I’m so happy to be back on the blog today! It has been quite a refreshing and much-needed break from my “norm” traipsing around in the Redwood Forest of northern California this past weekend, wearing a flower crown and celebrating LOVE!

My heart has been as wide open as my eyes, and I’m feeling super present. So what better time than to answer BOTH sets of questions for the dual Liebster Award nominations I received in the past week, and to spread some love to my fellow blogger sisters!

Click the above image for the official rules & more information about the Liebster Award!

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NO. 1

The first nomination came from Samantha Casale, a brilliant and beautiful lady with whom I had the privilege of working alongside in my previous full-time job before leaving to go all-in with my coaching biz.  Thank you for the nomination, Sam!

Here are my responses to her 11 questions:

1. What/who inspired you to start your blog?

I suppose Jeannine Yoder of Mentor Masterclass indirectly inspired me to start my blog, as a supplement to my coaching business and as a way to connect with my ideal clients and provide valuable information for my audience about what it’s like to work with me. 🙂 So much gratitude for the coaching program, and my amazing soon-to-be-mama mentor, Jeannine! Thank you, beautiful!

2. What is your favorite thing to do on the weekends/in your spare time?

If my boyfriend Matt isn’t working, I love to spend time with him — we have so much fun together and tend to laugh a lot and be silly. One of our favorite things to do in our spare time is to take our pup, Byron, for a long walk in one of Pittsburgh’s many parks. It’s something that helps us not only connect to one another, but to our little “family” at large, and also with nature. Can’t beat it!

3. What do you do to stay inspired?

Travel! As I write this, I’m sitting in a coffee shop in the Glen Park neighborhood of San Francisco. It’s been lovely being here.

I love to spend time with friends having deep & meaningful conversations to stay inspired. This sounds totally crazy, but bear with me … I also love to watch reality TV to remind myself that my work is valuable and to use the conflicts in the shows to practice coaching techniques — I play out, in my mind, what tools I would pull from my coaching repertoire if a client came to me with this issue. It’s a fun game! 🙂

I also love to keep a journal, exercise, cook, be outside, re-design my living space (and clean, a lot), and of course, make Pinterest boards!

4. What are three goals that you’re working towards

One: Filling my 1:1 coaching roster with 4 more clients

Two: Scheduling 4 Hippies In Heels privately hosted events per month starting in May

Three: Always working to improve my relationship with Matt — in my mind, a relationship is a living, breathing, growing entity and it needs constant attention and support to thrive. So that’s a goal that will never really end for me!

5. Tell us something that you’re super excited about.

I’m super excited to spend a week in San Diego, starting this Thursday! Laying on the beach all day, waking up and going for a run on the beach, beach bonfires, meeting new people, and eating lots of tacos.

6. What’s your favorite app? Is there one you like that we probably haven’t heard of?

I just learned about OverDrive, which is an app that allows you to rent e-books and audiobooks from your local library. Mind blown.

7. Iced or hot coffee?

I prefer tea! But if it’s coffee, definitely iced with a splash of organic unsweetened almond milk.

8. What makes you the happiest (and why)?

My dog, Byron. He has taught me so much already, and has fully expanded my capacity to love unconditionally and limitlessly. He makes every situation better, and he reflects back to me the purity of authentic emotion & unapologetic honesty. He has definitely brought Matt and I closer together in a new way, and I love him for that. He also reminds me that I can manifest anything I desire and will make things happen when I have my heart set on them. And he gets me outside more often! There are probably more reasons he makes me so happy, but I could go on forever … 🙂

9. Who is your ultimate celebrity crush?

CHRIS SOULES!! For those of you who don’t know who that is, the most recent bachelor on The Bachelor, aka Prince Farming. Swoon! (I do think I’m pretty lucky, though, to have found such a catch of a man who has all of characteristics I admire about Chris)

10. What’s for dinner tonight?

Sushi in the Mission with my beautiful friend Rachel Hite!

11. Where is the most beautiful place you’ve ever been to?

Perfect timing for this one 🙂 The coast of Northern California on Hwy 1, where I was yesterday. The coast of somewhere around Santa Cruz, up through Pescadero, en route back to San Fransisco from Redwood City. SO GORGEOUS! To one side, the most beautiful cliffs, beaches, some farmland, and wildflowers, and to the other, more farmland, forest, & mountains. I’ve been to Costa Rica, Mexico, Australia, Greece, Italy, & France, and I must say, the beauty of this place has beat them all!

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NO. 2

My second nomination came from Tera Geishauser, a rockin’ holistic health coach & personal trainer, also based in Pittsburgh!

I’m so grateful for your nomination, Tera! Thank you!

Here are my responses to the second set of 11 questions, from Tera!

1. We all know how important the “morning routine” is so….what does yours look like?

I’m not 100% structured, and I don’t like doing the same thing ever single day! But usually, I’ll take Byron for a short-ish walk, write in my journal (sometimes it’s a sentence, other times it’s 3 pages), drink lots of water & eat a light breakfast (green smoothie or some fruit), then pull a Goddess card from my Doreen Virtue deck by asking “What do I need to know today?” or “How do I need to show up in this situation?” Finally, I’ll look at my schedule for the day and get to work!

2. What is your drive, motivation or push when you are feeling weathered and worn?

My personal freedom.

Depends on the type of “weathered & worn” we’re referring to, but if I’m really feeling that way, I’ll honor that feeling and create more space for myself to just be and not push too hard. I truly believe that working harder isn’t the answer. That’s old paradigm thinking to me. So I’ll get more creative and find better solutions and be really really good to myself – mind, body, spirit.

3. Go-to health & wellness activity (whether it be mental or physical)…

Tough to choose just one! Depends on how much time I have and what my energy is like! 🙂

In any situation, I think writing out how I’m feeling about something is always the most helpful. Once I do that, I really like to take some time to clear my head with physical activity, whether that’s a long walk with an audiobook and my Byron pup, or a heated vinyasa flow yoga class.

4. Dance party in your kitchen, dance party at Whole Foods or toe tapping while snuggled up with your favorite book? 

Haha! This is the best question ever.

Definitely dance party in my kitchen. I love dancing with Matt, whether it’s silly dancing or sweet dancing. On one of our first dates in the apartment where we now live together, we slow danced to Jack Johnson in the kitchenette, so now we call this “kitchenette dancing.” One of my favorite things to do. EVER.

5. If you could give just ONE health&wellness tip, what would it be?

SLOW DOWN.

6. Book suggestion and why….? 

WomanCode by Alisa Vitti, because every woman should know the treasures hiding in this book about your body, hormones, feminine cycles, fertility, and overall well-being. It’s just brilliant!

7. Favorite health and wellness expert that you follow…

I adore Sarah Jenks & her philosophy.

8. One THING you cannot live without….

Farmers Markets.

9. Proudest accomplishment….

Starting my own business a little over one year ago!

10. Coffee or tea?

Tea!

11. Tell us something you have never shared on social media…..

One of my favorite guilty pleasures is to go to Razzy Fresh (a Fro-Yo shop), get a sample cup, try all the flavors, and leave. Is that terrible!? 🙂 It’s so fun!

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I NOMINATE

Rebecka Svensson, Styrkemat

Stevie Storck, Stevie Storck Design Co.

Meagan Roppo, She Enlightened/FeMeditate

Gabrielle Bogan, Life By Design

Gervase Kolmos, Shiny Happy Human

Courtney Sage, Birch & Basil

QUESTIONS FOR MY NOMINEES 

(and YOU can answer them too, in the comments section below!)

1. What is your favorite place you’ve ever visited in the world & why?
2. Who is the most inspiring person in your life right now?
3. If you could choose only 3 foods to subsist on for the rest of your life, what would they be?
4. What is your dream career? If you already have your dream career, what’s your alternate dream career?
5. What’s your favorite/most-played song at the moment?
6. What do you purely because it brings you joy?
7. If you could choose one responsibility in your career or life to eliminate, what would it be and why?
8. If you could choose one super power, what would it be and how would you use it?
9. What’s your favorite room in your house?
10. Post your favorite photo of yourself and tell us the backstory. Do you remember what you were thinking, doing, or experiencing that day?
11. What’s your go-to order at a coffee shop? 

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This was such a fun way to create a blog post for you!

I hope you’ve enjoyed learning more about me, and I can’t wait to see the responses from YOU in the comments section below, as well as from my nominees! 

Enjoy your day with open eyes & an open heart!

Love & Light,

Emily