’s the thing, I didn’t want to be known for teaching THAT program.  I wanted to be known for teaching my own. 

So I had to leap.  It really wasn’t an option.  The cocoon was breaking apart.  It couldn’t hold me back any longer. 

The transformation isn’t easy.  It’s definitely a metamorphosis.  And there’s lots to learn.  But I’m happy to report that just 2 years later all my dreams are now my new normal. 

The programs I wanted to run.  The courses I wanted to design.  The masterminds.  The luxury retreats.  The team.  The platform.  The list.  The book.  The speaking gigs.  All of it. 

And then I got the call…. I was asked to speak at Mindvalley University again.  But this time doing my own thing.  Teaching my own workshop. 

And let me tell you…. It.  Was.  Spectacular!  It was everything I dreamed of and more. 

I stood at the front of the room at the end of my talk, with people applauding and a standing ovation.  They came up to meet me and give me a hug and asked me to sign my book.  It was a dream.  It was surreal.  And it was everything I had pictured and more.  

And… it felt so normal.  It was easy.  Almost effortless.  It felt right.  I felt like I belonged up there.  The praise and accolades felt normal.  The book signing felt normal.  The standing O felt normal. 

This quickly became my new normal. 

And it can for you too.  When you get sick and tired of doing for others and you’re ready, really ready to step up and do for yourself.  It can be your new normal when you’re finally ready to leap.  It might not mean to quit your job and start your own thing but you know what the leap is.  It might be a leap into your health and fitness, a leap into your relationship or a leap into investing in yourself and your self care.  But there’s a leap.  How do I know?  Because it’s life.  And we’re made for this. 

Are you ready to leap?  Are you ready for your new normal? 

I’d love to hear what it is. 

Take the first step and post your leap here. This tribe knows how to support the caterpillars. 

Soon to be butterflies, 

Steffani