I connected with Nailah through Molly Hoyne of Stratejoy. Nailah is a Los Angeles-based life, purpose and career coach who specializes in the quarter-life experience. After waking up one day face to face with her own quarter life crisis, Nailah became determined to help other women unlock their true passions so they may begin living fulfilling and happy lives. Nailah earned her B.A in Communications & Sociology from the University of Southern California and was certified through The Life Purpose Institute. When Nailah isn’t coaching or writing she enjoys reading, wine-tasting and bad reality TV. Here’s some of what we discussed:
Describe your personal brand.
Polka Dot Coaching is about bold, enthusiastic living and positive energy. It’s about knowing your authentic self and exploring your passions. But mostly it’s an inspirational and safe place for people to begin exploring what really makes them tick.
What kind of clients do you usually work with?
I work with women in their twenties and thirties who are ready to unleash their passions and start living insanely fulfilling, incredibly vibrant lives.
Tell me about “Polka Dot Coaching.” How did you come up with the name?
Polka Dot Coaching is dedicated to helping you conquer your quarter life crisis so you can move on with living the life you deserve. I actually came up with the tagline first – “connecting the dots of your twenty-something life” – because that is how my own quarter life crisis felt to me. It felt like I needed to just start connecting the dots in my life so everything could start making sense again. Plus, who doesn’t love polka dots?
Tell me about your quarter-life crisis. How did you overcome it?
When I turned 24 I felt like something was terribly wrong with my life. To the outside world, I should have been happy. I had a great, stable job with lots of perks and room for advancement, I had just purchased a condo with my long-term boyfriend (now husband) and I had a bustling social calendar. But amidst all of that there seemed to be something wrong. Something I couldn’t quite put my finger on. I’d always been a positive person so to be suddenly consumed with self-doubt and negativity really confused me. Part of me felt like I was being a spoiled brat – I had everything I needed plus more. What on earth was wrong?
After a great deal of time spent feeling sorry for myself and loads of negative self-talk, I started digging into what was making me feel so terrible so I could take the steps to getting my life back on track. I started journaling, found some inspirational mentors, joined women’s groups and read everything I could get my hands on. Finally, I started to get a clear picture of who I truly was and where I wanted to go with my life. Everything else began to fall into place once I knew that. I’d be lying if I said that there still aren’t days when I feel a bit confused or lost, but now I’m crystal clear on my identity and my vision for my life.
Where do you find your everyday passion?
I find my passion in simple things. What can be overwhelming about the quarter life crisis is that you’re always looking for big things – you’re searching for that big Ah-Ha! moment or looking to be the next big thing. It’s so easy to overlook the small, exciting aspects of life that keep you going. More specifically, I find my passion in knowing that I’m living the life that I created for myself. I’m able to spend my time working on projects that are meaningful to me. When I’m coaching, whether it’s a face-to-face session or writing a blog post I’m happy because I feel like I’m living my purpose.
So, they say that even therapists have their own therapist. Do life coaches have their own life coach? Did you have a life coach help you through your quarter-life crisis?
I actually didn’t have a life coach when I was going through my quarter life crisis, but I wish I did. I think I would have been able to get to the same result a lot quicker if I had had someone to guide me through the process. I did have a few mentors and I belonged to a couple of women’s groups that were a huge help in conquering my crisis. I have a coach now who helps me with the business side of things. She keeps me grounded and focused on my overall goals.
Did you always know you wanted to be a life coach? What was your “a-ha!” moment?
I think my big “a-ha” moment came when I realized that it is possible to make a career out of truly helping people. I’ve always had a passion for helping people. When I was younger I wasn’t sure what to do with that passion until I went through my quarter life crisis and realized there weren’t a ton of resources designed to help 20-somethings. It made perfect sense that I could combine my love of helping people with my love of taking a process from start to finish – which is basically what coaching is on a base level – and start a business with it.
Anything else you’d like to add?
All this passion talk can sound a little hokey but I really believe that it’s absolutely imperative that we’re all ridiculously happy with our lives. When we operate at full throttle we have the capacity to create the biggest change in the world. And that’s what the world really needs, right? So start living. You’re doing yourself – and the world – a huge disservice if you’re not.
I love connecting with people. Stop by the blog, join the Facebook group or drop me a line on Twitter. I’d love to hear from you!
Katharine’s Final Thoughts
Nailah’s outlook on the Quarter Life Crisis is great. Everyone looks for that big “a-ha!” moment when they are missing out on the little things in life. We expect great things to happen and when they don’t, we are constantly questioning ourselves and what we could have done differently. Maybe life is about looking for those smaller things that bring you joy – the simple, every day pleasures that make you smile.
You can join Nailah Blades by subscribing to her free monthly newsletter for advice, tips and inspiration through her website, read her blog, or follow her on Twitter.
