Our “I Am Her” series features the female movers and shakers of the industry to learn how femininity and power coincide beautifully and seamlessly together.
Creating a path towards happiness is a life-long journey. Despite being made to believe that it's something we have to seek on our own, we learn along the way that it doesn't always go way. Nowadays, it's becoming more and more acceptable to seek professional help to guide us through better days ahead.
For life coach and content creator Aurora Suarez, it is among her life's missions to help others. After having her share of personal life struggles and roadblocks, she herself sought her own better days and figured out how to guide others on their own journeys. Ahead, her story of encouraging courage, sparking motivation, and overcoming whatever life throws your way.
"...a nurturer of creative ideas and a cheerleader for courage."
Can you tell us more about your journey into becoming a life and career coach? Was it a career path that you saw yourself in when you were in your earlier years in life?
"The career path I pictured myself in my earlier years was to work for magazines. That was my big dream and happily, it actually happened. I worked for a major publishing company for 16 years, starting as a publishing assistant. I launched some of their well-known titles. Before I left in 2014, I was the publisher, handling their magazine, books and digital divisions.
The path to becoming a life coach started with during a year when I experienced very difficult personal challenges. During that time, I worked with a counsellor to help me heal. When I did that, I realised that it was a gift to be able to do this for others. However, I knew that my personal strengths revolved more around creativity, leadership and self-development so I wanted to focus on that instead of on grief or relationships. I chanced upon coaching when I was reading articles online and I didn't realise you could make it a career and that you could actually get paid for doing it. So I started my research and looked for the right programme for me.
I took my 10-month certification program with the Courageous Living Coach Certification in 2015. It started with a retreat in Sonoma County in January, continued online and I was certified in November. I was a part-time coach as I was working in retail and as a consultant until I decided to focus on doing this full time and making a commitment to building my business in 2016."
How would you define happiness? Is there a key to achieving a certain level of satisfying bliss or is it an ongoing process?
"Ooh, what a tough question. More than a definition (because I think that it is very personal to everyone), happiness is a choice. You can choose to be happy despite your moods, your boss, your external situation. How do you do that? By building the habit of gratitude and noticing the gifts that you already have, by surrounding yourself with people who lift you up, by giving yourself love, nourishment and appreciation, by celebrating little joys, by noticing beauty every day. Finding happiness and building a happy habit is an ongoing process.
More than happiness though, the idea that's more interesting to me is being whole-hearted. That means acknowledging that in a full and wholehearted life, there is room for all kinds of emotions (anxiety, stress, disappointment, sadness, anger) and not just happiness, excitement and joy. That's part of being human and it's okay to feel these emotions. Happiness will pass and so will other emotions. It's making a choice about the stories you want to believe about yourself and your life but knowing that emotions aside from happiness are allowed. "
What's your most memorable or educational moment as someone taking part in the development or happiness of others? What's the most challenging?
"For me, the most memorable moments are when I can feel a shift in the energy — that light bulb moment that dings as a result of our coaching conversations. The way it resonates and becomes a starting point for a change in perspective, mindset, habits or actions gives me a great feeling.
The most challenging is when someone gives more energy to excuses and is not open to other possibilities and ways of thinking."
You're the definition of looking good while doing what you do. How do you remain composed and empowered as you carry on your many roles?
"Thank you. I wish I could say I looked like that all the time but like many women, looking good does take work — hashtag-I-did-not-wake-up-like-this!
Empowerment, for me, comes from a place of two things: knowing why I do what I do, and love. When I start to doubt myself or question my journey, I remind myself of why I do what I do and I remember that the choices I make come because I love it, me, my family, my clients, and my work."
Name five Clozette essentials in beauty, fashion, lifestyle, or travel that you can't live without.
"My Kindle, my journal (especially The Sunday Night Journal that I created), black flats, cute underwear, and sunscreen."
What's the best advice you've ever given to your clients as a life coach? How about the best piece of advice you've ever been given?
"For the first question, you have to ask my clients. But I have some questions that I love to ask during a coaching conversation: 'What are you feeling? Why are you feeling that way?', 'What do you truly want?', 'What's stopping you from taking action towards that?','Are the stories you're telling about your life serving you? What new stories can you tell?'.
As for the best advice that someone gave me that changed my life? It's 'start a gratitude journal' by writing down five things you're grateful for every day. You might not notice the shift right away but like any habit, you need to keep at it and you will notice the benefits later on."
(Cover photo from: @yourheartcraftedlife)
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