Hi! I’m Anna
................
I used to be the person who couldn't say no and ended up overwhelmed, unfulfilled and exhausted.
Then I finally figured it out... you can't outwork burnout.
With the help of a mentor, I found the courage to stop people pleasing, start taking care of myself and break free from others' opinions.
Now, I help career driven property managers balance work, health and life so that they can stop self-sabotaging habits and start living life to the fullest.
Grab a cup of coffee.
Here's my story...
................
As a kid, my dad repeatedly told me, “your eyes are bigger than your stomach.” I would overeat, coil over in abdominal pain and yet, there would still be food left on my plate.
Turns out, this phrase became a strong metaphor for most of my life: I tended to over-do it.
And when I say “over-do it,” I mean with everything.
I overate, overdrank, over exercised, overworked, overcompensated, overthought, overinterpreted, overshared, overscheduled and overanalyzed.
- If I started a new hobby, I went all in.
- If I took on a project at work, I’d try to do it all in one sitting.
- If I overate at one meal, I’d take it as an excuse to keep overeating all weekend.
- If I made a mistake at work, I’d work longer hours to make myself feel better.
- If I felt insecure in a social setting, I’d overshare unnecessary details about myself to establish my validity.
- If I was making a decision, I’d overanalyze my options to a point of exhaustion.
- If a friend offered me constructive feedback, I’d overprotect myself by shutting myself off from everyone and anyone.
My deep seated perfectionism coupled with an inability to say “no” drove me to the point where I no longer had time for me.
And how did I cope with that?
… by overeating, overdrinking, oversharing, overexercising….
Don’t get me wrong. My drive served me well. I began my career in property management as a leasing consultant at a market rate complex in the suburbs of St. Paul. The industry seized me – it’s an ever-changing challenge to juggle the needs of the residents/tenants alongside the expectations of the owners/clients.
Each day is a surprise and success depends upon your ability to adapt and move forward. It’s competitive. It’s rewarding. It’s a game to see who can best manage the chaos.
Within four years, I worked my way up from a leasing agent to a property manager. I increased my income by over 50%, paid off my car, squashed my student loans, eliminated my credit card debt, ran my first half marathon, and purchased my first home. I won not one, but two MHA MADACS awards, as well as the IREM ARM of the year, IREM CPM Candidate of the year, IREM 2018 Diversity Scholarship and became an Executive Counselor for the Minnesota IREM Chapter. I don’t say this to brag – I mention these because I want to make the point that I knew how to go after a goal.
But all of this “striving” came at a huge cost to my health.
I constantly overate and overdrank. I’d balance it by over exercising. I hardly had time for friends and family. I was too busy working long hours, turning to food/drink to cope with the stress, and then running for hours to keep my waistline in check.
Why couldn’t I get it together?
Fast forward a few years – my husband noticed I was having a tough day. He’s a genuinely sweet man. So, he took note of how I usually made myself feel better – he brought me home a pint of ice cream.
And this was the moment. The moment I knew I had it all wrong.
Why was I self-medicating with ice cream? Ice cream was standing in the way of me and my goal. I looked at my husband and finally said…
"I don’t think this is actually going to make me happy."
And with that, I put the ice cream in the fridge, grabbed an apple and made the decision to hire a weight loss coach.
I had no clue what I was in for.
Naively, I assumed I would receive a meal plan and an exercise routine. It was far more than that. I received the support I needed. After all the years of supporting my employees, my supervisors, my residents, my commercial tenants and my clients… someone was supporting me. I had someone in my corner who knew what to expect and knew the skills I needed to develop. I had a safe space for me to unload all my frustration. I had someone who lovingly challenged my limiting beliefs.
What I learned was far deeper than simply how to stop overeating.
- I refined how and why I set goals
- I learned to use challenges for growth
- I stopped people-pleasing
Now, I have a very clear vision of what my future looks like. Who knew that by learning how to manage cravings that I’d also learn how to acknowledge and express my own needs?
Finally, I started to step into the woman I knew I needed to be instead of the woman I thought I “had” to be.
(☝️I realize this sounds cheesy.. but it feels so good to be able to say it!)
Along the way, I noticed so many around me who could benefit from the new habits I’d adopted – especially when it came to women in property management. So many driven and talented women are giving relentlessly to their careers and families, but aren't giving to themselves.
I became obsessed. How could I take the lessons I learned and apply them to my industry? I read incessantly: Books on productivity, management, emotional intelligence and my personal fav, books on self-development. I got certified as a life coach, saved some money and quit my job.
I married my love of property management with my love of self-improvement and created a program designed for all the overachievers out there.
I’ve done the work. Now, I have the joy of sharing it with others.
Within this community, I help managers take care of themselves with the same love and care they deliver to their family, friends and clients. Because of that, they show up fully and authentically every day.
Together, we unpack the emotional baggage that holds them back so they can lighten up (in more ways than one!).
I help my clients break free from self-sabotaging habits, pursue their goals ferociously and savor a life they truly love.
Are you ready?
Let's coach - for free!
Stay Connected
....................
Want to get more delivered to your inbox?
Hop on our newsletter!
