Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrea Nevins.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Andrea. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I entered into adulthood pursuing a dream that wasn’t my own and boy did my star plummet like a glass chandelier thrown over a cliff. As an undergraduate I majored in something that didn’t feed my passion, but that I thought made sense. Then along with my husband I moved on to open a business that wasn’t my calling and that sucked every ounce of life out of me. Brilliant, right? I regularly worked 70-hour weeks while raising our two young children and in the process I managed to send my blood pressure into the stratosphere, live an often joyless life and gain 50 lbs. to top it all off.
I felt as if my head was bobbing in and out of water and I was barely able to breathe. But somewhere in between giant gulps of salty water I realized this was not the life I was meant to have. I began to dream of a life with boundless joy and fulfillment—a life that shimmered like the stars in a faraway galaxy, which at that point I never had time to notice. That’s when I decided that I was going on a mission to make myself into a starfish! A creature that comes from a beautiful and divine place but has found a way to flourish right here on the planet (with occasional forays into the galaxy)!
I began to read every spiritual and self-development book that I could find, found my way back to college, learned to meditate, started to exercise and lost a bunch of weight. After deciding to pursue what I really loved, creative writing and the study of literature, I did two master’s degrees and a doctorate then became a college professor and writer. After that I decided to pursue one of my other loves—helping folks find hope and happiness. I completed the Martha Beck Life Coach Training Program and now I’m living my starfish life. I still have my challenges, but I’m managing to find tremendous joy and beauty in my life and I no longer feel like a fallen star.
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?
Biggest struggle was in my twenties while I was managing the daily stress of running a new business and raising two young kids. I eventually realized this was not my calling and returned to school to do an M.A. and Ph.D. in English as well as an MFA in creative writing. I later recognized that the journey was not over and I chose to train as a life coach.
Andrea Shaw Nevins Life Coaching – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I help people create transformation in their life by reimagining who they are and what they can be. My focus is on career and relationship transitions, but I enjoy working with clients who have a much broader range of challenges.
I am proud of the innovations my company has been behind. I design and produce the Boundless Galaxy Planner that allows me to provide life coaching each time you plan your day.
My goal is to continue producing easily accessible support tools like the planner that will support your yearning for a fuller life.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Just a few weeks ago I attended my high school reunion (in Jamaica), The planning committee asked me to develop a workshop for participants and one afternoon I led 20 plus of the women who attended my high school through a workshop I had specifically designed for them. The aim was to help engender appreciation for our younger selves since many of us dismiss the less mature and more vulnerable earlier versions of ourselves. The results were phenomenal! We laughed and wept as we all gained valuable insight into ourselves and I received non-stop compliments on the value of the exercises I had developed.
Pricing:
- I am available to design custom workshops for small or large groups around a wide range of topics. Price varies.
- Boundless Galaxy Planner $29.99 http://www.andreaeshaw.com/planners-and-journals
- Private coaching sessions $119 for 55 minutes http://www.andreaeshaw.com/private-coaching
Contact Info:
- Website:http://www.andreaeshaw.com/
- Email:coachshawnevins@gmail.com
- Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/coachandreanevins/?pnref=lhc
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/AndreaSNevins
Getting in touch: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
