Today we’d like to introduce you to Sandra Possing
Hi Sandra, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Born in Sweden to a Danish mom and a Swedish dad, I started out with Scandinavian roots, and the European influence on my identity remains strong. When I was 5 years old, my mother and I moved to Los Angeles, where I got a new step-family, and a whole new life. There, my identity as a California girl began. Growing up, I’d travel back and forth to visit family, and also had the privilege of traveling extensively with my Swedish dad for his business and on vacations, as well as my mom and step-dad. The globetrotting lifestyle solidified my identity as a “mobile world citizen”, a label I adopted early on, which later informed my choice to become a digital nomad and create a business I could run from anywhere.
Growing up I was the nice girl. An achiever. A perfectionist. A people pleaser. This led to getting good grades, being a track star, getting my Gold Award as a Girl Scout, playing in the orchestra, etc. All lovely achievements, but I was so committed to doing the right thing and being a good girl, that I struggled to find my own sense of sense and confidence. My self worth relied on the external validation I received from others. These struggles led me to the self-help sections of the bookstores and eventually into my deep dive into the world of personal development, where I found peace and relief and learned the tools I need to step into owning who I am and living more authentically. My personal transformation also laid the groundwork for the work I now do in my coaching business with my clients.
After getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology and a minor in Italian language from UCLA, I moved from Los Angeles up to San Francisco to start my career. In what…? I had no idea. For most of my 20’s I experimented. I tried jobs. I worked for startups. I bartended. I side hustled. I became a personal trainer and taught outdoor bootcamp classes for 8 years.
I was scrappy and resourceful and always made it work. But, I still had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up. In my late 20’s, mentally exhausted from all the back and forth of trying to figure out my career path, I finally committed to the search and decided my only job was to figure out what I wanted to do for work. So, I became a like a detective. An investigative journalist. I soul searched. I interviewed anyone I could find that seemed fulfilled in both their career AND their life. Fortunately, through the fitness world, I discovered coaching. After some digging, I realized that coaching was essentially my dream job. You mean I can take my biggest passion – personal development – and… do it as a job? I can get PAID to have deep conversations with cool people about their goals and dreams? Yes please! I got trained and dove in.
Now, 12 years later, I am still happily running my personal development company, technically from anywhere in the world, although we’ve settled into a lovely town and have built a great community of like minded friends and have a baby on the way right now, so we’ve paused our travels slightly for now. (But plan to resume it gently with baby boy next year!)
In my world, I help mostly ambitious high achieving millennial and gen-X individuals unleash their inner badass and manifest their dream lives. We dig deep and figure out who they are, what they want, and then get them into action right away taking steps toward those goals and dreams. They break through what’s holding them back and start to step into their power and really own who they are, daring to be more bold and live more authentically. I get to witness the most beautiful transformations.
I work with my clients in different ways: mostly 1:1, and sometimes through group programs, masterminds, memberships, and digital courses. People can also consume my free content through my podcast, “Oh, Hi Self”, my blog, and social media.
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?
It’s been a wild rollercoaster! My main struggles included:
1) Self worth. Especially people pleasing, perfectionism, self-doubt, imposter syndrome, fear of failure, fear or judgment, etc.
2) Uncertainty about my career, figuring out my passions and purpose and mission and turning that into a business.
3) My money mindset, overcoming scarcity thinking, releasing shame about debt I used to have, and training my brain to completely transform how I think and feel about money.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Sandra Possing International?
My business is a personal development company. I am a speaker, life coach, and entrepreneur. I specialize in helping millennial and gen-X individuals (especially women) heal and start to release their good girl tendencies (like people pleasing, perfectionism, imposter syndrome, etc.) and start to unleash their inner untamed wild woman. I help them get clear on who they are and step into their power. I am known for my own commitment to and my ability to help my clients move toward unapologetic authenticity and creating extraordinary lives they love, that are an expression of who they are.
I’m most proud of the results my clients get. They not only attain goals and achieve milestones, but they relax into and feel more comfortable in their own skin. I’ve been told countless times that our work together completely changed their lives. And in some cases, even, that I saved their lives.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
That we won’t find happiness or fulfillment in achievement or material or tangible success. We find it by living authentically and creating lives that are true to who we are. The more we honor our own deep desires and live our lives on our own terms, the more healthy, happy, fulfilled, and empowered we become, and then we can’t help but to spread the love and help others, which then leads to even greater fulfillment.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sandrapossing.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandrapossing/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sandrapossing/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/sandrapossing
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/sandra-possing-san-francisco-6
Image Credits
Angela Moon Photography
