My guest today is Julia Holloway. I sparked a friendship with her a few months ago. Unlike some of my other guests on the show, I have not known Julia for years but our connection was obvious and immediate. At the time, I was seeking advice from women who have experience balancing a full-time career and a business of their own. In the hectic world we live in today where women often take on more responsibilities at home and at work than men, it was not an easy search for me, and proposing an hour interview on them seemed like a lot to ask. Julia was very kind to let me into her world and conduct an interview on her professional life. Julia is a strategic distribution consultant at a leading US provider of annuities and insurance. In addition, she runs her company called Julia Holloway Consulting where she focuses on business consulting and leadership coaching for corporate and individual clients. Julia’s company will be the focus of our discussion. Those of you who have contemplated starting companies of your own are in luck! We won’t go into details on how to set up a company. There are plenty of tools and resources online for that purpose. Julia will help us understand the multifaceted nature of being a consultant and a coach, and what she finds most rewarding in her practice as well as how she overcomes challenges. In this episode, Julia explains the Five Coaching Elements integrated with Tai Chi movements during her workshop called “The Alchemy of Awareness“: “If you create a bigger architecture of awareness with your body, mind and behaviors, that gives you a broader access to yourself and to the world. Furthermore, the more you can ground your awareness, the more choices you have.” – Julia Holloway Awareness is not only meditation or the idea to constantly controlling your mind. Julia teaches her students about their mind and body connections. Topics and exercises in her workshops involve questions such as: What is awareness? How does it come to you? How does the brain function? Julia also introduces the Learner/Judger™ mindset created by Dr. Marilee Adams: “Learner/Judger™ mindset distinctions allow people to shift from blame-focused questions that impede success to solution-focused questions that facilitate it. Whether we ask Learner or Judger questions frames our thinking, listening, behaving, and relating. This is why we focus on our mindset first. The goal is to build a more resilient Learner Mindset.” – Inquiry Institute Julia’s mind-body workshop is part of the Julia Holloway Consulting and Coaching practice. I further invited her to help us understand the connection between business and therapy.