Alignment of Right & Real
An interview with Becs and Kristi of My Human Coach
The forces in our lives are constantly colliding—sometimes in ways that work out well and sometimes in ways that don’t. This interview series is an exploration of what it can look like to work with the collisions, rather than against them. By digging into how humans and nature interact– from our relationships with other humans, to those with our non-human neighbors, to our relationship with ourselves to our relationship with the landbase–we can uncover how to best step fully into our role in the story of the world.
Today’s guests are two coaches from My Human Coach, the organization I’ve been consulting with these past few months.
Becs is a NBCHWC certified health coach with a MS in clinical mental health counseling and a MFA in nonfiction writing. Becs worked as an artisan and silversmith for many years before transitioning to a career in health & wellness. She is currently writing a memoir about caregiving and long haul illness.
Becs says she has a “successful history of failure,” developing valuable skills as a vulnerable human navigating broken systems.
Kristi is also a NBCHWC certified health coach (who also happens to have a degree in Business and Marketing) whose experience includes community, group, and individual coaching, being the Wellness Director of the YMCA, Coach/Group Leader for Instinct Health Science, Inc., a Health Coach and Health Coach Manager at Noom, and a private practice health coach.
Kristi says she has always loved to help people, gets lost in dance, and has always been a weirdo with a keen sense of humor.
Heidi: Both of you, thanks for being with us today. It’s so good to have you here. To start, I always ask the same question: What are two forces that are colliding in your life right now (or that have in the not too distant past)?
Becs: The two forces that first came into my head are “what is real” and “what is right.”
Kristi: For me it’s my conditioned self and my true self.
Heidi: The pull of illusion and the desire for authenticity—sounds like finding alignment with what society tells you to do and what you are actually called to do is something that’s coming up for you both!
How are you navigating the conditions this collision is creating? How does the dissonance created impact your choices?
Kristi: I find myself continuing to look shame, fear, and doubt in the face and align with my integrity by acting on my truth.
Becs: Alignment. Yes. For a while, I was trying to be an advocate for what is right in the world of what is real. I realized it was a losing game - exhausting my energy shouting into the void. What we’re doing with My Human Coach is trying to create a new reality where people are prioritized and cared for. The dissonance in the way the health and wellness industry ends up making so many people feel unwell, or like they failed at being healthy, made me want to create something different, something that’s more in alignment with what humans need in order to feel truly supported and cared for.
Heidi: What has this collision taught you about yourself? The world?
Becs: It has taught me that a group of good, talented, kind people can come together and be dedicated to a shared mission. It’s still amazing to me every day that I get to work with such an extraordinary group of people.
Personally, I learned that I don’t have to do things alone. Like Kristi mentioned earlier, fear of vulnerability or failure can hold you back and prevent good things from happening - you have to trust yourself and other people which isn’t easy.
Kristi: It’s like we’ve all been taught to wear masks to fit in, to belong, to not draw too much attention to ourselves, to not stand out in ways that make anyone uncomfortable, to fall in line, to be a part of systems even when we can feel inside that they don’t benefit our true selves, much less the greater good. It’s taught me that I want to align with my true self and that showing up authentically might be our most worthy purpose as human beings in this time and space.
Heidi: The work of shedding the mask, embracing and leaning into community, and showing up as your really are—not easy, but so important.
Can you tell us about a collision you have been exploring in your work lately?
Becs: The collision is between messages that are designed to shape us, our bodies and our thinking, and the messages that come from within us - what our souls are demanding.
This is the beautiful thing about coaching - helping people transition from reacting to the endless external messages that encourage us to feel bad about ourselves (so we buy stuff!), to the intrinsic ones that reveal what we truly need. People are strong, and brave, and beautiful, and have inner knowledge they’ve just forgotten how to access. Which is understandable when so much of our data is tracked so our vulnerabilities can be monetized for corporate profits.
Kristi: I explore the concept of “imposter syndrome” in my latest course. It charges the individual to dive deep into their creativity, their passion, and to shine unabashedly without comparison to anyone or any system. It invites those willing to give space, time, and compassion to the unique blueprint inside and trust that because it’s true to you, it’s of value to the world.
Heidi: I love both of those messages: digging deep to remember who we are before society told us we should be something else and embracing our unique makeup wholeheartedly and with compassion for self and others as a foundation. Yes. More of this please.
What else would you like to share about your current work?
Becs: My Human Coach (MHC) was started by a group of coaches who wanted to work ethically, directly with clients, without interference from large, corporate interests and mindsets. Right now we are pre-selling 1:1 coaching subscriptions. Professional, 1:1 coaching costs $60 a month and in addition to subscriptions we are offering health coaching scholarships to front-line workers and historically underserved populations. Our coaches have worked successfully with this text-based asynchronous model, which offers a lot of flexibility and opportunities for coaches to get to know their clients well.
With MHC, coaches can work with smaller groups, offering individualized and ethical coaching. We also offer a lot of resources that are free of marketing agendas. These include self-paced courses, articles, guided meditations, and printable workbooks offered at no charge to further our mission of helping the world be better - one healthier person at a time.
Kristi: And in addition to supporting MHC, www.wavesofweirdos.com is my passion project with my best friend with the goal of highlighting artists who create for the sake of creating (and perhaps have some fear of sharing). To make everyone feel seen for their unique weirdness and to shine their truest light. It’s a safe community without judgment or capitalism driving the mission.
MHC is officially open for business, so if you’re looking for some support as you take control of your health and well-being, make lifestyle changes, or build some new habits, we invite you to explore the 1:1 coaching offering today.