My Mom: Our Story

My mom and I didn’t get along growing up. We fought a lot.

She was dealing with chronic pain that made it difficult for her to show me the attention I needed. And what she needed was empathy, but I didn’t have the emotional maturity to give it to her.

All I could see was her tiredness, her exhaustion, the missed PTA meetings and the times she picked me up late from school. She did the best she could with the body she had, but I was too young to understand that and I resented her for not doing more.

In 2016 everything changed when she was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. I moved home to live with my family for the first time in four years. During those years, I shared a wall with my mother. She became a roommate of sorts, a friend.

I would wake up every morning and storm into her room with my next great idea for business (this was when Personal Brand Accelerator was just a dream that hadn’t been built yet).

We spent hours reviewing the material I had written and working daily to sculpt my business into a viable source of income that would allow me to be independent.

“Thank you so much, Mom. You’re really good at this,” I would say as she edited my copy.

I could tell that meant a lot to her.

Those years were healing for us. I began to see my mom as a woman independent of me. She was Christine. With her own hopes and dreams, setbacks and misfortunes, strengths and weaknesses. She has overcome a great deal of hardship in her lifetime. And I couldn’t have known this unless I took the time to know her and ask.

Now we live thousands of miles away and she is still my #1 confidant, the person I turn to while I’m on the cusp of any big decision in my life.

She has supported me through starting a business, moving solo across the country, giving up alcohol, DATING, and getting a new puppy–to name a few.

Many of my life-altering decisions wouldn’t have been made without the help of my mother.

I’ve learned that, sometimes, we need a trusted confidant who can illuminate the correct path forward–who can help us see what we’ve known all along. Sometimes, following your intuition is only possible through the strength of connection and companionship.

If you are on the cusp of your next great idea, business, or creative project–I encourage you to seek support from someone you trust and can help you take action on decisions that require the biggest leaps of faith.

We can’t do this work alone. We need each other to succeed in the areas that our hearts have called us to.

And if you need that support from someone, I have one spot left for 1:1 coaching.

I coach people how to build their personal brand, create content, and build their coaching businesses. I am available to help you if you’re ready for your next big adventure. Book a call or learn more here.

P.S. Are you also “sober-curious” like I am? I’ve been making my mocktails with Ritual. (Alcohol substitute with zero calories and zero sugar). You can use ‘Annav’ at checkout for 20% off :)