There’s no grandiose award or pay raise for stay-at-home moms. There’s no professional development or a promotion to recognize the effort and sacrifice of moms who choose to leave their jobs and postpone their career goals or to stay home to raise their children. Not that investing in family and caregiving isn’t important, it truly is, but for some, there’s something more their soul is searching for. The job of a “SAHM” (stay-at-home mom) is so important, so challenging and so selfless — we believe there should be an award for these incredible women and even more importantly, a fulfilling future.
Chrissy Soileau is a wife of fourteen years and a mom to two spirited little boys. Before she became a stay-at-home mom, she was a high school English and creative writing teacher. She LOVED her work, but once she had her boys (they’re only 11 months apart), She had to make some changes.
“No amount of mascara or dry shampoo could mask the tears I was crying and the many ways I was losing myself, all while desperately trying to give my BEST guys their BEST life,” Chrissy said.
Over the past couple of months, Chrissy earned her life coach certification and rented an office space. She’s worked with the Glass Staircase team to create her brand Crave Coaching, published a website, and launch her business. And all of her efforts are fueled by a passion to help women just like her reconnect with themselves and find their purpose.
This is Chrissy’s Story — told by Chrissy herself.
My name is Chrissy Soileau. I’m a wife of fourteen years and a mom to two spirited little boys. Before I became a stay-at-home mom, I was a high school English and creative writing teacher. I spent my summers (and a large part of the school year) providing professional development to other teachers, as well as leading several adult and young adult writing retreats, workshops, summer courses, and camps. I LOVED my work, but once I had my boys (they’re only 11 months apart!), I had to make some changes. The transition from “work-a-holic” educator to struggling and anxious SAHM to two babies affected my identity and purpose greatly. I’ll admit it – no amount of mascara or dry shampoo could mask the tears I was crying and the many ways I was losing myself, all while desperately trying to give my BEST guys their BEST life.
The stresses of motherhood and weight issues related to emotional eating led me to join a gym in January of 2012. There, I found a nursery that would take care of my babies for two hours a day (haha!) and my PASSION for helping others reach their health and fitness goals. I did those dreaded burpees, lost 70 lbs, and found my TRIBE. For the next four years, while my boys were at Mother’s Day Out, I spent my time doing weight loss and health consults, accountability coaching, and eventually working at my gym as a fitness instructor and group challenge leader. I also worked my way up to the top 1% in a direct sales supplement company, leading a team of over 700 women. Determined to offer the best guidance possible to my team and future clients, I earned an official health and wellness coaching certification from the Become a Health Coach Institute in 2017. I felt like I had found a new calling, but when my gym closed suddenly and my tribe dispersed, I found my world rocked again. Enter Identity Crisis #2.
This time, as things felt like they were falling apart, I responded differently. I took a timeout to really listen to my heart and ask myself what I actually wanted. I prayed. I reflected. I stayed open to being led somewhere new. Then one day over coffee, a friend mentioned a local life coaching school to me and everything began to fall into place. One thing I had learned from working with hundreds of women attempting to lose weight while managing the demands of motherhood, marriage, career, school, etc., was that their weight issues had less to do with knowing what to eat and how to exercise and more to do with living in constant overwhelm from carrying the weight of their responsibilities and expectations. I was already in the process of digging deeper into my own personal challenges to understand what behaviors and thought patterns had affected my health and happiness over the years, and now I had an opportunity to learn proven strategies that could prompt significant change for people. I enrolled in two different life coaching schools, immersed myself in those studies, completed hundreds of hours of supervised coaching, and am now ready to make a difference in the lives of my friends, family, and community.
I’m on a mission to help women of all ages build their confidence and remember their worth. We will break the bonds of codependency, perfectionism, and people-pleasing in order to live more authentic, intentional lives. We’ll determine your core values, eliminate limiting beliefs, and implement new behaviors that promote full mind, body, and spirit alignment so that your truest self can emerge. I offer a safe space for you to get vulnerable, own your story, and create a new narrative where deep, lasting transformation occurs and your life’s purpose may be fulfilled. You deserve the big, beautiful life you’ve been craving! I would be honored to help you live it.
Congratulations on your website and new business Chrissy -- we're behind you all the way! If you want to learn more about Crave Coaching or work with Chrissy, visit CraveCoaching.com.