Meet Lori Young | Professional Speaker, Certified Enneagram Coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lori Young and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lori, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
Brene Brown’s Authenticity Mantra: Don’t shrink,
Don’t puff up,

Just stand your sacred ground.

I’ve spent too much of my life playing small so others can be bigger than life. I’ve pretended to be less than so others can be more. I became so tired of hiding in the shadows I made the bold move to start my own business and become a professional speaker and coach.

This mantra came into my life at a time when I felt beaten up by others’ opinions of me. When confronted with negativity I would either shrink and hide or become so puffed up and angry I lost my credibility.

When I learned to stand my sacred ground and allow the real me to be seen, I could finally look in the mirror and recognize myself. I had to begin the hard journey into the parts of me I wanted to shrink really small and the pushy parts I thought the world wanted to see. Because of the inspiration of Brene Brown’s Authenticity Mantra, I created the speaking and coaching platform Authenticity Over Approval to help other women with the daily practice of leaving approval behind and claiming authenticity through the daily practices using the three T’s of authenticity; Truth, Trust, and Territory.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My business started three years ago, partly out of desperation to leave a difficult circumstance and partly out of an attempt to prove myself to… well, myself. I set out to be a professional speaker. I’ve never met a stage, microphone, or camera I didn’t like. But as they say, “Woman doesn’t live by stage lighting alone.” Okay, no one has ever said that ever. Nonetheless, starting a speaking business takes a lot of time to build and I was able to maximize her other talents and a degree in Social Work – enter Enneagram Coaching.

Building a business has been a gut-wrenching, fist-clenching, soul-crushing, mind-blowing experience. Given the challenges, I don’t regret my decision. I’ve learned to get up every day and keep at it. I’ve learned I’m smarter and more capable than I think I am. I’ve learned to put smart, talented, encouraging people in my life – people who are doing the same thing, who are experiencing the same insecurities and setbacks. I invested my time in an internship with a professional speaker, I invested my money into a business coach. This is my number one piece of advice for new business owners. Find someone steps ahead of you who is willing to be generous with their knowledge.

I’m not gonna lie, even with the extra support, I’ve spent more than a few Tuesday afternoons curled up on the couch in the fetal position sucking down fistfuls of double stuff Oreos and gallons of vanilla ice cream.

One of my business coaches taught me it’s vital to find my niche, where my experience and the world’s needs intersect. That’s the sweet spot. As my speaking and coaching business continues to grow and develop, I’m discovering my sweet spot is helping people with relationships and communication. These two topics are central to our being alive. We all want healthy relationships, we just don’t always know how to keep them healthy. I use the Enneagram to help people understand their people better and use it as a communication tool to connect in more meaningful ways.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Hands down, my favorite place on planet earth is Grand Lake, Colorado in the summer. I would grab a paddleboard at 6:00 am and hop on the lake, followed by a walking tour around the back streets of town with a piping hot cup of coffee from one of the local coffee shops, and then head up one of the trails into Rocky Mountain National Park. There’s enough of them to keep us busy for several days. We’d then feast on a taco platter with an ice cream cone chaser, while we meander up and down the boardwalk, in and out of the little shops and galleries. For a taste of Grand Lake nightlife, we might pop into the Lariat Saloon for a whiskey old-fashioned and a little local flair. Rinse and repeat every day for at least 7 days.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I wouldn’t be where I am today without Kathi Lipp and her team of other speaking and coaching professionals finding their way through the messy maze of entrepreneurship. This group of people has become my tribe, my people, for whom I couldn’t do a single day without. Kathi has been a speaker and writer for over 20 years. This business can be cutthroat and filled with speaking divas, not Kathi. She is generous with her time and trade secrets. She pulls together the best in the business to teach, coach, and come alongside the rest of us who are finding our way.

Website: LoriYoungCoaching.com

Instagram: @loriyoungspeaker

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lori-young-3b0859b/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/loriyoungcoaching

Youtube: Lori Young Coaching

Image Credits
Cassie Rajewich Elemential Photography