Alana Cummings of Superbloom Coaching on Why the Hardest Person You'll Lead Is Yourself

Alana Cummings is the founder and executive coach behind Superbloom Coaching, a certified woman-owned coaching practice. After 13 years in corporate America, she left a career that looked successful on paper but left her feeling burnt out and misaligned, and built a coaching practice around helping others reconnect with what they truly want.

In this Q&A, Alana shares what first drew her into coaching, why she believes the biggest thing holding clients back is themselves, and the exercise she offers to any woman who feels stuck and is not sure where to begin.

Her perspective offers a warm, practical look at self-awareness, limiting beliefs and taking the first brave step, along with a Future Self meditation she has created for anyone ready to start.

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Q: What first drew you into coaching, and what do you love most about working with people one on one?

My own story really drew me into coaching. I spent 13 years in corporate America, and while I was successful on paper, inwardly I felt burnt out and misaligned. I kept thinking, there's gotta be more to life than this. I'd worked with a coach before and loved the experience, so when I finally quit my job, I reached out to ask how she got started. I took my first coaching course, and I was like "oooh, I found my thing!"

What I love most about 1:1 coaching is getting to walk beside people through whatever they're navigating. Watching someone have those aha moments, break through limiting beliefs, gain confidence, and start going after what they really want is incredibly rewarding.

Q: When clients first come to you, what is usually the biggest thing holding them back?

Themselves! Our self-doubt, fears, limiting beliefs, and need for external validation can get in our own way more than we realize. I always say the hardest person you'll ever lead is yourself. That's why self-awareness is at the heart of my work. When we understand the patterns and beliefs holding us back, we can start making different choices and allow ourselves to superbloom into our fullest potential! We all deserve to live a life we can't wait to wake up to.

Q: What would you say to a woman who feels stuck and isn't sure where to begin?

I'd invite her to imagine herself at her 90th birthday party. Who's there? What are people thanking her for? What impact has she made on their lives? Write down the themes that come up. (A custom meditation of mine is available here: Future Self Meditation.)

Sometimes we get so caught up in what we think we should be doing that we lose sight of what we actually want. Working with a coach can help you reconnect with yourself, get clear on what's holding you back, and figure out your next brave step. You don't need to have the whole plan figured out. You just need to be willing to take the first step. I'd be honored to walk beside you on that journey.

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