07: Coach Sheri Poyant - Oola Field

Episode 07

 Date Recorded: February 3, 2023

 Title: Coach Sheri Poyant – Oola Field

Description: Sheri Poyant is a wife, mom, educator, and coach. She is also the author of "Letting Go of Perfection, Embracing the Mess and Finding Your Balance.” Sheri understands the challenges of balancing work and family and the impact that stress can have on your mental and physical well-being. Her mission is to help moms find a little bit of peace, better health, and more joy in their lives. 

 Sheri and her family live 10 miles from Disney. During her free time, she loves to bake, go to the Disney parks, run with friends, and spend time with her son and husband.

 How to connect with Sheri: 

Follow on Instagram: www.https://www.instagram.com/sheripoyant/

Follow on Facebook: www.https://www.facebook.com/sheripoyant

Website: www.sheripoyant.com

Email: hello@sheripoyant.com

 New episodes of Life Coaches in Cahoots drop every other Wednesday.

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Transcript

Melinda 1:38

Hello

Stephanie 1:39

and welcome everyone. Today's topic involves everything related to your career, your vocation in life, whether you're full-time, part-time, a stay-at-home parent, a student, whether you're working at your day job, the one that pays the bills, or your dream job, the one that you're super passionate about in your true calling. This topic covers them all. What am I talking about, Oola? And today we have Coach Sherry Poyant with us to dive deeper into our fourth F of Oola. Sherry is a wife, mom, educator, and Coach Sherry is also the author of Letting Go of Perfection, embracing the Mess, and Finding Your Balance. She understands the challenges of balancing work and family and the impact that stress can have on your mental and physical well. Her mission is to help moms find a little bit of peace, better health, and more joy in their lives. Sherry and her family live 10 miles from Disney. During her free time, she loves to bake, go to Disney Parks, run with friends, and spend time with her husband and son. I am Coach Stephanie, and I'm here today with Coach Melinda, my co-host, and a coach who lives by the most magical place on earth. Coach Sherry Poyant. Hi, Melin.

Melinda 2:50

Hi, I'm Coach Melinda. Stephanie and I are on a mission to showcase some of our fabulous Oola life coaches and share their stories. We are very excited to introduce Sherry Boian to our listeners today as she shares about herself and Oola Field. Welcome coach Sherry, and thank you for joining us today.

Sheri 3:10

Thank you so much for having me. We

Stephanie 3:13

are so excited. I have to say, first of all, since I currently live in Wisconsin, and I'm buried in snow and zero degrees. We wanna hear all about what it's like living in Florida, especially near Disney, and how and why did that happen?

Sheri 3:29

It's magical I am originally from Rhode Island. I lived there my whole entire life and in 2021 we made a decision to move here. We've loved vacationing at Disney for the last, 11 years with our son. And, one time I was on vacation, I said, I really wish I could live like this all the time. And two months later, We decided to move here and it's just wonderful. It's warm. I love the sunshine. I'm actually allergic to the cold, so being here is just so good for my mind, body and spirit.

Stephanie 4:02

It sounds wonderful, especially to me right now. And so you moved to Florida with your husband and your son? Yes. Yeah. And he is in high school. I saw something recently where you were doing a college tour. Are you gonna be an empty nester? I

Sheri 4:17

am I am, my son is 18, he is a senior in high school. He made such a good transition of moving here. he's applied to eight colleges, we've heard from six so far, and he's gotten into all of them and he's looking to follow, I guess, in my husband and my footsteps of, health and wellness and, uh, coaching and teaching and working in exercise. So we will be empty nesters, so we have, you might hear him barking in the background, a new puppy so that I can take away a little bit of that pain of my son moving away. I

Melinda 4:54

think I did hear your little puppy in the background, but actually my daughter is in college, so Stephanie's, oh, I do know. I know a little bit about the empty nester, but also the void that can be filled with your family pet, so I think that's great that you got one. my daughter actually goes to veterinary tech school and so it's a big thing for them for the anxiety and depression. They encourage the kids to bring their emotional support animals with them to college, and they encourage'em to spend as much time as they want down in the kennels with the animals. So I love that. Yeah, that's a great. What is your new puppy's

Sheri 5:32

name? His name is Finn. It was a family decision that took many days, lots of input from other friends and family as well, but it really fits him well. He's a sweetheart. He's a golden retriever. He's 11 weeks old and he's our fourth golden. So, um, yeah, we've had goldens for the last 24 years and our house felt empty when our last one had passed away.

Melinda 5:57

So we just got one for my dad. He's retired now, so we thought it would be great for him too. Give him something to do. And, uh, he's 11 weeks old. He's an asie doodle. And, I was laughing today because I saw that Dr. Dave was out there doing the cheese tricks with his new little puppy blue. And this dog is nowhere near that discipline yet. So better get on the,

Sheri 6:21

we've taught Finn to sit, stay, give a paw down. So he's really doing well with all of that.

Melinda 6:28

That's great. I don't know how he holds out for that cheese today. They put three pieces on each paw for him. I was like, speaking of food though, did I see that you too like to bake? Is that part of what you have going.

Sheri 6:42

I absolutely love to bake. I have a son, my son Andrew, he has food allergies. He's allergic to peanuts, pistachios, cashews. So I, from a young age for him, always had to bake things special so that I wanted him to feel included and then he wasn't missing out on things. And I just developed a love of baking. My grandmother loved to bake and I'm. So that's kind of what I specialize in baking. I don't know if you've ever heard of my famous muffins, banana, chocolate chip muffins that everyone loves. I've been making them every single week for the last 16 years for my son and my husband. So I just, it brings me joy to share my baked goods with others, so that they can just, you know, enjoy them and it just makes me happy to make them.

Melinda 7:28

I did see that. I know that your mission is to serve women in the health and life and business. So I was searching your website, which I gotta say I loved it. I loved the free resources, particularly the ice cream recipe was awesome. And I also like the midlife. Weight, last free tips you had. So it's very well laid out. It's very user friendly. So I hope you'll definitely share a link in the notes for people for that.

Sheri 7:54

Absolutely. Yeah, absolutely. So

Stephanie 7:59

you wrote a book and you bake and you have a website, you have your own coaching business. what if you could do anything right now and have a dream job,

Sheri 8:09

what would that. That's a great question. My, passion and I guess my talents lie in teaching. I am a certified, early childhood in elementary ed teacher. my two favorite jobs. One was when I worked at, uh, it was called Faith. Nursery school and I was assistant director and I also did a lot of training with the teachers, and I've also worked at the college level. So my dream job would be to teach early childhood in, college settings. Again, I'm really excited that I had the opportunity, this semester to work virtually for Rhode Island College, where I used to work in Rhode Island advising students. So, I'm doing a little bit of that right now and it's just, it's been wonderful to kind of get back into that. Well, that's

Stephanie 8:54

great because our topic today is Oola Field and dream jobs and day jobs. And we asked you on today's show, because we know you've worn a lot of different hats or ears, that you've had some unique experiences in this area. Could you share more about your past?

Sheri 9:14

Experiences. Yes, absolutely. So I have about 20 years of teaching experience from three year olds up to college. and I, as you know, have written a book. I've done health coaching and life coaching as well, and I just got a job, a seasonal job at Disney. So I. Literally seven miles from Cinderella's Castle. We've always loved Disney because they were so inclusive with my son, with his food allergies, that it's just been such a great place for happy memories with us. my, my heart is always how I can serve and give back. And I said, how amazing would it be if I could go and, and. Be part of that magic for other people. I also am an a runner and my first race, that I trained for my big race was, in Disney. And I got hired to work, in merchandise at the E S P N Center. and I am gonna be working at run Disney event. So I'm really excited and. You know, it's, it's this little job, but it's big to me because it's a, I'm able to give back, but also I'm new. I moved 1300 miles away from my family and friends, and so this has given me an opportunity to meet other people and potentially make friends and even if I'm just talking to strangers all day, and that's exciting for me to get out and, and to be able to do that. So those are. The different things. I have a degree in textile scratch of merchandising and design, which I'm using again for this, and also have that teaching background as well. That does sound

Stephanie 10:43

really exciting. I'm very happy that, that's great. do you have any goals in the area field

Sheri 10:49

right now? I do, I'm continuously, working to grow my coaching business. I know I'm somebody who in the past has struggled with perfection, has struggled with balancing work and family, and then that, unbalanced life affecting my emotional health and my physical health. And I know there are the women and moms out there who are feeling that as well. So one of my goals is to grow my coaching so that I can. I'm working on this new program, it's called fill Your Cup, where I can sit in a Zoom with someone and just have a cup of coffee and help them with some things like time management, prioritizing in that. But I'm gonna tell you that I'm completely open to also working maybe in a college, um, you know, doing some advising or teaching. Or something with Disney. I applied for an education manager position at Animal Kingdom. So I feel like there's so many possibilities, and that's another thing I wanna say to, I'm 53 years old and I still feel like my life is still beginning, so it's never too late. If you wanna try or do something new. I agree

Melinda 11:52

with that and congratulations on the new job. That's awesome. Thank you. So is there something, now that we're talking about life coaching a little bit, is there a story, a background that brought you to Oola? How did you come to

Sheri 12:05

know Oola? Yeah. Well it was back in 2018, uh, the end of 2017. I went through a really difficult time. I had lost my mom. She, had Alzheimer's disease. My son Andrew, was in middle school and he was going through a. Cyber bullying. He was being bullied, through Snapchat. And I was trying to balance all of that outside and still do all the things I wanna do, like make my muffins, you know, for my family. And I was teaching full-time in a kindergarten classroom that was stressful. All the stress piled up and I ended up, mentally and physically, uh, and, and I left work, to heal, to feel better. And along that path I started, looking into natural wellness. And when I was doing that, I learned about the Oola tea. At the time, Oola had tea, this organic tea, and I was all in tea, you know, I love organic foods. And, I started drinking it. Then I saw there was a book, and I read this book and I said, the woman's book of finding balance in the unbalanced world and. Thought to myself, imagine if I had this book and I had this system and this framework, maybe I wouldn't have become so, unbalanced myself, So I started reading the book and I started following Dr. Dave and Dr. Troy. And then a little while after that, I decided, let me, I'd love to become a coach, that I could be part of this movement That's just bringing balance to people, with such a simple. Not always easy, but a simple system, that I know that other women could also benefit.

Melinda 13:35

So is that your niche is to women that are out of balance? Is that what

Sheri 13:41

you work with? It is, yeah. It's the women who are out of like their work and life. They're having a hard time balancing that. They're suffering from that. perfection of, you know, when I grew up, that was what it was. You have the, you have your perfect home and your perfect dinners, and your kids look perfect in the whole thing. And if it didn't, then you were doing something wrong. Well, it's not that you're doing anything wrong. We're supposed to be doing like our best, right? and, and nobody is supposed to be doing things perfectly. So I wanna help women to kind of let go of that. Life is a mess and it's okay, but embrace it. find balance and find joy. When we're unbalanced in our work, in our home, our relationships suffer and our joy, you know, kind of disappear. So I want women to be able to feel the joy that you know, that I feel now that I didn't feel five years ago. And that's what you wrote your book. It is, yes.

Stephanie 14:35

So you are helping women in their fields too, and feeling good about themselves. Who has been your most important professional mentor and why?

Sheri 14:47

I think that, there have been a lot of people who, Ohio have followed who I've known along the way from professors in school, uh, in school, teachers that I worked with. But Dr. Dave and Dr. Troy are the most authentic human beings that I have ever met in person and follow. their message is clear. Their hearts are huge and they inspire me to wanna be part of helping other people to find balance in Oola.

Stephanie 15:20

for sure. I would agree with that 100%. Yeah. So we are going to change topics a little bit in the interview. We like to ask all the coaches, on our show some questions similar to the Pist questionnaire, which has its origins in a parlor game, popularized by Marcel Pist, a French essayist and novelist who believed that in answer, 35 questions. An individual reveals his or her true nature, and we obviously don't have time to ask you all. 35. So we picked five. The first one is tell us something in your life that has grown out of a personal disaster.

Sheri 15:59

The art of forgiveness. I learned to forgive by learning to forgive. It improved my overall health and wellness because when we forgive, it actually frees us as well. So I think that's something that I learned along the way in my life.

Melinda 16:18

And on that note, how about we switch it over to something happier? When and where were you the happiest you've ever been?

Sheri 16:27

So I'm gonna say three things, if that's okay. So the first was when my husband and I got married, May 30th, 1998. It was such a happy day. We danced the whole day away. It was so much fun. My son was born on October 18th, 2004. Candy and not even beat that. But personally for myself and my own goal, was January 10th, 2016, my 46th birthday. I ran the marathon in Disney at 46. I was the girl in high school who like, Didn't make it through a week of track tryouts. I was the not athletic sister of the three of us, and I went there and I ran and finished a marathon. So that was super exciting. Oh, that's

Melinda 17:09

amazing. Congratulations. thank you. What relationship defines love for you? Real or fictional? Mm-hmm.

Sheri 17:18

try to say this without getting too emotional, but it's my marriage to my husband, Matt. We met in college in 1990, so we've been together almost 33 years. This year we'll celebrate our 25th winning anniversary and. No one has loved me the way he loves me. that puppy that we have, he got that from me because he knew how I was lonely here in, Florida. no marriage is perfect, but we've worked at it consistently and I'm just, proud that we're able to share that with our son and feel so blessed to have my husband for my, my.

Melinda 18:04

I Amazing. I think something that the new generations moving up need to really see families that stay together, marriages that stick. And I love when Dr. Dave talks about if you're not working on your marriage, you're working on your divorce,

Sheri 18:18

I introduced my husband to Oola a few years ago and in 2021 we dated each other every single week for 52 weeks of the year. And it was so much fun. And now we're just continuously do it. But yeah, it's something you consistently have to work on. It's just like anything else in life that's, it's, that it's worth it, but it's.

Melinda 18:42

Yeah. I'm glad you have something like that. Especially with you're gonna be an empty nester. It's,

Sheri 18:47

yes. So important. So important. Yeah. I like

Stephanie 18:50

the. Photos you posted with the mugs in

Sheri 18:53

the morning? Oh yeah, That's what, this morning I looked down the counter and I said, why aren't our mugs matching? He's like, oh, I just took those out of the dishwasher. So my husband will, you know, if he's home and, and not working that day, he will put out two matching cups. Might just be sayings that go together or Disney mugs or whatever so that we, we drink on a matching cups. We're kinda corny like that, It's

Stephanie 19:14

cute. Okay. The next question is, what person, place, or experience has shaped you The.

Sheri 19:21

again, I'm gonna go to my husband. he has had faith in me, even when I've doubted myself. He believes in me no matter what I'm doing. And to have Sony believe in you, it really does make you feel like you can do anything. he's taught me patience. Discipline, although I'm not as great with discipline as he and my son are buddies, taught me discipline. and he's just so supportive. he's somebody who has gone to work in a job that's not always been easy without a complaint to take care of our family. So every single day I'm in awe and inspired by.

Stephanie 20:04

Well, he is gonna love hearing this on your podcast. his, his head's gonna

Sheri 20:08

get big. Oh,

Stephanie 20:10

Okay, so the last of the purist questions. Mm-hmm. what advice would you give to your younger self?

Sheri 20:18

I would say to let go of fear. Fear held me back so much in my life. I lived in Rhode Island my whole life. I went to Rhode Island College. I went to the University of Rhode Island. I moved from one town to the, to the next, next to it. I would say take risks. Go travel, do all the fun things and, and don't be afraid. I lived in fear a lot of my life, but I've learned to let go of that and to live more within faith. And I wish that my younger self had known that. But, you know, all along the way, I always feel like it wouldn't really change anything because I wouldn't be here right now at this moment if things had been d. Good answer,

Melinda 21:04

So we are also asking all the coaches on our show if they have taken an Enneagram test for anyone out there unfamiliar. The Enneagram is a system of personality typing and describes patterns and how people interpret the world and manage their emotions. It is simply a mapping of self discovery and personal. So did you happen to take the Enneagram test?

Sheri 21:30

I did. And I, and this is a funny thing, I said, yeah, I've taken it before. I said, but I don't remember the number. So that might tell you something about my personality. But I was a seven.

Melinda 21:41

Okay, and a seven is the enthusiast. So sevens have a gift to brighten up the mood wherever they go. It's funny how Disney is on your list there, right? And they're good at seeing the big picture of things and don't take themselves too seriously. Are great at making plans that are fun for everyone. Have an agile mind that is able to switch between multiple things quickly. Are you in agreement with that

Sheri 22:12

for yourself? I am, and the funny thing is, is that years ago that would not have been me. You know, I would, because I needed things perfectly, I need to do things and was more systematic. Where now like, If you ask me to go on a running trip or a girls trip, my bags were already packed and I'm ready to go. I as a one on the Disney trips for our whole family, getting everybody together. I am one who loves to get people, you know, I started running and then all of a sudden I had all my friends, were running. I love to to bring happiness and joy to others. I love to live in joy and like you said, I live near Disney, like Rico at least once a week because it. I think life's short and wanna enjoy and have fun.

Melinda 22:56

I think Disney is great. That was always our family vacation when I was growing up. Oh, and that would've been Pennsylvania, so it was a quick, easy East coast, but it had so much to offer and it still does. Yeah. Yeah. How about what quote or motto do you value or that fits your value system and you just really

Sheri 23:16

identify with it? for my value system, it's something. Faith-based. It's through Everything I do is to serve God and to serve others. I really feel that my purpose is to love, honor, and serve God. And that's why I do what I do and I work in service of others to make other people happy or feel balanced, just to help maybe brighten their day as well. I love

Stephanie 23:40

hearing everyone's. Quotes or mottoes. It's one of my favorite parts. And this has been absolutely fantastic. We have really enjoyed having you on our show today. Sherry, thank you so much for joining us. Is there anything that we haven't asked you today or anything you'd like to add?

Sheri 24:00

I think what I would like to add is, everybody can change. Anybody can grow. It's just, it's simple, but it's not always easy. But if you're not liking your job right now, first thing is don't quit your job until you have something else to, support that or replace that. But if there's something that you wanna do and you're passionate about, set some goals, some smart goals, and take a little bit of action every day. So if you want to start your own business and you want to open a store that sells art or something, start researching that and what will that take and what could you do if you wanna be a life coach, search. By the way, Oola is the best. But go ahead and search different companies and see what aligns to you and start taking a little bit of action every single day. So whatever your goal is, always use the, analogy, the of the marathon. Like if I'm coaching someone, say, Hey, I wanna run a marathon. I'm like, oh, cool. That's awesome. I can totally help you with that. Yeah, I wanna run it in three months. I'm like, oh, great. Like how much have you run? And they say Nothing. And I say, okay, we need to start at the beginning and we need to take a little bit of steps every day. So maybe we start off as two runs of a mile a week and on a Saturday or two miles, and then we work up every day. But it's those consistent daily action steps and habits that will lead to overall change. So whether it's with your work or it's with your exercise, your health, and whatever it is, just know that it's a simple process. Not always easy. But you can do it one action step at a time. And if you need help with that, reach out to a coach because there is many people who would love to help you. That was great

Stephanie 25:40

addition, great advice. Before we part ways, we wanna let you know that our next episode will showcase coach Carrie Ford and the topic of Oola Faith. We want to remind you that we are all designed for greatness and purpose, Stressless, feel better and enjoy life a little more. Thanks again for being with us today, Sherry and goodbye everyone. Thank you.

Melinda 26:00

Thank you.

Sheri 26:02

Thank you.