Michele Padgett

Hi, I’m Michele!I am a glass half-full, positive thinker with a passion to help others live their best lives. I am also a wife, mom, grandma (Nannie), sister, daughter, aunt, cousin, and friend. Until recently, top of my list would have been Sales Manager because I allowed that role to define who I was for most of my adult life. I worked at my corporate job for over 40 years, and I loved it for many of those years. I gave my heart, soul, and most of my time to my job, while raising three children (single mom for seven of those years). I was the tough sales leader with high expectations who worked nearly all the time and went the extra mile. I felt I could solve any problem if I worked hard enough and long enough. I realized too many years ago that I was rarely present in my real life. You know, the most important part of life that has nothing to do with the J-O-B? Even when I tried to cut back on my hours, I found myself checking emails and thinking about what I should be working on nearly 24/7. I felt that deep down, I was this other person… someone I didn’t know but wanted to know so badly. I was stuck.

A part of me had always wanted to be a therapist, counselor, or teacher; however, I felt I could not leave my job and start over. What I most enjoyed about my corporate job was working with my team. I loved working with them to be the best they could be, even though, with the demands of corporate, I didn’t feel I was doing that very well the last several years.

I’ve been a reader of self-help, positive-thinking and spiritual books for years, and I now love listening to podcasts. I followed Jay Shetty as an inspirational resource, and I learned he had a coaching school. I thought, “What if I was let go from my job?” I could become a Life Coach!Maybe a month later, that is exactly what happened. I was let go as a result of a corporate merger, and I was now free to do whatever I wanted. I decided to say goodbye to the corporate world and the industry I knew so well and take classes to become a Certified Life Coach.

What I didn’t expect was how difficult it was to say goodbye to something that was so important to me for so long. In an instant, I was no longer part of a community I’d been in for more than half my life. I battled negative internal self-talk… voices telling me if I was so great at my job, why did they choose me to let go? I thought I was great… maybe I never was good at all? My confidence took a big hit.

I took some time off and found out what it’s like to be present when you visit family and hang with friends. Many of them told me I was like a different person - I actually felt like a different person. I learned; however, it takes more than just eliminating an all-time-consuming piece of your life to be truly present and to be intentional about living your best life and being your authentic self. It is a choice every minute, every day.

I am learning to be me without the job; the role I allowed define who I was for so long is gone. I am just me. Scary sometimes; however, also wonderful every day. I am learning to be confident without anyone telling me I’m doing a good job, and I am working hard to believe that it does not matter what anyone else thinks. This is my life, after all.

I have a wonderful husband (who I married twice), three beautiful children with amazing partners, four precious grand kiddos, and beautiful friends I call family. I love the ocean even though I live in Kansas. I am planting flowers for the first time (and they are living!), I am exploring my creative side, thinking of writing a blog, playing kickball and baseball with my grandkids… I am learning new things about myself and this world we live in every day. I am not saying there are not difficult days; however, I truly believe we have the answers that will set us free and allow us to be our best and most authentic selves within us… LIFE IS A JOURNEY!