Healthy Chicks

Happy November, beauties! The start of a new month is my favorite time to reflect on my intentions for the month ahead — both personal and business-related. Each month, I write down what I’m grateful for, set some intentions for myself and map out how I’m going to get there. I also pull some affirmation cards to better align with my feelings and how I want to show up in the world. (You can read all about my new month ritual over here.)

Anyway, I am thrilled to bring back Healthy Chicks in the Community, a monthly series highlighting rockstar Girl Bosses doing their thang in the wellness world & beyond. Today we’re chatting with the lovely Nicole Marie Finch, whose mission is teaching burnt out individuals how to reconnect with their minds’ power in a way that actually works for them. We could all use a little of that, am I right?

In this insightful interview, Nicole talks about the launch of her first book, how to reconnect with your true self, and her obsession with the sweetgreen Harvest Bowl. (Fun fact: I named this bowl back when I worked on the marketing team!)

NAME: Nicole Marie Finch

DESCRIBE YOUR BUSINESS/LINE OF WORK: I teach stressed-out, burned-out individuals how to reconnect with their minds’ power in a way that’s working for them versus against them. Doing so leads to less stress, greater goal-crushing abilities, and ultimately a stronger feeling of “awesomesauceness” in life. I do this through my blog, my soon-to-be released book and related online programs, and training events with organized groups and businesses.

My motto is “Life is chaos. Let’s have fun with it!”

WHERE YOU LIVE: Connecticut

HOW YOU SERVE THE COMMUNITY THROUGH YOUR WORK: One of my favorite ways to have served the local community was when I had the opportunity to speak for a student-led women’s group at UConn earlier this year. The amount of women who showed up to learn how to detoxify their lives – mind, body, and soul – sent a strong message that this is an important topic these days. This discovery led me to starting my blog, where I now serve the broader global community with health and mindset tips to help us all find fun in the chaos.

I’ve also recently launched a personal development training program for businesses to offer their employees. In these trainings, I teach mindset tactics to decrease stress, increase productivity, and grow a stronger connection with oneself. The trainings not only help the employees’ wellbeing, but also help the businesses through increased employee engagement. Win-win!

My passion in working with employees began because I’ve experienced first-hand how all-consuming a job can be. Too many people these days are feeling unhappy but don’t know why, and have gotten “used to” a constant feeling of stress. My goal in these trainings is to help people find purpose and meaning, right where they are. Life transformation doesn’t require a life transformation. It can happen in the little shifts we make each day.

NUMBER ONE PASSION OUTSIDE THE JOB: Since I still work a day-job in addition to my personal development business (or as I call it, “my passion job”), this really is my number one passion. When I’m not working at my day-job, I’m usually doing something related to my business whether it’s working on my book, developing my next program, creating my blog videos, marketing/networking, reading, researching, learning, etc. Every bit of it fills me with so much joy and energy.

But if I have to pick outside of that, then I’d say dancing. I love to dance – it is my therapy!

INTENTIONS/GOALS YOU HAVE FOR YOURSELF IN THE NEXT 3 YEARS: The biggest goal I have for myself in the next 3 years is to transition this business from being a “side hustle” to being my “main hustle.” While my day-job provides an excellent scenario to test my concepts and study my target market first-hand, I look forward to the day when I can retire from corporate and invest my time fully into my own business.

I know I will be able to serve many more people when I can be fully present in my business and able to spread my message more broadly. Even though my first book isn’t even released to the public yet (hopefully will be in the next few months!), I’ve already started to think about my next book, as well as a number of different programs, resources, and trainings to help people find fun in the chaos!

ONE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’D TELL YOUR CHILDHOOD SELF: “Just be you!” There are many pieces of advice I’d like to tell my childhood self, but most of them can be summed up into those three words. We can probably all use this advice today, and I remind myself to ‘just be you’ even now. I’m sure many of us experienced being the kid who was always seeking approval and ways to fit in. In some ways, I sacrificed my true self in pursuit of this approval, whether it be from my family, my friends, teachers, society, etc.

The thing is, I actually liked who I was, but placed a higher priority on being accepted than just being me. It’s exhausting trying to live up to everyone else’s standards (can I get an Amen?!). Now, I’m grateful to have ‘rediscovered’ the true me so I can live more fulfilled and joyful as an adult. Just be you, my friends!

FOODS THAT MAKE YOU FEEL ALIVE & BRING THE MOST JOY: I love all food and don’t discriminate! Some days it’s the brown rice pasta with cashew ‘alfredo’ sauce that makes my heart sing. Other days it’s baby back ribs or pizza. It’s all about balance! But I must say that the Harvest Bowl from sweetgreen never fails to bring me joy. 🙂

SONG THAT MOVES YOU: As of late, I’ve been really feeling anything from Lindsey Stirling. The combination of the melodic violin mixed with some rockstar vibes is something that totally speaks to my soul at the moment!

THREE FAB THINGS ABOUT YOU: 1.) I pride myself on being able to dance to any music and make it look good (even if in a sarcastically-extra-over-the-top-funny sort of way). 2.) Personally I find my corny-joke, punny-self hilarious. 3.) Some call me “Nicopedia” because of my love for facts and research, and I’m somewhat of a walking encyclopedia of random information. (Did you know that being in zero gravity in outer space feels like you’re constantly free-falling, since that’s basically what’s happening? That’s one of my favorite facts to have learned recently.)

FAVORITE BODY PART & WHY: I like big butts and I cannot lie…

I GET MY INSPIRATION FROM: The thought leaders who have come before me who started small with a message and a passion to share it, and now have helped thousands of people, including myself, live amazing lives. People like Brendon Burchard, Wayne Dyer, Gabby Bernstein, and so many more. I’m further inspired by the people I see every day. The people who are out there working. The people who are caring for their families. The people who are fighting the odds and honoring themselves.

EXERCISE THAT MAKES YOU SHINE: Barre! It quenches my passion for dance as well as gives a killer workout. There’s just something about feeling like a beautiful ballerina combined with butt-kickin’ strength training. It’s empowering!

SOMETHING IN YOUR WELLNESS TOOLBOX YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT: If I had to pick one thing, I’d say my Arbonne Digestion Plus. It’s a prebiotic/probiotic powder that I have every morning to help with digestion by promoting the good bacteria. It’s especially great after those
nights of enjoying baby back ribs or pizza!

GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT: I might have to say starting this business. It was totally outside my comfort zone, and certainly not anything that was ever taught to me. As I’m sure many of us do, I come from a background of parents with jobs. Therefore, I always assumed I would get a job and that was that. Starting this business goes totally against what I grew up believing. It took some real strong faith and confidence in myself to make it official by starting my blog and then forming an LLC.

Some people thought I was crazy and others questioned why I was doing this. “You have a secure job with a good salary. Why are you starting a business?” But I did it anyway. Because like those thought leaders who have come before, I have a message and a passion for sharing it. And besides, after a childhood largely revolving around being accepted and fitting in, it’s time to just be me.

Once I officially publish my book, I’ll probably say that’s my biggest accomplishment! I’ve been wanting to publish a book since I was 4 years old, and here I am, finally doing it. While it’s not as fantastical as the books I wrote in my childhood, with talking animals and the like, it is
focused on such an important topic nowadays – mindset!

FEMALE LEADERS YOU LOOK UP TO: Mel Robbins, because she’s a kick-a$$ female speaker who gives it to you straight. Joyce Meyer, for being another kick-a$$ female speaker who lays down some major truth bombs. Gabby Bernstein, because of her efforts to promote returning to love (she’s pretty kick-a$$ too!).

IF YOU COULD PICK ONE PERSON TO HAVE DINNER WITH, WHO WOULD IT BE & WHAT WOULD YOU MAKE THEM: The person who comes into my head right now is my great Aunt Shirley, my grandmother’s sister. She passed away years ago, but she was such a beacon of light. She had everyone convinced that they, in fact, were her favorite (even though I know it was me. I mean, she told me that I was her favorite; I just couldn’t tell the others). I would love to hear her laugh again, and I can only imagine how excited she would be for me in starting this new business. She was always supportive of me just being me.

For dinner, I’d probably make roast chicken or a pork roast, and serve it with potatoes, veggies, and a salad. As an appetizer, we’d definitely have shrimp cocktail because that was our ‘thing’ during the holidays. I was in charge of making the platter, and she would help me pick out the ‘bad ones’ to eat so as not to ‘ruin’ the display. One for me, one for the platter. One for Aunt Shirley, one for the platter…

GO-TO MANTRA OR INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE: One of my favorite quotes is from Howard Thurman: “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

Another one that I’d like to share, because it aligns so well with my message, is one I recently came across on Pinterest with credit to Chris Assaad: “Close your eyes and imagine the best version of you possible…That’s who you really are. Let go of any part of you that doesn’t believe it.”

MESSAGE YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE WITH OTHER HEALTHY CHICKS: Personal development, particularly managing your mindset, is not about changing who you are. It’s about being more of who you are meant to be. It’s about getting to be you, 100%. It’s about taking back control over all the influences in your mind so you can reconnect with your true self. Nearly 80% of the mental programs that drive your decisions, your thoughts, your perceptions, and your actions are harmful, working against you, or simply not true. In other words, no, it’s not true when you hear something in your head say, “you’re not good enough, pretty enough, fit enough, smart enough, perfect enough, daring enough… [insert self-limiting belief here].”

It is a thought that your mind formed over time based on what it saw, heard, or was told. It’s not your fault. Your subconscious is what drives the “voice in your head,” and much of its programming was designed when you were a child.

The problem is that, as a child, your conscious mind is not yet fully formed. Without the conscious mind’s help, our subconscious doesn’t know what is real from not real, or true from false. It only knows what it is told and it happens to be very literal. When it heard a parent say, “I am so proud of you,” followed by rewards and good feelings, it learned that its job was to make other people proud over making itself proud. And thus false mental programming was developed. (So, if you have kids, never say, “I am proud of you.” Instead say, “You must be proud of yourself.”)

I share all this to make the point that you are not the limited person your mind says you are. You are perfect. You have amazing talents and skills that no one else has. You have the ability to do anything and you have the right to follow your heart. My goal is to show you how to use your mind so it supports your true self, increasing fulfillment, joy, and goal-crushing abilities. Any goal that you have starts in your mind. Learning how to counteract the years of false direction built up in the subconscious mind is crucial to avoid holding yourself back.

To sum up, never let any negative perception of yourself take root. It is simply not true. You are a positive being with amazing power. Take Chris Assaad’s advice and let go of anything that tells you that you are not the best version of you. Just be you. Fully, openly, totally you. The world will be a much better place for it.

Thank you so much Nicole for sharing your insights! You can learn more about her over here.