I’m a wife, mom, twice-certified life coach, and a big believer in having your cake and eating it too.

Although, apparently, some people have very strong opinions about that last part. But we'll get there. LOL.

If you've ever watched Runaway Bride, you probably remember the scene where Julia Roberts realizes she doesn't even know how she likes her eggs. She's spent so much time becoming whoever the person next to her wanted her to be that she never stopped to figure out what she actually liked.

That was me in 2015.

After separating from my ex-husband, I found myself in this strange position of having to get to know myself for what felt like the very first time.

I'd spent so much of my life, beginning in childhood, being whoever I needed to be to survive. Adapting to my circumstances, reading the room, and figuring out which version of myself was required in any given situation.

And suddenly, I realized I had the opportunity to ask a completely different question.

Who do I actually want to be?

That year was messy, emotional, liberating, and one of the most defining periods of my life.

I started figuring out what I liked, what I believed, what I wanted, and what kind of future I wanted to create.

And as it turned out, I wanted quite a lot.

I wanted to get married again. I wanted babies. I wanted a husband who was absolutely obsessed with me. I wanted to build a coaching business I loved while being a really present mom.

I wanted a life that felt like mine.

And I wasn't willing to compromise on the things that mattered most to me just because I didn't have any examples of that kind of life actually existing.

At one point, my mother told me I couldn't always get what I wanted. That I couldn't have my cake and eat it too.

I looked at her, smiled, and said, "Actually, I can."

And walked away.

A few months later, I found a coffee mug at TJ Maxx that said those exact words.

Obviously, I bought it out of pure spite. 😂

That mug unfortunately broke several years later, but my husband found me a replacement. And nearly a decade later, those three little words became the name of my membership, Actually, I Can.

Because somewhere along the way, I found my work, too.

I had been sharing bits of it online, and offline. The things I was learning, the decisions I was making, and how I was approaching this new chapter.

And something interesting started happening.

People around me began making changes in their own lives.

One coworker started going to the gym and quit smoking. Another booked a dream trip abroad to participate in conservation work, finally putting a degree she'd earned years earlier to use in a way she'd always dreamed of.

We weren't having formal coaching sessions. We were just having conversations about life and what might be possible.

And I realized how much I loved helping people see things from a different perspective.

So I started exploring life coaching certifications.

And because I had absolutely no idea how the fuck to actually be a life coach, I went and got trained. LOL.

I've since earned two life coaching certifications, and I'm continuing my education in Positive Psychology through Arizona State University.

I'm a huge believer in education and taking this work seriously. There's a lot more to helping someone create meaningful change than telling them to think happy thoughts and hope for the best—we all know that’s not how that works.

And yes, I got the life I wanted.

I met my husband. We got married. We had our son. And together, we've created a life that gives me the freedom to be the wife, mother, and woman I always wanted to be.

I get to show up for the school art shows, the spontaneous library trips, and the ordinary afternoons together. I get to build a business I love, prioritize my family, and make room for the things that matter to me.

But I don't want to paint a picture where I decided what I wanted, got everything, and lived happily ever after without another hard day.

The last several years have included devastating losses, life-threatening health challenges, unexpected career changes, and starting over in a new state (twice).

It's been a lot.

And while I wouldn't have chosen those experiences, they've reminded me that creating a life you love doesn't mean you get to control everything that happens within it.

For a while, I was so focused on navigating what was happening in front of me that parts of myself took a back seat.

Now, life is settling into a new rhythm, and I find myself asking a familiar question.

Who am I going to be now?

Except this time, I'm not a newly divorced woman in her mid 20’s trying to discover herself for the first time.

I'm a wife and mother who absolutely adores the life she's built.

I don't want to burn it all down and start over.

I want to keep becoming, right here in the middle of it.

And it's been fascinating to realize that the same things I learned about myself a decade ago still apply today.

Different circumstances. Different desires. Different season of life.

Same woman deciding what she wants and what she's willing to do about it.

A few things haven't changed, though.

Over a decade later, i'm still endlessly curious about people, fascinated by the different ways we all experience life, and I love a conversation that starts with something completely ordinary and ends with us questioning everything.

I absolutely adore being a wife and mom, dream of having more babies, and will always consider my two huskies my first babies.

And if you're into Human Design, I'm a 3/5 Manifesting Generator with Emotional Authority and the Right Angle Cross of the Sleeping Phoenix.

So honestly, a lot of this probably makes perfect sense to you. LOL.

Here's what I want you to know.

I feel incredibly fortunate to have the life I have.

But I also know it didn't happen by accident.

I didn't have proof that the kind of marriage, family, career, or lifestyle I wanted was possible for me.

I decided it was.

I held the standard for what I wanted, made decisions that reflected it, and kept showing up for it, even when the circumstances suggested I should settle for something else.

And I still do.

That doesn't mean everything has worked out exactly how I planned, or that believing in something guarantees you'll get it.

It means I refuse to let my current circumstances, someone else's expectations, or an outdated version of myself make every decision about what happens next.

I get to set the standard for my life.

And for more than a decade, I've had the privilege of helping other people recognize that they have a say in theirs, too.

Not by handing them my definition of a good life.

But by helping them get clear on their own, see what they might be missing, and start making decisions that reflect it.

I love my work. I take it seriously. And I'm really fucking good at seeing the bigger picture.

So whether you're starting over, going after something you've wanted for years, or simply wondering who you want to become next, I'd love to help you explore what's possible.

Because you don't have to wait for your life to change to start showing up as the person you want to be.

Showing up as that person is how you begin to change your life.

And you get to start right now.

xo, Bri