Hatten Health Podcast Episode 2 with guest Donna McKonly

 Hatten Health Episode 2 with guest Donna McKonly. On this episode we sit and chat with Donna McKonly Coaching who is a Mindset & Leadership Coach. We talk about what it is to be a mindset coach, breaking barriers, leading with confidence & many topics including mental health. We get into her journey & her current business and how it aligns with many of Hatten Healths values. Get to know her as you watch & listen. Thanks for watching! Enjoy!
Contact links below:

Donna McKonly Coaching
Website: https://www.donnamckonlycoaching.com
facebook: https://www.donnamckonlycoaching
instagram: https://www.donnamckonlycoaching

Hatten Health
Website: https://www.hattenhealth.com
facebok: https://www.facenbook.com/hattenhealth
instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hattenhealth
TikTok: @hattenhealth 
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/hattenhealth

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:04

Hi everybody, welcome to episode two of our Hatton Health podcast, where we focus on family health, growth, and empowerment. I am Kari.

SPEAKER_03 0:14

And I'm Abby.

SPEAKER_00 0:16

Nutrition Coach's professional chef and nutrition coach as well.

SPEAKER_03 0:22

And we love and are so excited to welcome our guest speaker on this podcast, Donna McConnell.

SPEAKER_01 0:30

Hey guys, thanks for having me. I'm excited about it.

SPEAKER_00 0:33

Thank you for joining us. We we love to have you.

SPEAKER_01 0:36

Yeah. This is uh go ahead. I was just gonna say it's a cool opportunity. I mean, I was able to listen to your first podcast. I think it went um live today, and so I was listening to this morning, and just like a really cool opportunity to uh for families, right? And parents is they're just trying to navigate. I mean, life is busy and navigate like how do we even get dinner on the table? And you guys are meeting that need, so it's a really cool opportunity.

SPEAKER_03 1:06

Oh, thank you. Yeah, I'm so glad you got to listen to it.

SPEAKER_00 1:09

Yeah, thank you. Yeah, that means a lot. That means a lot.

SPEAKER_03 1:15

Well, Donna, first we just want to cheers to you and say thank you for being here, and we are so excited to hear what you have to say and wish you all the best. Cheers.

SPEAKER_01 1:26

Thank you, cheers, yes.

SPEAKER_03 1:32

First, just give us a brief background about Donna Wem.

SPEAKER_01 1:39

Yeah, who am I, right? Yeah. So um, so you guys are in Colorado, right? Yes, and I'm in um Wisconsin. And so just a little background on me. My career had been in education for over 20 years. I worked as a school counselor. Um, just really, I mean, I love kids, I love working with kids. Um, and while I didn't necessarily know what I was going to be when I grew up, um, that path kind of fell into my lap and I was just really happy in the work that I was doing. Um, and then uh gosh, right around 2010 probably, um, I kind of had an itch for something different. And um, it wasn't until 2019 that I decided, yep, I'm gonna go ahead and pursue my coaching program. So kind of like the idea of, you know, when is the right time? And you know, no time like the present and being able to jump in, but it took me nine years, right, to be able to get my mindset around like, yes, actually I am going to take this leap. And so um, so at that point, I was doing coaching and working in a school. And in October of 2024, I decided I was ready to leave my job and education and pursue coaching full time. So I would call myself um a life and leadership coach, energy leadership coach, and uh work with people, men, women. Um, I've worked with high school age kids as well, uh, just in that whole piece of mindset and how we can um how do we even shift it, right? Like being able to shift our mindset or shift that perspective so that we can accomplish the things that we're looking to accomplish. I mean, everybody has goals. So why not have somebody to support you and work with you in reaching those goals?

SPEAKER_00 3:33

Absolutely. I feel like what you're doing is is much needed out there, you know, not just especially now, with topic, the topic of mental health being such a hot button now, but it should have been a hot button a lot longer than it has been. Like for many, many years ago, a lot of people wasn't talking about it as much as they are now. And it's coming to the forefront a lot more. And people like they're doing things like what you're doing is helping to push that agenda, helping to get that get that awareness out there, helping people who may need help with their mental health at all ages. I feel like that's a really great thing that you're doing.

SPEAKER_01 4:08

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And it's um, you know, it's uh the certainly with the mental health piece, right? I mean, I certain I'm I'm not a therapist, and I will tell clients like, hey, I'm not a therapist, but you know, um definitely an advocate and using, you know, the therapist. Um, but a lot of a lot of things that people are, you know, like the the reasons that they're coming to me are, you know, they're kind of feeling stuck in something or they're they're looking for like the um, you know, Donna, I I want something more in this life, but I just can't figure out what it is. And what, you know, so that's what they're coming to me for. But what they don't necessarily realize is that there's you know, some type of limiting belief or some, you know, some seed of doubt that's been planted somewhere in their life. And um, it's being able to just kind of understand like, well, why am I not able to figure out that next step? Or um, you know, what's keeping me, you know, keeping me from you know taking that jump. So right.

SPEAKER_03 5:13

And a lot of people, yeah, they don't even try to acknowledge or take the time to identify that. And so that's awesome that you're able to help people get that and hopefully get them to where they want to be faster, right? Yeah, yeah. So you're helping people do that too in a lot faster, more efficient. Right. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:42

Oh, it Kari, it is so cool to see um just the growth that clients make. And um, you know, I'm I'm able to see it in our sessions, but what's really cool is when they acknowledge, oh my gosh, like I, you know, I never would have uh taken this perspective so early if this situation had happened five months ago or a year ago. Um, and so you know, their confidence has has grown, um, their belief and just, I mean, and this is confidence, but just like believing in themselves and what um, you know, that their ideas matter and and what they want to experience in life matters, right? And that their um feelings matter. Just being able to validate and acknowledge those feelings, it's like now all of a sudden they have a voice and it's being heard. And so that piece right there is just, I mean, it's just really cool. Um, that ripple effect that happens um in working with the clients.

SPEAKER_00 6:48

It's amazing the amount of things you're able to accomplish in life when you just have the strength to take that leap, to take that leap and go out there and just do it and put away the what-ifs, because that can hinder you so, so much. I think just the main decisions in life or making major choices that can alter the course of your life and somebody else's in a positive way if you apply it the right way. It's it's that's awesome.

SPEAKER_01 7:10

Yeah, yeah. And that whole piece, um, you know, so I call myself a leadership and mindset coach. Um, I also would call myself an energy leadership coach. And the whole idea of being able to build our awareness and like where and how we're investing our energy or where we're investing our thought, because our thoughts are going to create our feelings, which then are, you know, that's where our actions come from. And so if we can recognize that thought and even the energy behind the thought, um, we're able to start making shifts. Kind of like that idea of, you know, if it's like all the what ifs, you know, some of a lot of the what ifs can turn into um, well, gosh, what if nobody takes me seriously? What if I won't succeed? What if I fail, right? Like they they start getting into that mindset and um not to get like too too deep into the nitty-gritty of that energy, you know, that energy piece, but that's the catabolic energy, and it's heavy.

SPEAKER_03 8:13

Yeah, I've been there I I get yeah, and it's easy to just get in that cycle, and it's just like get out of it.

SPEAKER_00 8:26

Oh my goodness. But anymore, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:28

Yeah, you're getting in your own way, and you're I mean, I I think of it as like you're carrying a 50-pound sack with you when you're trying to, you know, do these big and exciting things in your life, but of course you're not gonna have the full capacity or show up in your you know your full being when you've got this, you know, 50-pound sack that you're dragging along with you of you know whatever those messages might be. Right. So yeah.

SPEAKER_03 8:52

Well, that's amazing work. That so can you tell us a little bit like how I know you were a school counselor, but how like what drive drew you to this? Like how did you become a coach? A coach, and yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:06

I mean, there are, I would say there's parallels, right? In the work that I was doing as a school counselor and then um in becoming a coach, but um you know, I I think the the thought process was kind of like I knew I wanted something more, or something, not even something more, I wanted something different because the work that I was doing was a lot. I don't know if I wanted more of that, right? But I wanted something different. Um, and I, you know, I'm single and um I felt like education was somewhat limiting and it was um exhausting, um, just in terms of, you know, like you work and you work and you come home and there's still more work to do, right? Right. And when you're, you know, certainly um working with kids in the mental health piece, you know, you don't really turn the switch off.

SPEAKER_03 10:00

You're thinking about the kids, you know, when you go wondering yeah, yeah, wondering about their whole compartmentalization, yeah, especially if you're yeah, living by yourself, you probably, yeah, just got you can't let go of those thoughts, right? Talking to somebody about it, you know.

SPEAKER_01 10:18

It's yeah, it's um, you know, it's it's it's heavy work, right? And uh so I knew that there was something else, and I had done a lot of you know searching. Like I went to my alma mater and viewed, you know, some of their grad programs. I went and spoke to some, you know, directors of you know, like healthcare administration because I wanted to be able to grow in leadership, but also still be able to support and work with people. And you know, each each kind of program I took a look at, I'm like, ah, this just isn't this isn't it. And my sister had shared an article about a life coach um with me. And so I set up a a call with this person. And um, after speaking with her, I was just like, man, I wish I could do that, but I can't. Like she was like a a Miss America or a pageant person, and I'm like, I'm not Miss America. So, you know, it's just kind of like immediately like I put up a wall. And then a couple years later, I was listening to another podcast. And um, as I was uh uh, you know, doing doing some work and it was all around life coaching, and they just asked the question, like, why can't you become a life coach? And I'm like, Yeah, that's right. Like, why can't I do this? This is work that is meaningful. I'm totally aligned with it. And so um I made the decision. Uh, you know, it took nine years, but I would also say I made it fairly quickly once I was ready. Like I was like, yeah, this is it. This is what I want to do. And um, so I uh signed up for a pretty intensive coaching program. It's through IPEC. Um, I'll definitely like cheer anybody on that wants to go this route. Um, it's an amazing coaching program. I would say probably one of the more intensive programs out there. And um it was it's all around the energy leadership. And it's interesting because my mom was um, I took one of the airplane or airbus shuttles or airport shuttles to the hotel where my training was. And my mom dropped me off to the shuttle and she's just like, what do you like? What is it that you're hoping to get out of this? And I'm like, oh gosh, like, I mean, ultimately, like to be a life coach and have my own business. And I said, but at a minimum, like just tools and strategies that can support me and in my life and just how I show up. And I never would have been able to have um imagined the level of impact that program had on me in becoming a coach, being able to coach, and having a coach, because I have a coach and I don't think I will ever go without having a coach. Um and it's just been a total, not to be too cliche, but like a game changer, total game changer in my life and just how I manage conflict, how I handle stressful situations, how I'm able to take care of myself, how I'm showing up, you know, to my friends and my peers and my family. And um so it's been a total game changer. Yeah, love it.

SPEAKER_03 13:25

That's awesome. Well, I'm so glad you found that path. That it is amazing. Not a lot of people can say that, that they found something that's totally changed their life.

SPEAKER_02 13:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 13:35

And also you're able to have your own business with it and use it every day in every aspect is amazing.

SPEAKER_00 13:42

Yeah, it's something congratulations. Yeah, that's all to do, man. It's something that you want to do and don't feel like you have to do it, you're passionate about it, and it's just something that comes natural to you. And um, one of the our biggest audience that we talk to are busy parents. And would you like to talk about the parent-specific connection?

SPEAKER_01 14:02

Yeah, yeah. So, and um, I'm a I'm a dog parent, right? Um, so I have two fur babies that I love and adore. Um, but I've been working with kids, like I said, for over 20 some years, right? From elementary age to high school age, um wide variety of students with different um interests and abilities and life situations that they've, you know, are living through. And so um, so I always like to preface that piece because I know that experience, like having experience, gives somebody like, oh, okay, well, I I I can listen to to what she has to say. You know, she knows what she's talking about. Um, but it's that um, so you know, and parents, gosh, and you guys know it, right? Like that's the hard, I'm gonna just say that's the hardest job that's out there being a parent. I mean, huge responsibility, and I don't say that to then make it overwhelming, but it's you know, it's a big responsibility and it's exhausting. And how often are you questioning yourself? Well, did I say the right thing to them? Did I did I do this? Do I did I do this right? Or oh gosh, like I was too short. Like maybe I'll screw her up for the rest of our life, right? Like it's all that pressure that we put on ourselves, right?

SPEAKER_00 15:25

To her, like, okay, do I want to repeat some of the things I didn't like or don't want to overkill doing the opposite? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:33

Yeah, yeah. So I mean, I imagine a lot of your conversations for the two of you are just in like navigating, being a parent, and um, you know, having, I mean, it certainly helps having a teammate as a parent, right? Like, so that you know, you can say, like, hey, I don't have it today, I need you to take the lead, right? And that's that's all energy, right? That's the energy that we're um that we experience. And so it's having the awareness, right? Of just, okay, I'm coming in hot. You know, it was a stressful day, things didn't go as I planned, you know, the tech wasn't working for me, whatever, right?

unknown 16:16

Right.

SPEAKER_01 16:16

We have stress and we experienced it. And you know, then being able to, you know, talk to your partner about like, okay, well, hey, I need you to take the lead. I I I just I'm I'm tired today, right? Right.

SPEAKER_00 16:32

Yeah, take some time to decompress and reset for a minute.

SPEAKER_01 16:35

Yeah, which kind of gets it right into like the work that you guys are trying to do with your clients. And you know, how do we make parts of your life like easier? Right. How do we take, you know, as a parent, there's a thing called decision fatigue, right? And all the decisions that you're having to make, well, you know, and that's what you guys are doing is taking taking um decisions off of the parents' plates so that something feels in control, right? Like that's gonna feel time. We have to eat, right?

SPEAKER_03 17:06

Well, everybody's gonna eat, and yeah, how can we make that simpler? So yeah, that's what I think. Yeah, you don't have to worry about all the things, right? Or spend so much time worrying about for sure. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:18

So make it enjoyable for our everybody around the kids, the parents, if they have guests, it's just simplifying it, but still fun and exciting. So you want to keep continue to just keep doing it.

SPEAKER_01 17:32

Yeah, well, and being um, you know, the other piece, so you know, you said like in coaching and and supporting parents, the um having awareness, right? So where where's my energy right now? And then being intentional, you know, and so the the work that you guys are doing is helping families so that eating, you know, uh eat you know, getting dinner ready and having a meal isn't just a thing that you're checking off, like, okay, got that done. Now we got to go to soccer practice, right? But what you're doing is you're creating an experience for the family and being intentional in that time. And how do we how do we make this easier so that you guys can, you know, form those relationships and those connections and you know, just you're exactly right, Donna.

SPEAKER_03 18:22

Yeah, and yeah, and yeah, in our family time group coaching, we have a whole module, you know, on not on on mindfulness too around eating. Um, but we also talk about like mealtime routine and rituals as well, and how it's not just feeding your body, but actually making an an event out of it.

SPEAKER_02 18:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 18:45

One meal a day where you actually have a routine, whether you sit down, you say grace, or you light a candle or things like that. Talk about your day. Talk about your day, gratitudes, highs and lows, things like that, trying to make it into a habit so that your mealtimes are actually more enjoyable.

SPEAKER_00 19:02

It's not just on the eating part, but so your kids can have that routine and inspect it and yeah, to be engaged and also build social skills with your kids too. They can take they can take with them for the rest of their lives, seeing as how because like you know, we're all have our phones, trying not to have our phones at the table, or yeah, just not having our phones at the table and have something to talk about, have something to look forward to, at least have some part of the day where you're disconnected from all the other distractions and you're focused on just family and your connection that you have with each other, no matter how big your family is, if it's one child, two, five, six child children, single parent or not, just have some kind of connection with the company that you're keeping at the time at the dinner table, making it more at least more than just about feeding your stomach, but feeding your mind and your heart and soul as well.

SPEAKER_01 19:46

Yeah, yeah, which is so powerful. And, you know, I mean, I I live with my mom, so we do meal times, you know, together. Um, but there's plenty of times where, you know, if if I'm eating on my own, that I can even I can even make really good company for myself, right? Like I don't have to watch TV and just like zone out while I'm eating, but rather enjoying the food and you know, connecting and just slowing down and being present, reflecting on my day. And so I mean it's just it's powerful work, and that's that whole energy piece, right? Um, of just you know being able to connect, connect with people and build that awareness, right? Like what's happening now? What are we doing? What's working, what's not right. That's the first step, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 20:33

In a lot of different ways, like so um some people don't even like realize what they're doing, right?

SPEAKER_01 20:38

Yeah, first is crazy when we're doing it, but we don't even realize what we're doing, right? Right. Yeah, yeah, but it's it's um it's powerful work, and it's you know, from in the work that you guys do with um, you know, meal time and and that food preparation and the connection. And I loved Kari what you said, you know, it's not just feeding your your stomach, but it's feeding your your heart and your mind and um just you know being together, right? Um, but it's uh just the practice and I think the common piece in the work that we do um with our clients is um you know creating awareness, being intentional, and um, you know, being honest.

SPEAKER_02 21:26

Right, right.

SPEAKER_01 21:27

Like we have to be honest with ourselves at times, um, and you know, kind of asking some of those hard questions so that um, you know, because mealtime can be triggering for some families, right? It can it can create, you know, intense experiences. Um uh so you know, just um, you know, helping families to be supportive, helping individuals to be able to, you know, support one another that way. So it's just the work we do, guys. High five, it's powerful work.

SPEAKER_00 21:55

So yeah, everybody's heard that everybody's heard that term before. Um Gut, there's your second brain, which is 100% true. It is, and that's where the term gut feeling comes from. Making decisions and you're putting situations and everything, have that gut feeling. Because a lot of people don't really understand how much the brain and the stomach are connected, not just physically, but just like with the nerves, um, the energy, your cells, way everything's just like they work in conjunction with each other so many ways behind the scenes that every second of the day that we may not think about, which is why the importance of mindset during mealtime, before mealtime, and after mealtime is so important to your digestion, to the way your body absorbs the nutrients that you're taking in, good and bad. The way it affects your your growth and development, whether you're exercising or just um a toddler infant just growing, developing the organs and everything. Everything is tied in together so intricately that we can go down a whole three-hour rabbit hole just talking about that. But yeah, what you said um about the mindset at the dinner table, it really, really hit home.

SPEAKER_01 23:02

Yeah, yeah. And you know, one of my one of my clients, um, a single, a single parent with um younger, younger kids. And, you know, like, hey, like there's times where it's about survival, right? Like, how do we get through the night um and get to bedtime and uh you know for a single parent, and I'll say, you know, when you you have two parents working, you know, if if it was a rough day, like it can be about that survival piece. And so we had talked about just that level of um, you know, you you think maybe like, oh, the kids are quiet, they're on their iPad, they're eating dinner, and it's quiet, it's giving me a chance to just like breathe. And then we talked about like, okay, but it's quiet, but is it really um is it really like bringing their nervous system down and like calming and relaxing? Or is it just amping, you know, amping them up, being on the the tech and other research out there, but you know, she realized like, well, yeah, no, like we have a really hard time coming down off of that time with you know the iPad. And so we talked about creating a system, creating um routine and structure and just slowing down so that you can start that nighttime routine and it can start with you know the meal time, right? And just being able to support families that way. And the next time we talked, she said um she could see a difference in the confidence of her kids because they were talking about their school day and they were you know talking about what they learned, and then they were you know supporting one another and you know, helping, you know, where one was struggling, the other was able to help. And she said, It was cool. She's like, that was cool, but that's the work you guys are doing, right?

SPEAKER_03 24:52

Oh, you too. That's that's a great testimonial for you, too. I mean, it seemed so simple, right? To say, don't use that tonight, like something so simple and what seems so little and have such a big impact. I mean, we we've been going through that recently too with our move and everything. We definitely started relying on screen time a lot more than our daughter, and it turned into a very bad habit. Yeah, yeah. Um and so just within the last couple weeks, we've like, okay, we need to get back on just regulating that a lot. Regulating that because yeah, with the moving and everything, it just kind of said sometimes it is survival. Yeah, right. So yeah, and yeah, and then bedtime, yeah, was rough. And so, but yeah, we started limiting definitely at nighttime the TV and um changed our bedtime routine up a little bit, and it's definitely now starting to work, but definitely taking away the iPad, limiting TV time a lot more than we were. It does make a difference, and you don't recognize how much of a difference it makes until you start doing it for sure.

SPEAKER_00 26:05

Yeah, on our own personal schedules, but um just during the day with things that we have to go on with, whether it be the house or um our daughter's activities or like my work schedule, and we're just trying to figure out exercise, trying to organize our day a little bit more so we can be more present with her at in the evenings. So when the evening bedtime routine came around, it was a lot easier for us to do that. We can be a lot more, we can be calmer um doing that with her so she can feel that energy.

SPEAKER_03 26:34

Like she can be getting so frustrated because she's not falling asleep until after.

SPEAKER_00 26:40

Yeah, so yeah, I could take it two hours to it all links together and it all starts with yeah, starts with us.

SPEAKER_01 26:45

Yeah, yeah. Well, it's um and that piece that you just talked about in like the self-care, right? Like it's not it's not just um like how do how do we make, you know, if it's meal time, how do we make make this work, right? Um and what do I need to do to take care of myself? And I'm a I'm a big person on like structure and routine. Um, I'd read Atomic Habits. I don't know if you guys have read that. Um, and the whole idea of it's you know, it's not just the goals that you have, but it's the systems you have in place to help you reach those goals. And so we can talk about goals all day, but to accomplish those goals, it's about that system you have in place. And Kari, that's what you're I mean, talking about, right? Like when when do I get my workout in and my exercise in? So then I can be present and show up the way I want to, you know, for my partner, for my child in the work that I do. And that's just such an important piece, um, piece of the puzzle, right?

SPEAKER_00 27:47

Right. You gotta know where to make some make some sacrifices for the greater cause down the line, you know, because it's not gonna have not everybody's gonna have everything they weigh, they want it all the time. But if you work on that uh that gentle compromise that makes all parties involved satisfied and makes things that you're trying to do throughout the day or throughout the week get those goals accomplished, then you hit hit the finish line already. Yeah, you forget about little things that you may have wanted to do. That's that that doesn't matter. That's part of growth and development on everybody.

SPEAKER_01 28:21

Yeah, yeah. No, the um sometimes, and that's that piece, um uh just thinking about like uh like the like all the have-to's, right? The like the to-do list, everything that I need to get done. And it's overwhelming. I mean, it's overwhelming in life, it's overwhelming for parents when you've got, you know, all the things on the list that you're trying to do and how you're wanting to show up, right? Like I need to be the best salesperson at work, I need to be the best mom, dad, right? Like I need to be the best partner, and we're we're putting all of these again, right? Like that's that 50-pound pack that we're carrying, right? Like we're putting all this pressure on ourselves and then just recognizing, like, okay, well, what's one thing I can do right now that's going to support the bigger vision, right? And if that bigger vision is um, you know, in supporting my family or supporting me so that I can show up for my family, what's you know, what's in my control? What's that one thing I can do? And it's not this whole list, but it's just one thing because we can only do one thing at a time, right? So let me let me focus on this so then I can hit that next piece.

SPEAKER_00 29:36

So that's powerful stuff right there. Yeah, it really is.

SPEAKER_01 29:42

I get excited, I get excited talking about this stuff, and it's not to make it seem like it's easy or like, oh, we just have to be positive. Life is hard. Life is hard, and so it's not just like, oh, I just need to put a smiley face on and be positive to to do the things, but rather like, no, I'm I'm at like I'm at choice here, and so you know, that one thing, what am I gonna choose to do right now? What's that you know, that piece so that I can take care of things, I can take care of me, I can take care of, I see the dog in the background there, right? Yeah, so like sometimes they're the one thing that we have to take care of so that sanity can be, you know, around us.

SPEAKER_00 30:21

So it's totally possible to be the optimist and a realist at the same time.

SPEAKER_02 30:27

It's balanced.

SPEAKER_00 30:28

Yeah, I can be 100% be a very, very positive person about everything all the time, but still have your finger on the pulse of reality, what's realistic every day. So know how knowing how to manage that is very is is key, I believe.

SPEAKER_01 30:42

Yeah, yeah. So yeah, it's exciting stuff.

SPEAKER_03 30:47

So and it's it's fun to see you so excited about it. You know when somebody's really passionate, right? And when they when they're excited themselves, right? You don't have to like try to sell somebody because you're you're loving it and you enjoy it, and so that's fun, that's fun to see.

SPEAKER_00 31:02

I feel like you said a lot of things that a lot of people can relate to, and I hope our listeners grow and hope they heard something that you may have said today that they can take with them that can help them along the way in their life, just what they've heard so far if they haven't met you already. And if they haven't met you already, hope they look into what you're doing, hope they find you on your socials, hope they find you in any way, shape, or form after this, because um you've given a lot of information here that a lot of people can use in their daily lives and carry on and teach to others as well. That's just what you said so far, not including hours worth of content you've already told or what you have in your programs or what you are willing willing to put out in the future. So thank you already.

SPEAKER_01 31:47

Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. I I um, you know, as I shared on my journey and said that, you know, becoming a coach, having a coach, and being able to coach others has been a total game changer. And um I I mean I'm hope it seems like you guys are feeling that, right? Like the excitement and just like the impact that you know, this this um I mean, clients have said to me, Are are you like a a witch or a magician or something? Like, how did you do that? And it's just it's just being able to ask. I mean, the client usually leads me with the question, and so then I ask it. They don't realize that's the question, so then I ask it and then they're like, uh-huh, right? I don't have the answers for them. I trust that they have the answers. It's just a matter of like peeling back the layers and right, just reframing it just enough, or just sometimes it I mean it whether in schools or works, you know, sometimes when you say things out loud, you'd like will click, or you're like, oh, that doesn't sound right.

SPEAKER_03 32:52

Sometimes it just has to you just have to talk to somebody or hear somebody else say it back to you for it to actually like yeah, yeah. So I mean that's what you're doing for people in the much more amazing, glorified way.

SPEAKER_01 33:06

Yeah, yeah. Well, I mean, we have so much going on, right, between our ears, right? Like so many thoughts, so many messages we're telling ourselves, and just to be able to talk about it with somebody that's not gonna judge you, right? And you just get to like you get to like say what's on your mind and then even be like, no, that that's not what I mean, and and then kind of sort through the words and well, what does that mean for you, right? And you know, helping helping clients um, you know, peel unpeel or peel back the the layers so that they know they know what what's going on for them, right?

SPEAKER_03 33:38

And like you mentioned, somebody that's not biased, right? That's someone that's not gonna take a personal or you know, like a family member or a friend might yeah for sure. Yeah, yeah. So um, Donna, so how can people get in contact with you? How can people get a hold of you?

SPEAKER_01 33:55

Yeah, so my um website is Donna McConnellycoaching.com. Um, and so you know you can you can find me on my website, my um Instagram and Facebook are both Donna McConnell Coaching. Um, and uh maybe we can share it uh uh as well with um your viewers in terms of we'll definitely share them.

SPEAKER_00 34:17

Yeah, we'll put it in the description. Yeah, we'll put it um on the screen too in this video.

SPEAKER_01 34:21

But yeah, if you um if you go onto the website um and something something caught your interest, you can always schedule a discovery call. I mean, there's no charge and there's no pressure, it's just an opportunity to feel like, okay, wait a second, is this coaching thing for me? Um and is Donna, you know, for me. And so then we can have a discovery call and and be able to have a chance to to have that time together and and see if it feels like a good fit for both of us. So that's awesome.

SPEAKER_03 34:49

Wow, yeah. Yeah, yeah. We'll make sure to definitely share all of that for sure for everybody.

SPEAKER_01 34:54

Yeah, yeah. So I appreciate so much for you guys letting me be here and just um, you know, seeing you guys again and uh being able to have that connection because it's um I'm excited about your journey and the path that you guys are on and the um you know that impact, right? Like I always think of, you know, hey, we're throwing out a stone and it's that ripple effect um of just you know the work that we're trying to do and and support people and make make life feel easier and and um in the challenges, like hey, it takes a village, right? And it's not just like the person living next to you, but it can be the person, you know, across from you in your Zoom call where you can have support and um and get through, right?

SPEAKER_00 35:37

Yeah, I feel like um one of the things that uh we all have a common three of us is our some of our coaching tactics is like a lot of relatable coaching, uh using like real life scenarios, talking about real life uh situations, experience, coaching from experience mostly. And a lot of people can relate to that because we're talking to you as a real person, not just as a name that came across our desk, but as somebody with some experience that they wanted to share with us, and maybe we can relate to something that they're saying, and vice versa. And then there's that connection and trust. But you use the help gain gain that connection and trust, use that to build a bond, and you could both grow from that, or both can learn from that. So yeah, we definitely appreciate your time here today. Is there anything else that you want to leave with us or with the audience before we go on about our lives today?

SPEAKER_01 36:27

Yeah, um, well, uh I guess maybe, you know, certainly I would love to to work with anybody that would be interested, you know. I I I believe in the work, but um, I just like to remind people, um, because I I have clients come to me and I recognize we may not always be a match, and that's okay. I'm okay with that. And and you know, I I trust the process and I trust the journey. But um, you know, if it doesn't, if you're feeling like you need some type of support or you're feeling overwhelmed, or you're, you know, that not enough message, or you keep questioning yourself and that doubt comes through, um, I just encourage people to reach out. You know, Kari, it's kind of like that piece you said in the beginning, right? Like people don't talk about mental health, um, or at least they used to not really talk about mental health. And so now it's becoming a more common piece. And I think um coaching has helped bridge that gap a little bit um where there's not necessarily a stigma and like, oh yeah, of course I'm gonna raise my hand. I've got a coach. Yeah, absolutely, right. Um, but then being able to have that, you know, have that person on your team so that um, you know, just like we do checkups and and you know, get ourselves all checked out, right? Like, but being able to have a coach just to support on that journey, and I'm a big believer in the work. So um, you know, find find your person, I guess is kind of the message I have. Find the person that's gonna, you know, be it feel like a good match and support you in your journey.

SPEAKER_03 37:56

So and you brought up a good point, you know, it's part of your overall health care, right? You go to your primary care practitioner, you go to the dentist, you go, hi doctor, all that stuff. So having somebody there for your mental health as well, and you see clients a lot more than their doctors do. You see your doctor once or twice a year, right?

SPEAKER_01 38:17

Right, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 38:22

Um personal relationship with them.

SPEAKER_00 38:24

Yeah, the strongest person in the room is the one who's not who's brave enough, not afraid to put your hand up and say, I need help. Like I'm headstrong, but I still need help in this department.

SPEAKER_01 38:37

It's it's cool, it's cool work. So yeah, I appreciate you guys having me.

SPEAKER_03 38:42

Thank you, Donna, for joining us. We learned so much from you and hope to have you on again. Hopefully, and I'm just also thankful that we were able to meet a year ago, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 38:56

It was like this time last year.

SPEAKER_03 38:59

In the same business coaching group, um Courtney Burton, her coaching group, and that was how we were able to connect, and I'm so glad we were able to do that.

SPEAKER_00 39:07

Yeah, yeah. It's uh yeah. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, go ahead. I was gonna say answering.

SPEAKER_01 39:13

I was just I was just gonna say it's amazing the connections you can create. So awesome.

SPEAKER_00 39:17

Yeah, awesome.

SPEAKER_03 39:19

Well, take great care, Donna. Thank you for being here.

SPEAKER_00 39:22

Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 39:22

Absolutely, thank you. And we'll see you soon. Sounds good. Bye.

SPEAKER_00 39:28

All right, everybody. This has been another episode of our Had in Health podcast, episode two. Thank you for joining along with us on this journey today. Today we were speaking with Donna McConnell. Yes, energy leadership coach. We had a great conversation. And always remember we are all about family, health, growth, and empowerment.