Today we’d like to introduce you to Teresa Cano.
Hi Teresa, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Technically, I’ve been coaching my entire life, but if I had to choose where to start my professional coaching story, it would be here. After graduating from UT Austin, I wasn’t 100% sure of what I wanted to do career-wise, but with a degree in Kinesiology, I figured I could start going down the path of “wellness” for a profession. After working for an insurance company in their wellness division for a couple of years, I felt a shift coming along (the recession had begun and the layoffs started), so I made a pact with myself; if I got let go or my job status changed, I would move to New York City…
It had always been a dream of mine, as well as a sentimental goal, to live there as my oldest sister had done. To experience the things she did, see the sights she saw, and to know what her love for the city was all about. At that time, it had been four years since my sister passed away tragically, and I was still trying to find some sort of answer for the whole thing.
So, when the call came, and it was announced the company was downsizing, I knew it was time! With the support of my family and friends, I packed up two bags, my guitar and headed to New York City to try and make it happen. The move proved to be a huge challenge; couch surfing, staying with a friend’s family in New Jersey, commuting in and out for work, and trying to make a little life there to prove to myself, as well as everyone back home, that I could do really big scary things.
I found myself working in the restaurant industry, particularly at a high-volume concert venue/winery, where I showed my leadership capabilities, hardworking nature, and overall ability to accomplish any task at hand. I wasn’t surprised when the offers to be promoted started coming in, where I quickly refused them, as I knew I did not want to go down the path of pursuing a career in restaurants. For the four years, I lived in New York, I worked at this place; gaining a ton of experience, knowledge of restaurants, customer service, as well as different cultures that you naturally came across living in the big city.
When it was time to come back to Texas, I knew I had to figure out some kind of career path for myself, and I did NOT want to continue on in restaurants, although I had several years of pretty solid experience under my belt. I ended up pursuing an opportunity for salary and benefits that came my way, in the form of working at a start-up restaurant group here in town. As much as I was against getting caught up in the industry, I had no other idea for what kind of job I wanted to pursue and figured I could start making an income here while I figured it out. I worked my way up the ladder to the corporate side and landed myself in the training/HR/hiring/jack-of-all-trades position (it was a start-up, so this was a pretty normal occurrence).
To forward to a reoccurring theme, finding any semblance of “balance” between work and personal life was incredibly difficult for me, and I found myself working a ton of hours, full of stress, and not in a good place mentally. After another tragedy in my life unfolded, I decided it was time for me to take myself to therapy to help me process the grief I was experiencing while working the extremely taxing job I was in.
After processing/exploring with my therapist, switching jobs, finding myself in another high-stress, start-up restaurant position, I decided that what I was doing was NOT working for me anymore. I was burned out, stressed, isolated from friends and family, and not happy going down the professional path I was on. One session, my therapist asked me if I could ever see myself doing what she was doing…sitting across from someone the way she did and helping them because of all I’d been through and what I’d been able to overcome. She brought up Life Coaching, and I had a huge “ah ha” moment! Ever since then, I knew that was the path I needed to be on!
I knew I needed to find the balance I was looking for, create boundaries between work and personal life, and begin to pursue my passion and path instead of continuing down a road I was not meant for. It was time for me to step into my truest self and purpose in the form of helping others who may find themselves on a similar road that I had been on for so long.
After finding a great Life Coaching certification program that fits me and what I’m all about (shoutout to JRNI), I got certified by mid-2020 and began my coaching career!
As we all know and experienced together, 2020 was a trying time to jump into any new endeavor, especially trying to build your own business, so it has been a challenge for sure. However, I am blessed to have the full support of my family, friends, and anyone I share my story with to continue to go down this road I am on. I have since invested in continuing my coaching/business education as I coach my own clients so that I’m able to continue to level up in my business and build out what I see for me and my future.
I would not be here today without my entire story of trials and tribulations, and I hope that as I continue to build and grow my business helping others move forward in their lives, I can inspire those looking to find their own path in life, even through the many challenges they may face.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Building my own business has NOT been a smooth road. I think that when people first set out on the path to become an entrepreneur, it’s exciting and the thought of doing your own thing the way you have always dreamed (without anyone telling you what to do 😉 ) is what fires you up for a solid few months. The reality of it all is that being an entrepreneur is so hard; no one is there to tell you what to do, schedule meetings for you to be in, and finding clients isn’t an automatic thing when you announce that you are “open for business”.
Luckily for me, when I decided I wanted to pursue my own business as a Coach, I knew what I was in for. I think all my travel, living here and there, trying to make it in New York City, and helping other entrepreneurs build out their own businesses has given me some thicker skin and a little bit of an advantage. However, I still face my own challenges regularly.
I have to constantly coach myself, ha! It’s easy to start to let fear creep in when you first start telling people that you’re a “life coach” and they look at you funny or ask you questions that you stumble over when trying to explain what you do. For me, the biggest struggles have been staying on task while being really scared of EVERYTHING you’re doing or not doing (which I find is a common occurrence for other entrepreneurs) and putting myself out there – aka marketing myself.
I feel like as I’ve stuck with it, leaned into my network, and have stayed consistent with putting myself out there more, things have started to flow a lot more naturally. I think at every level I get to in building my business, I’ll always face challenges, but the important thing is to just keep going, don’t worry about what others think you’re doing or not doing, and remember why you’re doing it all in the first place!
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Teresa Cano Coaching is my personal coaching business, where I help women in leadership achieve better work/life balance by building healthy habits. I provide one on one coaching services in the form of a 90 day Coaching Intensive called “Get Into the Habit” where we focus on meeting the client where they’re at, looking at where they want to be, and figure out what’s getting in the way.
What sets my coaching business apart from others is that I’m a coach who is relatable, have been down the road my clients have been on, have been on my own mental health journey for years, and am able to use my knowledge, experiences, and expertise to provide high-level coaching, in a conversational, laid-back way.
I’m most proud of my clients and the leaps and bounds I’ve seen them make as we work together. Some clients have jump-started these new health journeys, have created healthy boundaries with work, and are living their lives in ways they didn’t think were possible when we started out. I’m so proud watching them show up for themselves and really dig deep in session, bringing me along with them. It is a huge honor to do what I do.
As far as how to work with me, I offer my 90-day 1:1 Coaching Intensive called “Get Into the Habit” – designed to take you from “no time for me” to “Healthy Habit Queen” to achieve the balance you need. I currently work primarily with women in leadership, business, and other entrepreneurs who are looking to get unstuck, build healthier habits, and find better balance in their lives.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Oh my goodness, where to start! Finding a mentor, for me, has been more of a natural, “who has gently gone the extra mile to help or support me at any point in my life” and reaching out to them for advice. I have two mentors that stick out to me; one, a college professor who as time has gone on, something keeps putting her in front of me, and I’m so glad to have continued a great relationship with her over the years as she is so wise, and has supported me through it all. The other was a leader/manager of mine who was incredible for me and saw me for who I really was. He is someone who I have gone to for advice, and his calmness, expertise, and view of professionalism is something I have always strived for.
Finding a mentor is about finding people you admire, trust, respect, and then finding out how to reach out to them and pick their brains. I’ve been so lucky to find a couple, and as I continue to lean into my network, I have been adding a few to my pocket to reach out to at different stages as well.
Don’t be afraid to reach out to people and ask them about their story, how they got there, and what challenges they’ve faced along the way. I’ve found that when I’ve done that with people I admire and respect, they have been more than willing to share what they can!
Contact Info:
- Email: teresacanocoaching@gmail.com
- Website: teresacanocoaching.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teresacanocoaching/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Teresa-Cano-Coaching-106239475174712
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/show/4KJWVXGoZ1YFNPbhpxRu0Q?si=077e48780ea64ca4
Image Credits:
Credit for first personal photo – Alyson Tracy
