Meet Amanda Huggins of Anxiety to Empowerment in Santa Monica

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Huggins.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Amanda. So, let’s start at the beginning, and we can move on from there.
After spending nearly a decade in the startup space, I finally broke past my own fears to follow my calling for helping leaders break past internal barriers of self-worth, fear, and anxiety.

About six years ago, my life was perfect on paper: I worked at some exciting companies, I was well-traveled, and I had an enormous circle of friends, but on the inside, I was riddled with deep self-worth issues, depression, and anxiety so powerful that some days I could hardly get out of bed.

I wallowed in that for a while: who was *I* to complain? Or worse, I’d go down the self-blame rabbit hole: “What’s wrong with me? Why do I feel like this?”

I eventually became sick and tired of feeling sick and tired, and sought out coaches, mentors, and teachers who helped me to not only break through my own emotional spin cycle, but helped me realized my calling: to help others reconnect with their sense of self and shed their anxiety, in the same way, I had.

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older, or 18.1% of the population every year.

What’s more, anxiety disorders are highly treatable, yet only 36.9% of those suffering receive treatment. My goal is to contribute to significant decreases in those statistics.

As an Anxiety Coach, not only do I get to help people move past their negative inner dialogue, I get to watch my clients as they step into a much deeper sense of personal power and creativity. This work is truly the gift that keeps on giving!

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I wouldn’t call the road smooth – most unpaved roads aren’t! Most of the struggles I came up against were completely internal: issues with self-worth, understanding my value, and breaking past any residual fears holding me back…those were some BIG mountains to climb.

There’s also the concept of “shedding.” As I started to truly understand my purpose and how I was meant to serve other people, I came into the awareness that the life I’ve lived up until then would have to change. I would have to quit my 9-to-5 job (terrifying!), I would have to make consistent lifestyle changes (more early rising, even more, quiet time and meditation), and as a result, I had to be okay with some people falling out of my life, too.

I think that’s the hardest part when you’re building something on your own: you must remain so deeply rooted in your mission despite any naysayers or people who just don’t understand. Coming to terms with the fact that it’s necessary – and completely okay – to shed the comfort of people, lifestyle, and surroundings were one of the more difficult realizations, but it’s paid dividends in personal happiness and the ability to show up fully for my clientele.

And the work never ends, in that sense: in order to show up and hold a safe container of space for my clients, I’ve had to take an extremely honest look at my life over and over again to see where my *own* anxieties and fears might still want to bubble up.

We’d love to hear more about what you do.
I’m an Anxiety & Empowerment coach, a title I created because it was the exact thing I was looking for a few years ago when I was riddled with inner turmoil. I figured, if I was looking for this, there are thousands of others who might be on the same search, too.

My work is rooted in Universal Law and the concept of emotional “rinsing and process,” a method designed to help clients release the barriers holding them back from finding true happiness and success. I’m a leading “Life Talk” creator on the MoveWith platform, and a Mental Health co-host on the “Critical Conversations” podcast, a weekly series created to discuss full-spectrum health as it relates to a positive lifestyle.

I’ve appeared on “Good Morning La La Land” hosted by Dr. Erin (named one of the most inspiring female entrepreneurs by Forbes), and “The Golden Mic” with International best-selling author Marc Cordon.

In addition to servicing clients in a 1:1 fashion, I develop online and in-person workshops designed to help clients break past stress & anxiety. I also create mindfulness programs for startups and small businesses – after spending nearly a decade in tech, I have an acute understanding of how necessary it is to reduce stress & anxiety levels in employees.

While I work with clients around the world, I currently reside in Los Angeles, California.

What were you like growing up?
As a kid, I was definitely an extrovert. So much so, that in high school my desk was moved OUTSIDE of the classroom in Math because I was talking so much (Sorry, Mr. Trotz!).

My high energy and extroversion definitely didn’t translate into sports, though. I opted for dancing, which I fully believe was one of the seedlings that led me to where I am today.

After quitting “official” dance classes in college, I still craved physical movement and creativity, which ultimately led to me developing a yoga practice and becoming a teacher.

From there, it was all phasers set on stun: I couldn’t get enough of the philosophy, peace, and community… which ultimately led to me finding my own mentors and developing my coaching practice today!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thefeistyyogi.com
• Phone: 7325358840
• Email: amanda@thefeistyyogi.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/anxietytoempowerment
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amanda.hugs

Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.