June 5, 2025 • 47 mins
Heather Stewart shares her journey from corporate burnout to wellness coach, inspiring listeners to become the CEOs of their own lives and discover what truly matters to them.
• Leaving behind a 15-year CPA career, big house, and corporate perks to pursue authentic living
• Rejecting work-life balance in favor of harmonizing six key life areas (BECOME: Body, Emotions, Community, Occupation, Money, and Engagement)
• Understanding that being stuck often stems from not knowing where you want to go or believing limiting stories about what's possible
• Creating space for creativity through daydreaming and quieting the task-oriented brain
• Taking small, manageable steps toward change rather than making drastic life decisions
• Recognizing that transformation is a process requiring patience and self-compassion
• Finding your own inner GPS by listening to your intuition instead of external expectations
Visit heatherstewartcoach.com to download the Thriving Life Map and take the first step toward living your best life on your own terms.
Get ready to break free from obstacles and live life on your terms!
Are you readdy to create and design your best life?
If so, click the link here.
To make sure you never miss an episode, make sure you subscribe to the podcast and head on over to www.cassandracrawley.com and join our mailing list.
To get a copy of my brand-new book, "Is Your Way In Your Way", visit www.https://cassandracrawley.com
- Facebook: www.https://www.facebook.com/Cassandracrawleymayo/
- Website: www.https://www.cassandracrawley.com
- YouTube: www.https://Cassandra Crawley Mayo
- LinkedIn: www.https://Cassandra Crawley Mayo
- X: Cassandra Crawley Mayo
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Cassandra (00:00):
Yes, this is Cassandra Crawley-Mayo and this
is my podcast title Is your WayIn your Way and for many of my
listeners out there but I bet Ihave some new listeners that's
the title of my book Is your WayIn your Way, and it's a
self-discovery journey.
It's a journey, trust me, on howto oops, it's actually a
(00:25):
self-discovery journey.
It's about a self-discoveryguide for women on how to
restore yourself, learn fromyour experiences and be your
true self.
And on this podcast I like tohave guests on with topics
related to what I say personalimprovement, self-improvement,
(00:45):
even some business improvement.
And also these podcasts aregoing to enable you to reflect
on some things, and I'm alwayshopeful and prayerful that it'll
be something said that willenable you to pivot and start
doing what is necessary for youto start living your best life
on your terms.
(01:06):
And the event that you're notliving your best life and if
you've not really thought aboutit, what a great opportunity to
think what is it going to takefor me to live my best life?
And I have a special guest onand her name is Heather Stewart
and I'm going to introduce youall.
I'm going to get her out of theorange room and put her back in
it, hi.
Heather (01:26):
Heather, I love the orange room.
I think the orange room is agreat room.
I do, too, thank you so much.
Cassandra (01:31):
It's my favorite color.
Heather (01:31):
Look, I'm even wearing orange today.
Cassandra (01:33):
No, I know, Don't tell them.
I sent you the memo.
It's about wearing orange.
Hey, listeners, this topictoday is titled you are the CEO
of your work.
I think that is so profoundbecause when I was in my
corporate jobs, I would alwayssay well, I'm the CEO of this,
(01:55):
you know.
That would help me put thingsin perspective, you know, and so
I'm loving this title and justcan't wait to talk about it.
So, Heather and my audience,I'm going gonna read a little
bit of Heather's bio, just soyou can get some information
about her, to kind of get you tosay, oh, now I understand why
she's qualified to do the workthat she's doing.
(02:16):
So Heather is a steward, is adynamic force in the wellness
world.
She seamlessly marries herbackground in corporate finance
that sounds familiar with herfervent dedication to holistic
health to help guidetransformative coaching
experiences for her clients.
She found her own escape fromthe societal expectations of a
(02:40):
career at the expense of healthand vitality and now helps other
midlife women do the same.
She uses her thriving lifemethod framework to help.
She helps overwhelmedoverachievers oh my gosh Connect
to their inner purpose so theycan intentionally create a new
(03:03):
roadmap to the life they weremeant to live.
She is also a host of her ownpodcast, titled Back to Me, and
she's helping guide wellnessyour way.
Wow, when I was reading this,I'm like overwhelmed high
achievers.
Well, I tell you, I was sooverwhelmed and it made me think
(03:24):
was I a high achiever?
And then when I go to the gymand people said there's that
high achieving girl and I'm like, oh, I guess I was and I was
overwhelmed.
But I'm not overwhelmed whenI'm working out, but boy was I
overwhelmed in the corporateworld.
Heather (03:38):
I tell you, it's funny that you say that, because I
think overachievers don't haveany idea that they are
overachievers.
Right, it's like I just want todo everything and be everything
, and be 100% at everything, allat the same time, exactly, and
you don't, you don't know, untilyou crash you're like oh, that
(03:59):
wasn't healthy oh my gosh, haveI crashed a number of times.
Cassandra (04:04):
And you are so right.
You're so right.
And I actually heard somebodytalk about the other day how, if
you think about it, you'retrying to do everything at work
and you you're overwhelmed.
And she said something likethis.
She says, you know what, if yougot everything done at work
before you left for the day, youwouldn't have a job.
And I was like, oh, that's aninteresting way of looking at it
(04:25):
.
So I like that perspective, butit sounds like Heather.
I'm curious.
What was your life like beforeyou escaped a career at the
expense of your health andvitality?
Heather (04:39):
What was life like, right?
So I was a CPA for 15 years.
I had the big house in thesuburbs.
I was married, I had thecompany car.
I had the stock options.
It was funny because I tellpeople I had a five bedroom
house and it was just for me andmy husband and my two cats.
I was like why?
(05:03):
And you know, because I wanteda big house.
Right, I had to live far awayfrom work, so I spent a lot of
time in the car.
Cassandra (05:11):
This was before.
Heather (05:12):
Podcasts were a big thing, sure, and I mean I was
super successful because I hadall of the things you're
supposed to have.
You know, I had all of thematerial things, but I was.
(05:37):
I mean, I worked really hard.
I spent 12 hours a day sittingat a desk and it's just not good
for you.
Even so, there was a study doneat one point where it even said
even if you work out an hourevery single day, if you spend
extended periods of time sittingand any in any capacity yeah
it's you're still at increasedrisk for heart disease.
(05:59):
Because if you think about,like I think about this in terms
of blood flow, so think of astream.
You know, every now and then aflood of water might come
through, but if it sits stagnantmost of the time, gunk is going
to build up so that's how Ikind of translate it into um,
into the body, gunk is going tobuild up and make you prone for
(06:23):
illness if you sit a lot, and soI was having a conversation one
day with a friend who I workedwith, and it's funny, even 20
years later, I still go out fordinner with these friends
whenever we can get together,and I was coming to the end of a
(06:44):
project and I was due foranother promotion and my husband
he's my ex-husband now, myhusband at the time he wouldn't
have admitted it, but he was alittle annoyed that I kept
getting promoted because hewanted promotions.
(07:05):
And people say, why would youcomplain about promotion?
Because it's recognition,because it's like, wow, you're
doing so well.
But on the inside, like myinner self was saying to me,
yeah, great, great, theyrecognize that you work hard and
you do what you're supposed toand you're diligent and you're
responsible and you can do allof this.
(07:26):
But I'm trading, but you'retrading your life for dollars.
Yes, and I kind of went.
One day I was talking to myfriend.
I said I don't want anotherpromotion.
I said it's just going to meanmore work and, yeah, more money,
whatever.
But I was like, how much isenough I have?
(07:49):
I don't need anything else.
I don't need more money, I needmore time for myself to even
even just to you know, go for awalk.
It's like anything to help meremove myself from work.
So that was when that projectwas coming to an end.
(08:11):
I saw this fork in the road andI said, okay, I'm going to go
the way that people don'tusually go.
Cassandra (08:19):
Yeah, right, I quit oh my gosh, gosh, you just quit.
Oh my goodness, yeah, yeah hada revelation.
Heather (08:29):
But I had no plan, which was, uh, I had no plan,
but except that I knew that Ihad to leave and the only way
that I was going to be able todevelop a plan was to be out of
that space way that I was goingto be able to develop a plan was
to be out of that space.
Now, for some people that's justtoo much.
(08:55):
That would be more overwhelmingthan staying in the job.
Yeah, but my job was justeverything was just too much.
So, and what I actually didlike full transparency, did like
full transparency, I left myjob.
Cassandra (09:10):
I sold my house and I got divorced all within a three
oh all within like athree-month period yeah, the
five-bedroom home.
Yes, did the cats come?
Heather (09:17):
with you, um, the cats.
Because what actually ended uphappening was I went to India,
so I sold my house and put myjob, I bought it to India, so I
my cats went to my sister and myniece and my nephew, so they
stayed in the family because Iyou know I love, love my cats.
But I didn't know how long Iwas going to be gone, so I just
(09:41):
said can the kids look after mycats while I'm gone?
And then they just ended upstaying there.
Cassandra (09:46):
Oh, really I call what you did.
You had a lot of courage, boy,were you brave.
And did you have a comfort zone?
It's like, hey, I'm just goingto quit and move on, sell the
house, so that comfort zone,that was pretty amazing.
I would say so, listen to you.
Heather (10:08):
Yeah, it's very interesting.
Like people say, you knowthey're stuck in their comfort
zone and I was very comfortable.
Like I was comfortable and it'sso interesting.
This last night I dreamt aboutzombies, which I don't watch
zombie movies.
I don't know why I was dreamingabout zombies, but I don't.
I don't watch zombie movies.
I don't know why I was dreamingabout a zombies, but it's
almost like.
It's like you're hypnotized.
(10:29):
You go to where it's like theDunkin' Donuts guy time to make
the donuts, time to make thedonuts and you just get stuck in
the cycle and you don't thinkabout it.
But when I started to stepoutside and look at my life, I
said, oh, that's not what I want.
And it can feel, and then thatbecomes uncomfortable.
See, seeing what you don't whatyou're doing and realizing
(10:52):
that's not actually what youwant, that becomes more
uncomfortable than being in thatroutine, at least for me it did
.
Now for some people like.
I had a friend who took me tolunch when this was all
happening who was prepared totake me down to the psychiatric
unit.
He was completely serious.
(11:13):
He thought I had, like, lost mymind and he took me to lunch
because he said I had to lookyou in the eye to make sure that
you were not completely insane.
And I'm like all I did wasleave my job.
People get divorced every dayLike what's the big deal?
(11:35):
But it was so entrenched withthem that that's who.
I was that they couldn't seethat there was another
possibility.
Cassandra (11:40):
Another possibility.
With Heather, you know, yousaid something I thought was
interesting.
You said that there was no suchthing as a work life balance,
and I want to hear more aboutthat, because when I was working
in corporate, I used to alwayssay that's the problem that I
said, ok, I'm working 50, 60hours, I mean literally like you
(12:03):
.
It was just crazy.
And then the executives wouldsay, well, here's this
opportunity.
Why don't you want it?
I don't want that, I don't wantmore.
I'm like I need to have a worklife balance, and so I thought
that would be the answer.
And I'm going to die, yeah, andhow do you do that?
(12:24):
So you say there's no suchthing.
Why do you say that?
Heather (12:28):
Well, I say that because and I had a debate one
day with someone because I usedto give webinars on this, free
webinars and the disconnect isyou're trying to take this thing
called work and say that's workand that's over there.
The rest of my life is overhere, but that doesn't count as
(12:49):
my life.
I'm going to try and chop it inhalf and leave that over there
with something that I have to do.
The rest of my life I'm goingto live over here, but in
reality it has to beincorporated into your life.
So, instead of trying toseparate your work and the rest
of your life, I actually look atsix things, because balance is
(13:12):
like a place where nothing'smoving.
It's like you have to hold yourbreath and not move, where I
think more of harmonizing.
Sometimes stuff is going to goup, sometimes you're working a
little more, sometimes you canwork a little less, so it's
almost like you're harmonizingthese parts so that they can
support each other.
So and they I love acronyms sothe parts spell the word become.
(13:35):
There's six of them.
The first one and they're in noparticular order, but except
that they spell the word become.
So there's your body.
So you've got to think aboutyour physical wellness.
There's your emotional wellness, like how you're feeling
emotionally day to day.
There's your community, whichis your relationships, whether
it's close relationships, likewe all have our solar system of
(13:59):
people around us, how theysupport us or don't support us.
There's your occupation.
And even for people who areretired, I have a client who's
retired, who calls what she doesher beloved vocation.
My husband is retired.
His occupation is he deliversfood five days a week on his
bicycle for the food bank.
He delivers food boxes and heloves his job.
(14:23):
He sees it as his job, eventhough he's a volunteer.
Um, there's your financialwellness.
M is your money, because we werequire coin of the realm.
Is that a dog?
Cassandra (14:37):
yes, that's max.
Oh, many of my listeners knowabout max and every now and then
he wants you to know that he'sin the house.
All right, max, we love you.
I know, max, be quiet.
Oh my gosh.
Heather (14:52):
Okay, that's all right, I love animals.
There's your money, your, your,your financial health, and that
doesn't mean you have to have amillion dollars in the bank,
that doesn't mean that you'reliving on the street.
It's like do you have enoughfor what you need and what you
(15:12):
want and to achieve what youwant in life?
And then there's e, which isengagement, which, for me, is
yours.
I needed an e your spiritualhealth, which doesn't tie to a
religion.
It's a, a greater purpose, um,feeling, feeling like you're on
your soul mission, whatever that, whatever that is for you, just
something, something bigger.
So, thinking about those sixthings, as we try to, as we work
(15:36):
on harmonizing them, that'swhere the thriving life,
thriving life method, that's thepart of it, right, right.
So we, we do, we have, we takea look and we took, we look
regularly, say, okay, how am Idoing right now?
Like is my job really low rightnow and kind of sucking me down
, and is there something if Idid something to help me bring
(16:00):
the level of that back up, itwill support the other parts.
And one of the actually one ofthe easiest examples is always
physical health.
So when you're sick, whenyou're sick and not feeling well
.
Your emotions, you feel bad.
You might, you know, be crabbywith your husband or your
partner or your friends becauseyou don't feel good.
(16:20):
You know you, if you're asolopreneur, you can't work.
So your money is affected where, if you're super physically
healthy, it's going to supporteverything else you do.
But it's true of all of thedifferent pieces.
They each support each other.
They're all interconnected andsometimes there's just one like
little keystone that if you canget that one working a little
(16:44):
bit better, it'll help the otherones rise because, you know,
one rising lifts all the others.
So, for work.
If you're working 60 hours aweek, it's going to make you
physically unwell.
You are going to be crabby whenyou go home If you, if you ever
even you know it's going toaffect your sleep, which affects
your emotions.
You might make lots of money.
(17:04):
It's you know.
That's great, your money willbe fine, but you might not feel
like you're achieving your lifepurpose.
You might feel like you'rewasting your life.
Now, nothing is ever wasted,but it just may not be how you
wanted to spend it, right.
Cassandra (17:18):
Exactly.
It reminds me of one of thethings my mom used to say if you
don't have your health, youdon't have anything.
And when you talked aboutsynchronization, I was thinking
about an orchestra, a symphony,and you talked about I read that
you were talking about thehigher power, the power, your
higher power, you can't go wrongwith it, you know.
(17:41):
So I was, yeah, so, thinkingabout that, I was like, ok, and
that higher power is, is what Isay, the conductor for the
symphony, right, yeah, justbased on you know what, what?
You just what you just sharednow.
But, heather, you're on amission and your mission is to
(18:04):
inspire self replenishment.
Okay, keep it.
And I loved it when you saidkeeping your well full.
Where did that?
Well, let me ask you this Firstof all, what do you
specifically do?
When you talked about coachingand you have that, that method
and and you know, and it soundslike, based on what you were
(18:39):
saying and how you were feeling,you sold the home you went
specifically is it just coachingand coaching to, to fill your
mission?
Heather (18:55):
So it's interesting.
So if, like, my mission is tohelp everyone be, you know,
connected to what it is they'rehere for and live that life
fully.
Whatever that is and I usesometimes the example of, you
know, it doesn't have to be theHollywood version, doesn't have
(19:16):
to be, you know, an Instagraminfluencer there's a garden that
I walk by when I walk to workand it's so beautiful in the
summer with flowers, and Iusually stop and look at it and
I thank that personenergetically for this garden,
and maybe their whole purpose inthis life is to create
something beautiful like agarden for people to look at,
(19:39):
you know.
So I preface it by saying, youknow, people's missions don't
have to be so huge that it'sjust, you know, there has to be
a big voice man speaking overtop of it.
It can be something simplebecause small things make big
differences in the world,because small things make big
differences in the world.
So my small thing is for eachperson that I help, I want them
(20:00):
to be able to shine their lightand that ripples out to the
people they connect with and thepeople they connect with.
So, you know, the little ripplescan make bigger waves.
And the way that I help peopleis I have a I mean I do
one-on-one coaching and when Ido one-on-one coaching it's
entirely dictated by the personthat I'm helping.
(20:20):
I'm holding that space for themand helping them, like diving
into what it is that's going onwith them and what they want.
And then we start to figure out, okay, what's what's our first
move, what's our next move?
Figure out, okay, what's what'sour first move, what's our next
(20:40):
move.
But I also do it as a DIY, thatis a pre-recorded session and
that gives you the pieces,because some people just want to
do it themselves.
And and I get that because lookat everything that I've done I
mean I've filled my toolbox with.
I want some of that.
And I like I've been teachingyoga for 20 years, I've been a
(21:02):
personal trainer for 20 years.
I teach Tai Chi.
You know, you name it.
I want to go and try it out anddo it.
And that's part of the reason Isay people are never stuck
because I'm like go do somethingdifferent.
So I've filled my my well by doit, by being curious and
filling up all these things.
But what I've discovered is allof the things that I've learned
and gained and worked on myself.
It helps other people to getsome perspective.
(21:24):
I can see what's going on forthem in a way that maybe they
can't, so maybe I can just shinea light for them.
So what I'm doing the DIY people.
Of course they have access to,you know, jump into community
and have conversations, becauseI have a free community and then
there's a group coaching partof it as well.
So the people who are in thegroup coaching have the videos,
(21:45):
but then they have regularmeetings as a group, because I
find, if it's because I'm partof my own groups that I love to
meet with, when I'm in thosegroups I know I can be myself
and there will be no judgmentand the people there are there
to support me and want me to besuccessful.
(22:07):
So I can bring my dirty laundry, whatever it is that day or
something I'm having a hard timewith, because the people that
I'm supporting will think wow,her life is perfect, everything
is amazing, but I'm human,that's right.
Not every day is sunshine andunicorns, that's the truth.
(22:28):
But at the same time, I knowthat the sunshine and the
unicorns are just behind thecloud.
So I just have to work to clearthe cloud.
Cassandra (22:37):
That's right, because the sun is always out.
The sun is always shiningsomewhere.
That's right it is.
Heather (22:47):
It's just behind the clouds, right?
I don't know if you've everread any Thich Nhat Hanh, but
way back when I was inuniversity, this was even before
I was practicing yoga.
This was before I knew anything.
I don't even know how I gotthis book by Thich Nhat Hanh,
and the thing that I remember ofit is he was talking about, you
know, when he was sad hethere'd be a flower.
(23:07):
He said it's okay, the floweris holding my smile.
For me.
I'm like, wow, that's reallymaybe.
That was like one of those.
Here's a book.
You're going to remember thislater.
I know the universe delivers Wow.
Cassandra (23:20):
So you said you don't .
We talked about stuck.
What are your suggestions as afirst step?
When a person feels stuck, whatshould they do?
Heather (23:33):
So I do a couple of things with people do.
So I do a couple of things withpeople.
One is depending on what kindof resources they have.
I love a whiteboard, but I havea client who just has big
sheets of paper.
You just write down everythingabout why you are stuck and if
(23:54):
you're stuck, do you even knowwhere you're trying to get to?
Like you might say I'm stuck,I'm stuck, but where are you
trying to get?
You're stuck, do you even knowwhere you're trying to get to?
Like you might say I'm stuck,I'm stuck, but where are you
trying to get.
Cassandra (24:03):
Maybe it's just you don't.
Heather (24:09):
You haven't seen the exit sign for the highway.
So write down everything youwant and all the reasons you
can't have it and then step backand ask yourself is all that
true, right?
Because it's not Like.
I've known people who wereunhappy with their job and they
were actually up for retirementretirement and they turned it
(24:33):
down because they thought theywere.
They thought, you know, I haveto keep my job because I have to
keep my house and my truck andmy camper and my cottage and et
cetera, et cetera et cetera etcetera, and I'm like.
So I said, well, what if, cause,their house was winterized and
they wanted to live at their, ortheir cottage was winterized
(24:53):
and they really wanted to be atthe cottage?
I'm like what if you just sellthe house and sell some of the
toys that you don't use anymoreand just live and be happy?
Well, no, I can't do that,because, because, because,
because, so all of those becausethe yeah, buts and the because
is when you write them down andyou look at them and you say,
but is that really true?
(25:14):
And be honest, right.
Cassandra (25:16):
That's right, that's right.
Heather (25:17):
Sometimes we're just avoiding making a change.
Sometimes our excuses are justbecause we're afraid of
something, not of either notbeing successful, and we're
afraid we're going to lookstupid or we're going to be
successful.
And what if we are successful?
Oh my gosh, what does that?
Cassandra (25:34):
mean Just as bad?
Exactly Now, heather.
This to me is amazing, when youhad enough and you knew that
the finance piece wasn'tsomething that you really wanted
to do anymore.
After that did you?
(25:55):
Now that just didn't come upone day day.
You were kind of mulling overthat for a little while yeah,
and yeah.
and when you did that, did youknow then what it is you wanted
to do?
Did you know you knew one thingthat would give you pieces.
You didn't your your time wasyour time like you weren't
(26:16):
working hours.
You know that was something youdidn't your time was your time
Like you weren't working hours.
You know that was something youdidn't want to do.
So you had no idea what it is,what it was that you really
wanted to do, yeah, yeah.
Heather (26:28):
I had been taking yoga after work when I was in
corporate.
So this was like for a year Ihad been taking yoga after work
as trying to give myself someheadspace to figure out what I
did want, you know, and likepeople say, you just quit, just
like that.
And on the outside it lookslike that, but on the inside
(26:49):
people don't know the process isgoing on on the inside when
you're working through that.
So I've been going to yogaafter work and one day I was
rushing to yoga and I live inToronto and I was going through
a very busy intersection.
I was driving and there was apedestrian in front of me and I
(27:09):
was like cursing, what are youdoing in the road?
Why are you trying to getkilled, you know?
And I looked up and my lightwas red and her light was green
and I had no idea that I wasdriving through a red light.
I'm amazed I didn't die, becauseit's not, it's not, it's not a
(27:29):
calm intersection and on thebest of days, and I got to yoga
and I told my teacher I wasstill in shock, I'm like.
And I got to yoga and I told myteacher and I was still in
shock, I'm like, how did I notkill anyone?
And she said oh, that'sinteresting.
She said what do you supposethat's all about?
And that's kind of all.
She said so the whole yogaclass.
(27:51):
I'm thinking about this.
I'm thinking I was rushing.
I was hurrying to try to getsomewhere so I could relax.
I'm like well that doesn't seemright.
First of all, and why can't I bein that state on a regular
basis?
What about work?
Is doing that?
So that work?
Will I ever be able to do thatin that work?
(28:12):
No, I don't think I can.
I know there's people who loveit, so I need to take myself out
of that.
And because I was really intoyoga, I decided, well, I'll go
to India and I'll just go whereyoga comes from and I'll travel
around.
So that was really the extentof my plan.
And, interestingly, one of thepeople that I had been studying
(28:36):
yoga with I didn't know thisperson, I'd only known this
person for about six monthsLived in a different place, he
lived in Kitchener, I lived inToronto, he worked for the YMCA,
I was a corporate person.
But one day he told me he hadbeen to India.
So I said, oh, can I havecoffee with you and ask you
(28:57):
about your trip to India,because I wanted to do a little
bit of you know where am.
I going, yeah and um, he brought.
This was back in the day whenpeople develop photos.
He brought a photo album.
People don't do that anymore.
I don't get it no but hebrought pictures for me and I
was asking him questions and hesaid to me I said oh well, oh
well, and he said you know whatare your plans?
(29:17):
I said well, I'm, and this wasin like June I think, and in
October I had planned to go to,actually, when in September I
was going to go to India.
Cassandra (29:27):
He said oh that's so interesting.
Heather (29:29):
He said I'm actually quitting my job and I'm going
back to India.
And I just went what I wow?
I knew this fellow.
I just went to coffee with himbecause I wanted to ask him
questions.
So we ended up going togetherand we traveled around and 20
years later we're still together.
You married him.
Yeah, this was not my plan.
(29:55):
This was not my plan, but itwas so interesting that it was
just like the universe just saidoh, I'll just send them off to
india together and if they canget through that, they'll be
fine, because it's a challengingplace to travel oh, what a
great story I love that yeah.
(30:20):
So if you let the magic happenand you don't fight against it
and you don't argue against it,then the magic can happen.
I think it's our resistance tohow we think things should be,
to how we think things should be, like if I thought, no, I
(30:41):
should be a vice president and Ishould make six figures and I
should have this.
Cassandra (30:45):
I should all huh.
Heather (30:48):
Yeah, I should all over myself.
Cassandra (30:49):
That's right.
Heather (30:51):
Because I said, well, this isn't how I want to live my
life right now, so what then?
I just opened I want to live mylife right now, so what Then?
I just opened myself up to whatis the possibilities of the
options, and it can be superscary, I understand, to leave
your job and not have a plan.
Cassandra (31:12):
Right.
Heather (31:13):
What.
Cassandra (31:14):
You don't have a plan .
Heather (31:15):
Now, when I came back because I came back I promised
my grandmother I would come backfor Christmas.
So I came back for Christmasand when I came back I knew what
I wanted to do, because I hadhad that time to just not think
about anything.
So I actually went back toschool for two years and I
became a registered massagetherapist.
(31:36):
Went back to school for twoyears and I became a registered
massage therapist.
Here it takes two years ofschool and very intense studying
of, because it's a medicalprofessional here.
Um and exams.
You know board exams and I wasa massage therapist for 14 years
and you're in.
Canada.
Cassandra (31:55):
I'm in Canada, yesada , yes, oh my gosh well, that's
interesting because you saidthis is what you said.
You said that if you stand upand take charge of your life,
what will happen?
And you said whatever willhappen, you may not like when
you stand up.
What did you mean?
Maybe because you stood up, nowyou took charge, and what?
Heather (32:20):
yes, some of the stuff I didn't like, some of the stuff
I didn't like some of thereaction, some of the reactions
people had, some of the peoplethat I thought were my friends.
We were not prepared to go withme on that trip.
I'm not saying it was easy tosell my house and downsize to a
(32:43):
one bedroom apartment.
I'm not saying that the wholething was easy, but at the time
I felt like the option washarder Staying somewhere where I
was so stressed and feelinglike I felt like there was a big
vacuum sucking the life out ofme.
(33:04):
You know, like fluorescentlightings I don't know if you
saw was it Joe on the mountainor something the fluorescent
lights pulling this life out ofhis eyeballs.
So I felt like it's.
It's like when you startanything, the beginning's never
easy because you're learning.
You're learning how you'regoing to navigate something new,
even when you change jobs, evenif you're in the same
(33:27):
profession.
When you change jobs, it takesyou at least three months to
figure out how that job's goingto work, who to talk to, how to
navigate this, where's thebathroom, where's the printer,
like all of these things.
And we're okay when we changejobs, but we won't allow that
when we want to change our lives.
We want it to be fine instantly.
(33:48):
We want it to be like TV.
You know, prince Charmingkissed me and we lived happily
ever after.
Cassandra (33:53):
Exactly, exactly, and I love it when you talked about
how you use a GPS for to finddirection.
But what about your personallife, right, well?
Heather (34:04):
yeah, yeah, I mean we.
I mean you could ask chat GPT.
I have someone someone who Iknow who asked chat, chat GPT.
You know, it's almost likethey're using it as their
psychologist.
But it's just going to takeinformation off the internet and
sprinkle you with whatever itcan find, but if, but, you've
(34:25):
already got your own inner GPS.
You're just not listening to it.
Cassandra (34:29):
Right.
So you have to like yourself,get quiet, right the quiet is
the best.
Heather (34:35):
Yeah, get all that other stuff and just come home
to yourself, and I know peoplecan't run off to India for three
months or, wherever, to Balifor three months to quiet their
mind.
Yeah, that was just kind of myapproach, because when I decide
to do something, as my husbandsays, you just kind of dive
(34:57):
right into it yeah, I'll waitand wait and wait, and then when
I decide to do it, I'm in Wow.
Apparently.
My mother said I never botheredto crawl when I was a baby.
She said you just sat there fora while and then one day you
stood up.
So it's built in and knowingthat like it doesn't work for
(35:17):
some people, but they need theheadspace.
And you know I have a dailymeditation practice.
But there are people who resistsaying the I can't meditate,
which I don't totally agree with.
But instead of arguing, I justsay okay, then don't, but five
to ten minutes a day, I want youto sit and stare out the window
(35:38):
and daydream.
that's all because if you thinkabout the two parts of your
brain.
So there's your logical problemsolving brain, which is a very
handy thing to have.
It has tasks, it solves theproblems and it takes actions
right then you have yourcreative side of your brain,
which is um, dreamy andinventive and makes connections
(36:06):
that aren't necessarily logical.
And it's just so creative thatif we're always in the task
brain, you can't let yourcreativity that's true, and your
, like, your ability to daydreamis on the creative side so by
turning off the task brain andjust giving it like a coffee
break, give it a coffee breakand let yourself daydream and
(36:30):
not think about anything.
In particular, that's whenconnections come, that's when
problems get solved, that's whenideas come, that's why people
get ideas in the shower, becausethey're not necessarily
thinking about anything yeah so,instead of telling people to
meditate, I just asked them tolook at a tree for 10 minutes
and daydream about nothing, inparticular because it gives them
(36:50):
some of that headspace.
They need to be able torecognize the things they like
and you know, that's also whereyour higher self will be able to
recognize the things they like,and that's also where your
higher self will be able to comein and talk to you and maybe
give you solutions that youhadn't even thought of.
Cassandra (37:04):
I love that, heather, I'm going to intentionally
start doing that.
This is that overachiever thatI didn't really think that I was
.
And I like, like you talkedabout the brain, the creativity,
the, the, the, the logic, andI'm like, okay, I got to do this
, I got to do that, got to dothis, got to do that.
And I'm like, well, when do Iturn it off?
(37:27):
I turn it off because when I goto bed cause I'm so tired, I
just fall asleep.
But it's, it's kind of likegive yourself some grace.
Kind of like give yourself somegrace, you know, yeah, yeah,
like love yourself.
Heather (37:40):
Athletes take rest days , right, yeah, people who use
their body take rest days.
But we people who are verythinkers, doers, we never give
ourselves a rest day.
And some people, like you,might rest when you go to bed.
Some, because I have this habitof thinking, some nights I
(38:00):
can't go to sleep because mybrain is still working.
I'm like you got time to go onbreak, so I actually have to do
a breath practice or some kindof meditation or something while
I'm in bed so I can go to sleep.
Cassandra (38:13):
Calm yourself down.
That's good.
That's good.
I I like to like to we weretalking before you to action
that you have for the listeners.
I've been through it, love it,haven't?
(38:44):
You may see my name come up?
Oh, cassandra, was you know?
And and it's I like it becauseit's a link to help you move
closer to your best life andthat's that's I'm the creative
living your best life on yourterms.
I love that and I'd like to bebeautiful.
Yes, and I want you to share alittle bit about that, because
(39:07):
in the show notes I'm going toput the link in the show notes
and let's kind of not entice,but to inspire people to really
want to go in that link andstart get closer to what their
best life is.
Heather (39:23):
Right.
So this is our thriving lifemap and it gives you kind of the
structure of that thriving lifethat become and it takes you
through a series of prompts.
There's a little workbook todownload, like nothing major.
Don't let it go to your PDFgraveyard.
(39:43):
That's what I always tellpeople Don't let it go to your
PDF graveyard.
I encourage people.
If you download it, print itout.
I love having the paper, thephysicality of the thing to look
at, and when it's printed outthen I'll do something with it
instead of just filing it.
Cassandra (40:02):
But what?
Heather (40:02):
it's going to do is, and it's going to take you
through some, just some ideaslike of that harmonizing those
six areas.
And what I like about it is youdon't have to be any particular
way, because you can only beyour way.
So, having that ability, ithelps you step back and really
(40:26):
look, how am I doing?
And you don't have to sharethis with anybody else.
This is, and this isn't ajudgment of whether you are good
or bad or right or wrong,because none of that is true.
It's just a measurement.
Where am I right now?
Okay, what's working right now?
Okay.
What's not working right now?
Okay and okay.
(40:46):
So how am I going to start toshift?
So it's just going to take youthrough those little steps and
we can and you hear this all thetime at the new year, you know
I'm going to do this, I'm goingto change my life, but then you
don't take an action for forchange, for change to happen,
you have to realize you wantsomething different.
You have to decide what, whatyou want, and then you have to
(41:09):
actually take an action, becausepeople will decide what they
want and then they'll forget toactually do anything about it.
And then a year later they say,oh, I'm in the same place, I was
Well.
Cassandra (41:19):
I guess I'm a failure .
Heather (41:21):
but you're not a failure, you just forgot a step.
Cassandra (41:24):
Yeah, wow, that's great.
Sounds like the wheel of life.
Heather (41:29):
And when you take an action, sometimes it works,
sometimes it doesn't.
That doesn't mean you're afailure either, that's just like
feedback oh, that one didn'twork.
Okay, I'll try this.
So you imagine inventors likeyou're inventing your life in a
way.
So if you imagine inventorswhen they were trying to invent
electricity or invent thetelephone or the light bulb I
(41:50):
can't remember Thomas Edison did.
I can't even remember how manytimes he had to invent.
He did a lot.
Cassandra (41:55):
He did a lot.
Heather (42:01):
But yet we have light bulbs now, because he said oh,
that didn't work, but he kepttrying.
Yes, so you're allowed as manytries as you want on your life
till you find the one that works.
Cassandra (42:09):
Exactly.
If you don't try, that's right.
But don't give up Right Wow,right Wow.
(42:33):
So you gave a lot, of you knowso.
So, in other words, when Ithink about all we've talked
about.
Heather (42:35):
You have provided some tools, even some testimonies, I
say about your life, on howyou're going to be the CEO in
your work, is your life right,exactly exactly.
Cassandra (42:39):
And we're not just here to be here.
We all have something we aredoing to do something, and I'm
just hopeful that many of mylisteners will share this
podcast.
They will get in touch with you.
I'm going to ask you for yourhow they can get in contact with
you, even though you got a lotof places where they can get in
contact with you, even thoughyou got a lot um places where
(42:59):
they can get in touch with you.
But if, if I, when I really getout of this, I love the part the
chief executive officer of yourwork.
You are responsible for you and, as we talked earlier, we
talked about what you cancontrol and you were like, well,
I, well, what you control isyour reaction, because life's
(43:22):
going to throw you a lot ofstuff.
So I really like theseindividuals, my listeners, and
remember, you are the CEO ofyour work and, heather, thank
you so much.
I don't know if you have anymore wisdom that you could share
with my listeners, because someof them are stuck and a lot of
(43:44):
them don't like what they'redoing, but they're like so what
am I going to do.
You know, they can be HeatherStewart, or just be true to
themselves and figure this thingout, because when you're open
and you're ready, that's whenthe teachers appear.
Heather (43:57):
Right, don't necessarily jump off of my cliff
, because that was my cliff,that's right.
And the best way for you to.
When you're stuck, the bestthing to do is start with one
tiny thing that feels like it'ssafe for you to do and you can
(44:22):
start to see the see the ripplethrough your life.
Sometimes I just say to peopleget eight hours of sleep a night
, it'll make, it'll change yourlife right, that's true.
So you know, if that's a placeto start, be okay with that.
We are not in the fast and thefurious.
We are taking our time right,because if I want my life to be
(44:42):
the way I want it, I don't wantto rush.
I don't want to rush mydecisions, but I want them, but
I don't want to also not make adecision right and, as they say,
the race is not given to theswift, but for those who endure.
And I always say what are you insuch a rush for?
You know where the finish lineis right.
Cassandra (45:12):
Yeah right, Absolutely, Absolutely Well.
Heather, thank you so much forbeing a guest on my show.
I really enjoyed it and mylisteners.
And tell my listeners wherethey can contact you, although
it's going to be in the shownotes, but the easiest, easiest
place to find everything isheatherstewartcoach, because
everything is up there.
Okay, great, great.
Thank you again, my listeners,please share this with
(45:34):
individuals where you know thiswill be a blessing and also know
that this podcast will be onall podcast platforms.
And again, heather, thanks foryour wisdom and thank you so
much for being my guest, mylisteners.
As I always say, god bless youand bye for now.
Thank you again, heather.
Heather (45:56):
Thank you Bye.
Yes, this is Cassandra Crawley-Mayo and this
is my podcast title Is your WayIn your Way and for many of my
listeners out there but I bet Ihave some new listeners that's
the title of my book Is your WayIn your Way, and it's a
self-discovery journey.
It's a journey, trust me, on howto oops, it's actually a
(00:25):
self-discovery journey.
It's about a self-discoveryguide for women on how to
restore yourself, learn fromyour experiences and be your
true self.
And on this podcast I like tohave guests on with topics
related to what I say personalimprovement, self-improvement,
(00:45):
even some business improvement.
And also these podcasts aregoing to enable you to reflect
on some things, and I'm alwayshopeful and prayerful that it'll
be something said that willenable you to pivot and start
doing what is necessary for youto start living your best life
on your terms.
(01:06):
And the event that you're notliving your best life and if
you've not really thought aboutit, what a great opportunity to
think what is it going to takefor me to live my best life?
And I have a special guest onand her name is Heather Stewart
and I'm going to introduce youall.
I'm going to get her out of theorange room and put her back in
it, hi.
Heather (01:26):
Heather, I love the orange room.
I think the orange room is agreat room.
I do, too, thank you so much.
Cassandra (01:31):
It's my favorite color.
Heather (01:31):
Look, I'm even wearing orange today.
Cassandra (01:33):
No, I know, Don't tell them.
I sent you the memo.
It's about wearing orange.
Hey, listeners, this topictoday is titled you are the CEO
of your work.
I think that is so profoundbecause when I was in my
corporate jobs, I would alwayssay well, I'm the CEO of this,
(01:55):
you know.
That would help me put thingsin perspective, you know, and so
I'm loving this title and justcan't wait to talk about it.
So, Heather and my audience,I'm going gonna read a little
bit of Heather's bio, just soyou can get some information
about her, to kind of get you tosay, oh, now I understand why
she's qualified to do the workthat she's doing.
(02:16):
So Heather is a steward, is adynamic force in the wellness
world.
She seamlessly marries herbackground in corporate finance
that sounds familiar with herfervent dedication to holistic
health to help guidetransformative coaching
experiences for her clients.
She found her own escape fromthe societal expectations of a
(02:40):
career at the expense of healthand vitality and now helps other
midlife women do the same.
She uses her thriving lifemethod framework to help.
She helps overwhelmedoverachievers oh my gosh Connect
to their inner purpose so theycan intentionally create a new
(03:03):
roadmap to the life they weremeant to live.
She is also a host of her ownpodcast, titled Back to Me, and
she's helping guide wellnessyour way.
Wow, when I was reading this,I'm like overwhelmed high
achievers.
Well, I tell you, I was sooverwhelmed and it made me think
(03:24):
was I a high achiever?
And then when I go to the gymand people said there's that
high achieving girl and I'm like, oh, I guess I was and I was
overwhelmed.
But I'm not overwhelmed whenI'm working out, but boy was I
overwhelmed in the corporateworld.
Heather (03:38):
I tell you, it's funny that you say that, because I
think overachievers don't haveany idea that they are
overachievers.
Right, it's like I just want todo everything and be everything
, and be 100% at everything, allat the same time, exactly, and
you don't, you don't know, untilyou crash you're like oh, that
(03:59):
wasn't healthy oh my gosh, haveI crashed a number of times.
Cassandra (04:04):
And you are so right.
You're so right.
And I actually heard somebodytalk about the other day how, if
you think about it, you'retrying to do everything at work
and you you're overwhelmed.
And she said something likethis.
She says, you know what, if yougot everything done at work
before you left for the day, youwouldn't have a job.
And I was like, oh, that's aninteresting way of looking at it
(04:25):
.
So I like that perspective, butit sounds like Heather.
I'm curious.
What was your life like beforeyou escaped a career at the
expense of your health andvitality?
Heather (04:39):
What was life like, right?
So I was a CPA for 15 years.
I had the big house in thesuburbs.
I was married, I had thecompany car.
I had the stock options.
It was funny because I tellpeople I had a five bedroom
house and it was just for me andmy husband and my two cats.
I was like why?
(05:03):
And you know, because I wanteda big house.
Right, I had to live far awayfrom work, so I spent a lot of
time in the car.
Cassandra (05:11):
This was before.
Heather (05:12):
Podcasts were a big thing, sure, and I mean I was
super successful because I hadall of the things you're
supposed to have.
You know, I had all of thematerial things, but I was.
(05:37):
I mean, I worked really hard.
I spent 12 hours a day sittingat a desk and it's just not good
for you.
Even so, there was a study doneat one point where it even said
even if you work out an hourevery single day, if you spend
extended periods of time sittingand any in any capacity yeah
it's you're still at increasedrisk for heart disease.
(05:59):
Because if you think about,like I think about this in terms
of blood flow, so think of astream.
You know, every now and then aflood of water might come
through, but if it sits stagnantmost of the time, gunk is going
to build up so that's how Ikind of translate it into um,
into the body, gunk is going tobuild up and make you prone for
(06:23):
illness if you sit a lot, and soI was having a conversation one
day with a friend who I workedwith, and it's funny, even 20
years later, I still go out fordinner with these friends
whenever we can get together,and I was coming to the end of a
(06:44):
project and I was due foranother promotion and my husband
he's my ex-husband now, myhusband at the time he wouldn't
have admitted it, but he was alittle annoyed that I kept
getting promoted because hewanted promotions.
(07:05):
And people say, why would youcomplain about promotion?
Because it's recognition,because it's like, wow, you're
doing so well.
But on the inside, like myinner self was saying to me,
yeah, great, great, theyrecognize that you work hard and
you do what you're supposed toand you're diligent and you're
responsible and you can do allof this.
(07:26):
But I'm trading, but you'retrading your life for dollars.
Yes, and I kind of went.
One day I was talking to myfriend.
I said I don't want anotherpromotion.
I said it's just going to meanmore work and, yeah, more money,
whatever.
But I was like, how much isenough I have?
(07:49):
I don't need anything else.
I don't need more money, I needmore time for myself to even
even just to you know, go for awalk.
It's like anything to help meremove myself from work.
So that was when that projectwas coming to an end.
(08:11):
I saw this fork in the road andI said, okay, I'm going to go
the way that people don'tusually go.
Cassandra (08:19):
Yeah, right, I quit oh my gosh, gosh, you just quit.
Oh my goodness, yeah, yeah hada revelation.
Heather (08:29):
But I had no plan, which was, uh, I had no plan,
but except that I knew that Ihad to leave and the only way
that I was going to be able todevelop a plan was to be out of
that space way that I was goingto be able to develop a plan was
to be out of that space.
Now, for some people that's justtoo much.
(08:55):
That would be more overwhelmingthan staying in the job.
Yeah, but my job was justeverything was just too much.
So, and what I actually didlike full transparency, did like
full transparency, I left myjob.
Cassandra (09:10):
I sold my house and I got divorced all within a three
oh all within like athree-month period yeah, the
five-bedroom home.
Yes, did the cats come?
Heather (09:17):
with you, um, the cats.
Because what actually ended uphappening was I went to India,
so I sold my house and put myjob, I bought it to India, so I
my cats went to my sister and myniece and my nephew, so they
stayed in the family because Iyou know I love, love my cats.
But I didn't know how long Iwas going to be gone, so I just
(09:41):
said can the kids look after mycats while I'm gone?
And then they just ended upstaying there.
Cassandra (09:46):
Oh, really I call what you did.
You had a lot of courage, boy,were you brave.
And did you have a comfort zone?
It's like, hey, I'm just goingto quit and move on, sell the
house, so that comfort zone,that was pretty amazing.
I would say so, listen to you.
Heather (10:08):
Yeah, it's very interesting.
Like people say, you knowthey're stuck in their comfort
zone and I was very comfortable.
Like I was comfortable and it'sso interesting.
This last night I dreamt aboutzombies, which I don't watch
zombie movies.
I don't know why I was dreamingabout zombies, but I don't.
I don't watch zombie movies.
I don't know why I was dreamingabout a zombies, but it's
almost like.
It's like you're hypnotized.
(10:29):
You go to where it's like theDunkin' Donuts guy time to make
the donuts, time to make thedonuts and you just get stuck in
the cycle and you don't thinkabout it.
But when I started to stepoutside and look at my life, I
said, oh, that's not what I want.
And it can feel, and then thatbecomes uncomfortable.
See, seeing what you don't whatyou're doing and realizing
(10:52):
that's not actually what youwant, that becomes more
uncomfortable than being in thatroutine, at least for me it did
.
Now for some people like.
I had a friend who took me tolunch when this was all
happening who was prepared totake me down to the psychiatric
unit.
He was completely serious.
(11:13):
He thought I had, like, lost mymind and he took me to lunch
because he said I had to lookyou in the eye to make sure that
you were not completely insane.
And I'm like all I did wasleave my job.
People get divorced every dayLike what's the big deal?
(11:35):
But it was so entrenched withthem that that's who.
I was that they couldn't seethat there was another
possibility.
Cassandra (11:40):
Another possibility.
With Heather, you know, yousaid something I thought was
interesting.
You said that there was no suchthing as a work life balance,
and I want to hear more aboutthat, because when I was working
in corporate, I used to alwayssay that's the problem that I
said, ok, I'm working 50, 60hours, I mean literally like you
(12:03):
.
It was just crazy.
And then the executives wouldsay, well, here's this
opportunity.
Why don't you want it?
I don't want that, I don't wantmore.
I'm like I need to have a worklife balance, and so I thought
that would be the answer.
And I'm going to die, yeah, andhow do you do that?
(12:24):
So you say there's no suchthing.
Why do you say that?
Heather (12:28):
Well, I say that because and I had a debate one
day with someone because I usedto give webinars on this, free
webinars and the disconnect isyou're trying to take this thing
called work and say that's workand that's over there.
The rest of my life is overhere, but that doesn't count as
(12:49):
my life.
I'm going to try and chop it inhalf and leave that over there
with something that I have to do.
The rest of my life I'm goingto live over here, but in
reality it has to beincorporated into your life.
So, instead of trying toseparate your work and the rest
of your life, I actually look atsix things, because balance is
(13:12):
like a place where nothing'smoving.
It's like you have to hold yourbreath and not move, where I
think more of harmonizing.
Sometimes stuff is going to goup, sometimes you're working a
little more, sometimes you canwork a little less, so it's
almost like you're harmonizingthese parts so that they can
support each other.
So and they I love acronyms sothe parts spell the word become.
(13:35):
There's six of them.
The first one and they're in noparticular order, but except
that they spell the word become.
So there's your body.
So you've got to think aboutyour physical wellness.
There's your emotional wellness, like how you're feeling
emotionally day to day.
There's your community, whichis your relationships, whether
it's close relationships, likewe all have our solar system of
(13:59):
people around us, how theysupport us or don't support us.
There's your occupation.
And even for people who areretired, I have a client who's
retired, who calls what she doesher beloved vocation.
My husband is retired.
His occupation is he deliversfood five days a week on his
bicycle for the food bank.
He delivers food boxes and heloves his job.
(14:23):
He sees it as his job, eventhough he's a volunteer.
Um, there's your financialwellness.
M is your money, because we werequire coin of the realm.
Is that a dog?
Cassandra (14:37):
yes, that's max.
Oh, many of my listeners knowabout max and every now and then
he wants you to know that he'sin the house.
All right, max, we love you.
I know, max, be quiet.
Oh my gosh.
Heather (14:52):
Okay, that's all right, I love animals.
There's your money, your, your,your financial health, and that
doesn't mean you have to have amillion dollars in the bank,
that doesn't mean that you'reliving on the street.
It's like do you have enoughfor what you need and what you
(15:12):
want and to achieve what youwant in life?
And then there's e, which isengagement, which, for me, is
yours.
I needed an e your spiritualhealth, which doesn't tie to a
religion.
It's a, a greater purpose, um,feeling, feeling like you're on
your soul mission, whatever that, whatever that is for you, just
something, something bigger.
So, thinking about those sixthings, as we try to, as we work
(15:36):
on harmonizing them, that'swhere the thriving life,
thriving life method, that's thepart of it, right, right.
So we, we do, we have, we takea look and we took, we look
regularly, say, okay, how am Idoing right now?
Like is my job really low rightnow and kind of sucking me down
, and is there something if Idid something to help me bring
(16:00):
the level of that back up, itwill support the other parts.
And one of the actually one ofthe easiest examples is always
physical health.
So when you're sick, whenyou're sick and not feeling well
.
Your emotions, you feel bad.
You might, you know, be crabbywith your husband or your
partner or your friends becauseyou don't feel good.
(16:20):
You know you, if you're asolopreneur, you can't work.
So your money is affected where, if you're super physically
healthy, it's going to supporteverything else you do.
But it's true of all of thedifferent pieces.
They each support each other.
They're all interconnected andsometimes there's just one like
little keystone that if you canget that one working a little
(16:44):
bit better, it'll help the otherones rise because, you know,
one rising lifts all the others.
So, for work.
If you're working 60 hours aweek, it's going to make you
physically unwell.
You are going to be crabby whenyou go home If you, if you ever
even you know it's going toaffect your sleep, which affects
your emotions.
You might make lots of money.
(17:04):
It's you know.
That's great, your money willbe fine, but you might not feel
like you're achieving your lifepurpose.
You might feel like you'rewasting your life.
Now, nothing is ever wasted,but it just may not be how you
wanted to spend it, right.
Cassandra (17:18):
Exactly.
It reminds me of one of thethings my mom used to say if you
don't have your health, youdon't have anything.
And when you talked aboutsynchronization, I was thinking
about an orchestra, a symphony,and you talked about I read that
you were talking about thehigher power, the power, your
higher power, you can't go wrongwith it, you know.
(17:41):
So I was, yeah, so, thinkingabout that, I was like, ok, and
that higher power is, is what Isay, the conductor for the
symphony, right, yeah, justbased on you know what, what?
You just what you just sharednow.
But, heather, you're on amission and your mission is to
(18:04):
inspire self replenishment.
Okay, keep it.
And I loved it when you saidkeeping your well full.
Where did that?
Well, let me ask you this Firstof all, what do you
specifically do?
When you talked about coachingand you have that, that method
and and you know, and it soundslike, based on what you were
(18:39):
saying and how you were feeling,you sold the home you went
specifically is it just coachingand coaching to, to fill your
mission?
Heather (18:55):
So it's interesting.
So if, like, my mission is tohelp everyone be, you know,
connected to what it is they'rehere for and live that life
fully.
Whatever that is and I usesometimes the example of, you
know, it doesn't have to be theHollywood version, doesn't have
(19:16):
to be, you know, an Instagraminfluencer there's a garden that
I walk by when I walk to workand it's so beautiful in the
summer with flowers, and Iusually stop and look at it and
I thank that personenergetically for this garden,
and maybe their whole purpose inthis life is to create
something beautiful like agarden for people to look at,
(19:39):
you know.
So I preface it by saying, youknow, people's missions don't
have to be so huge that it'sjust, you know, there has to be
a big voice man speaking overtop of it.
It can be something simplebecause small things make big
differences in the world,because small things make big
differences in the world.
So my small thing is for eachperson that I help, I want them
(20:00):
to be able to shine their lightand that ripples out to the
people they connect with and thepeople they connect with.
So, you know, the little ripplescan make bigger waves.
And the way that I help peopleis I have a I mean I do
one-on-one coaching and when Ido one-on-one coaching it's
entirely dictated by the personthat I'm helping.
(20:20):
I'm holding that space for themand helping them, like diving
into what it is that's going onwith them and what they want.
And then we start to figure out, okay, what's what's our first
move, what's our next move?
Figure out, okay, what's what'sour first move, what's our next
(20:40):
move.
But I also do it as a DIY, thatis a pre-recorded session and
that gives you the pieces,because some people just want to
do it themselves.
And and I get that because lookat everything that I've done I
mean I've filled my toolbox with.
I want some of that.
And I like I've been teachingyoga for 20 years, I've been a
(21:02):
personal trainer for 20 years.
I teach Tai Chi.
You know, you name it.
I want to go and try it out anddo it.
And that's part of the reason Isay people are never stuck
because I'm like go do somethingdifferent.
So I've filled my my well by doit, by being curious and
filling up all these things.
But what I've discovered is allof the things that I've learned
and gained and worked on myself.
It helps other people to getsome perspective.
(21:24):
I can see what's going on forthem in a way that maybe they
can't, so maybe I can just shinea light for them.
So what I'm doing the DIY people.
Of course they have access to,you know, jump into community
and have conversations, becauseI have a free community and then
there's a group coaching partof it as well.
So the people who are in thegroup coaching have the videos,
(21:45):
but then they have regularmeetings as a group, because I
find, if it's because I'm partof my own groups that I love to
meet with, when I'm in thosegroups I know I can be myself
and there will be no judgmentand the people there are there
to support me and want me to besuccessful.
(22:07):
So I can bring my dirty laundry, whatever it is that day or
something I'm having a hard timewith, because the people that
I'm supporting will think wow,her life is perfect, everything
is amazing, but I'm human,that's right.
Not every day is sunshine andunicorns, that's the truth.
(22:28):
But at the same time, I knowthat the sunshine and the
unicorns are just behind thecloud.
So I just have to work to clearthe cloud.
Cassandra (22:37):
That's right, because the sun is always out.
The sun is always shiningsomewhere.
That's right it is.
Heather (22:47):
It's just behind the clouds, right?
I don't know if you've everread any Thich Nhat Hanh, but
way back when I was inuniversity, this was even before
I was practicing yoga.
This was before I knew anything.
I don't even know how I gotthis book by Thich Nhat Hanh,
and the thing that I remember ofit is he was talking about, you
know, when he was sad hethere'd be a flower.
(23:07):
He said it's okay, the floweris holding my smile.
For me.
I'm like, wow, that's reallymaybe.
That was like one of those.
Here's a book.
You're going to remember thislater.
I know the universe delivers Wow.
Cassandra (23:20):
So you said you don't .
We talked about stuck.
What are your suggestions as afirst step?
When a person feels stuck, whatshould they do?
Heather (23:33):
So I do a couple of things with people do.
So I do a couple of things withpeople.
One is depending on what kindof resources they have.
I love a whiteboard, but I havea client who just has big
sheets of paper.
You just write down everythingabout why you are stuck and if
(23:54):
you're stuck, do you even knowwhere you're trying to get to?
Like you might say I'm stuck,I'm stuck, but where are you
trying to get?
You're stuck, do you even knowwhere you're trying to get to?
Like you might say I'm stuck,I'm stuck, but where are you
trying to get.
Cassandra (24:03):
Maybe it's just you don't.
Heather (24:09):
You haven't seen the exit sign for the highway.
So write down everything youwant and all the reasons you
can't have it and then step backand ask yourself is all that
true, right?
Because it's not Like.
I've known people who wereunhappy with their job and they
were actually up for retirementretirement and they turned it
(24:33):
down because they thought theywere.
They thought, you know, I haveto keep my job because I have to
keep my house and my truck andmy camper and my cottage and et
cetera, et cetera et cetera etcetera, and I'm like.
So I said, well, what if, cause,their house was winterized and
they wanted to live at their, ortheir cottage was winterized
(24:53):
and they really wanted to be atthe cottage?
I'm like what if you just sellthe house and sell some of the
toys that you don't use anymoreand just live and be happy?
Well, no, I can't do that,because, because, because,
because, so all of those becausethe yeah, buts and the because
is when you write them down andyou look at them and you say,
but is that really true?
(25:14):
And be honest, right.
Cassandra (25:16):
That's right, that's right.
Heather (25:17):
Sometimes we're just avoiding making a change.
Sometimes our excuses are justbecause we're afraid of
something, not of either notbeing successful, and we're
afraid we're going to lookstupid or we're going to be
successful.
And what if we are successful?
Oh my gosh, what does that?
Cassandra (25:34):
mean Just as bad?
Exactly Now, heather.
This to me is amazing, when youhad enough and you knew that
the finance piece wasn'tsomething that you really wanted
to do anymore.
After that did you?
(25:55):
Now that just didn't come upone day day.
You were kind of mulling overthat for a little while yeah,
and yeah.
and when you did that, did youknow then what it is you wanted
to do?
Did you know you knew one thingthat would give you pieces.
You didn't your your time wasyour time like you weren't
(26:16):
working hours.
You know that was something youdidn't your time was your time
Like you weren't working hours.
You know that was something youdidn't want to do.
So you had no idea what it is,what it was that you really
wanted to do, yeah, yeah.
Heather (26:28):
I had been taking yoga after work when I was in
corporate.
So this was like for a year Ihad been taking yoga after work
as trying to give myself someheadspace to figure out what I
did want, you know, and likepeople say, you just quit, just
like that.
And on the outside it lookslike that, but on the inside
(26:49):
people don't know the process isgoing on on the inside when
you're working through that.
So I've been going to yogaafter work and one day I was
rushing to yoga and I live inToronto and I was going through
a very busy intersection.
I was driving and there was apedestrian in front of me and I
(27:09):
was like cursing, what are youdoing in the road?
Why are you trying to getkilled, you know?
And I looked up and my lightwas red and her light was green
and I had no idea that I wasdriving through a red light.
I'm amazed I didn't die, becauseit's not, it's not, it's not a
(27:29):
calm intersection and on thebest of days, and I got to yoga
and I told my teacher I wasstill in shock, I'm like.
And I got to yoga and I told myteacher and I was still in
shock, I'm like, how did I notkill anyone?
And she said oh, that'sinteresting.
She said what do you supposethat's all about?
And that's kind of all.
She said so the whole yogaclass.
(27:51):
I'm thinking about this.
I'm thinking I was rushing.
I was hurrying to try to getsomewhere so I could relax.
I'm like well that doesn't seemright.
First of all, and why can't I bein that state on a regular
basis?
What about work?
Is doing that?
So that work?
Will I ever be able to do thatin that work?
(28:12):
No, I don't think I can.
I know there's people who loveit, so I need to take myself out
of that.
And because I was really intoyoga, I decided, well, I'll go
to India and I'll just go whereyoga comes from and I'll travel
around.
So that was really the extentof my plan.
And, interestingly, one of thepeople that I had been studying
(28:36):
yoga with I didn't know thisperson, I'd only known this
person for about six monthsLived in a different place, he
lived in Kitchener, I lived inToronto, he worked for the YMCA,
I was a corporate person.
But one day he told me he hadbeen to India.
So I said, oh, can I havecoffee with you and ask you
(28:57):
about your trip to India,because I wanted to do a little
bit of you know where am.
I going, yeah and um, he brought.
This was back in the day whenpeople develop photos.
He brought a photo album.
People don't do that anymore.
I don't get it no but hebrought pictures for me and I
was asking him questions and hesaid to me I said oh well, oh
well, and he said you know whatare your plans?
(29:17):
I said well, I'm, and this wasin like June I think, and in
October I had planned to go to,actually, when in September I
was going to go to India.
Cassandra (29:27):
He said oh that's so interesting.
Heather (29:29):
He said I'm actually quitting my job and I'm going
back to India.
And I just went what I wow?
I knew this fellow.
I just went to coffee with himbecause I wanted to ask him
questions.
So we ended up going togetherand we traveled around and 20
years later we're still together.
You married him.
Yeah, this was not my plan.
(29:55):
This was not my plan, but itwas so interesting that it was
just like the universe just saidoh, I'll just send them off to
india together and if they canget through that, they'll be
fine, because it's a challengingplace to travel oh, what a
great story I love that yeah.
(30:20):
So if you let the magic happenand you don't fight against it
and you don't argue against it,then the magic can happen.
I think it's our resistance tohow we think things should be,
to how we think things should be, like if I thought, no, I
(30:41):
should be a vice president and Ishould make six figures and I
should have this.
Cassandra (30:45):
I should all huh.
Heather (30:48):
Yeah, I should all over myself.
Cassandra (30:49):
That's right.
Heather (30:51):
Because I said, well, this isn't how I want to live my
life right now, so what then?
I just opened I want to live mylife right now, so what Then?
I just opened myself up to whatis the possibilities of the
options, and it can be superscary, I understand, to leave
your job and not have a plan.
Cassandra (31:12):
Right.
Heather (31:13):
What.
Cassandra (31:14):
You don't have a plan .
Heather (31:15):
Now, when I came back because I came back I promised
my grandmother I would come backfor Christmas.
So I came back for Christmasand when I came back I knew what
I wanted to do, because I hadhad that time to just not think
about anything.
So I actually went back toschool for two years and I
became a registered massagetherapist.
(31:36):
Went back to school for twoyears and I became a registered
massage therapist.
Here it takes two years ofschool and very intense studying
of, because it's a medicalprofessional here.
Um and exams.
You know board exams and I wasa massage therapist for 14 years
and you're in.
Canada.
Cassandra (31:55):
I'm in Canada, yesada , yes, oh my gosh well, that's
interesting because you saidthis is what you said.
You said that if you stand upand take charge of your life,
what will happen?
And you said whatever willhappen, you may not like when
you stand up.
What did you mean?
Maybe because you stood up, nowyou took charge, and what?
Heather (32:20):
yes, some of the stuff I didn't like, some of the stuff
I didn't like some of thereaction, some of the reactions
people had, some of the peoplethat I thought were my friends.
We were not prepared to go withme on that trip.
I'm not saying it was easy tosell my house and downsize to a
(32:43):
one bedroom apartment.
I'm not saying that the wholething was easy, but at the time
I felt like the option washarder Staying somewhere where I
was so stressed and feelinglike I felt like there was a big
vacuum sucking the life out ofme.
(33:04):
You know, like fluorescentlightings I don't know if you
saw was it Joe on the mountainor something the fluorescent
lights pulling this life out ofhis eyeballs.
So I felt like it's.
It's like when you startanything, the beginning's never
easy because you're learning.
You're learning how you'regoing to navigate something new,
even when you change jobs, evenif you're in the same
(33:27):
profession.
When you change jobs, it takesyou at least three months to
figure out how that job's goingto work, who to talk to, how to
navigate this, where's thebathroom, where's the printer,
like all of these things.
And we're okay when we changejobs, but we won't allow that
when we want to change our lives.
We want it to be fine instantly.
(33:48):
We want it to be like TV.
You know, prince Charmingkissed me and we lived happily
ever after.
Cassandra (33:53):
Exactly, exactly, and I love it when you talked about
how you use a GPS for to finddirection.
But what about your personallife, right, well?
Heather (34:04):
yeah, yeah, I mean we.
I mean you could ask chat GPT.
I have someone someone who Iknow who asked chat, chat GPT.
You know, it's almost likethey're using it as their
psychologist.
But it's just going to takeinformation off the internet and
sprinkle you with whatever itcan find, but if, but, you've
(34:25):
already got your own inner GPS.
You're just not listening to it.
Cassandra (34:29):
Right.
So you have to like yourself,get quiet, right the quiet is
the best.
Heather (34:35):
Yeah, get all that other stuff and just come home
to yourself, and I know peoplecan't run off to India for three
months or, wherever, to Balifor three months to quiet their
mind.
Yeah, that was just kind of myapproach, because when I decide
to do something, as my husbandsays, you just kind of dive
(34:57):
right into it yeah, I'll waitand wait and wait, and then when
I decide to do it, I'm in Wow.
Apparently.
My mother said I never botheredto crawl when I was a baby.
She said you just sat there fora while and then one day you
stood up.
So it's built in and knowingthat like it doesn't work for
(35:17):
some people, but they need theheadspace.
And you know I have a dailymeditation practice.
But there are people who resistsaying the I can't meditate,
which I don't totally agree with.
But instead of arguing, I justsay okay, then don't, but five
to ten minutes a day, I want youto sit and stare out the window
(35:38):
and daydream.
that's all because if you thinkabout the two parts of your
brain.
So there's your logical problemsolving brain, which is a very
handy thing to have.
It has tasks, it solves theproblems and it takes actions
right then you have yourcreative side of your brain,
which is um, dreamy andinventive and makes connections
(36:06):
that aren't necessarily logical.
And it's just so creative thatif we're always in the task
brain, you can't let yourcreativity that's true, and your
, like, your ability to daydreamis on the creative side so by
turning off the task brain andjust giving it like a coffee
break, give it a coffee breakand let yourself daydream and
(36:30):
not think about anything.
In particular, that's whenconnections come, that's when
problems get solved, that's whenideas come, that's why people
get ideas in the shower, becausethey're not necessarily
thinking about anything yeah so,instead of telling people to
meditate, I just asked them tolook at a tree for 10 minutes
and daydream about nothing, inparticular because it gives them
(36:50):
some of that headspace.
They need to be able torecognize the things they like
and you know, that's also whereyour higher self will be able to
recognize the things they like,and that's also where your
higher self will be able to comein and talk to you and maybe
give you solutions that youhadn't even thought of.
Cassandra (37:04):
I love that, heather, I'm going to intentionally
start doing that.
This is that overachiever thatI didn't really think that I was
.
And I like, like you talkedabout the brain, the creativity,
the, the, the, the logic, andI'm like, okay, I got to do this
, I got to do that, got to dothis, got to do that.
And I'm like, well, when do Iturn it off?
(37:27):
I turn it off because when I goto bed cause I'm so tired, I
just fall asleep.
But it's, it's kind of likegive yourself some grace.
Kind of like give yourself somegrace, you know, yeah, yeah,
like love yourself.
Heather (37:40):
Athletes take rest days , right, yeah, people who use
their body take rest days.
But we people who are verythinkers, doers, we never give
ourselves a rest day.
And some people, like you,might rest when you go to bed.
Some, because I have this habitof thinking, some nights I
(38:00):
can't go to sleep because mybrain is still working.
I'm like you got time to go onbreak, so I actually have to do
a breath practice or some kindof meditation or something while
I'm in bed so I can go to sleep.
Cassandra (38:13):
Calm yourself down.
That's good.
That's good.
I I like to like to we weretalking before you to action
that you have for the listeners.
I've been through it, love it,haven't?
(38:44):
You may see my name come up?
Oh, cassandra, was you know?
And and it's I like it becauseit's a link to help you move
closer to your best life andthat's that's I'm the creative
living your best life on yourterms.
I love that and I'd like to bebeautiful.
Yes, and I want you to share alittle bit about that, because
(39:07):
in the show notes I'm going toput the link in the show notes
and let's kind of not entice,but to inspire people to really
want to go in that link andstart get closer to what their
best life is.
Heather (39:23):
Right.
So this is our thriving lifemap and it gives you kind of the
structure of that thriving lifethat become and it takes you
through a series of prompts.
There's a little workbook todownload, like nothing major.
Don't let it go to your PDFgraveyard.
(39:43):
That's what I always tellpeople Don't let it go to your
PDF graveyard.
I encourage people.
If you download it, print itout.
I love having the paper, thephysicality of the thing to look
at, and when it's printed outthen I'll do something with it
instead of just filing it.
Cassandra (40:02):
But what?
Heather (40:02):
it's going to do is, and it's going to take you
through some, just some ideaslike of that harmonizing those
six areas.
And what I like about it is youdon't have to be any particular
way, because you can only beyour way.
So, having that ability, ithelps you step back and really
(40:26):
look, how am I doing?
And you don't have to sharethis with anybody else.
This is, and this isn't ajudgment of whether you are good
or bad or right or wrong,because none of that is true.
It's just a measurement.
Where am I right now?
Okay, what's working right now?
Okay.
What's not working right now?
Okay and okay.
(40:46):
So how am I going to start toshift?
So it's just going to take youthrough those little steps and
we can and you hear this all thetime at the new year, you know
I'm going to do this, I'm goingto change my life, but then you
don't take an action for forchange, for change to happen,
you have to realize you wantsomething different.
You have to decide what, whatyou want, and then you have to
(41:09):
actually take an action, becausepeople will decide what they
want and then they'll forget toactually do anything about it.
And then a year later they say,oh, I'm in the same place, I was
Well.
Cassandra (41:19):
I guess I'm a failure .
Heather (41:21):
but you're not a failure, you just forgot a step.
Cassandra (41:24):
Yeah, wow, that's great.
Sounds like the wheel of life.
Heather (41:29):
And when you take an action, sometimes it works,
sometimes it doesn't.
That doesn't mean you're afailure either, that's just like
feedback oh, that one didn'twork.
Okay, I'll try this.
So you imagine inventors likeyou're inventing your life in a
way.
So if you imagine inventorswhen they were trying to invent
electricity or invent thetelephone or the light bulb I
(41:50):
can't remember Thomas Edison did.
I can't even remember how manytimes he had to invent.
He did a lot.
Cassandra (41:55):
He did a lot.
Heather (42:01):
But yet we have light bulbs now, because he said oh,
that didn't work, but he kepttrying.
Yes, so you're allowed as manytries as you want on your life
till you find the one that works.
Cassandra (42:09):
Exactly.
If you don't try, that's right.
But don't give up Right Wow,right Wow.
(42:33):
So you gave a lot, of you knowso.
So, in other words, when Ithink about all we've talked
about.
Heather (42:35):
You have provided some tools, even some testimonies, I
say about your life, on howyou're going to be the CEO in
your work, is your life right,exactly exactly.
Cassandra (42:39):
And we're not just here to be here.
We all have something we aredoing to do something, and I'm
just hopeful that many of mylisteners will share this
podcast.
They will get in touch with you.
I'm going to ask you for yourhow they can get in contact with
you, even though you got a lotof places where they can get in
contact with you, even thoughyou got a lot um places where
(42:59):
they can get in touch with you.
But if, if I, when I really getout of this, I love the part the
chief executive officer of yourwork.
You are responsible for you and, as we talked earlier, we
talked about what you cancontrol and you were like, well,
I, well, what you control isyour reaction, because life's
(43:22):
going to throw you a lot ofstuff.
So I really like theseindividuals, my listeners, and
remember, you are the CEO ofyour work and, heather, thank
you so much.
I don't know if you have anymore wisdom that you could share
with my listeners, because someof them are stuck and a lot of
(43:44):
them don't like what they'redoing, but they're like so what
am I going to do.
You know, they can be HeatherStewart, or just be true to
themselves and figure this thingout, because when you're open
and you're ready, that's whenthe teachers appear.
Heather (43:57):
Right, don't necessarily jump off of my cliff
, because that was my cliff,that's right.
And the best way for you to.
When you're stuck, the bestthing to do is start with one
tiny thing that feels like it'ssafe for you to do and you can
(44:22):
start to see the see the ripplethrough your life.
Sometimes I just say to peopleget eight hours of sleep a night
, it'll make, it'll change yourlife right, that's true.
So you know, if that's a placeto start, be okay with that.
We are not in the fast and thefurious.
We are taking our time right,because if I want my life to be
(44:42):
the way I want it, I don't wantto rush.
I don't want to rush mydecisions, but I want them, but
I don't want to also not make adecision right and, as they say,
the race is not given to theswift, but for those who endure.
And I always say what are you insuch a rush for?
You know where the finish lineis right.
Cassandra (45:12):
Yeah right, Absolutely, Absolutely Well.
Heather, thank you so much forbeing a guest on my show.
I really enjoyed it and mylisteners.
And tell my listeners wherethey can contact you, although
it's going to be in the shownotes, but the easiest, easiest
place to find everything isheatherstewartcoach, because
everything is up there.
Okay, great, great.
Thank you again, my listeners,please share this with
(45:34):
individuals where you know thiswill be a blessing and also know
that this podcast will be onall podcast platforms.
And again, heather, thanks foryour wisdom and thank you so
much for being my guest, mylisteners.
As I always say, god bless youand bye for now.
Thank you again, heather.
Heather (45:56):
Thank you Bye.
Popular Podcasts
United States of Kennedy
United States of Kennedy is a podcast about our cultural fascination with the Kennedy dynasty. Every week, hosts Lyra Smith and George Civeris go into one aspect of the Kennedy story.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club
Welcome to Bookmarked by Reese’s Book Club — the podcast where great stories, bold women, and irresistible conversations collide! Hosted by award-winning journalist Danielle Robay, each week new episodes balance thoughtful literary insight with the fervor of buzzy book trends, pop culture and more. Bookmarked brings together celebrities, tastemakers, influencers and authors from Reese's Book Club and beyond to share stories that transcend the page. Pull up a chair. You’re not just listening — you’re part of the conversation.