Maybe you’ve been doing all the things people tell you you should do but nothing has worked… You are discouraged, and wonder what else you can do.

If this is you, this video is for you!

I’m sharing two tools, often overlooked, that may help you get unstuck.

If you need extra support, you can sign up for a 25-minute complimentary assessment of your current situation, why you are stuck, and what can help you get the career and life you desire.

If you want to take advantage of this session, email me with a few lines about your current situation, your main desires, and your challenges. I’ll follow-up to schedule a time to talk.

To the career and life you truly desire!

The post Grief & Surrender as Pathways to Your Goals appeared first on Brilliant Seeds.

It’s probably not what you think… Read on as I share about it

A week ago, I felt compelled to have this travel brochure open on the page of Copenhagen, Denmark, in my apartment.

Traveling around the world is an intention of mine. I like displaying in my home things that represent what I want more of in my life, such as the travel destinations I want to visit. However, Denmark and Copenhagen are not necessarily on my Top 5 or even Top 10 lists.

However, I felt a strong pull to keep the brochure open on that page. I was not sure why… except maybe because I loved this pic. My logical mind was saying “Denmark is not in your top 5, you should use a different picture,” my intuition was saying: “keep it there.”

Well, guess what?

Four days later, a past client from five years ago reached out to work with me again. Guess where she lives? Copenhagen! Five years ago, she did my Land the Career You Love 1:1 Program. I helped her manifest her dream to move from the US to Copenhagen to work and live there. She now needs support to reach her next career dream.

You may think this is just a coincidence…

Well, my skeptical mind would have thought this too in the past, until I noticed occurrences like this happening over and over again…

• That day in Paris in 2001 when I felt compelled to get back home as soon as possible… Thirty minutes after I got back to my Parisian apartment, I received a phone call on my landline (no cell phones at the time!) to offer me a position to work in Montreal, Canada. A month before, my then-boyfriend and I had set the intention to move either to Canada or Australia. This call totally changed the trajectory of my life and started my journey in North America, from Montreal to San Francisco.
• That time when I felt called to share my phone number in an email replying to an ad for an apartment on Craigslist… I generally would not share my phone number in the first email. Providing my phone number resulted in me getting the apartment of my dreams with a hot tub and a breathtaking view of the Golden Gate Bridge. The landlord called my phone, heard my voice message, visited my business website, thought I was probably a serious candidate, and asked me to visit the apartment that same day. After five minutes of visiting the place, I knew it was the place I had envisioned.
• That morning, on the doorstep of my apartment in Mountain View ready to leave for work at Yahoo! when I felt a nudge telling me to go and grab my external hard drive… Several hours later, I was laid off from Yahoo! and was able to quickly save the portfolio of my work because I had my hard drive with me.
• Last month, when I felt called to sign up for several classes on Manifesting, even though my logical mind was telling me “this is not what you need right now; you already know that stuff; why do you want to take these classes?” But something in me felt the pull to sign up anyway. As a result, I discovered a mentor and a program that is EXACTLY what I need this year to achieve my next-level dreams. My logical mind would never have conceived that this is what I needed most.  If I had listened to her and what “made sense” instead of my intuition, I would have passed that amazing opportunity to reach my next dreams.

The list goes on and on… I’ve dozen and dozen examples like these.

What are you listening to when you make decisions?

Your rational mind and what makes “logical sense”
OR
your intuition, your gut feeling, the quiet whisper within?

Well, if you rely mostly on your logical mind and what “makes sense” when making decisions, you are…

• probably working WAY harder than you could to get what you want,
• and missing out on many amazing opportunities because they don’t seem “rational” or “reasonable.”

in Western cultures, we give too much power to the mind and what makes logical sense. As a result, we prevent great things from happening in our lives and we make things way harder than they could be.

“The intuitive mind Is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.” ~ Albert Einstein or someone else (uncertain attribution)

This has been one of my MOST IMPORTANT lessons in the past several years, and continues to be. 

I’m someone quite rational; this is how I was raised. Reason is highly valued in France. Remember this is the country of Descartes: “I think therefore I am.” I’ve led a big part of my life following reason over intuition and gut feeling. However, over the years, I’ve learned that the more I follow my intuition, the easier I create the things I want in my work and life.

It is a continual learning in surrendering to deeper knowing than the rational mind. However, the more I trust this inner knowing—like in the instances I shared above—, my intuition, my gut feeling, my instincts, however you want to call it, the more magic happens in my life and the easier things come to me. The things I attract as a result are way BETTER than what I could have conceived if I had followed the logical steps dictated by my rational mind. 

Such as:

• the perfect work situation to move to Montreal, Canada. 
• my dream apartment in the San Francisco Bay Area at a reasonable monthly rent, compared to the current market.
• the perfect mentors to help me unlock my next career and life dreams. 
• an amazing immigration lawyer to help me get a US working Visa better than I could have imagined.

If things feel consistently hard in your life, it could be because you are overthinking and over-relying on your rational mind. Obviously, this is not the only piece of the puzzle, but I see so many people discounting their inner knowing and true desires on the altar of seemingly “reasonable decisions that make sense.”

It is not because our Western societies overemphasize rational intelligence as a decision-making instrument, that this is the most effective tool to get what we want in our lives.

My experience is actually showing the opposite.  

If this is new to you, I encourage you to start practicing with small things, without major consequences.

• When facing a decision, notice when you feel an internal conflict or feel torn. It may be your logical mind conflicting with your authentic desire. What one is saying? What about the other?
• Practice noticing the nudges of your instinct, gut feeling, or desires.
• Be careful when you hear yourself or a well-intentioned friend saying something like “You should do this or that.” Be wary of the shoulds. Most of the time, they come from your rational mind and fears. “Shoulds” and ‘haves to” are not an effective compass to get what you truly want. 

I’ve learned that if I’m strongly called to do something, I don’t need to know the why or if it makes sense. I do it, like opening up the travel brochure to the page of Copenhagen.

What are you called to do that you may stop yourself from doing out of “shoulds” or’ seemingly ‘”reasonable” arguments?

The post One of my favorite tools for manifesting & creating appeared first on Brilliant Seeds.

• Where would you live?
• Where would you work? When?
• What would your ideal schedule look like?
• How would you spend your time outside of your working hours?
• What would you work on?

Imagine it ALL. Exactly as you want it. On your terms. Whatever they are.

If you already have it, what is the next thing you are longing for? More balance? More freedom? More time with the people you care about? More time to travel?

Manifesting it starts with visualizing it! 
It’s how I start every single time. Getting really clear about what I truly want, NOT what I should want to “look good” or to “appear successful” according to external standards of success, but what my heart truly desires for my fulfillment.

Doing work that lights you up and makes a difference in the world is also about having the lifestyle, freedom, and balance you want, on your terms! What is the point of doing work you love or being very successful if you are living a life in conflict with your values?

To your next-level dream career and life,

Isabelle 

P.S. If you or someone you know need help clarifying and stepping into your next-level dream career and lifestyle, I’ve space for 2 new private clients at my current pricing. Apply here to explore working together. 

The post I ended my workday swimming with turtles. appeared first on Brilliant Seeds.

The post I don’t do “regular” career coaching. appeared first on Brilliant Seeds.

My heart was screaming at me:  “no, I cannot choose. I’m not buying this. I think I can have both and I will.”

People were telling me: “What about you stay in the field of User Experience for now. It will be easier to stay in the US.”

I knew in my heart that this was not my path. 

Despite the fears, despite the shoulds, despite the voices—internal and external—telling me otherwise…

…I chose the path of my heart and I forged ahead.

I went back to school to study coaching and psychology. 

Two years later, I started my business to do what I love the most: helping successful professionals and entrepreneurs stuck in a career they no longer love, discover the next career they absolutely love, and the confidence to make it happen.  

Eight years later, my business is thriving, I work with clients I love, I’m excited about my work… and I’m doing it from California! 

If it was not for the layoff, I would not be where I am now.

Looking back, I see that the layoff was a blessing in disguise to help me on my path. 

Are you facing a crisis that is trying to tell you something? Are you listening?

I’m where I am now because I listened and I did not choose the path of fear; I did not let the fears—inside and outside—stop me.

I followed my intuition and it led me to where I am now.

One step at a time. One day at a time. One victory over fear at a time. 

This is what I tell my clients every time, to choose the path of intuition over the path of fear.

To do the work you truly love, you need to choose the path of your intuition.

Which path are you choosing?

• the path of fear?
• or the path of your true desire?

If you are ready to choose the later but are scared and need help clarifying the career you love, I’d love to help.

>> Apply for a Complimentary Discover the Career You Absolutely Love Breakthrough Session and I’ll be in touch.

If you love your work but know people (spouse, friends, relatives, coworkers) who don’t, please share this email with them.

Isabelle 

P.S. Erik started where you are now. 

“Working with Isabelle has quite literally been life-changing. After a 23-year career in Project/Product Management, I was burnt out and didn’t know what to do next. I wanted to find a new career direction but didn’t have the first clue how to do so. During my first consultation call with Isabelle, she just reached me on a deep personal level I was not expecting.

Over a 4-month period, I completed a group course with Isabelle that allowed me to discover my ‘authentic self’ and truly discover what work I’m passionate about and what values drive me. Long story short, Isabelle’s course helped me see bad behaviors I had been perpetuating for years, and learn to appreciate the things that motivate/drive me. With Isabelle’s guidance and wisdom, I am now on the path to the career of my dreams that I’m excited to have for the next 25 years.

To say Isabelle’s work is life-changing is an understatement!”
~ Erik Z., Oakland, California.


P.P.S. Want to become a success story like Erik? Apply for a Complimentary Discover the Career You Absolutely Love  Breakthrough Session to get started on your path. 

The post It was one of the biggest crises of my life. appeared first on Brilliant Seeds.

I highly recommend it.

It is bringing me inner peace as I start 2020, a new year and a new decade of my life.

I recommend this practice if you want to start 2020 with more peace of mind, empowerment, and acceptance of where you are in your life.

It may sound confronting or heavy at first, but it is SO worth it. It really works!

Try it and let me know what you find out.

It is like when you look at your finances. It may be uncomfortable at first, and then it brings you peace of mind to know where you are at.

Here is what I did.

It took me about 2-3 hours of reflection/journaling.

I looked back at the 3 past decades of my life.
– 2010-2019
– 2000-2009
– 1990-1999

For each decade, on one piece of paper, I listed the main themes in terms of achievements and personal/professional transformation and lessons learned (work, life, personal development, travels, and any themes that are personal and meaningful to me and to my own journey. Eg. Living my life purpose, becoming bilingual, discovering my passions, doing what I love).

Then, I noticed the overarching theme for each decade and the evolution from one decade to the next.

As a result of it:

• I feel great as I got in touch in touch with how much I and my life have positively transformed and evolved in 3 decades, despite challenges along the way.
• I notice the evolution decade after decade, and how what I did in each decade prepared me for the next. I can see that there is a natural progression and unfoldment that I could not see at the time. Seeds planted in one decade beautifully blossomed into the next.
• I feel so much clarity about the past three decades of my life and what the themes have been.
• This clarity empowers me as I enter a new year and decade of my life.
• I feel at peace and more accepting of where I am in my life, trusting that things are unfolding for my best and highest good.
• I know that I don’t have to do it all alone: I can see a bigger plan and higher power at play in the unfoldment of my life purpose that is with me on this journey. I can surrender to it, instead of pushing, efforting, and complaining about things not going MY way.

I want that for you too.

It is SO worth it.

TRY IT.

and let me know what you find out by commenting below. 

To you shining your light BRIGHT in 2020, doing what you love!

Isabelle

The post This morning, I did this. (NEW practice to start 2020 clear & empowered) appeared first on Brilliant Seeds.

I’m back from a fun and deeply transformative 3-day workshop on the Enneagram and relational skills with one of my mentors and masterful facilitator, Ben Saltzman.

I LOVED every moment of it. There were lots of deep and authentic connection, some profound personal growth and transformation, and lots of fun.

(Photo: Ben Saltzman)

I was in my element. Personal development is my #1 passion.
I LOVE taking all kinds of workshops and classes to know myself better and transform old patterns holding me back from being the full expression of myself and living the life of my dreams.

(Photo: Ben Saltzman)

I signed up for this workshop for my own pleasure.

and you know what?

It is supporting me in being a better coach with my clients and a more successful business owner.

I’m already applying a lot of the things I learned in this workshop in my work. My knowledge of the Enneagram combined with my 20-year expertise in the Myers-Briggs personality types and related models (Essential Motivators and Interaction Styles) is a KICKASS combination in supporting my clients finding the work they love and overcoming their unique challenges.

This is what happens when you do work you absolutely love. 

What you do for fun helps you be better in your work. 
Personal and professional development become the SAME thing.

How cool is that?!!

There is no more disconnect between YOU in your personal life and YOU at work

NO MORE feeling like you need to be two different people depending on the context.

YOU CAN BRING ALL OF YOURSELF IN YOUR WORK, including your passions and what makes you tick.

Do you want that, Isabelle? I know I want it for you!

Well, if you do, this is time for you to step into the work you love, or to step even more into it if you are already doing it.

YES. IT IS TIME!!

and I’m here to cheer you on.

Isabelle

P.S. Not sure how to get there? Apply for a  breakthrough session with me and I’ll help you figure out the path to get there!

The post Back from Santa Cruz, California… the BEST thing about doing work you love! appeared first on Brilliant Seeds.

I have a question for you to help you start 2019. Probably one of the most important questions you need to ask yourself.

As I was playing one of these Facebook games (yes, I could not resist!), I received a powerful quote and I thought about you.

I thought you might need to hear this.

Here it goes.

Are you waiting for someone (your spouse, your parents, your co-workers, society, your boss, etc.) to give you permission to…

…BE who you are?
…DO the work you love?
…FOLLOW your dreams?
…LOVE what you love?
…LIVE the life you want to live?

Listen carefully. Sometimes, we do that in subtle ways. 

If so, this is time to STOP.

Yes, STOP.

Stop waiting for others’ and the outside world’s permission to be who you are and do what you love.

If not now, when?

• next year?
• in 10 years?
• on your death bed, when it’s too late?

A palliative nurse recorded the most common regrets of the dying and put her findings into a book called “The Top Five Regrets of The Dying.”

Guess what is the #1 regret of people at the end of their lives?

Well, this one:

“I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.”
“This was the most common regret of all. When people realize that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honored even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made. Health brings a freedom very few realize until they no longer have it.”

Is that you? Be truly honest with yourself. Stop and look within.

• If so, don’t wait!
  • in which area of your life are you giving others or society the power to decide who you are and what you should do with your life or career?
  • In which aspect of your work or life can you be more true to yourself?

Slow down and take the time to reflect now. 

• If not, fabulous! Congrats on being true to you!
  • Are there areas in your life where you could be even more true to you and let go of others’ or society’s ideas and opinions?
  • Forward this email to someone you know (spouse, coworker, friend, relative) who may need to hear this message.

Whatever your situation is, say this out loud a few times with me.

Yes, out loud.
Now.

There is a power in declaring out loud the reality we want. It helps enters into our consciousness more.

“I don’t need your permission to be exactly who I am.”

Say it again.

“I don’t need your permission to be exactly who I am.”

To you being true to yourself in 2019!

I’ve got your back!

Isabelle

The post It’s time to let go of THIS appeared first on Brilliant Seeds.

To your life and career NOT compromised.

Isabelle

P.S. You (or someone you know) want a career you love?

Check out my proven program Roadmap To A Career You Love.

Doors close on Wednesday, October 17… so be sure to get your application in now.

The post I WON’T freakin’ compromise and why neither should you appeared first on Brilliant Seeds.

….or not being able to pay for your mortgage, your student loan, or retirement if you change careers?

 If so, listen up! this article is for you.
 (or for people you know who are struggling with this. Feel free to pass it along.)

After interviewing, over the past 5 years, hundreds of people unhappy in their careers, this is the #1 concern I’m hearing from people who are considering changing careers.

• “I hate my job but I’ve such a good salary and benefits; I’m afraid I’ll lose that if I change careers.”
• “The life in [location] is so expensive; I don’t know how I’ll pay my mortgage if I leave my job.”
• “I’m concerned I’ll have to start all over again, at a lower level.”

• your happiness and fulfillment. You spend more time at work than in any other areas of your life. Think about hating 5 out of 7 days of each week for the rest of your life. Is that truly living?
• your self-esteem and your confidence. Every single person I talk to tells me how they are doubting themselves and their abilities. This is what spending years in work that is not a fit does to you. It erodes your confidence. The more you stay, the more you doubt yourself and the harder it is to find the confidence to get out and explore other jobs or careers. You get stuck in a vicious cycle.
• your emotional and mental health. Forcing yourself to stay in work you hate is harmful to your mental health and can lead to depression. I’ve heard people telling me they often feel depressed.
• your physical health. Staying in work you hate is draining for your body. If you consistently feel drained after work, it is taking a toll on your health. What about the sleepless nights and all the physical symptoms and illnesses, mild or severe, you start developing as a result?
• your romantic relationship. Your unhappiness and stress do not stay at work. Whether you want it or not, you bring them back home in your relationship. How does you complaining day after day about your work affect your relationship?
• your friendships and your social life. I’ve heard many people telling me how it impacts negatively their social life. They may be too drained to meet their friends or pursue their hobbies. Or they bring their negativity in their friendships.
• the happiness and development of your children. Imagine the impact (short and long term) on your children, of unhappy, stressed, emotionally and physically unavailable parents? What are you modeling to them? If you are unhappy in your work, how can they know that it is possible to be happy at work.
• and more!

Here is the TRUTH:

Staying in work you hate is costing you not only your happiness, but also the happiness of your loved ones. 

• How worth it it is to have all the money you want IF your life, your health, your relationships are destroyed or eroded as a result?
• How worth it it is to have all the money you want to retire IF you end your life with excruciating regrets?

 *** In her book “The Top Five Regrets of The Dying,” Bronnie Ware, a palliative nurse shares the most common regrets of the dying she heard in her practice.
The #1 is: “I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.” “When people realize that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honored even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made. “

Here is another TRUTH:

In the long run, it is COSTING YOU WAY MORE to stay in work you hate than to explore something else.

I get it that it can be scary to consider changing careers.

But it does not necessarily have to be.

It is why I created a step-by-step process to make it as progressive and supportive as possible, so that you don’t feel like you have to jump off a cliff and risk everything.

1. First, we clarify your unique talents, drivers of satisfaction, and passions so that you can build clarity, confidence, and a strong inner compass for your next steps.
2. Then, ​we identify the career that is uniquely tailored to you, your talents, and purpose, so that you have a clear direction and you never again doubt the direction of your career.​
3. Finally, we ​create a personalized action plan so that you know exactly what steps to take to create the career you love. I support you in designing an action plan that is progressive and respects your own pace.

You don’t necessarily have to leave your job or career right away. Actually, most of my clients don’t and take a step-by-step approach that feels right for them.

But once you are clear and confident about what you ultimately want, it is way easier to consider the different paths and progressive steps to get where you want to be without sacrificing your sanity and your financial foundations.

From that place of clarity and confidence, you will see that you have WAY more options than you think, and that you don’t have to jump off the cliff.

This is what I focus on in the program that I open twice a year.

>>> The doors of my next program officially open next week, on October 1. 

Stay tuned for more details!

To a life NOT wasted!

Isabelle

P.S.
It breaks my heart to see so many people wasting their lives in work they hate. 

The post STOP wasting your life!! What staying in work you hate is TRULY costing you appeared first on Brilliant Seeds.