“I’ll be able to feel happier and more balanced when I make more money.”

“I just need more time to feel less crazed and overwhelmed. Life will definitely be better when this project is over.”

“It just doesn’t make sense right now for me to make a change. I'm being responsible by waiting until I have more time and money to do things differently.”

Do any of these sound familiar?

I used to live in fear of getting fired. The possibility of not being liked, of having others think that I wasn’t doing my very best - even for a fraction of a second - hung over my head every second of every day. This manifested itself through severe anxiety, declining performance at work, and a general dark cloud hanging over my head all day, every day.

Something needed to change.

And boy-oh-boy, it sure didn’t happen overnight. I spent years trying to find the solution - was it finding the “perfect” work-life balance? Did I need to just find “easier” jobs? Would a higher salary make my worry go away?

Spoiler alert: none of that worked. I tried it all, and more.

Then the unthinkable happened: in January of 2014, I was laid off from my job. Unlike my many fears of being fired, it was due to no fault of my own, and in fact, the experience made me feel great about my contributions to the company. Friends and family began to approach me for career coaching, since they saw how excited I got talking about business.

Despite the fact that I loved the coaching I was doing, I spent the next few months looking high and low for an exact match of the job I’d lost. And finally, I found it: it met all of my expectations, paid even more than the last role, and they were incredibly excited to have me.

Within 4 weeks, I was bored as hell. And I felt like a damn fool. Why hadn’t I been paying attention to how much I enjoyed the coaching I was doing? Had I been asleep?

It often takes an experience like this - being forced to stare down the barrel of your own self-delusion - to realize what’s actually important. My own personal “aha” moment gave me the confidence I needed to quit my job. It also pushed me straight into a coach training program. It’s the single best thing that has ever happened to me, even if it felt pretty scary in the moment.

I certainly don’t pretend to have it all figured out. But today, I know without a shred of doubt what’s important to me. When I make decisions, I make them only with my own personal values in mind, and never in the shadow of other people’s expectations. I have never felt more empowered or more sure of myself.

Translation: I spend almost every day feeling kickass. And I wake up almost every morning thinking, “Look out, world.” And this is what I want for you, too.

*Note: The use of “almost” in those thoughts is incredibly important. Nobody has time for perfection. It ain’t happening, people.

If you’re struggling to feel more balanced, more empowered, more grateful, and to effect change in your life, come work with me. It's time to say "hells yes" to now, and "hell no!" to later.

So what are you waiting for? Sign up now for a free 30-minute session!

Tess Smagorinsky, coach/founder/CEO/ladyboss

Hi! I'm Tess. I've been excited to meet you since, like, the day I was born. I’m super rad. (So are you, to be clear. You seem smart and savvy. And good-looking, too!)

In seventh grade, my history teacher dubbed me “the social director of the cafeteria." That's probably most of what you need to know about me.

Helping other people find their “aha!” moment is what makes me buzz. Also, I sing a lot in the car. 

I’m trained through the Coaches Training Institute (CTI), which is a truly magical place. I’d love to tell you more about it if you’re interested!

If you were hoping for a more resume-like “about me” page, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn. I love making friends! (Surprise, surprise…)

I live in the Bay area with my adorable dog, Huckleberry, and my equally adorable husband, Tim. They make me smile with my whole heart.