When Priscilla Stephan began to seek help for her emotional eating habits, she never imagined it would turn into an entirely new career. While seeking out her own coaching, she became a coach herself, and thus her business Soulfluent was born. Today, San Diego-California-based Stephan is coaching female entrepreneurs to grow sustainable, soul-driven businesses that support the collective good.
Stephan’s story, as told to The Story Exchange 1,000+ Stories Project:
What was your reason for starting your business?
I started my business by accident. I went to a health coaching school to cure my emotional eating habits of 30 years and got a coaching certification in the process. I figured I could help other women suffering from the same issue find peace with food. During the process, I ended up coaching them on their careers and how to find purpose, meaning and alignment in their careers.
How do you define success?
Experiencing well-being physically, emotionally and financially. If you are feeling anxious, throwing your health under the bus for money, that’s not success to me. That’s an unsustainable model of sacrifice and abuse.
Tell us about your biggest success to date
I developed a body of work called Soulfluent Leadership Archetypes in 2016 and sharing it with the world has taken enormous courage, self-reflection and determination as leadership wasn’t a topic I ever thought I’d be discussing. I never thought I would be helping soul-driven women entrepreneurs understand their soul’s language for leadership!
What is your top challenge and how have you addressed it?
Being able to clearly communicate my body of work in an easy-to-relate way that’s tangible, practical and that people can see use for.
Have you experienced any significant personal situations that have affected your business decisions?
I burned out twice from pushing too hard and developed hypothyroidism which meant I had to really step back from my business for over a year to put my well-being first and redefine how I was going to do business where my health was my number priority.
What is your biggest tip for other startup entrepreneurs?
Trust yourself and get really good mentorship from the beginning that takes into account your intuition, your values and vision. Just because someone has achieved financial success does not mean that their methods and their energy is the right one to support your business.
How do you find inspiration on your darkest days?
Solitude.
Who is your most important role model?
I know this might seem odd but myself. I’ve worked so hard on myself to get to this point and I have a lot of wisdom to share and I’m really candid about it.
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