Feminine Energetics and Creating Space for Women in Wealth Management

Amy Young [00:00:00]:
And I say a lot of the times that it's like in my work, sometimes it feels like I'm inviting women into this secret world where it's like all of this stuff that you haven't necessarily been able to put words to or understand why it wasn't working. Now you're going to understand why it hasn't been working for you. And you're going to get to feel more at home within yourself and connected to yourself in a different way because you're going to have a different level of appreciation for these superpowers and gifts that the feminine possesses that just as a society, we don't necessarily value.

Joanna Ehresman [00:00:40]:
Hi there. Thanks for joining us. I'm Joanna Ehresman.

Leah Alter [00:00:43]:
And I'm Leah Alter.

Joanna Ehresman [00:00:44]:
And this is WomenShare, a celebration of women in financial services.

Leah Alter [00:00:49]:
I'm so excited for today. So while all episodes are special, this one is certainly very personal to me. We are so excited to welcome Amy Young to the podcast. I Met Amy in 2019, which seems like forever ago now. I actually full, full circle moment. I heard Amy as a guest on a podcast in 2019, and I kid you not, within 20 seconds of listening to her speak, I knew that she was going to change my life. I literally ran to her website and signed up for whatever program it was that she was offering. I was just like, let me in.

Leah Alter [00:01:29]:
And her work has evolved a lot and I've been really lucky enough to be along for the ride. And she really, truly has changed my life. So I'm so excited to have her here. Amy is a speaker, an intuitive, and a coach who helps women unravel old narratives, reclaim their power, and rise into the most unstoppable versions of themselves. Known for her fierce honesty and depth meets humor style, Amy draws from her connection with the divine feminine to guide transformational breakthroughs. She is a creator of Invincible, a rite of passage experience for women who are done playing small and ready to embody their full expression. Whether through her online content or signature programs, Amy is here to remind you the sun will rise again and so will you. This is going to be such a fun conversation.

Leah Alter [00:02:28]:
Welcome to WomenShare.

Amy Young [00:02:30]:
Oh, my gosh. Thank you so, so much. I mean, you know, I just 1000% adore you and it's such a pleasure to get to connect with Joanna as well today and to just be here and explore, I think what's going to be like an interesting merging of different sort of topics and worlds or you, you know, seemingly sometimes I think there's this sense of like, oh, okay, like you know, financial services that's over here and like divine feminine stuff that's over here. Like they're like on opposite ends of a spectrum. So when you asked me to come on and talk, I was like, duh, of course. Because all of these things are always interconnected in ways that we can't always see and understand. So, yeah, it's my pleasure to be here.

Joanna Ehresman [00:03:16]:
Well, and I'm so excited to meet you. Obviously Leah has said great things about you. And then Shannon Shotler, right? Also, yes. A client of Amy's. And I think it was a year ago when we recorded with Liz Hand. Leah and Liz got talking about this book made into Mother. And I'm sitting here like do, do, do, do. I don't know what any this is, but it really got me interested and that really started my journey into like understanding, okay, what is the divine feminine? That sort of thing.

Joanna Ehresman [00:03:47]:
So for the Joanna of one year ago, who's listening and has no idea what is the divine feminine? I'd love to hear Amy, how you think about it.

Amy Young [00:03:55]:
Yeah. Wow. What a like beautiful, generous question. So if I was going to answer it from a more kind of, I guess, like academic perspective. Right. There's, there's lots of different lineages and ideologies and, and religions and myth that really articulate these two life force energies that operate in the world in harmony together. Right. The masculine and the feminine.

Amy Young [00:04:27]:
You know, in other lineages it would be described as Shiva and Shakti or yin and yang. Like there's lots of traditions that speak to and illustrate the feminine and masculine energetic principles. And they are complementary but seemingly opposing energetic forces. Because for each end of the spectrum, feminine or masculine, there is a counterpart. So, you know, we would say some examples, like on the masculine end of the spectrum, we have doing. On the feminine end of the spectrum, we have being. On the masculine end of the spectrum, we have thinking. On the feminine end of the spectrum we have feeling.

Amy Young [00:05:08]:
So what I really love about this framework and when I was really undergoing my own feminine awakening and sort of spiritual initiation was a lot of things that I hadn't necessarily been able to put words to in my life that, but things I'd struggled with or that didn't make sense to me or these places where I felt like God, like life is just hard or like, or I'm wired in some way that's just different. Like I, I feel kind of like I'm this round peg that can't fit into this square hole that life is trying to shove me into. You Know, and when I started understanding feminine energetic principles, I was like, oh, I have a feminine energetic system. Like, I am, I am a feminine essence being, and therefore I'm, I'm wired differently than a masculine essence being. And we live in a paradigm where collectively the masculine is really prioritized and overvalued. And, and, and there's a lot of mistrust and fear and suppression and demonization of the feminine. You know, like, even just with the example I offered, if we're talking about if the feminine end of the spectrum is feeling, how many of us have had countless moments in our lives of feeling like a wave of emotion come up and being like, oh my God, I'm not going to cry right now, am I? You know, whether it's in a professional setting or you're just a conversation or you're out in public, like, we really fear feelings in our society. Similarly, when it comes to just simply being.

Amy Young [00:06:47]:
If that's a feminine energetic principle, it's like, oh, well, that's not enough. You need to be in action, you need to be doing something, you need to be producing, you need to be achieving, which are all masculine values. So, so there was something for me, and I don't know, you know, either of you can speak to this as well, that was really relieving when I started sort of getting friendly with feminine energetics and understanding myself as a, as a dominant feminine being, because I, I was able to have kind of a map and a framework for seeing where I had been trying to apply my, like, my feminine system to a masculine model that was never really going to mesh and work well together. And, and, and I say a lot of the times that it's like in my work, sometimes it feels like I'm inviting women into this. It's like all of this stuff that you haven't necessarily been able to put words to or understand why it wasn't working. Now you're going to understand why it hasn't been working for you, and you're going to get to feel more at home within yourself and, and, and connected to yourself in a different way, because you're going to have a different level of appreciation for these superpowers and gifts that the feminine possesses that just as a society we don't necessarily value.

Leah Alter [00:08:07]:
Yeah, I mean, absolutely. I, I think too, in, in our particular industry, there was a study done about women in wealth management, and one of the things that came out of this was this idea of forced entrepreneurship where women did not feel.

Amy Young [00:08:30]:
Seen, they.

Leah Alter [00:08:31]:
Did not feel like they belonged it was not aligned organizations. And so they went and their own space so that they could create that sense of belonging where they could bring in other people, other women, and have an organization that aligned with their values and all of those things. Right. And I can't help but think in all, we have a lot of listeners who have done just that, who have left larger financial institutions and started their own smaller boutique firms and things like that, that probably this is really resonating with them of, like, and. And not being able to put words to it. Right. Like, I don't know why I didn't feel like I fit in or. Or they thought it was one thing.

Leah Alter [00:09:21]:
But once you create a space where you do, you do belong, and other people feel like they're seen and they belong. And that's. It really is something that we have seen more and more of the. More conversations that we have on the podcast with people of, like, this just didn't work, so I had to go create something that did work.

Amy Young [00:09:41]:
Yeah, well. And that even speaks to. So one of the, like, foundational understandings of a feminine energy is that the feminine is built and wired for creation. Like, we're like, we are naturally creative beings, creational beings, and we can overlay that onto, like, you know, a biological female system or, you know, these different, different things. But there is. There are these desires and instincts and impulses that come from our feminine intelligence. That's that say, like, oh, something about this isn't working. I want to.

Amy Young [00:10:18]:
I want to create something else that would work better or. Or I want to fulfill this desire for a sense of belonging or more connection or more, you know, whatever is missing. That's a very innate feminine instinct. So that's really cool to hear that. Right. Like, and this is why I think it's so beautiful to get to have these kinds of conversations is because it's like, whether you're aware of this or not, like this, there's parts of understanding these energetics that are just kind of like, running our lives in different ways that we don't even see. It's kind of like this invisible current that we're all just, like, flowing in and with or flowing or, like, resisting the current as it might be.

Joanna Ehresman [00:11:02]:
Yeah, well, and that's one thing that I think has been really helpful in my experience is realizing, gosh, the, like, how just what worn out I got from the grind and operating in that mode. It's like, it's. It's not a thyroid condition. It's not a lack of protein, like, all these different things that I. I'm like, I'm just not meant to work that way. I can be super productive in other ways, but, like, I need to have smaller productive chunks and then a break. And, you know, so I've been just learning a lot about how to match my energy to, you know, what I want to accomplish. And one clarifying point.

Joanna Ehresman [00:11:41]:
Every being has masculine and feminine energy energies, Correct?

Amy Young [00:11:47]:
Yeah, I mean, I would say every living thing has masculine feminine. I mean, even if you look if, like, I remember in fourth grade learning about, like a flower, you know, and it's like, these are the different parts of the flower. And like, this part of the flower is responsible for, like, yeah, this is something that's replicated all across nature. So it's not. And I. It's unfortunate in some ways that the language, masculine feminine is so, like, inherently gendered because we have these associations that are built on other things that, like, oh, being feminine is like wearing high heels. And it's like, that's not flowy dresses. Yeah, like, that's not what I'm talking about.

Amy Young [00:12:24]:
And. But yes, it's like the, the. The principles themselves are not gendered. Every being, every living thing holds masculine feminine energetics. And. And I like something that I really try to remind everyone of as well. It's like, you know, even. Even masculine beings and men, like, they are also suffering because of the suppression and dismissal of.

Amy Young [00:12:51]:
Of their own feminine energy. Like, this isn't something that's just afflicting people who have a more feminine system. It's like everyone. Everyone's kind of out of whack and dysfunctional when. When we don't have kind of appropriate balance and we don't know how to work with both ends of that energetic spectrum.

Joanna Ehresman [00:13:10]:
Because I've heard that collectively as humans, we're kind of going through this awakening or coming back around to this consciousness of these energies and that sort of thing. Have you observed that to be true of, like, more and more people having these conversations? And that's just been my experience. But I'm also like, it's selection bias because I've been so tuned into it. I feel like. But I just feel like, I mean, the fact that here we are on a podcast in the financial services industry, but talking about this is a sign, right, that there's just such a. A need. I think when you hit on this, like, so many people are afflicted by this or affected by this, that. That seems to be driving more people seeking answers and wanting to explore these sorts of energies that Maybe they hadn't, you know, been as open to.

Amy Young [00:14:04]:
Yeah, I mean, there's, there's something happening. Like, I don't know how to describe it other than to say that, but I, I, I have definitely seen as my work evolved, it was really, it's been really wild to see and hear from, you know, a high volume of women who've been following my work or following me on for a really long time who are like, oh, my, my journey really kind of synced up with your journey, or my awakening really synced up with your awakening or, you know, all of these things. So there's definitely something going on, I would say within the past at least like, 10 years that, that there is this kind of like, rumbling and, and unrest that's happening where people are, are seeing through some of the things that we've just accepted as, like, oh, I guess this is just how we have to do things. Like, you're saying it's like, I guess, you know, I guess just burnout is the way of life. Like, I guess, you know, you just gotta, like, grind and be exhausted and that's just how we're gonna live. Like, no, there's something happening now where people are going, I don't want to live this way. And I don't know exactly, you know, where that's coming from or why that's happening. But I love, I'm, I was joking with a friend the other day that I was just like.

Amy Young [00:15:14]:
Because, because I teach a lot about cyclical living as well, right. Which is an aspect of, if our feminine nature is understanding that we move through, we move through cycles. And this is replicated throughout nature. It's replicated in female biology. It's replicated kind of in all these different ways. But we, it's, it's natural actually to move through seasons of unrest and destruction. Like, that's part of cyclical living is being like, oh, I'm not just going to be this, like, stagnant being where it's just like, I'm always going to get to just live in this, like, you know, this like, linear, traditional, conventional way where I can kind of like set it and forget it. It's like, no, if you're an evolving person, then you're going to go through these moments of kind of looking around your life and being like, this doesn't work anymore.

Amy Young [00:15:58]:
And that's not a problem. Like, that's something that we get, that's, that's natural that should be happening, and we get to go, oh, okay, so something else is wanting to be created here. There's some new life that's wanting to. To be born out of this. And like, you know, how do I kind of get behind that? Instead of going like, oh, no, I'm dissatisfied. What's wrong with me? It's like. It's like nothing's wrong with you. You're.

Amy Young [00:16:24]:
You're just evolving and growing and everything that. Everything that's alive grows and. And everything that's alive dies. So we're going to go through these cycles of, of renewal and rebirth and. Yeah, and what I was going to say is like, I love unrest and destruction. Like, I work with people mostly who are in seasons of unrest and destruction because we don't learn how to move through that, that part of the cycle. Like, we're. It's.

Amy Young [00:16:53]:
It. We will do. Do almost anything to just like, cling to life as we know it or just like, you know, what feels safe. Leah, you look like something. You're having something come up for you.

Leah Alter [00:17:05]:
Familiar.

Amy Young [00:17:06]:
Familiar.

Leah Alter [00:17:08]:
Well, and I, you know, as you're talking about it, I'm thinking, you know, you have been. You kind of left working for someone else and have been running your. Your company even as it has evolved over the last, what has it been, 12 years?

Amy Young [00:17:27]:
Yeah, about. Or like 11.

Leah Alter [00:17:29]:
Yeah, 11 years. So how do you, as like, a business owner, worked on that balance, right. Of like, having to, you know, pay your bills and do the checklist and, you know, get all your emails replied to which, you know, kind of like the doing part with letting the divine feminine lead your business and, and the decisions you make about your business. I think that is a really interesting topic.

Amy Young [00:18:07]:
Yeah, well, I'll. I'll go back to when I was about, like, yeah, five or six years into my business and I hit a wall of burnout and, and a bunch of stuff started happening in my life all at once that I now see and understand was like, oh, I was going through this, like, massive kind of awakening initiation process. But at the time I was just like, what is going on? Like this. Like, it was like everything. Everything that could go wrong was going wrong. Like, I was having all these health issues. I was. And there was something in that moment where, like, I remember just.

Amy Young [00:18:42]:
It was like I was. I was thinking about all of this stuff sort of erupting and me becoming aware that the way that I had been doing things wasn't gonna work anymore. Like, I was just kind of naming or like, you know, Joanna's describing as well. And I. And I realized that there was this part of Me that had known that all along. Like, there was this part of me that, when I looked backwards was like, oh, I've known that I needed to slow down, actually, for a really, really long time. I've known that I wasn't really taking care of myself to the degree or level that I needed to be taking care of myself. There was.

Amy Young [00:19:27]:
There was this internal, like, voice or. Or gut instinct or knowing that had been, like, saying these things to me. You know, whether it was consciously or unconsciously, like, being like, you know, like, you're taking on too much or you're. You're not getting adequate rest or you need more downtime or you need. And it was like, when I realized that a couple of things happened, and I think many of us have had moments like that one. There was a part of me that was really frustrated because I was like, oh, my God, I could have avoided, like, all this, like, burnout, rupture, unrest, destruction if I just slowed the heck down. But. But the other thing that happened was I was really relieved because I was like, oh, so there actually is a part of me that knows what I need.

Amy Young [00:20:15]:
There's a part of me that can. That can help me make decisions that are in alignment with my best interest. And even though I'm used to overriding that part of me or ignoring that part of me, I can. Now that I'm aware of it, I can learn how to listen to that part. And I spent the next. I mean, I think it's a continuous journey, but I would say, like, the next two years for me were really about rewiring my. I talk about it. It's like your.

Amy Young [00:20:46]:
Your sort of, like, internal leadership system to be like, that part of me is the part that gets to lead now. And. And I'm going to make it a consistent practice of really tuning in and listening to that part of me that knew we needed to slow down, that part of me that knew that I was taking on too much, that part of me that is frustrated because I don't have enough boundaries. And I'm going to put that part of me in the driver's seat or that part of me, like, in the CEO chair, you know, whatever kind of metaphor works. And I'm going to let her guide me.

Joanna Ehresman [00:21:18]:
And.

Amy Young [00:21:19]:
And it was a. It was a really cool experience because once I started tuning into that part, I was like, oh, she knows exactly what we need to do.

Leah Alter [00:21:28]:
Yeah.

Amy Young [00:21:29]:
And. And what she. What's important to her isn't necessarily what's important to the parts of me that Think I need to get to Inbox zero every single day. Like, you know, that part of me is like, hey, It's Friday at 5:30. You know, it's time to close the laptop. Like, it doesn't matter if there's more emails that you could be responding to, like whatever deal with whatever discomfort comes from having quote unquote, like unfinished work. There's other things that need attention in your life. So, so it was really this total like, reorganization of priorities and putting myself first in a way that was really radical and uncomfortable, but again, also like relieving and, and I would just add, like, there's.

Amy Young [00:22:16]:
When I'm working with women on this, there can be so much fear that comes up with really listening to that part of ourselves because we're very aware of how much might have to change.

Joanna Ehresman [00:22:28]:
Yeah.

Amy Young [00:22:29]:
And, and that can be really daunting. And that's why I really, I often will reference my own experiences with this because like you just heard me say it was like it was a two year process. It wasn't like I spent the next three months being like, okay, I'm redesigning my whole business and I'm delegating all these things and I'm just gonna get all my Boundari order. Like, no, this was like a slow unwinding and, and noticing and rerouting that that's continuously evolving. And, and what I got to see, and this is what I'll really encourage with my clients is like, it totally makes sense that you might be afraid. It totally makes sense that it, you know, we don't know exactly what might need to change. Let's give it some time and see actually what results get created from you tuning in in this way. And I've never seen anybody's life get worse from, from listening to their knowing.

Amy Young [00:23:29]:
I've never, I've just, I'm yet to see that happen, you know.

Leah Alter [00:23:32]:
Well, and you modeled that behavior. You know, I got to experience that. So I was in a very similar situation and knowing that I needed a big career move and change and I knew what it was. But yeah, I was. There was a lot of fear. There was a lot of. I have lists of why things were. Couldn't happen then and you know, all of that.

Leah Alter [00:23:58]:
But you really did model that behavior. And for me it was like, okay, I can do this also, it's not going to look the same, but it's also okay that it took me three years from the time I made the decision of like, I really need to make this change to where I actually Made the full change. It was really, really slow. And I think a lot of my fear was that it needed to be fast. Right. That it was like, oh, well, if I make this decision, then like, boom, bang, boom. It's gotta go. We gotta go where it was like, no, a lot of things are gonna ev.

Leah Alter [00:24:41]:
There are going to be stepping stones that pop up that I didn't even realize were going to be there that are going to help me get to, you know, whatever that.

Amy Young [00:24:51]:
That.

Leah Alter [00:24:52]:
That end. End goal. But, you know, that goal along the way was and you sharing your own experience. And I think this is important for any leader in any organization to have that kind of transparency, to share your own experience, because people can draw a lot of confidence and take those kind of steps when they see it modeled for them.

Joanna Ehresman [00:25:21]:
Yeah, yeah. Amy's still standing. She did it.

Amy Young [00:25:24]:
Yeah. So.

Joanna Ehresman [00:25:25]:
Right. It's true.

Leah Alter [00:25:27]:
Well, and more than just still standing, like, thriving.

Amy Young [00:25:30]:
Yeah, yeah.

Leah Alter [00:25:32]:
Like, I got to see her step into a new body of work that was so much more aligned and so much more. She was so much more passionate about. And even though she was like, I don't know what this is yet. It's not fully baked, I was like, sign me up, I'm going for the ride. And I think that that is. That can happen in any industry, and certainly in. In the financial services industry, people want to be inspired and want to understand not just like the numbers on a balance sheet, but like the personal experience, how things are, you know, personally evolved.

Amy Young [00:26:13]:
Yeah. And I. Something coming to me as you're reflecting this. Thank you for offering that, because I do really try to be very transparent and candid about what I'm moving through and, And. And I do that for all kinds of reasons. But hearing that it's. Is helpful to you and your process means a lot. But, you know, I think one of the things that we have to grant ourselves permission around when we're wanting to make a change, or I almost want to say it's like you don't even want to make the change, but you know that you have to because it's.

Amy Young [00:26:41]:
Because it could be two different things. Like, it's like, oh, I wish I didn't have to do this, but I know I just do is. Is really like, permission to let ourselves just be messy with it. Like that we don't have to have. And I would actually argue you never will have all the answers before you start moving in the intended direction. And you know, like, yeah, Leah, I use this metaphor a lot of, like these stepping stones that kind of appear, you know, like a staircase where it's like you only see the first step and you don't know where the rest of the staircase is going to lead you. Like, can you let yourself, even if you're feeling wobbly, even if it feels kind of scary, just take that first step and trust that, like you're going to see the step beyond that and, and that even just that choice in and of itself is a reclamation of our feminine energy and a feminine value system. Because the feminine is chaos, like the masculine represents order, the feminine is mystery and chaos and messiness.

Amy Young [00:27:40]:
And we really live in a world that tells us or, you know, especially like our Western society that dictates like, oh, if things are messy or chaotic or out of order, like, clean that up, you know, clean it up. Don't let it, don't let anybody see, don't let anybody know. Like, and I, I just know that there's so much value in letting ourselves be in our process and be messy with it and be like I, and say, like, I don't know exactly what I'm doing. I know I'm moving this direction. I don't know where it's. I mean, Leah, you've modeled that so beautifully as, well, you know, like through your whole journey. So I, I think that's, there's a lot to come home to and reclaim. Even just in admitting.

Amy Young [00:28:29]:
Okay, I don't know exactly what I'm moving towards, but it's not this, it's not how I've been doing things. And I'm just gonna trust that if I start inching in this new direction that the path will reveal itself and I will be shown more and it's okay to not. Yeah. Have all the answers or have it all figured out at this point.

Joanna Ehresman [00:28:49]:
What is coming up for me when you were talking about that is financial advisors. And we have financial advisors, people on the corporate side who aren't in an advisory role, but.

Amy Young [00:28:59]:
Right.

Joanna Ehresman [00:28:59]:
They are compensated and trusted by their clients for being analytical, helping them with the long term plan, all of those things. So I keep reflecting on if a financial advisor is listening, how do they still have that presence with their clients even if they're going through this sort of evolution or discernment that is messy and you know, like, maybe they want to, like the example we gave, leave the firm they're with and start their own thing or they aren't sure where, where this is going to end up. I'd just be curious, Amy, to hear your perspective of someone in that situation. Yeah, you know, like what do you share more with your team or yourself versus clients? Like how, how, how messy, how publicly messy do we get in a. Yeah. Knowledge economy type of role?

Amy Young [00:29:53]:
Totally. Well, I, I think this is a place to embrace the, the both and. Versus the either or. Right. Where, where I think a lot of the times we'll feel like it has to be all one or the other. Right. Like I'm either invested in this model of like certainty and like you said, like analysis and like these are the numbers and we can prove it and these are the projections and it's, it's, this is just what it is. Or we totally abandon that and it's like a total free for all and actually we don't know anything.

Amy Young [00:30:22]:
And I'm, and I'm questioning everything that I'm doing and it's like, no, it's like we, we kind of, I think we actually become really skilled at kind of walking between these worlds and understanding the different value systems that we're operating inside of and being able to bring both to, you know, if we're talking about this, like what, what you're sort of outlining, being able to bring both, both of those, those value systems or like, yeah, the, the masculine and the feminine kind of and, and blend things together in a way that's not excluding or devaluing either aspect. And you know, there's something coming to me too, which I do, I do think in spheres and sectors where like, or in like a knowledge economy, like you're saying there is something to get right with around how much we don't know and that if we are in the business of selling certainty, you know, or offering certainty or providing security or like financial security, we can play that game. But the reality is that none of us actually know where, where things are headed or what's, I mean, if we look at what's happening economically right now, it's like, like geez, what, what, like stark evidence is there that it's like, oh, there's things that we can't predict and there's things that we know. I don't know. And, and I think you'd be hard pressed to find any financial advisor or person who, who doesn't accept that reality as well. So it's like, so that's my first response is around how do I kind of stretch myself to embrace both of these ways of being and both of these lenses and perspectives and ways of relating and speaking to. Well, we can predict this and we can project this. And also there's things that we can't necessarily account for because that's just rooted in a deeper truth than trying to sell some version of security or certainty that isn't guaranteed, period.

Amy Young [00:32:27]:
But then to your sort of other question around, well, how messy do we get to be? I mean, I think this, this totally depends on the kind of game you want to play. And when I say the kind of game you want to play, it's like, it's like, who did your soul come here to be? And that's a, that's a big deep question. But I, I like asking those big deep questions because they take us out of all these fear based constructs that we have. That's like, oh, if I tell the truth, if I show up messy, if I'm vulnerable, if I'm imperfect, then I, I will not be safe and I will not be okay and all these bad things happen. Your soul doesn't really care about all of that stuff in the sense that yes, is like human security and control. Like, is that preferable? Duh. Is it a guarantee? Never. So your soul is here for your evolution.

Amy Young [00:33:28]:
Like, your soul is here for your growth and your learning. And if there's an edge that, where you can see, like, oh man, like, what if I did let myself show up a little bit more imperfectly? Like, what if I did let myself, like, say the thing? Like, what if I was a little more unfiltered? That's, that's the kind of game that we start to play where it's like, oh, now you're getting in alignment with your soul mission. And that's really different than whatever egoic agenda your human personality self has to try and guarantee that you stay safe or uphold the personality version of yourself that you've always been. Your sole mission is always trying to kind of break you out of that and, and set you free from that. Because you don't have to, you don't have to live that way. But, but to our, our personality selves, that's like inconceivable. Like, it's like, no, no, no, no, no.

Joanna Ehresman [00:34:25]:
Scary.

Amy Young [00:34:25]:
Yeah, so scary.

Joanna Ehresman [00:34:26]:
Yeah.

Amy Young [00:34:27]:
And, and that, and it, and it kind of should be. Do you know what I mean? And I think a lot of the times we're like, how do I make it less scary? Scary? And it's like you kind of don't, you know, like you. And, but ironically, maybe the way we make it less scary is we start to actually move in these different directions and we start to live in these different ways and we start to show up, perhaps A little bit more authentically or a little bit more imperfectly or with a little more vulnerability or. Or a little more truth. And then we actually start to see an experience like, oh, this is okay. Like, even if there's pushback, I'm. I'm still okay. Even if other people.

Amy Young [00:35:05]:
If I'm misunderstood, it's still okay. And those are things that we are so. Especially as women, we're so afraid of that if we can kind of, you know, so to speak, like, walk through that fire and realize, like, oh, I'm still here.

Leah Alter [00:35:20]:
It. It.

Amy Young [00:35:21]:
Like the. Maybe even the worst thing happened, but I. I survived and I'm okay. Like, that there's a. There's a strength and a resilience that we start to develop in a way that we start to see ourselves. That. That, yeah, like, makes us operate differently in the world.

Leah Alter [00:35:39]:
I feel like, too, I have. Having experienced a lot of that, this. I'm someone who always says, like, I really like proof.

Amy Young [00:35:51]:
Totally.

Leah Alter [00:35:52]:
I love a little bit of proof. And when you trust yourself and you make the leap or you take that first step or whatever, you get a little bit of feedback, right? You get a little bit of that proof. And that proof helps to build the courage for the next step or the next stepping stone. And that I've seen play out in my own life multiple times. And to your earlier point, like, it doesn't get worse. Life does not get worse.

Amy Young [00:36:22]:
Yeah.

Leah Alter [00:36:23]:
I mean, things happen that aren't great, but, like, the. The groundedness in who I am and the life that I lead just becomes stronger. Those roots get longer and. And stronger.

Joanna Ehresman [00:36:39]:
This might be a tough question to answer. Well, okay, what's the best career advice you've ever received? I'm like, you're probably so full of advice that you've given other people. And I'm like, no, what? I impacted you?

Amy Young [00:36:54]:
Yeah. I love this question because it brought me back to a very specific moment before I was even coaching, before. Before any of this divine feminine mumbo jumbo entered the picture. You know, like, I remember in my very early 20s, so my background was. I was. I was an actor and I was a comedian, and I was living in New York City before I ended up stumbling into the coaching profession. And I remember I attended this seminar with these different casting directors and industry professionals, and there was this guy. I don't even remember who he was, but at the end of the.

Amy Young [00:37:26]:
The, you know, they were talking about, like, how to kind of present yourself to the industry and how to kind of, like, maximize your efforts. When it came to marketing yourself and auditioning and, and booking roles and all these things. And there was this, this guy at the end who stopped and sort of just said, you know, I wanted to speak very bluntly to all of you as actors and let you know that this is a really hard profession. And he was like, and I know that you know that, and I know that you wouldn't be doing this if you weren't up for the hard parts. But he was like, make sure that no matter what you're doing and what you say yes to or what career path, you know, you end up walking down. Make sure that you have outlets and channels and things that are creatively fulfilling that are just for you and, and don't ever deprioritize your artistic fulfillment or your creative fulfillment. And that is something I think hearing that from, from this person on this panel that was very business focused, that was very much about like, okay, you want to make a living as an actor, how are you going to do that? Hearing this man say, actually like your creative fulfillment and your artistic fulfillment is, is in some cases going to be even more important than a paycheck. And like, don't, don't lose that.

Amy Young [00:38:43]:
That really informed a lot of decisions I ended up making. That even that led to me, you know, starting my YouTube channel now like 13 years ago that resulted in me growing this online platform. Like I remember specifically, specifically doing that because I was like, I need something that's just for me. And, and again, as, as women, we are so like, I think about the women that I work with, we're so generous and we're so giving and we're so willing to show up and do for the other and fulfill someone else's request of us and fulfill the role that we have been handed. And, and it takes a lot of practice to, to recognize that, okay, like that, that grants me some benefits. And there's, there's ways that it has served me to show up that way. But also when do I get mine? You know, like these little, these, I, I, I think it's a really powerful moment when, when a woman realizes that it's like, oh, actually I get to be selfish with my life and not in like a self absorbed, self centered way, but in this way where actually it's like, oh no, when I'm fulfilled, whether it's creatively or relationally or you know, holistically, just like when I experience fulfillment, everybody benefits, you know, and, and that it's actually one of the most unselfish things that we can do to, to prioritize our own fulfillment or to create some corner in our lives that is just for us. That's not about giving to other people or that's not about fulfilling a role or fulfilling expectations like that is.

Amy Young [00:40:39]:
That's a through line that I can see through every aspect of my career path that I'm. I was so grateful to receive that advice and then I've seen it kind of replicate over and over again.

Leah Alter [00:40:52]:
That's awesome.

Joanna Ehresman [00:40:54]:
So good.

Leah Alter [00:40:54]:
Great advice. All right. We are a celebration of women. It's our subtitle. So what can we celebrate with you today?

Amy Young [00:41:05]:
So many things I'm constantly just like blessed and amazed by, especially just because, yeah, we've been talking about, you know, my work and, and all of these things. I have just so much news stuff happening right now and I'm, I'm incredibly, incredibly blessed that I have, you know, whether it's someone like Leah or the other women who are in my online community who are just so down to just experiment with things and try new things and say yes to different stuff that I'm creating and offering. I just created. I just opened the doors on this, I'm calling it. It's a 12 month all access pass where basically people can sign up to work with me. And it's sort of like a mystery box where it's like you sign up, there's a monthly fee and you just get to be a part of every virtual offering, group event thing that I create for the next year. And like right away all these women were like, yeah, I want in. And I was like, this is the coolest thing ever.

Amy Young [00:42:03]:
Because that even in a, like saying yes to the mystery in that way. Yeah, that is like, yes. Saying your feminine nature is being like, oh, I don't even know what this is, but like, oh, I can feel the call or the pull. So I'm, yeah, I've just really been in awe as I've, as I've been opening the doors on some new stuff that I get to do really, really cool work like in a lot of the time. Thank you for giving me a, like a, a place to like stay. Speak on it in some different ways because like sometimes it, it does feel like I'm just operating this little secret world over here by getting to share about it is, is so special too. So. Yeah.

Joanna Ehresman [00:42:43]:
Well, that's fantastic.

Amy Young [00:42:45]:
Thanks.

Joanna Ehresman [00:42:46]:
Well, and I, I can imagine that probably just about everybody who listens to the show would love to know more about you. Like where can they find you? What's the best way to get all the Amy Young that they are interested in getting.

Amy Young [00:42:58]:
Yeah. So if you want to connect with me more, you can follow me on Instagram at amey Amy Young co and definitely shoot me a message and let me know that you listen to the podcast. I love connecting with people and I'd love to hear just if anything resonated for you today. My website is amyoungcoaching.com and there's more information there about working with me. I'm in the midst of a big rebrand redesign overhaul, so that'll be going live probably. I don't remember when you said that this podcast would be published, but my website will either look really amazing and put together when you go visit it, or it's going to look like a hot piece of garbage. And if. If it's the hobbies of garbage version, just know there's.

Amy Young [00:43:38]:
There's good stuff coming. So don't be turned off.

Leah Alter [00:43:41]:
It'll be in June. You'll this.

Amy Young [00:43:44]:
Oh. So my new. Okay. So my. So the rebrand will probably happen. So yeah. You truly like. It's a.

Amy Young [00:43:51]:
My website is like a problem. But. But yeah. That I would love to connect with anybody who. Yeah. Who heard something today that if it just spoke to you, let me know.

Leah Alter [00:44:00]:
Yeah. Well, and I can speak to.

Amy Young [00:44:04]:
The.

Leah Alter [00:44:04]:
The work itself. If you're even considering, you know, working with Amy in any capacity, you will learn a lot about yourself. And I keep going back to the like, life won't be worse.

Amy Young [00:44:18]:
It'll.

Leah Alter [00:44:20]:
It'll only get better. Amy, thank you so much for coming on. This has been so wonderful and it was just so great to spend this time with you and, and I feel like I'm sharing you with this whole other side of my like world in my life and it's just brought me a ton of joy. So thank you so much.

Amy Young [00:44:39]:
Thank you. It's absolutely my pleasure. And I really, really appreciate the invitation. Yes.

Leah Alter [00:44:45]:
Well, that is our show for today. If ours is a mission that you want to share in, you can subscribe to the show wherever you live to listen to your podcasts. With that. I'm Leah Alter.

Joanna Ehresman [00:44:55]:
And I'm Joanna Ehresman. And we'll catch you on the next episode of WomenShare.