Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Henricks.
Katie, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’m a devout believer that our reason for existing is to help others and to be able to help others, we have to use our pain as our purpose… or make our struggles our service. That’s just what I did. In 2015, I transitioned out of a very unhealthy relationship and stepped into a whole other life as a single mom to my then two years old little boy. Before that moment, I had never taken a career path seriously and to be quite honest, I wouldn’t have had a clue what to pursue. Although I was well educated and capable, I was still under the belief that in order to be successful or happy, I was going to have to work a 9-5 job for someone else. Having never been the kind of woman who found fulfillment selling, planning, creating or building other people’s products, that never sat well with me. Having my then partner’s income to fall back on, I simply never had to find my own thing. Once I stepped out on my own, I was faced with the very uncomfortable truth that I was going to have to find something I loved and go for it whole-heartedly. And that’s just what I did. Having a background in education and having taught erotic movement and sexual expression very part-time as a new mom, I knew there was a seed of something there. I absolutely lit up in the studio. Teaching and witnessing women feeling empowered, free and expressive was incredibly rewarding, but I also knew there was something much deeper there. It was the therapeutic element to it, the psychological element, the deeply transformative healing that was possible when we could tap into this space of wholeness in our relationship to ourselves as women.
I dove headfirst into intense education, certifications and transformative development in the field of relationships, empowerment and sexuality. I knew that my story of survivorship, healing from PTSD and creating a healthier relationship with myself would serve me in a divine way and I went for it. I made my pain my purpose and started Katie H Coaching in 2018. I began seeing friends, colleagues and peers as part of completing my hours for certification thinking that I’d give it a shot and see how I liked it. What I found was an incredibly powerful and unique calling to help both men and women to take their relationships to a whole other level of fulfillment… body, heart and soul. I now see women (and sometimes their partners) host workshops and build community with a very personal, heart-led and desire-based approach. I strive to empower my clients with practical application tools to use in their everyday lives so that they feel independent, skillful, confident and lit up from within. I believe that when we change our relationship with ourselves, every other relationship transforms from that place. I believe every woman deserves to have stellar body confidence and live an unapologetic, fully expressed, desire led life.
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?
Wow! So many. I am no stranger to extreme challenges. When I first stepped out on my own, I was faced with being a single mother with no help. I was trying to balance it all while searching desperately to learn where God wanted me to be serving my gifts in the world. To be honest, imposter syndrome made its presence known loud and clear! At first, I allowed all of my self-doubt, setbacks and pain from my past to paralyze my career growth, but as I began healing from my trauma and moved into an area of stability, independence and self-expression, I started to make some moves and claim my space. I’ve learned this one key thing when it comes to imposter syndrome- if you use feeling fear as a marker that you’re about to level up and do something great, it can be a motivator instead of an obstacle.
That’s what I choose to do again and again… I use fear as a threshold of growth and greatness instead of letting it stop me. I also didn’t realize that as a coach, that also meant I was speeding headfirst onto entrepreneur highway and it was a one-lane-road. I had to quickly learn how I was going to market myself, create opportunities that people would want to be a part of and who the heck I was as a business owner and woman on a mission. That really forced me to dig deep, get clear about what I stood for how I was going to represent myself in this field. Being an entrepreneur was completely new to me. I was so green on the tech side of things. Learning how to create a website, transition into my social media space, engage with the small audience that I had and navigate this whole virtual business space is nothing short of bootcamp for young entrepreneurs. I had to learn to ask for help and guidance both personally and in my career. I always think of myself as a student. Even in my space of being a CEO… I’m always a student there too. I humbly claim that role but stay open to learning opportunities as I grow.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a Relationship & Intimacy Coach specializing with women (sometimes their partners) in the fields of relationships, overall empowerment and sexuality. I’m most proud of creating my business while being a mom to my son, Huck. He’ll be nine in May and he’s the most amazing kid. It’s definitely not glamorous but I’ve learned how to balance both entrepreneurship and motherhood under the most intense, demanding and challenging circumstances. If I can do that, I can do absolutely ANYTHING! What sets me apart from other coaches is that I have an exceptionally strong emphasis on empowerment.
Yes, I’m a Feminist if you haven’t guessed. To me, that means I have an obligation to educate, serve and uphold those who aren’t being heard or those who don’t have the same privilege as I do. It means that I believe that every person should be self-sovereign, uniquely expressed and live confidently. That means that, in my coaching, I strive to be an advocate for our Black community and Black women, have inclusive practices for our LGBTQ community, single mothers, and those of us living with sexual trauma. Living in a patriarchal society, you learn to exist with nuanced aggression, abuse, oppression and inequality that causes mental illness, emotional illness, shame, further abuse cycles and disordered living. No one should be living this way. I offer special services, womxn’s based community-building, education and work on a sliding scale for BIPOC, single mothers, domestic abuse survivors and students. My goal is to use this platform to make my services more accessible to those who are ready for deep growth and leadership through mentorship. I also make it a personal goal to have each one of my clients equipped with healthy communication skills and boundary setting abilities.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Without a doubt, it’s my RESOURCEFULNESS. I have full confidence that I can always make any situation positive. If I don’t have the answer, by God I’ll find the right answer. If I have to go digging, I’ll find the right answer. Part of being resourceful is learning to ask for help. I used to be terrified of it, but with a little (or a lot) of practice, I’m no longer afraid to ask for help, mentorship, guidance or support. I have a great community of people who are always there to empower my own sovereignty and autonomy and I also have to express my gratitude for them. I also have stellar Morning and Nighttime self-care practices that keep me full, grounded and emotionally nourished so that I can continue to give out to others in my business.
Pricing:
- Workshops range $50-$400
- Women’s Monthly Challenge $50
- Exploratory Call $50
- Retreats starting at $999
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: katiehenrickscoaching.com
- Instagram: katieh.coach
Image Credits:
Talia Shipman
