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The events that occur in childhood have the potential to determine the rest of one’s life. Many children suffer traumatizing experiences that may affect their futures. Others experience challenges that are not quite as severe as trauma but still impede growth. It takes a certain kind of person to understand the full scope of this phenomenon.
Pam Christian experienced both trauma and challenges when she was a child, and these impacted the trajectory of her life. She spent much of her adulthood working to overcome obstacles and mitigate the damage, which was a process that allowed her to grow into the person she is today.
After running a successful real-estate team for 15 years, Pam decided to dedicate herself to coaching and motivational speaking with an emphasis on helping people who struggle with trauma and other life obstacles. She also hosts The Juice Podcast with the intention of motivating and inspiring people to live their very best lives.
“A couple of years ago, I felt a longing for something more than what I was doing,” Pam shares. “I had reached the top in the real-estate industry, but I felt empty. I knew there was more to life than selling real estate and that I had a calling. It was around that time that I lost my parents unexpectedly, which caused me to really tap into how short life is and how important it is to follow your heart and your intuition. So I sold my business, stayed on as a consultant and embarked on a new path. Now here I am, a couple of years later with a thriving business and happy to be doing work that touches, helps, motivates and inspires others every single day.”
Pam knows what it is like to be in a negative headspace, unable to see past the current situation. This is why she works to encourage people to change their perspective and open up their lives.
“Mindset is everything when starting your own business,” Pam says. “It is critical to the success of your life. Without a strong mindset, it is impossible to accomplish all that we want to.”
For those thinking about starting their own business, Pam recommends delving into the collective wisdom available through videos and books. There are countless business books, YouTube videos and podcasts that explore the best ways to start a business as well as what you need to know about the industry you are going into, including product information, brand recognition, marketing and finances.
It is also important to carefully examine how a career in your chosen field will integrate with your life. For Pam, she had one priority: her family.
“One thing I was sure of when I became a single mom was that, regardless of whether I was raising my children with a partner or not, I wanted to maintain a certain type of lifestyle,” Pam recalls. “It was one that would require that I earn a certain income but also be around for my kids and their various events. So I needed a field that had a lot of earning potential as well as flexible hours. Lucky for me, I was already licensed in a field that supported those two factors.”
Real estate allowed Pam to work from home for the most part, enabling her to be there for her kids while also running a high-powered business. It was a career that could be demanding and stressful, but it was also manageable.
“After I got divorced, I knew more than ever that, in order for my kids to transition through the divorce as smoothly as possible, I would have to be around to help guide and support them,” Pam says. “This career allowed me to do just that. There were times when I would have to shush my kids or stop them mid-sentence because the phone rang, but they got it, they understood. (Most of the time at least!) We all knew the benefits outweighed the drawbacks.”
This didn’t mean there weren’t compromises. In any career but especially in running your own business, there are ways to make it your own. For Pam, that meant closing the door sometimes on household noise in order to meet a deadline, or passing on clients who were important but who, Pam knew, needed more of her time than she could give. Every decision was always made with Pam’s number-one priority in mind: Providing both materially and emotionally for her family.
“I think it is critical to know your big WHY,” Pam says. “What is your mission statement, your value proposition, your plan, your strategy? What is driving you? Do you believe in what you are doing? What is your purpose?”
Pam adds that it is important to understand that fear can be a healthy response in some cases. However, fear can also present unnecessary obstacles that prevent us from moving forward in our careers and in our lives. When we get stuck in our head with all the what-ifs and are unable to move forward, that is a fear-driven response. In order to not give into the fear, you must first be aware of your thoughts and then challenge them.
In the near future, look for Pam to publish her first book, a memoir and guide for people looking to make meaningful changes in their own lives. And until then, check out The Juice Podcast in which she interviews interesting and inspiring individuals who share their stories about overcoming hardships to emerge stronger both personally and professionally.
“The book I am about to publish is my own story and journey,” Pam states. “While it was not easy to put it all out there, I am doing it because I know too many people are suffering in silence, and I want to make sure they know that they are not alone. I want them to know that even if their experiences are different, I too have faced the darkness and made it into the light.”
Pam offers coaching and motivational speaking to help people reach the point where they know their value and can realize that they may have been a victim of their circumstances, but they don’t have to be a victim of life.
“I offer practical ways to overcome obstacles, challenges and trauma. I am hoping to inspire and motivate others to live their best lives.” Pam shares.
To get to know more about Pam’s life and work, click here.
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