How to Find the Courage to Start a Business Around Your Life Purpose with Liz Pessaran

[Kathryn]: Hey hey, so excited to have Liz Pessaran on the show today to share with us how Going against the grain to pursue your life purpose and start a business isn’t easy, but how she found the courage to do it anyway. So, without further ado, I just want to welcome Liz to the show. 

[Liz]: Hello. I'm so happy to be here to share with your listeners my story of pursuing my life purpose. 

[Kathryn]: It’s probably one of the biggest questions I get asked, “How do you start a business around your life purpose.” And that’s exactly what you do. So share with our listeners what you do and who you serve?

[Liz]: Yeah, so I am kind of multifaceted. I am a licensed therapist, as well as a life purpose coach and a business mentor. So I really help people uncover their zone of genius, figure out what is not serving them, and how to ditch that, and how to step into what they feel called to do. And do that with alignment and ease so that you can be successful in your personal life. And in your business life too.

[Kathryn]: I'm super passionate about promoting ditching the shoulds and really going after what you want in life. So why did you get into this? What sparked you to start a business helping others discover their life purpose?

[Liz]: Yeah, good question. It would be my own personal meltdown. I think I'm no one special, I always share that I'm nobody special. I'm an average girl. And I really followed the path that everyone told me to follow. So I got good grades, I went to college right away, I got the degree, I went on to get a master's degree. I just did everything that was externally expected. And I thought that was what happiness was going to be, I thought you would wake up after doing all of that stuff with pure magic and joy in your life. And that’s not what happened. I started questioning my life purpose, trying to figure out what my zone of genius was, and if I could start a business doing that. And I discovered you totally can. And so now I help people pursue their life purpose.

[Kathryn]: Our story is so similar in that I spent 15 years working in corporate, but always knew deep down I wasn’t living my life purpose. But at the time I had no idea what my zone of genius or magic was because I had spent so many years just going through the motions. And I partially believed you can’t start a business around your life purpose or at least make any money at it. You mentioned it was the hardest decision you made. Can you describe why it was so hard to start a business around your life purpose?

[Liz]: I love when people ask this. One thing was I had to unpack and break down my belief system around who I'm supposed to be and what I think a life purpose really is. That was really hard to deconstruct. And it showed up as me questioning everything. When you're at that level of self-doubt, everything is paralyzing. Every decision you make is so hard. 

[Kathryn]: I'm the queen of pivots. But I know when I decided to leave corporate to start a business, I was terrified because I had spent so much of my time. money and effort on a career, and I felt like I was walking away from it. I also felt silly that I felt I wanted to pursue my life purpose. Can you share with our listeners any words of encouragement or empowerment that you’re really starting over from scratch?

[Liz]: I totally had to psych myself out of that mentality, because I did believe I was starting over. But what I realized was every experience in my life was something I could bring into my business. That nothing to date was a waste. And now I have compassion for others wanting to pursue their life purpose and start a business.

[Kathryn]: So, a question about being a therapist and asking for help. I know a lot of the women that I work with are high-achievers. And it's hard for them to ask for help. So how did you find the courage to ask for help?

[Liz]: It was a very humbling experience. I think there was a part of me that felt shame. I was embarrassed that holy cow I'm trained as a therapist and I should know better. So I was very vulnerable. So I had to take the time to find the right person.

[Kathryn]: Does dealing with the shoulds and self-doubts go away?

[Liz]: They are way better now. But, they still come up from time to time. But it’s more about acknowledging versus judging the thoughts. Let them come in but don’t judge them. And it doesn’t help you pursue your life purpose or start a business. 

[Kathryn]: So why do you think a lot of people live on autopilot for so long or put their life purpose on the back burner?

[Liz]: Because they were taught to and it’s hard to pursue your life purpose and go against the grain. But everyone wants to flow, I do believe we all want to flow, we want to flow with our family, our friends, our partner, our body, our life, our business. And pursuing your life purpose, putting yourself first, and trusting that you know best is the first step to getting into the flow. But it’s comfortable to stay where they are, so they don’t go against the grain.

[Kathryn]: Well-intentioned advice can hold us back. How receptive was your family to your idea to start a business around your life purpose?

[Liz]: My spouse is a rock star, just a cool human being. And I'm so lucky to have him. I could tell him that I want to be a magician on Mars and he would say, okay, honey, as I love you, we'll figure it out. And yet, when I said, Hey, I want to quit the corporate job that I've worked all these years for to start a business and become a life purpose coach. And he said, Well, I don't really understand why anyone would hire you. And I'll never forget him saying that. And it came from this super confusing, loving, place. But of course, coming from a high-achieving family, I had to prove it to him. And my dad is an immigrant who is now a successful doctor. So for him, he was looking at me like, Liz, I have given you this beautiful life, you have been so privileged and have so many opportunities, what in the world is wrong with you? Why would you throw that away, to talk to people about their life purpose? 

[Kathryn]: So how did you navigate the confusing or well-intentioned advice from family and friends?

[Liz]: Yeah, so I would share things with my dad that I genuinely did want his feedback on because he had his own practice, and had his own business. So there were certain things that I did want advice on. And then there were other things that I chose just not to share until I had a little bit more stability for myself to share it. And I would share those things with my coach, therapist, or my husband. And I think one of the best pieces of advice I ever received when I was becoming an entrepreneur was to dream so damn big, dream it big, and write it down and put it out there. But keep it small, like keep your people and your story small so there's no noise to get in your mind to sway you from pursuing your life purpose. 

[Kathryn]: Do you ever look back with any regrets about quitting your job to start a business around your life purpose?

[Liz]: No. If anything I wish I would have figured it out sooner. What people don’t know about me pursuing my life purpose is I worked full-time for years before going full-time in my life purpose coaching business. I focused on steady, slow growth and laying the foundations that all people looking to start a business need to focus on because overnight success doesn’t exist.

[Kathryn]: Love that you touch on laying the foundation as the first thing people need to focus on when they start a business. Do you have any tips for how to set the foundation to build a sustainable business? 

[Liz]: A lot of inner work, as I’ve mentioned because it’s the self-doubt and outside noise that can sway us from pursuing our life purpose. 

[Kathryn]: Awesome, awesome. Well, thank you again so much for joining us on this podcast today to share with my listeners how to find the courage to start a business around your life purpose.