An Invitation to Be Part of What Comes Next

I didn’t disappear—I slowed down on purpose.

In this episode, I’m sharing where I’ve been, why I took a step back, and what’s changing in the new year. I’ve truly missed this space and the conversations we’ve had here, and this pause gave me time to get clear about what I want to focus on and how I want to do this work.

Starting now, I’ll be releasing one podcast episode a month—on purpose. Slower. Deeper. More intentional. Episodes you can actually sit with instead of rushing through.

Most importantly, this episode is an invitation.

I want to hear from:

Teens: What do you need most right now when it comes to anxiety, stress, and feeling understood?

Parents: What feels confusing, overwhelming, or lonely in supporting your teen?

School counselors & educators: What support, tools, or conversations would actually make your work more sustainable?

I don’t want to guess what you need anymore—I want to listen.

If this episode resonates, I’d love for you to:
👉 Comment below
👉 Send me a message
👉 Share what you’d like me to talk about this year

Thank you for being here. I’m really glad we’re doing this together.

💛
Cynthia 

 Struggling with anxiety in your family? If anxiety is causing tension, fights, or disconnect in your home, you don’t have to face it alone. I help parents bring more peace, confidence, and connection to their families. Let’s talk—schedule a free consultation today or email me: ccoufal@cynthiacoufalcoaching.com

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Transcript

Hi everyone. I am so excited to be here. I have missed you so much, but I wanna talk to you about what I've been doing while I was quiet over this last month. And I'm very excited about it. There's some things I don't really have words for yet, but I want you to know that I have been thinking about you the whole time.

I am so excited about what's to come and if you live in my area, which is Topeka, Kansas, um, I'm gonna be out and about so often for people to meet me in person, to talk to me about what they need, and it just fits my personality so well. I don't know how much of this I talked about in episodes before. Um, I took a month long break.

If you get my newsletter, you already know, um, a lot of the stuff that's going on because I still have a [00:01:00] weekly newsletter. So FYI if you are wanting to be on the newsletter, if you just have been listening to the podcast or, uh, watching the YouTube channel, then um, just. Email me, comment, DM me in social media and say that you would like the newsletter because you'll get weekly updates.

Still, like the podcast was. It just is a lot easier to do a newsletter than it is a podcast and a YouTube channel and all the stuff. And, um, there's a reason why I've been taking this little break and it's just. It was just so important for me to do and it's going to open up so many more wonderful things and ways that I can help young people, their parents and school counselors, and I need to get.

I need to hear from the people. I need to hear from the teens. I need to hear from the parents. I need to hear from the schools. [00:02:00] And so I'm actually going out in my community and seeing people face-to-face and talking about these things. And so that's how I'm spending my time and it just feeds my soul.

If you remember one of the episodes I talked about, um, when. I was listening to a podcast and someone asked the question, are there some people that shouldn't be entrepreneurs? And that question just really stood out to me because I had been thinking, maybe I'm not cutting out for this. Maybe this isn't what, this isn't the way my business is supposed to go.

And it was because, and, and, well, let me go back to, so this person said. Every person can be an entrepreneur, but they need to do it in the way that fits their personality. So, you know, when you look at all the entrepreneurs in the [00:03:00] world, they're all doing it differently. And sometimes we get stuck on, and I definitely got stuck on this that I would look at what someone was doing, someone that I admired or liked how their business looked, uh, from my viewpoint.

And I would see some of the things that they were doing, and I would think, okay, well I'm gonna do that. Well. That works for that person, but because of their personality for whatever reason. And it might not, and didn't sometimes work for my personality and I would look at it at that time like, well, I guess I just shouldn't be doing this.

Or I guess I don't know how to do it or something. But I realized that my personality, uh, I mentioned this in my newsletter, I don't know if I said it to. Said it on the podcast before, but I'm a double Leo. You can be a triple Leo and I really wish I was a triple Leo just 'cause it's so unique. But I'm a double Leo.

[00:04:00] And that just to me says I need to be in face-to-face proximity of people. I spent a lot of time last year behind this camera and I feel like. There is a need for this, and I'm not going to stop doing my podcast. It's just gonna be once a month because that will give me time to run around and see all the people, and then once a month kind of give you a recap of what's going on, but teach you something at the same time.

So this, this month is about just like letting you know what's going on. I'm going to do a podcast once a month. I still have my newsletter every week. If you wanna know, you know exactly what's going on during those times and have other lessons to learn during that time. Um, again, just let me know and I will send you my newsletter and then you can be on the list to get it every, every week so you know what's happening and what I'm offering and um, [00:05:00] and I'm still kind of offering the same things.

I wanna work with teens one-to-one. I wanna see them on the screen. I wanna see 'em in person. And, um, I wanna help people with anxiety and mental health. So if you want that, you know, I am here, contact me. Let's talk about it. Let's, uh. Get started on that. I also wanna help parents and I have my parent membership.

It's there for people to go in and learn all the same things that I teach young people in my one-to-one coaching and all sorts of other resources. Like I've said on your before. I'm sure everything I've ever created for any client, any podcast, any presentation, anything that I have done in the world.

And I've created a product, something that you could, like a workbook or a worksheet or anything that went along with it to [00:06:00] help teach. That concept is all in that parent membership. It's in just one place where you can go. And I think what I heard from parents at the end of the year was, I don't have time for that.

I don't have time to go to meetings. I don't have time to watch a video. I don't have time to, um. To, to add this extra thing into my life. And so I'm trying to figure out what are some new and different ways that I can help parents. And I have some ideas and I'm gonna be asking you about them. Um, 'cause I, I, I still wanna do stuff with parents.

I wanna help them, but I also want to hear them and hear them say, I don't have time. And I get that, um, my life is different right now because I don't have kids at home and I don't have all these activities to go to, and my grandkids are young enough, but they're also not in the activities. But I know that's coming and I'm gonna go to all [00:07:00] the activities.

My grandkids all live within 45 minutes of me, and I'm going to everything, or at least as much as I can. But right now I have kind of like this quiet time in my life, and so that's why I know this is the time I need to be building these things so that when my life gets busy again, I will have systems and products and things in place that are a little bit easier for me to do and go to all those activities.

But I'm listening to you and I'm hearing that that isn't. Where you're in your life right now, where you can sit down and watch some videos about how to do something or, uh, go to a group coaching call where somebody can talk you through these things, but I still wanna help you. So I'm still, I'm working on what is that gonna look like?

How can I, uh, take the time piece out of it? But still you get really good value for your time. Um. The kids are also busy, but I wasn't [00:08:00] hearing that so much. I was finding time to, to, to see the teens one-on-one. My sessions are only 30 minutes, and so it's kind of easy to fit in a 30 minute slot, even if it's, um, you know, at a weird time.

And I'm, I'm willing to work with people on, you know, what time that might be. This year I'm really gonna add in schools and like being in a classroom, being, uh, doing, um, a talk to youth, whether it's like an assembly type thing or. I've, um, applied to some TEDx youth talks and I don't, you know, you never hear right away what's gonna happen with that, but I'd like to, you know, get in front of young people and talk to them about some of these things and then see them afterwards and say, what's going on?

How can I. What else can I do? How can I help you? How can I help your parents? And then talking to school staff, how can I help the school staff? How can I help school counselors in particular, [00:09:00] because that's what I did. And I love school counseling and I love school counselors and I wanna be able to help them be the best that they can be and want to be there and you know, take some of the work off their plate so that they can really.

Bond and mentor and work with kids face-to-face. 'cause that was the part that I loved the most. And I think most people go into that because they wanna work face-to-face or at least like have time to build relationships with kids. And sometimes school tasks get in the way of that. And I actually created that same scenario with me in my own business where I get to choose whatever I do.

I started making tasks and creation. More important than, uh, working and seeing people face to face. So that's what this break kind of is. It, it, the break was about I need to take time to figure this out. I need to have time to talk to real [00:10:00] people in real time. And I'm gonna do that this whole year. Um, and I just, I wanted you to know that this, this is about, um.

You know, a new direction, not about like, not wanting to do this anymore, or I, I just needed time to get this figured out.

I knew in that task creation mode, and I do like doing those things. I love creating things. Um. It's safer to just be setting in, in this office, creating things and feeling like I am and I, I, I am making a difference with those creations, but feeling really productive when really it wasn't very productive.

I, so I realized in the, at the end of the year as I was like, reevaluating, like, what is going on? And like, why do I feel like. [00:11:00] Something's off about this business, and it was because I, my personality and the things that I really love and the things that really light me up in the world, like people being face-to-face with people was missing.

And so I started working with an embodiment coach who helps me to feel into my body how does something feel. And even though I know this concept. Really, you know, probably over the past five years I've really been hearing it a lot because in the coaching world there's a lot of that kind of stuff going on and, um, in the therapy world too sometimes.

And I, I started, you know, I was listening to all this stuff and I believe in all of it. I'm like, oh yeah, you need to feel it in your body. And yes, you know, it needs to be you before it can, you know, come out and be something. But somehow I didn't. Like, take that on as something for me. [00:12:00] I was like, oh yeah, that's so true.

And I, and I totally did believe it. I just wasn't doing it. So, and I, I maybe did, didn't know how to do it. And truthfully, having somebody walk you through it and take you through the process is so much more meaningful than trying to like, come to that myself. How does it feel in my body? And, you know, kinda guessing around about it.

And so I love it and she's helping me to make this to, she's helping me to see how things feel in my body and how my personality is everything about my brand. And I knew that, but I didn't know it or I knew it, but I wasn't practicing it. I'm not sure which it went, which way it went. I just wanted you to know that that's part of what I've been working on.

I'm trying to make my business simpler in the fact that I don't have so much [00:13:00] creation and editing. 'cause I'm a solopreneur and I'm sure I've told you this stuff before, but this whole business is me, me doing everything. And even though I like that and that's a really good place to start a business, it also.

It means that I can't do all the things that I'm seeing other people do unless I had a team and I do wanna have a team someday and I have some, you know, big dreams about more things that are gonna happen right now. I need to look out what makes this business simple and yet very impactful. And so that's what I'm working on, is I really wanna have strong and deep impact for young people, parents and school counselors.

Without all of the, um, extra stuff. And if you were somebody who watches, watches, my YouTube channel, there's so much here. I have, um, some of them are shorts. I have 300 plus [00:14:00] videos here. Like there's a lot of stuff you can go back and look at and, and learn from. And if you listen to my podcast. You can go back five, five plus years and there's topics on everything.

'cause I started this podcast as emotional regulation in general, just like everything, mental health. And then I kind of, then I moved to anxiety because that seemed to be the thing that kept coming up the most with my clients. But you can find episodes on so many things. And so if you're somebody who just found me and you're like.

You know, what's the deal once a month? There's so much to go back and do and, and read and, and listen to. And so it's, it's like you can still like supplement those weeks that I'm not doing an episode with some of the older ones or go back and re-listen. I have favorite podcasters that I get so much out of and I go back many times and [00:15:00] listen to an episode that really resonated with me because.

That's just like, so like I, I relearn, or sometimes if it's been a couple years since you read or heard something and then you reread it or rehear it again, you're in a different spot, you're a different person and then you're hearing it from a different lens. And so there's just so many ways that you can go back and.

Listen to those other episodes, and if you're a newer listener, you probably hadn't had a chance to go back into listen to those other episodes, so now you do.

What I am building is a movement. I am ready to do something really big. You know, I have been working on this for five years and I'm taking all of this information and I don't know exactly what the message of my movement is yet. I'm working on that and I'm pretty excited about it because as a rebel at heart, um, as I was as a teenager.[00:16:00] 

I was pretty much only a rebel as a teenager, and then I, uh, decided to conform 'cause it was just easier and, um, less chaotic as a, as a conformer. But inside me there's still this rebel and I was ignoring her and I'm not going to ignore her anymore because I feel like that's part of what makes this brand.

So impactful and meaningful is that teenagers are rebellious by nature and my brand, I want it to be a little bit rebellious. I think that's what's gonna call to those young people and those parents who are dealing with that rebellious part of their young person and the school as they're dealing with that rebellious part of that young person and helping all these people see.

The beauty of being young and what we can learn from young people. That's what I'm gonna be spending a lot of this time doing right now, is listening [00:17:00] to young people so that the message of my movement is, is for them, is exactly what they want and need. And so I need to be talking to them more about what is it exactly that you need.

So if you're a team. Listen to this right now. I want to hear from you. I want you to DM me, email me, text me. All that stuff is, you can find that in my, uh, especially in the show notes of the podcast. Every way that you can contact me is there, but if you, if you follow me on social media, you can DM me. You can put comments in the YouTube video.

I mean, any way that you can let me know what it is that you need. I need to know it so that you can be part of this movement. Um, tell me things like what is the hardest for you right now and what are adults misunderstanding about you and anxiety right now? [00:18:00] And

tell me what would actually help you. I, I want to know from you what is it that you need? Because so many times adults think we know what you need and we maybe, it was always my best intention to, to create things like this podcast and YouTube channel on every resource I've ever created was. To help you and to make you feel better and to help you see the beautiful potential that you have.

Just because I thought it was the thing that you needed doesn't mean it is what you needed. And I see that in school so often. We just as adults decide what's gonna be best for kids, but we never ask kids what is best for that. So I want to, I wanna hear you. I wanna see you teens, so, and young adults. So let me know what is it that you need, what is missing?

What can I do? What can [00:19:00] my movement do to help you?

And if you're a parent listening to this, tell me what you're tired of Googling at midnight. What do you constantly keep wanting the answers for and you're not finding. If you think about what is that thing you need, also tell me how can you get it without it taking too much time? That's gonna be the tricky part, but I'm willing to work on it.

Like, just tell me what it is. Um, tell me where you're stuck in trying to figure out the parenting or the teenage stuff. Um, because again, I don't wanna create something. I think you need, I want you to tell me what it is, and same things. DM me, comment in the video, text to me, email me, whatever. Whatever feels best for you to tell me what it is that would help you as a parent, that doesn't take too much time.

[00:20:00] And if you're a school counselor or an educator as I was for 31 years. Then tell me what would actually make your job easier? What is something that, where is the system failing you that could be changed? What is something that you need to know more about in order to help young people?

And what kind of, what kind of support do you need? And again, I'm sure for you too, you don't have a lot of time. So what is something that could happen that wouldn't take too much time? Do you just need somebody to bounce ideas off of? And I love doing that. I love problem solving. I, that's probably one of the reasons why I wanted to be a school counselor.

I like to solve problems. I like to solve problems of the kids, the school, the teachers, the parents. I did that probably every day at my job, and I miss that a little bit. I like the problem solving and the quick thinking, and so send that stuff [00:21:00] to me. I'd love to help you try to figure it out. And if you live in the Topeka area in any of these teens, parents, school counselors, and you want me to come to your school and figure out things with you, talk to kids, talk to parents, talk to school counselors, I want to do that.

So reach out and, and ask me about that. I'm like, let's talk about a time where I can come and, um, you can give me the topics or the ideas of things that you want. To want me to work on or do, but let's, let's work on it together.

This next year is about us building something together. I am gonna learn from you. I'm gonna take all of your information and when I'm out and about, oh, during the month when I'm not, uh, creating the podcast or the YouTube channel. I'm gonna be just soaking in all of that [00:22:00] information and creating something that is gonna help move mental health positively forward for young people.

And when mental health is in the positive light for young people, I wanna help parents help that. Cause I wanna help school counselors help that cause like that. Young people have always been like the main thing that I'm working towards and helping. But all of these other people have to be part of the picture too, and I just, I want to, I want to take each of these entities that I have worked with and know very well, I wanna know more, and I wanna create a movement that we can all push forward.

I'm so glad you're here, and I hope that you don't leave because it's only once a month because there's so much here that you can listen to and watch and connect with me. That's, that's what [00:23:00] I want, is I wanna be connected to you. I want to know you, and I wanna know exactly what you want. And so just let me know in any way that seems safe and helpful to you, and I will talk to you next month.