Each Friday, a person who is making bold moves, living well, nurturing their creativity, following their passions, and making magic will be featured on Bold Living Today.
Today’s interview is with the lovely Debbie Reber. Debbie is a writer, speaker, coach, superheroine, and gentle spirit. Can you truly hear how much I’m gushing about her? I hope so! Debbie’s work is cut from the inspirational cloth of epic proportions. Yes, seriously. She is helping to lead the revolution of empowered girls and women that will set the world ablaze. Debbie helps her clients identify and tap into their creativity and self-confidence so they can define and live by their own life rules. It’s powerful.
question 1:
How did you become interested in empowering girls and women?
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{Debbie}
As a teenager, I had many moments where I felt “less than” because of my gender—like hearing sexist comments from teachers or coaches, being sexually harassed at my part-time waitressing job, being told certain things weren’t available to me because I was a girl. I also had low self-esteem and felt incredibly misunderstood for most of my teen years. I know I’m not alone here in saying this, but plainly put, my teen years were the worst of my life. And I’ve spent the past twenty plus years “recovering” from my residual teen angst. So I’ve always felt a very strong pull to support young women in gaining the tools and confidence that I didn’t have as a teen, as well as help other “recovering teens” like myself create the life they want. It’s my passion work, because I believe that girls and women have the capacity to positively impact the world…in a big way.
***
{Kanesha}
Debbie, you described the experience some many young girls, teens, and women have and are still having. I’ve been there myself. As I am raising my daughter, I am constantly talking with my her about the power of her natural talents – even if others aren’t able to see them. I try to model this for her, as well. I feel like I have to be the constant reminder because of the various ways information currently flows.
question 2:
There are so many messages coming at people on how they should look and behave. Based on these messages, the descriptors for a successful life seem to be really narrow. In what 3 ways can a person create their own life path – on their own terms?
***
{Debbie}
Question everything. Question your assumptions, question the “rules,” question the influencers of your personal “story,” question everything out there that tries to tell you what to do or who to be. Most importantly, question your inner voice that says things like: “This is too hard” or “I don’t know how to do it” or “I couldn’t stand it if I failed.” When you stop accepting those assumptions and rules and stories as fact, you take control of your path and can shape it any way you want.
Follow your heart. As cliché as it sounds, it’s truth. Follow your gut and your heart and the things that feel good down to your toes. When you follow your heart, you can’t lose.
Never settle. Because you deserve the life you want. And you’re worth it. Period.
***
question 3:
If someone is unsure of how to connect their dreams with their career path – what coaching tools or support would you offer?
***
{Debbie}
First, I would want to find out what they believe is standing in their way of getting to where they want to go and work with them to address those fears, concerns, and anything else that comes up. Then we’d move on to the fun stuff —brainstorming, strategizing, planning, and taking action. I truly believe that we can all—every last one of us—create whatever it is that we want in our lives, as long as we’re willing to make a plan, get comfortable being uncomfortable, and do the work.
***
question 4:
As a successful writer, you have created a course – The Book In You – to support other writers. Tell us why you created this course and how it works.
***
{Debbie}
Because I’ve had a number of books published, people approach me all the time telling me they have an idea for a book they want to write but that they don’t what to do next. I created The Book in You as the first of what will ultimately be several courses designed to help these writers and others like them go from concept to action and move forward on bringing their book into the world. The first The Book in You class—which was comprised of 4 hour-long weekly teleclasses with class packets and related exercises in between—centered around getting clarity on the book idea itself—what exactly it is, who it’s for, why it’s unique, why you are the perfect author to write it, what you hope the final product will be and do in the world. Upcoming Book in You classes are going to be designed around coming up with a book plan and building your platform as an author.
Debbie is a writer, coach, speaker, teen advocate, editorial consultant, media maker, wife, mother, daughter, sister, runner, wannabe Broadway singer, dog lover, and friend. She lives in Seattle, where spends way too much time discussing the weather, eating frozen yogurt, and exercising with her friends. Her passion is supporting teens, twenty-somethings, and creatives in doing their thing with clarity and awesomeness through her coaching and writing. Visit her online at www.debbiereber.com to find out more. And sign up for her newsletter while you’re at it to grab a copy of her (free) ebook, “What Smart Girls Know: 10 Truths for Discovering You.”
