The Legacies We Leave: Clotilde Bouaoud

Hello and welcome to The Legacies We Leave, conversations on fulfillment, joy, and purpose. This week I am excited to bring you my friend and colleague Clotilde Bouaoud. Clotilde is a certified high-performance coach and business strategist who helps international entrepreneurs and business leaders build sustainable and enjoyable success. After a 10-year career in the corporate world and multidisciplinary training ranging from project management to sales and marketing, Clotilde decided that it was time to take a bold step towards entrepreneurship and channel her passion for human psychology, continuous improvement, and strategic thinking into coaching. Her mission is to lead business owners to help them optimize their personal performance, become strategic CEOs, and create impact with their business without doubt, frustration, or burnout. Clotilde, welcome. Bienvenue.

Thank you, Alex. Happy to be here and happy to talk to you today.

Yeah, me too. I've been wanting to do this for a while, so I'm glad that we were able to make it happen. So I'm just going to jump right in and just ask you to tell us a little bit about your entrepreneurial journey. How did you transition from that corporate environment and that corporate background into where you are now? And why did you decide to start your own business?

Well, I jumped into it. That's the short answer. But yeah, the long answer, as you were mentioning in the introduction, I worked 10 years in the flavors and fragrance industry straight out of university. And I worked in different roles, I worked in different companies, but there was always something missing, you know. I was always feeling, okay, I'm doing good work, I'm getting promoted, it's going fine, but you know, there was kind of like a finish line or some expiration date. I was like, I don't see myself do that for much longer. There was no real, like, you know, exciting possibility of growth somehow. And, uh, yeah, when, when it happens, you're not really fulfilled, right? So I was kind of like, you know, I ended up more in a place of being a bit dead inside, if I can say it like this. And, um, what happened in 2020 with all the COVID and all the things going online is that I got the chance to attend a personal development event from Tony Robbins that just really kicked me a little bit to really look at my life and really, you know, start having a vision about what I wanted to do, not just for work but everywhere. And I decided to quit my job that I was in at the moment just because the culture wasn't fitting. So I just jumped out and I was looking for jobs again in the same industry, but I was very clear, okay, maybe I get another job in the same industry, but I also want something on the side. I want something that is going to bring me purpose that I can start building. And I run into the idea of coaching attending another event online. And I started just playing with the idea. I was like, that seems like a good idea for me. And, you know, I decided to drop the job search and say, okay, I'm just going to follow on this idea for 2 weeks. And then 2 weeks turned into 3 weeks, as it happens. And then at the end of the 3 weeks, I had the website and I just put myself on LinkedIn saying, hey guys, I'm a coach right now. That's it. And, you know, I went a bit bold there, but I think, you know, when it makes sense or when you really realize that there is a purpose in what you do on the job that you want to do, yeah, my brain was like, go full in, go big or go home, that's it. Just follow on that. And then I got certified as a high performance coach a month later and I started to work with clients. And then, you know, the rest has been the business journey, trying to develop it, figuring out who you want to work with, becoming a CEO as well, you know, kind of, yeah, just growing as an entrepreneur and yeah, defining services, programs, everything that goes around, yeah, building a successful business. So that's in a nutshell that I jumped and then I'm building on the way. That's what it is.

Yeah. And, you know, your story is actually similar to mine because my personal development journey started with Tony, then went to Brendon, and I got certified after going to a Brendon event. So it's, you know, we have some similarities in our journey. And the one word that you said, which is something that I hear so much from women, especially women who are in corporate doing a great job, they're thinking about, you know, is this the right place for me? Is that what I want to do until, you know, until it's time to retire? Um, but the one thing I hear so much is, I don't know what else I would do, or I don't know what my purpose is. So tell me a little bit, or tell us a little bit about How did you, you know, Brendon always says the piano of purpose doesn't just fall on your head, right?

Yes.

So how did you come across your, your purpose and how do you strive to fulfill it every day?

Yeah, I always say follow the breadcrumbs. They are screaming at you very loudly. That's, that's my piano of purpose sentence. So I think I was lucky because I already found purpose in another area of my life before. So I might have mentioned it, I'm an international judge for sport, for aerial sports, trying to bring the sport to the Olympic Games. And you know, it's something that happened a few years back, like very, very by pure random chance. I was working at the gym, I was going to the gym quite often, they did a workshop around pole sports, aerial sports. I was like, this thing is weird, I want to try it. I did, I really I did not do well at it. I had massive inflammation in all my body and all my muscles. And of course, when you do that, you do more. Of course, that's what you do when you're a little bit bold. And then, you know, things unfolded from there. I discovered the whole, yeah, the whole industry or the whole world around aerial sports. And then I attended championships with the International Federation. And then I decided, okay, I want to be a judge. I want to be on this table where they are giving the scores. I can't be an athlete myself, but I want to be part of this world. And then, you know, I I run into that, and then I kept growing within the sport and taking more responsibilities. And what I realized with that is that it happened first of all because I was just curious and something just piqued my interest and I just went for it and I followed it. But it's also, you know, like I managed to grow it. So every time I think about, okay, what is the next step there? And I was able to see, okay, where my strength could be useful, where, you know, where there are places where I could see myself grow. I wanted to build a skill and, you know, Once you find the world like this where you're so around people who are inspiring for you, you want to do more. You get, you know, it's like, it feels challenging, you can grow, but you are really okay. That's, I feel a sense of purpose there. And that's something that I also found with coaching. Coaching happened because I was looking for something more impactful in my life. I wanted more flexibility. So I already had an idea of what I wanted in my life. And then because I attended the Tony Robbins events, I think I was targeted by a Facebook ad. For some, you know, for some reason, like, by, you know, someone else who is like, okay, I want to do an event. I'm sure people who like Tony Robbins will like this. And it was an event around virtual coaching. And I just listened to these people and they were talking about, okay, like, what is coaching, how they approach coaching, what they like about it. And I was like, that kind of feels like me. Like, I'm a natural listener. People come to me for perspective. And I love personal development. And I love being in one-to-one conversations with people where you can go deep. This is where I thrive. Where I thrive. And do you mean I could do that and be paid and also obviously work from everywhere because I can do it online? I was like, like the things started to, you know, to make sense because I was already looking for that and I already knew, okay, this is where, where I want to go. And I also knew from previous experience, okay, when I feel purpose is because I'm with the right people who are motivating me, I can see possibilities to grow, I can use my strengths. So I kind of, you know, connected the dots and I was like, okay, let's just, let's just, let's just do this. Um, yeah, it just feels like, you know, things align naturally and then when it happens, it's just like, yeah, it opens doors and you're like, okay, I have clarity, this is what I want to do with my life. So that's a bit how I run into it, but it's really looking for it and, you know, connecting where you see yourself, where you have strength, where you will enjoy being around people. I think that's what helped me there to find this.

Yeah. So what would you say your purpose is today?

Oh, today, um, from the perspective of coaching, I would say I feel like the deeper, deeper sense of purpose for me, it's really, um, creating better generations, I would say it like this. Okay. Really kind of healing a little bit. I feel like me being a coach is also helping me, you know, helping myself a few years back, you know, having more tools, having more things that help people. And, you know, I see a lot around me, like, people who are— they are super educated, they are super smart, but they still struggle. They still, you know, don't feel fulfilled, or they are not doing well in their relationships and things like this. And all of this can be simply, you know, fixed with just a different way to look and different, you know, with more help as well from external people. And I feel for me, if I can help creating better generations of people who are able to, you know, kind of elevate themselves a little bit and do better and impact better as well, and they can have this rippling effect, for me that would be the, yeah, it would be the reward of having, yeah, help these people break a little bit the circle of, yeah, just running through life. No, I just want people to be able to go through life, enjoy themselves, and also create more people like this. As they go. So yeah, there's a deeper, deeper sense of, yeah, helping generations.

I think, you know, what you're saying about helping people stop just kind of running, that for me is one of the reasons also why I do this, is because I think we get to a point in our lives and in our careers where we're so far down the, the chute that we don't feel like we can do anything else, right? Because it's like, well, I've been doing this for 20 years. I've been doing this for 30 years, 40 years. I, I don't know how to do anything else. But at the same time, we have that— I think it was— I think you said earlier something about being empty inside, right? Or something about that, right? Yeah, dead inside. So it's It's— life is too short for us to live like that.

Yeah, I agree.

Right? So I just, I find that what we're both doing and what I see other people do is so, so valuable. And one thing that I wish people would know is that coaching isn't just for athletes, right? Athletes, yeah. And when we say high performance coaching, usually people are like, so do you coach athletes? No, not necessarily. It's not only for athletes. It's really for us to overall have a better quality of life while we're here.

Yeah, yeah, better quality of life and also kind of, I don't know, feel more empowered in general, you know, kind of that you can navigate situations better. You feel— I think that's also what I felt from myself, coaching myself on my performance as well, because obviously we need to also apply it to ourselves. Uh, that's also what I've got from the process is just having different, different ways to approach situations that in the past I would not have been able to, to manage, or kind of, yeah, feeling more empowered to go and try out there. And this is like the sense of power for me. It's important to give to, to people and, yeah, see that there is, there is hope, there is, there is possibility, there are possibilities out there. Yeah.

Yeah. And, and not only that, but if something doesn't feel good, let's just find a way to get beyond it instead of, you know, remaining years and years and years not feeling good. Because I was going to say, because that doesn't feel good, and it seems redundant, but it doesn't feel good.

Yes, right? Yeah.

So yeah, um, I want to talk a little bit about legacy because that's something that for me has become more and more important. And I'm just curious to get your take on that. And I'm going to ask you, has— if your sense of legacy and purpose has evolved over the course of your life, and do you see it continuing to evolve as you go? How do you see that?

I think legacy is still something I'm working on, like really defining the long-term picture, because for me, legacy is about what do you leave when you are dead. That's the way I perceive that. And I'm, you know, I feel so far I'm still building the business. So kind of seeing the longer term picture is still a tricky thing. But, you know, I have ideas around creating a foundation or doing volunteering. So kind of helping with whatever things I can get from the business financially, helping that and putting it in places where I feel I can have an impact, again, linked to generations. So helping, yeah. Whether it's parents or like, I don't know, things that help really build these wiser generations. That's something I want to keep looking for opportunities and see where I can build that in the business as well. So far I tried to just connect to these few ideas about elevating humanity, building wiser generations, lighting fires for a living. That's one catchphrase I have, which is all about what you are mentioning. So, you know, kind of like finding the sparking people and get them up in fire so that they go and they do the bold stuff and they really start doing the work. Um, and just kind of creating some aliveness, some ambition in their, in their heart. Basically, there are a few ideas that I keep connecting to because I think they will help me keep defining the legacy as I go and really, yeah, making it more like, uh, tangible. So far it's more in my head of things that I potentially could do, but, uh, yeah, it will help with time to refine it.

But it's something you're thinking about, right? Because I imagine it's something that is also driving the work that you do.

Yeah, yes, it is. I mean, you know, when I think about the business for the next 10 years, I start thinking, okay, what, what could be done there? I think about this type of things. Yes, um, it's, it's not yet in the current business, I think, but yes, if you, if you know where you want to go, it's also easier to open the opportunities to talk to people about it and kind of really get us— so I think talking about legacy also helps people relate to you, right? It helps them know, oh, that's why you are doing all this and that's really what you want to achieve. I think it creates also an emotional connection with people and with clients, obviously. So yeah, it's in my brain, it's ongoing work in process. And yes, at some point I'm sure I will figure it out completely.

Oh yeah, no, you will. And you know, it takes time, huh? It took time for us to get to this point. It takes time to come because these are big ideas and big concepts. And it's not something that, you know, unless you have a flash of brilliance, it's not generally something that comes overnight. Um, but I wanted to ask you, because you talk about— you've, you've mentioned a few times, um, generational impact, right? Improving or helping generations of, of people. So who— what's your target in terms of your of your audience? Because I hear that and I'm thinking younger generation, and— but I just want to hear what that means for you.

Um, yeah, so one of the reasons why I'm so attached to that— that's a personal reason that I can share today— is that I'm estranged from my family. Um, I decided when I was 25 to cut whatever has to be cut there, um, because, you know, it was not working for me. I didn't really feel I could be who I wanted to be. And you know, it's like, it's not people that actually were bad people, it's just people who were, as I was mentioning, not necessarily did the work on themselves or develop themselves or think about what they wanted to do as an impact on their own children. And this for me, it's like, this is a missing piece. It's like helping, whether it's helping parents doing better with generations or helping younger generations do better also start training themselves and, and you know, developing themselves. I've done an event with Tony Robbins as well where I was in the room where I was screwing with actually with kids for one of the events and it was so inspiring to see these kids starting to think about, you know, emotions, processing, that thing. And I was like, wow, if I had that when I was younger, wow, you know, I would be a different person right now. So I think this type of topic for me would be worth investing more in. And that's also why I like to work actually with entrepreneurs because For me, they are kind of like circle breakers. A lot of people that I work with, they are first-time entrepreneurs. They go where nobody has gone and they go through the process and they also learn a lot from the process. And I think if these people are usually very generous people, if they can do better, if I can help them do that, they will also impact others. So that's where I see I'm, you know, I'm helping one person, but I see how it can help all the people behind, yeah, all the people, whether it's next generation or just the people around them who can also be be better with their next generation. So yeah, so there's, yeah, I think it's, it's all, it's the whole thing of, yeah, touching who I can right now and, and hopefully that helps with the next, uh, with the future.

Yeah. And I mean, you and I see that with whenever we coach, right? We talk to our clients and they say, well, you know, not only am I noticing the difference, but my mom noticed, right? Or my kids noticed. So it Whenever we embark on this coaching journey with people, we're helping the person, but we're actually helping them and their circle of influence, which ties back to what you were saying about, you know, the generational aspect.

Yeah, yeah. There is a lot for me, there is a lot of healing in this sense, like you re-empower people so they can go out there, be more empowered. They will behave differently and they will reduce the pain as well for people around them, for themselves. For the rest of the world as well. So yeah, there is a— yeah, for me it's, it's a kind of healing process when I help someone coaching them. It's that— yeah, yeah, that's cool.

Cool. So was there ever a time when things kind of didn't really fall into place, where you faced some struggles or some challenges? Um, tell us a little bit about, if you're okay to share, kind of what were some of those things and how did you How did you get past them? How, um, let's start there because I also want to hear how do you stay motivated, right? Because we get knocked on our feet, off our feet the same way everybody else does. So I'm just kind of curious. So I know it's a lot, but let's unpack that a little bit.

Oh boy, where do we start?

So let me, let me start from the beginning. Um, Was there ever a time when things didn't really fall into place, or any struggles or challenges that you faced, and how did you get past them, and kind of what were some of your lessons?

Yeah, I think every step in the way of entrepreneurship is a challenge or a struggle in many, many ways. I think for me, particularly last year, was very rough. I had a few months of random roller coaster, if I can call it like this. Where, you know, between being exhausted because things were taking time and I was kind of like getting drained a little bit, clients ghosting me, financial issues because the clients were ghosting me, medical issues because of all the stress created, having to also take back a part-time job to cover the finances, which means going back to corporate, which I promised myself I would never ever do again.

But we do what we have to do, right?

We do, yeah, we do what we have to do. But yeah, and also, you know, readapting because it was, it's a job where obviously it's in person, so I had to up from 2 years working from home during COVID and, you know, go back to the real world in a way. And all of that, you know, it was a lot and it kept going for a few months. Like every single week I was knocked out by something random, even nearly getting crushed by a car at some point. So I actually felt like I was, yeah, it was just like, you know, 3 months of like punches every week. Like I was on a boxing match and I don't know why I ended up there, but you know, this phase was really, really, really tough. And, um, I think. The biggest lesson from here, my biggest win from here, if I look back at it, is to give myself time, to give myself grace and self-compassion. And, you know, kind of, you know, let the emotions be what they were, process them, take the time, and, you know, slowly getting back into action and not forcing the process, which is what I would have done before. I would have tried to force it. I would have tried to push through. I would have put things on the side and not take care of it. So yeah, so it's important to, for me it was important to see, okay, I've done it differently this time. I've asked for help more. I've talked to people a little bit more. I've really focused on my energy, passion, etc. Just really kind of rebuilding myself in a way. And this is the way I would never have done it in the past. So that's, that was rough. I'm glad it's out. I hope it will never happen again, but I could see myself also growing in this process and being resilient in different ways. So. Yeah, self-compassion is the beginning.

So, you know, we hear a lot, uh, you can't pour from an empty cup, right? Um, but you actually lived that. So you had to learn to really take care of, of yourself. So what, what would you say were, and take care of yourself first, I should say, right? So what were the, what would you say were the 3 things that helped you the most?

Um, I think actually having the part-time job helped because I was more with people again. So having this sense of connection, but like physical connection with people around, I think that really helped me. I have very nice people, very playful people who are keeping me alive as well mentally and emotionally. So that was one. Um, definitely focusing more on passion. So sometimes, you know, kind of taking complete breaks and just Hey, I love coaching, I love personal development, let's just do that. Let's just like find the flow again, find the full engagement. Let's just, yeah, let's just focus on that. That's it. If the business isn't moving, that's fine, but just connect with the passion and really kind of put the fire back on. And yeah, definitely, and yeah, as well, um, full business break, I think it was September, that I have not done before. And this was also a big, big, uh, big, big help to really cut it and just do energy work, walk, just take care of myself and not think about the business at all, which is a very scary thing when the business isn't going right, to take a step back and say, okay, I'm going to prioritize energy. But yes, it was necessary. So I would say, yeah, that's the connection and taking care of the energy.

Okay, so your third one was prioritizing energy.

Yeah, taking a full break from the business and really focusing on bringing energy back.

Yeah. So basically you were living the high performance habits.

Yes. Yes. They got lost a bit in translation in the process. Okay. But yes, yes, I, I, yes, I, I will focus on the, the important things. Yeah.

Yeah.

And took the time to do this, which when you are running with the business and you try to get things moving, sometimes, you know, you kind of get a bit blindsided there. So yeah, I had to, I had to, yeah.

But, but I think what I like about the priority, prioritizing energy is that it's the foundation, right? If we don't have energy, if we don't have our health, then it's very difficult to do anything else. So that combination, I think, of prioritizing energy but also giving yourself grace as you are going through all of these challenges is— I think it's a beautiful testament to your ability to really care for yourself so you can actually give more to others.

Yeah. That's one of the biggest lessons as well, compared to corporate where I was more on the burnout side and, you know, I had to unlearn this, this type of approach. Yeah, definitely.

But it's good, then you learned from your days in corporate, so that's awesome.

Yes, yes, I unlearn stuff. Yes, absolutely.

Good. Um, so I'm going to ask you now the second part of the question, which was, how do you stay motivated? When things don't go the way that you expect them to, don't go the way that you would like them to? Because it's easy sometimes something happens and, you know, you've had many things happen to you. So how did you keep yourself motivated and keep yourself moving forward?

Um, I think part of my, part of my brain is rejecting the idea that I can do anything else. That's really helpful. So sometimes, you know, I ask myself, what's the alternative to, to be a coach or be Like, there is nothing that I want to do, you know, it's kind of, when at the moment I ask this question, my brain is like, hey, remember, you know, remember that moment where you had this big aha and you're like, oh, that's what you want to do with your life. And that's why it's so cool, you know, kind of reconnecting to the moment you decided to become a coach or become a business owner. It's really helpful for me. I think as well, what I realized, you know, in this process is that If I can see myself grow as a person, I'm going to keep trying. I'm going to keep putting effort there because I see myself grow. And that's something that I also now leverage in the business. That is, you know, if I want to do, I want to develop something like, for instance, this year I'm trying to be more of a public speaker, more like a trainer for workshops and this type of things. And I can see, okay, I'm going to learn skills, right? I'm going to learn to be better as a facilitator. I'm going to have to train my voice. I'm going to You know, I can connect things that I can learn. And even if it's difficult, even if it takes time to get, I'm able to see the benefit. And for me, that really works for my own personal psychology. Um, so yeah, always looking at what am I growing, what am I learning at the moment, and just connecting to that so that even if it's rough, then I know I'm moving forward somehow in some way. That's the only thing I can pay attention to is that I know at the end of the day, like the tough moments are going to be there, but they're not going to last. And in the process, I'm learning something. So I need to reconnect to that. And another thing I gave up last year as well, after taking a business break, was to have expectations. Um, so I'm now, I'm operating from high intention, low expectations. That's my motto for now. It's, I give everything I can, deliver the best quality. I, you know, I really go and try to do my best and it will work at some point. And the expectations, I try to not think about it. It's more about intention and showing up and delivering. And yeah, let's see, that works better. At least it feels better for me. It feels less pressure. Um, yeah, even though it will take time, but yeah, at least I, at least I feel I'm empowered in the process. That's the most important thing to stay motivated as well.

Yeah, I think, you know, with regards to expectations, um, there is so much of our energy is tied to how things are going to turn out and how we expect things to turn out. And it can be such a disappointment when it doesn't happen the way that we think it's going to or the way that we would like things to go. And if we— I feel if we tie our joy and our energy to the process of, right? It makes things so much easier. And I relate very much to what you're saying because what my motto has been for this year is, uh, commit to the process and release the outcome, right?

Because it's—

do the work. If you do the right thing, things will come. They may not come in in the timeline that you want them to come into, right? But they will come.

Yeah, yeah, that's exactly that. Just intention and give your best, and then yeah, be patient and keep the process going. Keep that process going. Yeah, cool.

So what would you say, what type of person have you become over the course of your journey, right? We talked about self-care a little bit, so I don't think we need to go back there again unless there's something else that you want to share. But it's really about understanding, like, how have you grown? Who are you today versus who you were when you were in your corporate time?

Um, it's tough to summarize, but I think definitely compared to corporate, I've unlearned a lot of patterns, you know, regarding time management, energy management, you know, incorporate things are more or less defined, they get put in your calendar. I burned out a few times, you know, or you just, I tried to do everything on my own. This type of things don't work when you are, when you're an entrepreneur. So yeah, particularly because you get the freedom to do what you want and then you have to really decide strategically what's happening. So these are a few things that I've unlearned. I've also learned more about who I am in the sense of what I bring to people. And that's one thing that came from last year as well, that I'm kind of able to articulate what I bring to people. Right now it's, it's just aliveness, it's structure, and it's confidence and courage and boldness, and it's a bit mixed together. Yeah, that's the core of who I am and what I bring to people. And, you know, being structured, organized, that's what people are always telling me. They always come to me because I look structured and organized, that one I knew. Aliveness is something I try to bring more to people as well, you know, bring more joy, bring more presence, you know, just bring more emotions as well. It's something that in the past I was more like a flatline emotional person, and that's something that I've learned in the past years, and I'm trying to bring that to people as well. And courage, confidence, this level of boldness, you know, to go and do things that maybe right now you don't feel comfortable or just, you know, kind of even try. That's something that, you know, I also give to coaching clients, but I also try to encourage people around me to be like that. And to try and support their ideas. And yeah, just being more courageous, being more vulnerable is something that I really want to also myself challenge to be for others. So yes, just having a, yeah, it kind of helps me, you know, when I show up in a conversation, I know what I bring to the table or what I want to bring, and it helps me connect everything I do to that. So that was one of the big things that helped me define myself as a person in a way, on the way I serve others. And yeah, I think as well, another thing that I had to learn, and I'm still learning, that comes actually to self-care and taking care of myself, that's taking care of others, is that I worked with a coach last year and I realized because I'm a giver and I spend my time helping others, I'm not able to receive. That's one of the big things that I have to learn, and I'm still learning to become more a person who receives and is able to really, you know, get, yeah, just appreciate the feedback, really take it in at a different level. Let people take care of me, let people help me. Um, all of this is something that, um, I need to keep switching towards being more receiver so I can still be a giver as well. And there was a bit of disconnect. So that's one of the, one of the person I'm becoming right now, maybe.

I like it.

Very cool. Yeah.

You know, I think you're right. I think when, when people give, give, give, it's hard to receive, right? And it's hard to not feel that when we receive, we have to reciprocate, which it doesn't necessarily have to be. So, you know, we can just receive and accept and love and be grateful for people who have given us whatever it is that they've given us. It doesn't necessarily mean that Okay, you gave to me notes, so now I feel this compulsion to have to give to you, right?

Yeah.

Do you feel that at all, or is that something you're able to manage?

I'm still with the receiving part. I'm still struggling to, yeah, as you say, like reciprocate or not. But also sometimes it's just feel that I belong or feel the sense of community, you know, this type of topics. I don't know, maybe it's because I'm an independent person naturally.

Yeah.

But it really takes time. It takes time to come in or to let people also know what I need to feel also that I can receive, you know, because we have all different love languages and sometimes it's just about that. But yeah, just sometimes, you know, asking more, asking for social accountability is something I started doing this year, even though I don't necessarily need that to stay disciplined, but just kind of getting people in the process and, you know, kind of really working on connection and, and yeah, receiving from, from people. I think it's, yeah, it's just a different journey for me. It's one that I feel is going to help me for sure. On the long term at every level, personal and business.

Yeah, no, but it's— and you broke up a little bit at the end there, so I didn't get everything that, everything that you said. Um, I don't know if you— because sometimes I can't remember what I just said because it just comes from the heart. So I don't know, can you, can you say again that just the very last part of what, how you feel about that?

Yes, I don't think I remember what I said, so let's do it again. Okay. Uh, yes, no, I was saying, yes, it's, um, yeah, sometimes like, do you have to reciprocate or not? It's something that I feel, or just like trying to, you know, understand what is the love language from that person or from me as well to be able to receive. But, um, yeah, it's like receiving at all levels, not just from one single person, but sometimes from a community or feeling that I belong, you know, this type of things. It's I'm an independent person naturally, and I think there is a barrier somewhere that is preventing me from receiving. And obviously, you know, it's a part of the joy of doing this work, of just being a human being. So that's something I need to find a way to let in and just be more mindful about. Okay, it's time for me to receive, and I don't have to give. I can just take it in and, as you say, take the love in, and that's it. Yeah, cool.

Thank you. Thank you for that. So What would you say is the biggest lesson you've learned? You look at everything that's happened from when you were involved in the, the judging of the aerial competitions, your corporate time, your entrepreneurial time. What is one big lesson for you in life so far?

In life completely? Okay. Hmm. I don't know. I feel if you just, yeah, if you just follow, yeah, follow, just follow the breadcrumbs, I think if you just find things that spark you, things will be okay at some point. It might take time or it might take less time than you think sometimes as well. Things might happen very quickly. Um, but, um, yeah, if you just, if you just keep looking for this, you know, personal freedom and sense of you know, goodness there. I don't know how to call it otherwise. And, you know, kind of really listen more to your heart than just your head, because sometimes the head is interfering with the process. Big time. If you just— yes, if you just keep, keep looking for the thing that excites you and really makes you feel alive and just go for it and don't be scared about it, then things will happen and you will— yeah, you will create the best life you can. I think that's what I'm— that's what I'm telling myself as I go. It's like, okay, I'm building this great life for myself right now, and, you know, And just, yeah, following Chloé.

Cool. Cool. I love that. And before we wrap up, what would you tell a woman who is struggling to find her purpose?

Uh, yeah, follow the breadcrumbs as well. Okay. Just go for it. Just go for it. Um, you know, it's like the purpose of life is not just to feel okay. It's to feel way more than that, to feel way more engaged, way more alive, way more passionate. And you have the right to feel that. So if something excites you, tickles your heart, sparks a little bit something in your head or in your heart, just go for it, explore it. It doesn't have to be the end of what you do, but just go follow, follow and see what comes out of it. And, you know, get passionate about it, get a little bit obsessed, and, you know, things will happen. And also, you are never finished. So if you feel that you've been like, as you say earlier, you're like 40 years in the same career, You have plenty of skills that you've developed on the way that can be used for a totally different job. You just have to go connect the dots and see where it fits, but you have plenty of skills already. So don't, don't stay where you are if you don't feel that, that you are enjoying yourself or just being okay is not, is not okay to just be okay. Go for it a bit more.

There's so much more than just okay, right?

Yes. Yes, there is.

All right. So before we, before we go, our separate ways. Share a recent win with us. What are you celebrating?

Yes, what am I celebrating? So in January, I got the chance to run a workshop for the first time in person with a few startup and entrepreneurs. This was the first time I was doing it in person with British people in this specific format, and it was like such a meaningful challenge. I call it a meaningful challenge because I had to really, you know, get all the things that I know about high performance, about persuasion, all the skills that I've learned. I've just poured them into that and give it all and, you know, single focus on that for a few months before actually I delivered. And yeah, that was a great way to kick off the year. There are a few opportunities coming out of it. So, I mean, fingers crossed everything goes well, but there is momentum there and it really got my juices flowing creatively. And I was thinking about how can I impact the attendees in the room the best possible way. So I got very excited. So yeah, I'm very, very happy about that. And yeah, just looking forward to how it goes.

Excellent. Congratulations.

Yes, thank you.

And what are you grateful for?

I think just, yeah, just the personal growth, I would say, in general, linked to the business. But I think, as I was saying earlier, you know, I've seen myself grow as well through the challenges last year. But also I see that I've developed myself as a person, and I know I'm on the way to create my best life. So that for me it's just I'm grateful for the old version of me who decided in 2020 to just be bold and go for it. I think that, that girl, she knew what she was doing. She did.

She knew what you did.

Exactly, exactly, exactly. Sometimes I look at pictures from that time and I'm like, is it me? Yeah, it was me. But yeah, you know, it's like, thank you for that person. And yeah, um, yeah, I'm just grateful for the journey and the growth I've seen in the process. Yeah, nice.

Nice. So look, Clotilde, thank you so much for, for coming on, for sharing your story, for dropping all these nuggets. How do people get in touch with you if they want to learn more, if they want to work with you? If so, give us the lowdown.

Yeah. So the best way right now is on LinkedIn if you want. And I have a website where you can go check the coaching program I have. I work mostly in one-to-one at the moment with entrepreneurs and Yes, I'm also going to be running a masterclass very soon about 6 habits to keep yourself sane as you build your business and still perform well this year. That will happen early March. So yeah, if you, if you want, just follow me on LinkedIn and you will see the post happening for that.

All right. And I will put your website and your LinkedIn handle in the show notes. And, you know, let me know when you issue the promotion for the workshop masterclass. And then I'll make sure to share that with my network as well. In the meantime, any parting words? Anything else?

No, thanks. Thank you for asking me all these questions. Made me think a lot. So good. It was good to reflect on that and also integrate as well all this, uh, yeah, all this journey as well. So thank you for that.

Yeah, my pleasure. Thank you for joining us, and let's stay in touch.