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Name: Angela Savitri
Business: Capri Health
Industry: Personal Services, Healthcare, Wellness & Fitness
Location: Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S.
Reason for starting: In 2006, when I was only 29 years old, I had to take a medical leave of absence from my leadership position at a biotech company due to chronic stress and burnout. It was a humbling and ego-deflating experience. I was in bad shape physically and emotionally, and finding the right type of help was an exhausting and difficult journey.
When traditional medicine and talk therapy failed, I used my science background and truth-seeking mind to set myself free. It took several years, but by looking within my heart, practicing mindfulness, honoring my truth, and being kind to my body, I found a methodology to experience an unburdened and content life, even with a demanding career.
After my medical leave, I stayed at my corporate job 5 more years until I was 100% solid in my transformation. I left my awesome job to help other women who were raised just like me – to achieve, to plow through, to not make too many waves – to experience freedom from chronic stress. Once women step into this freedom, they can focus on what is most important to them without worry, guilt, or regret. In turn, everyone benefits.
Related: Read about another coaching entrepreneur here.
How do you define success? Success is inner peace, regardless of my external circumstances.
Biggest Success: You’ve got to BE the peace to BRING the peace. My biggest successes are the shifts my clients experience and how that ripples out into their home life, friendships, workplace, and society. I have some clients who step into a simpler life they’ve wanted (but were afraid of claiming) all along, without the noise and hustle. I have some clients who are leaders for important causes and discover their capacity to influence increases when they step off the hamster-wheel-stress cycle. The biggest success? Creating more stillness and less chaos in a hurting planet.
What is your top challenge and how have you addressed it? I never thought entrepreneurship would be such an emotional roller coaster. I’ve always considered myself a steady person, but definitely experience more ups and downs than ever before.
There is a different level of caring and personal investment in working for yourself for a cause you believe in. I put myself out there a lot, and bump up against my own resistance, doubts, and disappointments more than I thought I would. I’ve had to learn to be resilient, stay the course, tune out everyone else’s voice, and listen to my own so I can be both financially and emotionally sustainable.
Related: Get a Life: Expert Tips for Work and Life
Who is your most important role model? Pema Chodron is my role-model of how to live mindfully and bravely while navigating what it looks like to combine self-compassion and discipline in everyday life. Marianne Williamson is rocking my world right now with her stand for women taking political action for social change. Because of her influence, I have made more calls and sent more emails to my representatives than ever before and am volunteering in the 2016 Presidential Election Campaign.
[box_light]Website www.freedomfromchronicstress.com
Twitter @angela_savitri
Facebook www.facebook.com/Angela-Savitri[/box_light]
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Edited by The Story Exchange