The Birth of Unshakeable (Part 6 of 6)
New here? Welcome! This is Part 6 of my 6-part manifesto series—the raw, unfiltered story behind why I created Unshakeable Coaching. If you're just joining, I'd suggest starting with [Part 1]. Each post builds on the last as I share how I dismantled a life built on "shoulds" and learned to trust myself instead.
The decision to create Unshakeable wasn't made in a boardroom with a business plan and market research.
It happened on a Tuesday morning in my kitchen, while I was making coffee and talking to my friend Kelsey on the phone. Her voice was thick with tears.
"I hate being a lawyer. There. I said it. I've been avoiding it for months but it's true." I could hear the desperation in Kelsey's voice. She had worked so hard at UNC to make the grades to get into law school, then spent 3 years paying tuition and surviving law professors. Kelsey had just landed her dream job at the firm she'd always aspired to—the one she used to talk about when we went for walks as undergrads. "I did it, Sarah Frances. I did it all. So why am I still so unhappy?"
She paused, trying to compose herself.
"I've worked at different firms now, so I know it's not just one company culture. I just don't like it. My parents think I need to give it another couple of years, but I worry that if I do, I won't be the mom I want to be to my kids." Kelsey has a 3 and 1 year old like me. We have both recently navigated the huge identity shift that comes with becoming a mother. "I feel like I'm failing my kids. When I come home, I'm exhausted. What if waiting a few more years means trading time when they could have had a joyful mother instead of a stressed one? I'm so conflicted. What should I do?"
This last question—"What should I do?"—felt like it had been the question of my entire life until now. I knew this question intimately. The desire to get it right, to do what I should, to receive the answer from someone, anyone.
But I also knew from my own experience that she'd never find that answer looking externally. She couldn't find it from me, her kids, her husband, her parents, LinkedIn, or Google. Sure, they would all have opinions. Everyone has an opinion on what you should or shouldn't do, and most don't hold back from telling you what they perceive as right for you. But the truth is, if we keep looking externally for answers and polling to find the truth, we often overlook our own wisdom. Either we can't hear it, we don't trust it, or we're too scared to face it.
"Kelsey," I said gently, "you already know the answer."
We both were silent. She knew.
Sometimes hearing our truth is inconvenient, but it doesn't mean it's not right. What I want to tell women is: don't let that inconvenient truth or fear of the unknown stop you from being honest with yourself. Yes, you may be terrified. Yes, you may still feel conflicted. Yes, you may never be 100% sure, but I promise if you learn to hear your inner compass, it won't steer you wrong.
As I listened to Kelsey, I felt that familiar tug in my chest—the same one I'd learned to trust during my Year of Belief. This wasn't a coincidence. This was the fourth woman in two weeks who had shared a nearly identical story with me.
I'd been hearing variations of this for months. Women who looked successful on paper but felt empty inside. Women who had mastered the art of productivity but lost touch with their own desires. Women who sensed there was more to life but didn't know how to access it without losing everything they'd worked for.
They were all living some version of my bathroom floor moment—they just hadn't reached the breaking point yet.
That's when I knew: this couldn't stay personal anymore.
But the idea of becoming a coach terrified me.
I wasn't a guru. I didn't have all the answers. I was still figuring it out myself, still learning to trust my own wisdom. What business did I have helping others find theirs?
The imposter syndrome was loud: Who are you to think you can guide other women? You just had your own breakdown two years ago. You're not qualified for this.
But there was another voice—the one I'd learned to trust—that whispered back: You're not supposed to be perfect. You're supposed to be real. Your mess is your message.
I sat with that tension for weeks. Until a moment of clarity came, as they often did now, when I least expected it.
I was at a coffee shop, journaling about my resistance to this calling, when I overheard two women at the table next to me.
"Girl, you have to slow down," one was saying. "This is way too much for any one person to carry."
"I know," her friend replied with a heavy sigh. "I need a vacation from my life."
I almost smiled at those words. How familiar they sounded. How many times had I said the exact same thing during my achievement addiction years? Always living for the next break, the next vacation, the next escape from a life that felt too heavy to carry.
But now I was sitting here, living a life I didn't need to escape from just to breathe. A life I actually loved living. My mornings started with intention instead of panic. My work felt aligned with my values. I made decisions based on what felt right, not what looked impressive to others.
That's when it clicked.
We're not supposed to keep living this way. The fast pace, the crammed schedules, the constant rush toward some future moment when we'll finally feel fulfilled. This isn't how life has to be lived to be successful—it's just what we've been taught to believe.
I know now, from surrendering and trusting my inner guidance, that it leads us to a more beautiful life than we could ever imagine. It's hard to hear at first, but once we develop the tools and carve out the space to listen, we start getting all the answers we crave. They come from within, not externally.
Sitting there, I knew with absolute certainty: I want to spend my life helping women get back to that inner knowing. To support them as they learn to trust it and make decisions based on it.
That night, I wrote "Unshakeable" in my journal. I didn't know where the name came from, but I knew it was right.
Unshakeable doesn’t mean invincible or perfect. It means rooted. Grounded in your own truth rather than seeking validation from others. Able to weather the storms of uncertainty because you trust the compass within you.
It means becoming so connected to your own wisdom that no one can convince you to abandon yourself again.
Over the following months, I began to see how my entire journey had been preparing me for this work. The achievement addiction, the bathroom floor breakdown, the Year of Belief, the synchronicities—it was all part of a curriculum I couldn't have designed myself.
I had developed what I now call the Unshakeable Framework—a three-phase approach that guides women from feeling stuck and overwhelmed to becoming deeply rooted in their own truth.
UNFOLD is where we begin: releasing the old stories, beliefs, and behaviors that keep you trapped in someone else's definition of success. Like Sarah, a marketing executive who realized she'd been chasing promotions to prove her worth to parents who never seemed satisfied. Through journaling practices and honest self-reflection, she identified the voices that weren't actually hers and began to separate what she truly wanted from what she thought she should want. This phase can feel messy because you're grieving the life you thought you were supposed to live, but it's essential groundwork for everything that follows.
ROOT is where the real healing happens: rebuilding self-trust and emotional resilience through nervous system regulation and intuitive practices. Most driven women have been living in chronic stress, disconnected from their bodies. Like Jessica, a lawyer who hadn't taken a real lunch break in three years. We worked together to calm her nervous system through breathwork and meditation, helping her learn to interpret the signals her body was constantly sending. She practiced making small decisions from her gut rather than her head, building confidence in her ability to navigate life from inner knowing rather than external rules.
RISE is where transformation becomes visible: taking bold, aligned action to create the life, career, and relationships that actually feel like home. With old stories cleared and self-trust rebuilt, you'll have the clarity and courage to make the changes you've been avoiding. Like Maria, who finally had the difficult conversation with her business partner about their misaligned values and ended up starting her own practice. The difference is that now you're not making these changes from desperation—you're making them from deep knowing and authentic desire.
This work takes courage—I won't pretend otherwise. There's a reason most of us have been avoiding our deeper truths. Slowing down brings to the surface the places we need to heal, and that can feel uncomfortable at first. But on the other side is a life waiting for you that's better than you could imagine.
You can be successful without rushing, without being on autopilot. Your days can feel spacious instead of frantic. You can make decisions from peace rather than panic. Life actually can be so much more beautiful than we've been taught to believe.
Here's what I see happening when women do this work: They stop checking their phones first thing in the morning and instead start with five minutes of intentional breathing. They have conversations with their teenage daughters about dreams instead of just grades. They negotiate raises not from desperation but from knowing their worth. They book solo trips without guilt. They say no to commitments that drain them and yes to opportunities that light them up.
The real truth is, I'm not just a coach. I'm a guide who has walked this path and now wants to help other women find what I have found. My job is to stand by you and support you and hold space until you yourself become unshakeable.
The woman who had her breakdown on that bathroom floor could never have imagined she'd be here, writing these words, preparing to launch something that felt like her soul's work.
But maybe that's exactly the point.
Maybe our breakdowns aren't breakdowns at all. Maybe they're breakthroughs in disguise. Maybe the very thing that brought us to our knees is what prepares us to help others stand in their own power.
Three years ago, I was a woman who had lost herself in the pursuit of gold stars and approval from others. Today, I'm still driven and ambitious—but now I'm achieving things that actually matter to me. I'm building a life and business that feel aligned with who I really am, not who I was told to be.
I'm unshakeable. Not because I have all the answers, but because I trust myself to find them.
And I believe the same is possible for you.
Here's what I've learned: the longer you wait, the more expensive it becomes. Not financially, but emotionally. Every day you spend living someone else's version of success is a day you're not living your own. Every year you postpone listening to that quiet voice inside is another year your children watch you model settling instead of thriving.
The cost of staying where you are isn't just your happiness—it's your legacy.
If you're reading this and thinking, "This is exactly what I need but I'm not sure I'm ready," I want you to know: readiness is a myth. You don't get ready, then take the leap. You take the leap, then you get ready.
The only question is: what are you ready to stop settling for?
You get one life to live and it really comes down to two choices. Will you choose to stay in your comfort zone, a place that is increasingly feeling like a cage, or will you be brave enough to venture into the unknown, knowing that there is freedom on the other side?
I know you can do this. I will be here for you as you do it.
The world needs more women who are brave enough to trust themselves. Women who are willing to live authentically rather than perfectly. Women who understand that their sensitivity isn't a weakness—it's their superpower.
You don't need to have it all figured out. You just need to be willing to begin.
The rest will unfold exactly as it's meant to.
Let's discover what's possible when you stop living someone else's story and start writing your own.
Picture this: a year from now, you're looking back on this moment as the turning point. The day you stopped wondering 'what if' and started taking action to get there.
This could be the start of the most beautiful chapter of your life—the one where you finally come home to yourself.
If you're curious about what becoming unshakeable might look like in your own life, I'd love to have a conversation with you. Book a free coaching call below to explore what's possible.
Rooting for you,
Sarah-Frances
Intuition and spirit have guided me to all of this. Please share your stories; this is for the peace of the world, for knowledge, and for the protection of innocent souls. Each of us in mankind deserves to be safeguarded from the manipulation of others' minds.
For the Peaceful Protection of Mankind 🕊️❤️🕊️
Thank you for sharing your story and mission!