I wrote This little post in 2020 when I first launched HK Coaching.

It’s been a long, winding journey…

Thank you for stopping my little neck of the internet. If we haven’t had the chance to meet yet, I’m Heather✌🏻

Raise your hand if you have an idea of how your life is supposed to go.

Yeah, so did I. 

I thought this might be the perfect place to share what has shaped my career and how it all led me to launch my passion-fuelled dream career, mindset, and success coaching.

So, without further ado, here’s my story. 

I had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up. Honestly, I still don’t know. I remember once, as a wee gal, I told my mom I wanted to work at Walmart. But my aspirations shifted many times, ranging from nurse to family and relationship therapist to lawyer. 

What I did know is that I wanted to do something that served others. I’ve always had this compulsive need to help others, lift and support them. That’s what fills my cup. But I wouldn’t understand this until several years later. 

With my constant flip-flopping, I decided I needed to head into the workforce and take time before heading to university. Let’s face it: I knew I was going to be paying for my education, and that’s an expensive investment. The thought of going to university is overwhelming enough, let alone the thought of financing a small fortune for general studies. No, thank you. I’ll make some money first while I figure my life out. 

For the first couple of years after high school, I worked for a landscaping company, mostly doing maintenance work in a semi-gated community. I had the best time working there—I supervised my area and drove a golf cart all day, and my coworkers were hilarious. I live on the West Coast of Canada, and I can be a bit of a weather wimp, so working outside got old pretty fast, so it was time for a career change. 

I started working for a local home decor retailer in the mall. I knew one thing for sure: working inside was definitely for me. A few months after starting with the company, I was promoted from sales associate to assistant manager. The next thing I discovered was that I loved authority. I wanted to be in a power position, making decisions and having staff report to me. Okay, we’re starting to get closer to figuring this whole career thing out. 

Then something devastating happened—I was laid off after the holiday season. The store was restructuring, which meant the full-time staff, particularly the management team, had to be laid off. I was heartbroken. 

After 2-months of job hunting and living off of EI (my least favourite feeling in the world and the only time I’ve had to live through it *knock on wood*), I started working for a local gym chain, and this is where I would find my stride. After about a year and a half of working with the company, I was offered the opportunity to take on the General Manager position. I was 21, terrified, but naive enough to believe I had enough experience to take this on. Accepting this role would be the big defining moment that would shape the rest of my career. 

To this day, the job is one of my absolute favourites. My team was incredible; our customers were the best. I felt almost untouchable. But there were a lot of frustrations. I took my job incredibly seriously and started to invest in courses and books that focused on leadership, sales, and general business. After a long conversation with the company’s Vice President, I registered for classes and pursued my Bachelor's in Business Administration. I was lucky to have a good relationship with the company's owners, and on a trial basis, I could keep my role as General Manager. 

When I started my business degree, I thought I would double major in Management and Finance. Boy, was I wrong! My professor walked in with a full suit and tie on (I would later discover that the first day of this course was just about the only time he dressed like this). In front of the whole class, he cut off a piece of his tie and wagered a bet with the class—he could sell that completely useless piece of fabric to one of us for at least $20. We all laughed. Then he told us that the buyer could trade in that piece of tie to be exempt from any test during the semester. An auction proceeded, and one of my classmates paid at least double the ticket price. My mind was blown. This was the first day of my first marketing class in the second semester of university, and I knew right then and there that marketing would be my focus. 

During my degree, I became heavily involved in extracurricular activities like joining the board of the Business Student’s Association, serving as an executive member of a leadership conference, founding a marketing conference that would become part of the business program’s curriculum, and eventually being asked to serve as an executive member of the MBA Games Organizing Committee, which to this day stands as one of the best experiences of my life. 

After graduation, I worked as an SEO specialist for a tech company. I started to hone my skills and eventually started to add PPC (pay-per-click) advertising clients. After about 8 months, I was offered the opportunity to work in the company’s corporate marketing department and focus more on what I loved—communications, events, and social media. I had some incredible learning opportunities and groomed my skills, but after 2 years with the company, I had reached the end of my growth opportunities. 

One thing was becoming evident to me: I craved a challenge and needed to keep busy. So, it was time to find my next adventure. 

It was around this time that I really started to think about venturing out on my own. As much as I embody the boss lady mentality, I’m also pretty risk-averse and love feeling secure. But it was fun to start dreaming. 

I took on a short-term contract covering a medical leave with a long-term care facility specializing in Alzheimer’s and dementia care. Talk about a 180-degree turn. I was the acting Marketing Manager, primarily sales-focused, but I was also involved in a decent amount of PR, event, and social media work. It was really fun, and I think the work there was incredible. My big takeaway was discovering how versatile I can be and gaining more confidence in my abilities. I’m an asset and don’t need to keep feeding my imposter syndrome. (Is anyone else feeling me on that!?)

When my contract was coming to an end, I got what I felt was the dream job. Remember the retail store I worked in at the mall? The Marketing Manager role at that mall opened up after being filled for roughly 20 years. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? This felt like a full-circle moment that was 10 years in the making. I love fashion and community; this felt like everything I had been working for. Needless to say, when I was offered the job, I said YES! 

Something was always missing. I was pouring my heart and soul into my career, building my network and my reputation, but there was always some kind of resistance that I couldn’t figure out. It shouldn’t be this hard, especially when I know the high level of potential I innately feel within me. 

Cut to 2020 and a global pandemic. Like the rest of the world, I spent countless hours reflecting on my life and taking stock of the things that were serving me and, more importantly, the things that weren’t. 

That’s when it clicked–coaching. 

I thought about what sets my soul on fire, what I could talk about all day, every day, and what my gifts are. It was so painfully clear that I could have kicked myself for taking so long to get here. Helping people discover their power, release their limiting beliefs and fears, and step into their best selves is what I am on this earth to do. 

I have been on my own personal development journey for the last five years. During this time, I’ve worked with coaches, and working as a coach has been on my radar. I have looked into training countless times but never found anything that fits my vision. 

The day after my epiphany, I discovered YES SUPPLY, and my life was forever changed. I took a leap of faith and began my journey to becoming certified in Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Emotional Freedom Technique, T.I.M.E. Technique, Clinical Hypnotherapy, and Life and Success Coaching. 

I made this decision in June 2020 and committed to finishing the program by August 31, and the Universe showed up for me in a way that I could no longer ignore. 

My purpose in this world is to guide other women, just like you, to reignite their inner fire and create the life they were meant to live—to be completely whole within yourself and feel fully lit up in every bucket of your life. 

You deserve that life. You are worthy of abundance.

Love you, mean it

Heather