Bodhi Babes Wonder Women - Lucy Sheridan-Wightman

louisehewison
Dec 14, 2014
5 min read

Meet our Bodhi Babes Wonder Woman #BBWW -

Lucy Sheridan-Wightman from Proof Coaching.

I met Lucy this year at one of Gabrielle Bernstein's lectures... I loved her instantly. The first thing she said to me was "I'm meeting some friends for a drink, would you like to join us?" That is testament to how warm, welcoming and kind Lucy is. A wonderful friend and life coach.

When you were a little girl, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Hands down I wanted to be a pony stable owning hairdresser that was a fill in Spice Girl when Victoria couldn’t make it!

What do you do now? For work? For fun?

Today I work for myself – I’m the UK’s (the world’s?) first and only comparison coach so that sees me coaching, speaking and writing for a living. I love understanding what makes people tick so I also freelance doing brand strategy projects in the hair and beauty industry (my old day job.)

For fun, I’m all about socialising – I’m a triple Leo so I very much go for an eat, drink and be merry approach. Nothing gives me greater pleasure than inviting friends round for dinner and cooking up a big meal to share and swap stories and drink gallons of Malbec in the process.

How did you get into your area of expertise?

I have always been interested in the way people think and what makes us tick and was loving using that interest in my job as a brand strategist.

A few years ago I was really struggling, feeling out of control and my confidence was at an all-time low and I discovered self-development via some books and blogs a friend shared with me. From there, that hobby became an obsession that led me to exploring how I could access coaching to help others and I so, after a lot of research, I enrolled in a training programme. One thing led to another and I left my job because the Universe has my back!

What obstacles have you faced in following your dreams and how have you overcome them?

I used to think I had life worked out – I was 27 and I had the man, the job, the house and was going on holiday to Barbados.

But then a storm swept through my life, as I knew it - my partner’s business went under and we lost our house. I subsequently found myself living back with my parents for what was supposed to be a few months but what turned into about a year and a half!

That experience was a real leveller for me and although, at the time, the experience felt like a living nightmare it has since become a great source of strength. I couldn’t have grown from that experience and realized the strength it actually gave me had I not had my spiritual practice. It made me realise the pursuit of ‘stuff’ is not what we’re here for! It’s an experience that continues to feed me.

Thinking more recently, being self-employed has MASSIVELY tested my self-confidence and the biggest obstacles (that still crop up) have been fear and anxiety. Key to overcoming these in the last year, and on an ongoing basis, have been the support of my friends and family but also concentrating on my own spiritual practice.

Meditation, affirmations and getting lots of Marianne Williamson audiobooks on my iPhone has been like dialling the emergency services for my self-doubt!

Oh and working out how to do my accounts and understand tax has also been a stretch.

What’s the best part of what you do?

Freedom to plan my day has been very liberating but I’d have to say working with my clients.

It is a magical feeling to see someone walk a little taller and go after what they want knowing your words have had an impact and have helped them whether that’s through my one to one coaching or speaking at an event

What advice do you have for other women who might want to follow suit?

I would say find your tribe and go for it. You’re never going to be fully ready but once you start you’d be AMAZED at how life reorganizes itself to help you out!

What’s your morning routine?

I get up and head straight out to walk my dog on the beach – I deliberately leave my phone at my flat and use that time as meditation to practice gratitude and call in my angels to get them on board with what I want for the day. I’ll then head back home get showered and hit my inbox – probably whilst blow-drying my hair which takes aaaagggeess!!

3 things that are on your ‘to do’ list today?

Taking this question literally! I have a blog post to write for a really cool site I follow called Mothers Meeting, I have to select 6 images for an upcoming piece in Grazia and I need to do my tax return uuurgh ;-)

What are you working on at the moment? Next project?

I’m developing an online course all about living comparison free, which will make it more affordable for people to access my coaching, work on their own terms. Other strategic projects include speaking in Universities UK wide about the filter factor and how to focus offline and of course growing my one to one coaching business which is my BIG love. I also have a couple of collaborations that are knee deep in development, planned for Spring 2015, which I’m not allowed to talk about yet but promise I will as soon as I can!

One woman you admire and why?

It has to be Oprah for me and I have reasons as long as both arms…. But to surmise - she came from a very difficult background and has stayed true to herself and her big vision to rise to, frankly, change the world!

Three wishes?

To create a standard compulsory 3 day weekend
The motivation to move more – I think I have it in me to be more active for sure!
To go to Disney Land like NOW!

Who do you turn to for advice?

I’m increasingly trying to lean more on my intuition and operate outside of my ego mind which means I no longer put my decisions ‘out to a panel’ as much I used to do, but it does still happen.

When I do need to bend someone’s ear I’ll often go to my best friend since I was 14, Lianne.

Who do you turn to for a shoulder to cry on?

It’s really cheesy but I’d say my husband, Alasdair (Big Al.) He is rock solid and his belief in me is unwavering and he will let me just have a cry if I need to without jumping in straight away with practical advice.

Favourite book?

This is a tricky one! I loved The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney

Favourite movie?

Casino

Favourite childhood game?

Making dens! I still have the skills ;-)

Fantasy career? Why?

I think I would go back to my first answer but add ‘life coach’ so that would be life coaching, pony stable owning hairdresser that was a fill in Spice Girl when Victoria couldn’t make it!

Words for Monday motivation?

“Only love is real” – start the week open to what it has to offer not expecting the worse

#FeelGoodFriday song?

Joan of Arc by Arcade Fire – play it loud and sing along!

Favourite quote?

“A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle” by James Keller

I use this a lot to help illustrate that being jealous and holding back our gifts does us no good – we can only benefit from sharing our light!