I started my blog in the summer of 2019, as a project to keep me busy and a possible side hustle. I didn’t know what I was really doing, but blogging was my attempt at journaling my travels as a future Navy wife. I planned to make a sort of travel and lifestyle blog like a lot of military wives.
Well, that plan was derailed when my ex-fiance dumped me without warning. My blog became a way to document my healing journey after that emotionally abusive three-year relationship. When the relationship ended, I was exhausted, full of self-loathing and self-blame, and quite frankly, I was a complete mess. Up was down, and I couldn’t make sense of my heartbreak or why I was stuck in a pattern of abusive and toxic relationships. I hadn’t wanted to admit to myself that my ex was emotionally abusive toward me, because I didn’t want to admit that what I believed was a very healthy relationship was anything but.
My blog chronicled my attempts to make sense of the pain and trauma caused by that relationship and many other experiences in my life, and it kept me sane. But although my blog was helping me, it wasn’t really reaching anyone, and I pivoted to wanting to share these lessons with others. More than anything, I wanted to protect others from the pain and grief that I had carried for decades. But getting my message of prevention, self-love, and self-care was coming to a standstill.
It was the summer of 2020, and a friend had helped me recover the posts from my account after accidentally deleting them all.
I wasn’t sure what else to do, and I felt like maybe it wasn’t my calling to help others, even though I’d never felt such conviction about something in my life. The disappointment that I wouldn’t be able to keep what happened to me from happening to others was thick and heavy. And I didn’t want all my pain to be purposeless.
Enter Samantha Laycock.
I ended up finding Samantha on Instagram! Her posts caught my eye, because she was so cheerful and matter of fact about what she provided as a coach! There wasn’t a gimmick or unattainable promise. It was just, “Here’s how I can help you.”
I sent her an email through her website, and she responded in such a friendly and understanding way, that I thought, “Oh, this is a good choice!”
And when I started working with Samantha, I got way more than I bargained for! I thought I was just getting coaching, but I ended up with a mentor and a great friend.
When I started working with Samantha, I went from clueless to organized after two sessions! It was amazing. Our coaching sessions were always productive and informative. My blog posts went from barely noticed on social media to widely shared and commented on, which was an eye-opener for me. She even helped me grow my followers on social media. I think one of the most surprising outcomes of working with Samantha was getting awarded for my blog!
Strength In Healing Award
I hadn’t even known I was nominated for an award, but received an email from this organization as The Most Influential Blogger!
Working with Samantha changed my life! Her guidance led to me starting a career in coaching as well. Even now, months after completing her program, she still reaches out to check up on me, and I go to her for advice.
Samantha is without a doubt, a skilled professional, that not only offers results… she offers kindness, graciousness, and is so caring about her clients. Going through her program was such an amazing experience. One little email resulted in so much! I am now able to help my clients and am pursuing so much more than I had even imagined before finding her!
[…] To this day, I still check in with her and we talk about the struggles she is facing and the moments when she wants to give up. She has come too far to quit now. She is changing this world because she decided to stand in her power and show others that healing is possible. If you want to hear in her words about her experience of working with me, check out her latest blog post, Working with Samantha Laycock. […]