A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION CHAMPIONING OUR LOCAL WOMEN IN BUSINESS. PHOTOGRAPY BY JESSICA WHITLEY.

Beyond Now Coaching, LLC
Life Catalyst and Clarity Coach
brittney@brittneyperry.com
beyondnowcoaching.com

WHAT IS YOUR MISSION?

The mission of Beyond Now Coaching is to walk with women on their journey of self-discovery and personal mastery by helping them to achieve clarity so that they may walk in confidence, experiencing their truth, by knowing themselves, loving themselves and being their authentic selves.

How has your business shifted because of the COVID-19 pandemic?

The operations of my business have not necessarily changed due to COVID-19 because I’ve always been able to coach from anywhere. As long as I have a phone or an internet connection, we’re good to go. However, there has been a shift in the demand for coaching and in the reasons women are seeking coaching. Since people have been spending more time at home, they’ve also been spending more time with themselves and their families, and many have started to realize that the lifestyle they’ve perceived as functional for so long is truly dysfunctional and they’re now looking for ways to improve their lives in every area.

What has been the most challenging part of being a female business owner?

The most challenging part for me has been asking for the money. Because I’m a helper by nature and for so long I had been unofficially coaching and counseling people for free my entire life, it was mentally and emotionally taxing for me to accept in my own mind that I deserved to be compensated appropriately for what I do.

Your advice for women wanting to start their own business in Macon?

If launching a business is truly your goal, write it down. When you write your goals down, you put respect on them. So write it down, then start walking. Walk until you can jog; jog until you can run; run until you can fly. I’m looking forward to seeing you all at the top.

I hope more women will: Gather the courage to stand firmly in the truth of who they are wholeheartedly and unapologetically. I hope more women cultivate their confidence by knowing themselves, loving themselves and being their authentic selves. I absolutely hope more women will reclaim their power and prosper!

What are you most excited about right now in our community?

Unity. There’s a generation of leaders stepping up to be bridges. Not just to build bridges, but to be bridges. Since I’ve been in Macon, I have recognized that there is an abundance of movers and shakers who aren’t afraid to serve the least of these, and who are dedicated to establishing a more equitable society. It’s refreshing and I’m excited for Macon’s future.

How do you define success?

Success can be defined in a variety of ways, but the definition that certainly comes to mind is one attributed to Earl Nightingale: “Success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal.” I like this definition because it endorses the sentiment that success is not a destination; it’s a journey. It also implies that success is not one-size-fits-all. No one gets to choose what someone else’s “worthy ideal” is. And no one other than you can, in fact, determine whether you are truly progressing toward your ideal. Success is what you experience when who you are and who you desire to be are completely aligned; it’s what happens when you are showing up in the world exactly as you envision yourself in your mind.

You might be surprised that: I’m a bona fide introvert. I absolutely love coaching and counseling, however, after coaching and counseling all day, I am completely drained. It literally breathes life into me and drains the life out of me at the same time. But please never get it twisted, I absolutely love what I do and wouldn’t trade it for the world.

What is the most gratifying part of your job?

Seeing others’ lights come on! To witness someone step into understanding is so fulfilling. To help someone realize that they’ve been holding the key to their own healing and prosperity the entire time is extremely gratifying.

I admire women who: I admire women who use all the bricks of life that have been thrown at them with the intentions of destroying them, to build lighthouses. They build lighthouses to help guide other women home – where peace, love, joy, healing, wholeness, happiness, gratitude, authenticity, self-love, self-mastery, self-actualization and wealth reside.

What was the best business advice you ever received?

Two things. 1. “Done is better than perfect.” If you wait until everything is perfect before you make a move or take a step, you’ll never get anything done. Perfectionism is a myth; it’s illusive. There’s no such thing. Whenever I recognize I’m being a “perfectionist,” I have to immediately remind myself, “Brittney, you’re not Jesus. Get over yourself and go forth.” 2. “Never be emotionally attached to what others say or do in regard to you and your business.” I won’t be everyone’s cup of tea and neither will my business, and that’s OK. Everybody won’t want or need what I have to offer, and that’s neither good nor bad, it just is. I used to internalize everything – including perceived rejection – and quite naturally those negative experiences affected my confidence and kept me second-guessing myself. Now? “Tell me yes or tell me no, but tell me quickly, because I’ve got places to go.”

How can women better support each other?

Women can better support each other by first truly loving themselves and then loving their neighbors as they love themselves. When you truly love people, you are willing to use whatever is at your disposal and within your capacity to help uplift others. But we must also understand that everyone’s support won’t look the same. Some will be able to support monetarily, some emotionally, mentally or spiritually. Simply opening your mouth to encourage another woman to keep striving can be more powerful than you know. Some people’s support looks like a “share” on social media. Then you have others who will have the capability to support by introducing another woman to significant people within their sphere of influence after a proper relationship has been established. The main thing is to always lead with love and support other women in whatever way you can considering the nature of your relationship with each woman.

How can men better support women business owners?

Men can better support women business owners and leaders by recognizing and respecting the value women bring to every sphere of life, including business and leadership. Men can better support women by viewing, acknowledging and treating women as necessary partners and contributors to society and the progressive advancement of the world, and refraining from viewing and treating women as tolerated accessories.

Looking back, I wish I had recognized:

That boundaries are absolutely necessary, and that God never has and never will require me to sacrifice the vision and assignments He’s given me in the name of pleasing other people. I spent a major portion of my life satisfying the needs of others at my own expense. Operating that way only harvested confusion in my mind, resentment in my heart and frustration in my spirit, because I did not realize that I had the right to set boundaries and to say “no,” and that I did not need the permission of any other human being to do so.