Mahara Wayman [00:00:05]:
Welcome to the art of badassery where I explore what it takes to live life on your own terms. Break free from the status quo and unleash your inner badass. Whether you're a rebel at heart or simply seeking inspiration to step outside your comfort zone, this podcast is for you. I'm your host, Mahara Wayman. And each week, I dive into the stories, insights, and strategies of those who've mastered the art of badassery and are living life to the fullest. They smile when no one is lucky. Welcome back another exciting episode of the Art of Badassery podcast. I'm your host, Mahara Wayman.
Mahara Wayman [00:00:48]:
And today, we have a truly inspiring guest who embodies the essence of living life to the fullest and finding happiness in unexpected places. Her journey from the bustling city of Melbourne to the serene beaches of Queensland is nothing short of remarkable. My guest is Michelle Gordon, the visionary behind the healthy, happy nurse. With a career spanning 25 years as a dedicated nurse, Michelle has transitioned into a life coach, guiding others on their path to wellness, joy, and abundance. Growing up in the beautiful city of Melbourne, Australia, Michelle always dreamt of a life filled with abundance and fulfillment. Little did she know that her dreams would lead her to the picturesque shores of Queensland, where she now lives, living her dream life by the beach. For Michelle, exercise isn't a chore. It's a source of bliss.
Mahara Wayman [00:01:42]:
And what's more blissful than spending weekends sharing ocean swims with her young daughter? Their love for the beach is a testament to the power of finding joy in life's simple, beautiful moments. Today, Michelle will share her incredible journey from nurse to life coach and how she has unlocked the secrets to living a life of freedom, joy, and abundance. So badass. So, grab your headphones, grab your favorite drink, And get ready to be inspired as we dive deep into the art of badassery with Michelle Gordon. Michelle, welcome to the show.
Michelle Gordon [00:02:20]:
Thank you for having me. This is exciting.
Mahara Wayman [00:02:24]:
Those of you listening, I just want you to realize that when I'm filming this, Michelle is up at, like, Super, super early her time just to be here with us. So I wanna say a special shout out and thank you. It's one of the challenges of being Of working globally is that we are all in different time zones. And while I take for granted, you know, it's 2 o'clock in the afternoon, it's 6 o'clock in the morning her time. So, Michelle, You look amazing for 6 AM, and I wanna thank you for getting up and getting ready for this.
Michelle Gordon [00:02:52]:
Oh, look. It's Great to be here. What a great start to the morning, having a a beautiful conversation. So thank you.
Mahara Wayman [00:02:59]:
I love it. Okay. 25 years as a nurse. My best friend is a nurse, just retired, actually, and I would love to know what made you get into that profession.
Michelle Gordon [00:03:10]:
Okay. Yeah. So I I've always loved helping people. I've always been a people pleaser, let's say that, and, a big part of, you know, my childhood was People pleasing, which it it made me feel good, the fact that I could help somebody else, and I followed that that path. My mum very much was very encouraging for me to to go and do nursing, And I just well, I was like, well, I'm great at helping people. Perhaps that's something I should follow. So Little did I know that people pleasing was going to come back and bite me later on in in in terms of burnout. However, you know, I've had a A great career.
Michelle Gordon [00:04:01]:
It's been 25 years this year as a nurse, and, yeah, I've really learned to to, I guess, I love it. It it's it's part of who I am now.
Mahara Wayman [00:04:14]:
I think it's so interesting that you mentioned people pleasing and nursing in the same. Because the minute you said it, I'm like, well, wait a second. Isn't that interesting? You know, nursing we see nursing and and As a profession of just total giving, like, we're just you know, nurses just give and give and give. And up until you said people pleasing, I never would have put 2 in the same sentence. But because for the most part, folks, both of us are coaches, we know that people pleasing will always come back to bite you. Right. It will always come back to bite you. It's actually not one of the things that you wanna aspire to because for the typically, we let it go too far.
Mahara Wayman [00:04:52]:
Are you still nursing today, or have you
Michelle Gordon [00:04:55]:
I am very casually. So I had left my permanent Government position, which I've had for the forever, across, you know, Various states in in Australia, and now I I work as a casual occupational health and safety nurse, Which is great because I just choose the days that I want, and if I'm have a busy week, then I don't Have to go in it all. So yeah. It's great.
Mahara Wayman [00:05:28]:
So it's definitely a part of being a badass is Setting some boundaries and picking and choosing what's gonna work for you. So I love that you're able to do that because, of course, this is what we're all about on this podcast is talking about being a badass. But before you got to that state of picking and choosing and recognizing, can you take us back to a time where you felt, perhaps a struggle or a recognition that, hey. This is not actually what I signed up for. Life is not working the way I thought it would.
Michelle Gordon [00:06:01]:
Mhmm. Yeah. So if I go back to 2016, I was working full time as an emergency department nurse, which was the position that I that I lay left 8, 9 years later. And I had 3 young children at the time. My youngest was two and a half. I was Very much a I'll fix it. I'll make everyone happy. I will work myself to the to the ground to Port our family.
Michelle Gordon [00:06:36]:
My husband was struggling in a brand new business and trying to to get that up and running, And I just went to work. I said, alright. I'll I'll sort this out. I'll provide for our family, which I'd always done. I'm I'm that type of, I'll work, I'll fix it, I'll go into, you know, go mode, And I was working up to 7 shifts a week at one stage and, You know, with 3 small children at the time with my husband struggling in his business, I just lost sight of Who I was, my basic needs, and that I was a human being, not a robot, And that over time started to burn me out, which I didn't realize because burnout does creep up on you. And looking back now, I I very much went through The 12 stages of burnout. So I started to just neglect my basic human needs. I kept pushing through.
Michelle Gordon [00:07:45]:
I, started to get really irritable but continued on. I stopped doing the things that, like, lit me up. I stopped Engaging with other people. I stopped engaging, in joyful things that I used once used to do in my life, And then I started to realize, well, I'm in not a great state. I don't like my life right now, And I would escape using alcohol, which is also one of the stages, is to numb yourself with a substance, you know, whether it's Food, drugs, or alcohol to just keep pushing through, and the they that Then took me on the slippery slope of alcoholism, and I would function amazing as a nurse during the day. And behind closed doors, I would be pouring wine after wine after wine to get through. Yeah.
Mahara Wayman [00:08:43]:
Thank you for your honesty in that. I'm wondering, Like, what is it about the world that we live in today that so many of us and I'm speaking predominantly women here. So many of us think that we have to do it all. Like, where does that where did we learn that? Because, you know, there are marked differences between the sexes, and I'm not gonna go down the path of men are from Mars, women are from Venus, other than You know, I know it could be because men suffer burnout as well. But as a whole, I know so many women, and this is what I coach on, that Just go it doesn't matter. I'm gonna figure it out. I've just like you said, I am going to fix this. Almost as if, there is something driving us to prove that we are worthy.
Michelle Gordon [00:09:34]:
Oh, spot on.
Mahara Wayman [00:09:36]:
And it's so guys, It's a tough thing to hold on to, and yet so many of us do. Part of being badass is learning to let go of that belief and forgive ourselves. Michelle, what actually can you think was there a time when you actually went like, the lights went off and you went, okay. Oh my gosh. I've gotta take action against this behavior that I've been doing.
Michelle Gordon [00:10:02]:
Yeah. You're so right. Like, there there was just this inner drive To prove myself, and and it really did at the end of the day when I unraveled all of this stuff, it was about my self worth. So, Yeah. I just wanted to touch on that. The there's 2 moments that as I this Between 2016 and 2018, things unraveled really heavily, and I found myself drinking heavily, and and that was I knew I had a problem, and I continued to ignore it. And this one Evening as I took my usual place on the couch after a hectic shift at work, came in, dumped my bags down, went to the fridge, poured the glass of wine. I sat down on the couch, and my little girl who was 2a half at the time, She toddled up to me and just stood right in front of me and reached out with her little hands and just put her hands on both you know, on my face and just stared at me, and she said, mommy, where are you? And just that moment was it was like, yeah, straight to my heart, and it was like I woke up and went, She sees me, and she knows that I'm not here, and she can see that I'm a 1000000 miles away and struggling right now.
Michelle Gordon [00:11:36]:
And And it was almost like a I'm back in reality. And so that really was that was one of the most Life changing moments, and little does she know, like, she's 8 now, that that was yeah. She That was the the first moment that I actually woke up, and the second moment was a couple of weeks later, I was still drinking, and I actually woke up on the floor 1 morning. I had passed out. I'd had so much to drink that I had, passed out, and I woke up in the morning, and I didn't realize what had happened or who I was or where I was. And that was the 2nd moment where I went, no more. No more. I'm not doing this anymore.
Michelle Gordon [00:12:23]:
I've I don't I don't know if I'm going to I can't continue this behavior. I will you know, here I am a nurse giving my all to everyone else. Why am I not looking after myself. This is not okay anymore. And they those 2 moments happened very quickly, like, In a short time span, and that was what really catapulted me into, first of all, waking up and then taking a good hard look at myself And why was I behaving the way I was behaving? And that sparked my journey to here I am now, like, 5 years later.
Mahara Wayman [00:13:01]:
Oh, a couple things have come to mind. 1st of all, thank you for sharing that story. In my heart, you know, our children I have 2 children, And they, in many instances, are our angels. And it's when you just said that, well, all I could think was, wow. She is your angel, and she was sent to you to be your support and to remind you of your greatness and and Your beauty and all of those wonderful things. You know, children, especially when they're very young, they're so close to their soul. They're so close to their to their bliss. You know, there's such there's such, such smarts in our little babies.
Mahara Wayman [00:13:42]:
Right? We don't and we're so often we don't even notice, but I love that she was that she stood up and and and even at two and a half stepped into her role of angel protector.
Michelle Gordon [00:13:53]:
Gosh. And they're just so pure, Aren't they? They're just pure they see things for what they are, and, yeah, that was that was her that's her role.
Mahara Wayman [00:14:04]:
That's so beautiful. I, I wanna tell a quick story about my youngest daughter when she was also a toddler. Just a little bit of humor, hates cauliflower, has always hated cauliflower. And I'm at the table with my 2 young children. Eat the damn cauliflower. Just eat the cauliflower. In fact, I'd hidden it in mac and cheese hoping she would eat it. And she's like, I don't like cauliflower.
Mahara Wayman [00:14:26]:
I'm like, I don't care. Just eat it. She was talking, so I'm guessing, I don't know, 2 or 3 at the time, 3 maybe. Don't like cauliflower. Eat the damn cauliflower. And then So I glared at her, and she gave me the evil eye, and she ate the cauliflower, and then she threw up all over the table. And I'm like, you bloody child. She's like, I don't like cauliflower.
Mahara Wayman [00:14:48]:
Actually, I don't like vegetables. Right? So then a few weeks later, we were at swimming, And she was just tall enough to, on her tippy toes, reach up and spank and snap, hit the The dryer. You know, they're they've got this dryer, and you you would turn it down, and it would it would dry the children. So she reached up on her tippy toes, and she hit it and turned it on. And All of us moms are there with towels and all of our children, and she said, mommy, mommy. Oh, and my argument to her was you won't grow up to be a big, strong girl if you don't eat your vegetables. So, Anyway, 2 weeks later, she hits the thing, and she's like, look, mommy, mommy. I I did it.
Mahara Wayman [00:15:25]:
And I'm like, oh, sweetheart. Good for you. And she went, and no vegetables either. And the whole, you know, changing room just started laughing because all the mothers could appreciate. They knew exactly what had happened. But another example of they're so smart. They're like, she is smarter than me. I actually wrote a story about it that my children are smarter than me, But I digress.
Mahara Wayman [00:15:48]:
Say suffice to say, children are a blessing, and I'm just so thrilled that your daughter was there for you in that moment. So here's my question. You've had 2 instances very close together where you're like, holy hell. This is not working. I can't do this anymore. What was your next step?
Michelle Gordon [00:16:05]:
My next step was to acknowledge What was happening in my life? And I felt like I had been running on autopilot and being in that fix it mode. I'm just going to fix All of the things and portraying you to on the outside to to the external world that my life was Amazing, and I was this, you know, great nurse, had a very, you know, I guess a good solid job in the emergency department here in our local hospital, and my husband had a business, and I just wanted everyone to see this picture. And that wasn't actually real. Yeah. I I didn't I was hiding from the fact that, there was a lot of struggle going on in our lives. So I actually just sat with myself and looked at all of the things in my life that weren't working for me, And it was the 1st time that I had done that, I guess, and had really saw myself for the first time, And that sort of that was where I recognized, well, I'm I am a people pleaser. I have this, You know, desire to portray to the world a mask, I guess, you know, to see me as As, you know, this high functioning, amazing mom, nurse, wife, businesswoman, And it was just it wasn't real, so I got I guess the first part was acknowledging and accepting and just getting super real with myself, and that was Probably one of the hardest things that I've had to do.
Mahara Wayman [00:17:50]:
I'm not in with agreement because getting real is hard, and that's, you know, that's Kind of the basis of being a badass is that you you do it anyway. Right?
Michelle Gordon [00:18:00]:
Yeah.
Mahara Wayman [00:18:00]:
We do it anyway when we're like that. Clarity is what I share with my clients when we're first on this journey. Let's get clear about what's going on. Like like, so often, we'll say, oh, this is the problem. But, really, when you get clear and you get real, you're like, no. No. That's just a that's a symptom. Like, the real problem is something else, and, usually, it's quite a bit deeper.
Mahara Wayman [00:18:22]:
So how long did it take from being on the from sort of saying to yourself, okay. This I haven't been real. This is the real me. How long was it before you were able to sort of walk your way out of that burnout phase?
Michelle Gordon [00:18:38]:
So the first phase was about 3 to 4 months of of walking, you know, figuring out the steps that I needed to take and and, I guess stopping the alcohol, being you know, grounding myself in in being, I guess, Awaken alive, you know, not numbing, not escaping my life, which I'd done for a good couple of years by that stage, And by the by the end of my, I guess, my journey, it was probably about 12 months all up. But after 3 to 4 months, I I was awake. I started to feel alive. I started to feel connected. I Started to feel more confident in myself, and that's when people started to notice a big change in in me. Yeah.
Mahara Wayman [00:19:31]:
It's so interesting that interesting that you say I started to feel. Because one of the things that I've noticed from my own journey is The I had a level of fear about feeling the feelings. Like, I don't wanna feel shitty. I don't wanna feel sad. You know what? I've got a good life. I should I should be happier. I shouldn't feel this way. And I personally speaking, I had a lot of guilt around Even admitting that I wasn't happy with myself.
Mahara Wayman [00:20:00]:
You know? Can you think back to me for me, being in high school, If I ever admitted, and I probably did a few times, that I didn't like the way I looked or the way I was dressed, I know my girlfriends would they would, you know, get mad at me. Like, who you've got everything. Like, you got a great family. You got nice clothes. Like, stop complaining. So I learned early on to just keep it in and not, quote, complain. And so on my journey fairly recently, I really had to I had to, give myself permission to sit with those feelings. And here's a little reminder people, we are human beings, and we're meant to have feelings.
Mahara Wayman [00:20:37]:
That's how we learn, grow, experience. That's how we assimilate. That's that's living, actually. And It is okay to feel the feels even when it's uncomfortable
Michelle Gordon [00:20:49]:
because Yes.
Mahara Wayman [00:20:50]:
Doll and this is Michelle, your story is a beautiful example that when we When we dampen it down, when we ignore it, when we pretend it's not there, their end result is so much more painful and have so much. The repercussions can be so much more devastating than to actually sit with the moment, for example, and go, you know what? I actually don't wanna work 7 shifts this week. Sorry. I'm not gonna do it. Or, you know, in my case, I have lots of different examples. But I wanna say kudos for giving yourself permission To feel again. Because even though difficult feelings come up, that is the path. That's the path to freedom.
Mahara Wayman [00:21:29]:
To me, I think that is the path for all of us that are struggling is take a breath, sit down, get clear, and give yourself permission to feel the feelings Because it's it's allowed.
Michelle Gordon [00:21:41]:
Mhmm. Absolutely. Right?
Mahara Wayman [00:21:43]:
It's necessary. You don't have to live there, But it's okay to say, you know what? I'm feeling frightened today or anxious or embarrassed or worried or lost, whatever those words are. So okay. You you had about 12 months where after that 12 months, alcohol was in the past. Burnout was in recession. When did you start thinking that maybe you wanted to transition and do life coaching versus straight nursing?
Michelle Gordon [00:22:12]:
It was probably during that within that 12 months, I had a lot of people starting to notice Big changes in in how I was showing up, how I was looking. I lost a lot of weight, just just Organically, I guess, on the journey, I really replaced, I guess, the gym. I started to go to the Gym because one of, you know, one of my habits was to come home after my shift and pour a glass of wine, and I really went into, Okay. I want to do something here because I was getting it had was such an ingrained habit, so I started to come home and straightaway put my workout gear on and then take myself off to the gym. And, so that became a beautiful way to, go to the gym, and it was a place where I could think as well and feel and just get actually be in my body because I was, I guess in calculating and in my head all day in on shift as a nurse assessing and Running around and and, you know, doing all of the things that nurses do, that it was actually me just being in my body, so The gym became a big part of my transformation, and, of course, my body started to transform as well. And, within that 12 months, you know, from the day that I decided no more, I had some big changes. My skin looked different. I was glowing.
Michelle Gordon [00:23:53]:
My eyes were crystal clear. I was confident. I was just Showing up with this completely different energy, and that's when I had so many people saying, what are you doing? How what have you done? Tell me. What who's helping you? And and then when I shared that this was the journey that I'm on, I started to open up and share how low I had been and what was happening, and I had so many people asking for help because they were in a similar journey or struggle too, and I had a conversation with, A close friend who who was a life coach and and I did a little she's a close friend now, she's a life coach at the time, and I Did, some work with her, and I said, I feel like there's a need here for women and nurses to To have something like this because I can actually see now when I go to work so many of my colleagues as versions of me in the past, you know, so they were struggling just like I was, but I couldn't see it when I was in the midst of mine. I was so far, I guess, in the darkness. And as I had transformed myself, I had this absolute clarity that This was a common struggle, and I started to see that so many women and nurses were people pleasers that really lacked self worth and had that desire and inner drive to fix everything and everyone and yet Leave themselves to last, and that's what inspired my, I guess, journey to life coaching.
Mahara Wayman [00:25:43]:
So we're gonna take a short break right now, but I'll be back with my guest within 60 seconds. Ladies, unlock your inner badass and transform your life with my monthly subscription workshop. For just $47 a month, you'll have exclusive access to work closely with me, Mahara Wayman, As we dive deep into all things badass from personal development to conquering your goals. Imagine waking up every day with confidence, purpose and a smile that radiates your newfound strength. Take advantage of this badass opportunity and join us today at www.mindfulness with mahara.com, and start your journey toward a happier, more confident you. Smile when no one is looking. You've earned it. Oh, that's so great.
Mahara Wayman [00:26:34]:
I am curious. Has your does your daughter remember that incident? She probably doesn't because she's so little. She was so little happened. No.
Michelle Gordon [00:26:43]:
No. She doesn't, and I I will tell her one day when when she does understand, she's 8 now, She she has the most profound conversations with me. She truly is, like, as you were saying, she truly is an angel that was sent to me. So And I also had her later in life. She was at my surprise Queensland baby. So when I left Melbourne, We've been trying for 6 years to have baby number 3, and we arrived in Queensland, you know, had had such heartache and struggle Trying to conceive, baby number 3, and I actually just said to my husband, I'm I'm Hey now. Look at us. We've moved from the city in Melbourne or suburban Melbourne on the outskirts of the city to to this beautiful beachside, place here in Queensland, and I said, I'm I'm totally fine with not having, number 3.
Michelle Gordon [00:27:41]:
And he was like, What? We've been trying for so many years. We put you know, what what we've dragged all of this baby stuff, away, and and And then I had come to peace with not having another child, and this was before my journey through burnout. And 2 weeks later, after saying that, I was pregnant. So she was just she was meant to be here.
Mahara Wayman [00:28:10]:
He was meant to be here. That's so beautiful. What a beautiful story. I'm curious. How was the family as you admitted your burnout and your alcoholism to your closest loved ones? Did it come as a surprise to them, or was this something that they had kind of were getting an inkling of, or they blindsided by it.
Michelle Gordon [00:28:34]:
I think I had an inkling for sure. My husband my husband knew. He was He was at a loss as to what he could do to help me, and he kept saying to me, get some help. Honey, get some help. Go and get some help. And I had tried other methods of help through, my workplace that they offer, services for nurses, And I had been down that path, and nothing had worked. It was just kind of like putting a Band Aid on of, oh, you'll be right. You'll feel better.
Michelle Gordon [00:29:06]:
Do this After your shift, and you'll feel better, but it it was it was so much deeper than that that what was going on for me. So, my Parents were, I guess, a little surprised, but also had an inkling that there was Something deeper going on, and a lot of my friends were surprised, I guess, because I'd hit it so well, but those in my direct, I guess direct vicinity had that inkling. Yeah.
Mahara Wayman [00:29:40]:
The reason that I ask, We are communal beings. You know, we we want to be part of a community. And what I see happening every day With my clients in the world, with my work in my world, not so much anymore because I'm learning. But is this it's almost as if we are not equipped To even bring it up in conversation because we are so I don't wanna rock the boat. She's having a bad day. He's had a you know, he's going through a tough time at work, so I'm not gonna ask him. So as a community, I feel that often, sometimes, We fall down because we don't feel equipped. Oh my god.
Mahara Wayman [00:30:21]:
What if there is a problem? Then what? You know, like, you think to yourself, okay. I'm gonna ask my friend how she's doing, but, really, I don't want her to tell me how she's doing because I don't know how to help her. So I'm just gonna smile, and I'll ask her a safe question. And I don't wanna be too general, but I just think it's very interesting that when somebody in a tight community is hurting to the level that you've shared, I I just want I just think it's very interesting. What's going on around you? And and I I do see a change in the world. You know? We talk about mental health So much different so much more now than we did 10 years ago. We talk about many more things, which is beautiful, but I think there is still a need for More. Right? There's a need for more understanding, more recognition of the signs.
Mahara Wayman [00:31:07]:
Like, what are the signs of burnout in your work? What are the signs of alcoholism or what are the signs of all of these other challenges that we go through? And as a mom, friend, lover, parent, neighbor, giving ourselves permission to inter intersect or intercede if necessary, even just to ask the question. Hey. How are you today? Well, thanks for asking. I'm actually kinda struggling. But we don't see that so often, or I don't think we see this often as It would be wonderful if we did because then I think we more of us would speak up sooner. Well, you know what? Actually, truthfully, I'm actually I'm kind of Having a tough day or I'm having a tough week.
Michelle Gordon [00:31:51]:
Yeah. Absolutely. You're so right. And I feel like yeah. The it all the signs were there that I wasn't coping. And so those around me, I don't think felt equipped to to just pop into my world and say, hey, Michelle. How are you doing? Like, really, how are you doing? Because it was it's confronting, and it's it was big, and perhaps it just wasn't Something that they felt that they could do. Yeah.
Michelle Gordon [00:32:20]:
For sure. It's so interesting.
Mahara Wayman [00:32:22]:
It's it's one of those big scary things Until you address it, and then it's not a scary thing. It's just a thing.
Michelle Gordon [00:32:28]:
Yes. Right? Yep.
Mahara Wayman [00:32:30]:
And I know that you know what I'm talking about because we experience that with our clients all the time. It's just a thing. It doesn't have to I mean, if you make it. The story, it can be a big scary thing if that's a story you're telling yourself Or if that's a story that you've accepted or if that's a story that society is telling you. You know, it's a big scary thing if you do this. But if when we can put things in context and go, you know what? It's just a thing. I was scared about it in the moment. Doesn't scare me anymore.
Mahara Wayman [00:33:01]:
It's called being human or it's called being a woman or it's called being a tired mom. All of these things that that can play into it. But I do think That the work that you do, the work that I do is so, so important because we're trained to recognize the thing And to call it out in a gentle way so that our clients can go, oh, is that it? That's something. And have it not be, you know, a bulldozer that just flattens you. So I just wanted to call that out that what you're doing is so so important. And as I mentioned, my One of my dearest friends has been an ICU nurse for her entire career. She just recently retired, and I know the burnout, especially during COVID. You know, they you guys were our front lines, and where would we be without that work? So So thank you for that.
Mahara Wayman [00:33:53]:
I asked in my intake form, what does being badass mean to you? And, guys, I'm just gonna read out what she said because it was so cool. She said, Being badass means to me that I get to live unapologetically free to be me, that I am brave enough to show up as the fullest expression of who I am regardless of what others say, if they say that I'm too much. And she shared an example that she met the love of her life a year ago. Can you tell us a bit more about that?
Michelle Gordon [00:34:26]:
So for me, I just I think this whole journey has brought out Me just being being okay with who I am. That's what it is. I felt like the masks that I put on On in burnout were just so many different layers of My not true self, and for me, I'm I had to to release those layers of, I'm Michelle. I'm a nurse. I'm all these other things, but at the end of the day, I think it's figuring out, well, who are you at the core, and and I'm a a deep feeling person. There's lots of depth to who I am, and I love deep conversations. I love I love so many weird and wonderful things, and I had hidden that part of myself for so long, and I wanted to conform to be in the community, like you were saying, to the community of nurses and the community peep of people around me who fit in a box, And I'm not that person. Like, I'm just I'm giving myself permission to be weird and wonderful and deep and Spiritual at times and connected, and and that's who I am.
Michelle Gordon [00:35:58]:
So I feel like the the Badass side of me is owning all the parts of myself that are just so weird and wonderful. And The more that I've done that and the more that I've shared that, the more amazing people I've met and the more people I've actually been able to help as well do the same thing.
Mahara Wayman [00:36:17]:
You know, it's so it's so beautiful to hear you say it. But, honestly, guys, those of you listening, it's so easy to be badass. You have no idea. All you have to be is yourself, unapologetically. That's it. You don't have to be anybody else. It's just So many of us have had years of pretending, and I loved how you explained that you were had so many layers and so many masks that you put on. You know, I'm gonna challenge listeners today.
Mahara Wayman [00:36:45]:
If you've got a mask that you're wearing that no longer serves you, just take it off. Just take it off even for an hour a day and give yourself permission to be you without the mask, and do it a little bit more the following day or the following week because You are amazing just the way you are. You know, completely monstrous, completely naked. No makeup. No clothes. No nothing. Right? You are amazing the way that you are. Michelle, you are now part time as a nurse and full time As a life coach, talk to us a little bit about how you are supporting your clients in this part of your business.
Michelle Gordon [00:37:26]:
Yeah. So I have been coaching now for 3 years. Many of my clients come to me As past versions of me, almost, so they've come to me burnt out, feeling frustrated with life, feeling done with life, Sick and tired of feeling sick and tired and living on the hamster wheel, so that's typically the woman who who I help, And I've written a course and a program or, I guess, a coaching program based on My journey through burnout and the steps that I took, and and I've taken, Think it's over 200 women through that now, and so many women have the most The most profound amazing journey back to health, happiness, reconnecting with themselves. And this year Alone, I guess, 70 was it 70% the last time I looked? 70% no. It's over 70% of the women that I've helped have gone on to get land their dream job after doing this program, and really coming back to aligning with Who they are, what they want in life, so aligning with their real self without the masks, What they want in life, what are their values, and their goals and dreams. And that journey through what is what is a typically 12 week journey really helps And do that to come out the other side feeling connected, energized, alive, fulfilled, and really knowing who they are. So
Mahara Wayman [00:39:18]:
That's fantastic. And don't worry, guys. I'm gonna have in the show notes all of the ways that you can connect with Michelle for sure. What do you think If you were to, right now, look back on your life, just look over your shoulder, what are you most proud of?
Michelle Gordon [00:39:33]:
My courage. Yeah. So the courage to to to step up and and make the change that I that I needed because there was a big part of my old self that didn't want to change, you know, that wanted to stay safe in the known Even though it was painful and it was not healthy and it was slowly, I believe, it was slowly going to kill me living that way. So the courage that I had to take a stand for myself is what I'm so proud of, for sure.
Mahara Wayman [00:40:16]:
So, so beautiful. And what's on the horizon for you, Michelle?
Michelle Gordon [00:40:21]:
So on the horizon, helping more women. That is my passion. It really is. I'm constantly on the the journey of growing and evolving and and and, you know, Extending into new versions of myself, and every year, I'm diving into my own Growth through, like, last this year, I actually did my neurolinguistic programming practitioner master certification, which was Huge 2 weeks of being in the training room and and going through all the processes, so I can now use Those techniques in my coaching, for my clients, I've had a lot of women reach out, A lot of nurses reach out and ask about how to start side hustles, which has been an interesting path, and so I've been able to help. A lot of these women have done my My program, the health and happiness formula, have come through burnout, have gone through their own growth and transformation, and then Realize that they are these beautiful women with passions and can can extend that out with Creating another sort of, I guess, side to themselves. So I've had, a lot of nurses start side hustles in the form of coaching, in Beauty in 1 one opened up an antique shop. I've had a nurse start cleaning businesses. So there's been this beautiful, I guess, growth in that area too in realizing that they've got other avenues and paths that they can take to have more income on the side and And explore that entrepreneurial side for themselves, so that has been a bit of an extension of my coaching, which wasn't planned, but it's It's so much fun.
Michelle Gordon [00:42:24]:
I love it.
Mahara Wayman [00:42:25]:
Well, what I'm hearing is just just a recognition that everything we do has a ripple effect. And for those of you that may be struggling to feel badass, first of all, take a you know, just take a break and just go, you know what? Maybe I didn't have the I'm just gonna open up my my idea around what it means to be badass. And to Michelle's point, really Discovering who you are despite the career, the clothes, the relationship, The place your your house, that's not who you are. Those are just things that you do. When we go on a journey of self discovery, like Michelle chose to do, like I do, and like we help our clients do. We get to know who we are and be okay with it. And when we do that, so many other things open up like a love of a side hustle. Like, oh, I didn't realize I was, you know, into business, or my goodness.
Mahara Wayman [00:43:22]:
I'm I'm a kickass, you know, beautician or doesn't matter what the answer is. We are here to live our lives as fully as possible, And sometimes it takes trauma and drama for us to recognize that. Michelle, you've been very gracious in sharing your story with us From alcoholism and burnout to being this amazing life coach focusing on nurse nurses helping them to discover their badassery, And I wanna thank you for that. Do you have a couple tips that you'd like to share with our listeners? If we're not there yet, like, we don't have a coach, for example, But we know that there's a niggle that we're not quite happy. Is there anything that you can share with our listeners that could help them?
Michelle Gordon [00:44:07]:
So 3 things. 1 is getting out in nature and sitting with yourself in the stillness, So that's really important because we life is so busy and life is so filled with distraction. There's so many things that want our attention, and I kept busy being busy and didn't sit with myself, so that's number 1. The second thing is move your body and be in your Body and out of your head. So that's the the second thing. And the third thing is nothing changes if nothing changes, And that means, you know, try something different. Have that courage, you know, like I did to Ask for help or have a conversation with somebody or or, you know, listen to a podcast or do a short course or program, Just something to create the change or create a change within yourself so that you can start taking different actions.
Mahara Wayman [00:45:10]:
Yeah. Three great tips, and I love them all. I especially like to take action because The minute we take action against our fears, it's not so scary anymore because we're doing something. Even if the action doesn't have the result that we're looking for, Knowing that we're taking action can make us feel so much better in the moment. I I also like that you you highlighted a couple times This idea of being in your body and feeling in your body. I'm a mastery method trained coach, and so somatic work is some of the work that I that I do with my clients. And it is so amazing how wonderful we can feel when we just get in touch with our bodies. We're like, oh my god.
Mahara Wayman [00:45:49]:
I don't feel so good today. Or, wow, I actually feel great, or it's interesting. I have this always you know, I've always got a niche right here on my shoulder. Whatever the case may be, tuning into your body and just paying attention, wow, you can learn a lot about yourself when you Do that. So I love all of your tips, and Michelle, I've really enjoyed chatting with you today. I hope that listeners I hope you've enjoyed our conversation, and please, You know, drop us a line. Let us know how you what you thought about Michelle's story. Give us any give me some feedback on this conversation, and, of course, Tune in next week for another episode of the Art of Badass.
Mahara Wayman [00:46:27]:
Right, Michelle? I wish you all the best. Let's stay in touch.
Michelle Gordon [00:46:30]:
Thanks, Mahara. Thank you.
Mahara Wayman [00:46:38]:
Thank you for tuning in to the art of badassery. I I hope you enjoyed today's episode and gained valuable insights to help unleash your inner badass. If you found this cast helpful. Please leave a rating or review on your favorite platform. Your feedback not only helps me improve the show, but it also helps others like yourself discover the Cask. Until next time, keep embracing your authenticity and living life on your terms. Here's to you.
