There is power in story telling. There is power in community. There is power in sharing. The more we know about one another; the more we understand; the more powerful we become.
This is Liza’s:
KUEL LIFE: What are you pursuing now, after 50, that surprises you or might appear to others as if it’s come out of left field?
LIZA: I have spent a lot of years messing around in the “wrong” fields—don’t get me wrong: every job I’ve done feeds into what I do now although my resume screams “totally unemployable” or “way overqualified” depending on your perspective!—and doing time as a tagalong spouse, always finding “jobs” and never a “career.” Despite all the detours and scenic routes, I found my passion in health coaching and am currently pursuing a full-time career in it by combining corporate wellness consulting with 1:1 and group programs and adding a social justice twist. It is delicious to finally be laser focused on what fulfills me completely.
KUEL LIFE: What’s a typical day like for you?
LIZA: I’m one of those sick people who thrives on the early to bed, early to rise principle. I get up at 4am, spend two hours on soul care (see self care section!). At 6am, it’s time to face what others need from me: breakfasts and lunches, a walk to the bus stop with my son followed by a power walk with my furbaby. By 8am, I’m in the home office, where I spend 6–8 (okay, sometimes 10) hours, punctuated with a few domestic tasks like laundry, errands, meal prep. I’m the CEO—that’s chief everything officer, so it’s all on me, and every day is different, which is exciting. I try hard to shut down technology for the evening and be 100% present for family. I’m ideally in bed by 8pm, but it’s usually by 9pm….
KUEL LIFE: With what do you struggle?
LIZA: My narrative—how to tell it with a sense of agency and without the feeling that others control where it goes.
KUEL LIFE: How do you motivate yourself and stay motivated?
LIZA: Hmmm. I don’t generally have a problem with motivation. I might actually be a bit too self-disciplined? Not really the same, but I’ve gotten really good at doing only what MUST be done to meet my obligations to others and focusing more on doing what I LOVE to do, which doesn’t require motivation.
KUEL LIFE: What advice would you give fellow women about aging?
LIZA: Embrace it: you are new every day, and you’re younger than you’ll ever be again, so don’t waste this time!
KUEL LIFE: What does vulnerability mean to you? What has the ability to make you vulnerable?
LIZA: Vulnerability means being authentically me, knowing that some might disapprove, and being okay with that disapproval. I’m passionate about my coaching, in part, because it requires me to be vulnerable and share my own experiences on a daily basis.
KUEL LIFE: What are three events that helped to shape your life?
LIZA: 1. Losing my father at a young-ish age (I was 30, he was 66.)
2. Having children.
3. Finding my calling.
KUEL LIFE: Who influenced you the most in life and why?
LIZA: My father—he firmly believed I could do anything I wanted to do, and for that conviction, I am grateful
KUEL LIFE: What is the best advice you’ve been given from another woman?
LIZA: Stop asking others’ advice; what does your gut say?
KUEL LIFE: What woman inspires you and why?
LIZA: Any woman who unapologetically follows her own path—not from a rebellious motivation or an in-your-face way but from a positive place of knowing her own mind/heart/soul and in an unassuming fashion.
KUEL LIFE: Are you grown-up?
LIZA: Ahahaha—never!
KUEL LIFE: What do you do for self-care?
LIZA: I like to say that self care is what Cosmo tells you to do—it’s all the little tasks we add to our calendars because others tell us we “should;” soul care is what the Cosmos tells you to do—I spend the first two hours or my morning doing yoga and strength training, meditation, a cup of coffee over a book, a healthful breakfast—really what nourishes me on a soul level. I take at least one 3-mile walk a day, sometimes two, and I always take time to shop, cook, and eat mindfully.
KUEL LIFE: And last but definitely NOT least: What are the top three things on your bucket list?
LIZA: 1. Start a nonprofit to provide health coaching to underserved women.
2. Travel to every country in Europe.
3. Retire to Scotland.
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