Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Fedewitz.
Hi Laura, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was born and raised in New Jersey and graduated in 2012 from the University of Delaware with a business degree. After college, I began working at an advertising agency in the DC area as a digital analyst. It did not take me very long to realize that I was in the wrong profession, but I also wasn’t sure what the right career path looked like for me.
I was feeling a lot of uncertainty about various aspects of my life, and so in 2014, I decided to move to Paris, France for a year. I made this decision to not only fulfill a childhood dream of mine but to also take the time to figure out what I wanted out of my life and the steps I would need to take. That move ended up being one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, and it gave me the opportunity to travel all throughout Europe. While I was living abroad, I realized that I did not necessarily need to follow a “traditional” career path. I had always felt trapped and unfulfilled in my previous jobs. I recognized that in order for me to feel truly free in my life, I would have to figure out a way to be my own boss. My interests included nutrition, spirituality, and mindset work and I was reading everything I could find on those topics.
When I returned to the United States, I decided to move to Charleston, SC. I enrolled in a nutrition therapy program at the Nutrition Therapy Institute and worked as a server at various restaurants to financially support myself. Once I became a nutrition therapist, I realized working with people’s mindsets and beliefs to help them achieve their goals was my true passion. I then enrolled at the Hypnosis Motivation Institute (HMI), which is the nation’s first and only accredited college of hypnotherapy, and became a certified hypnotherapist. Everything began to click into place for me once I learned hypnotherapy, and I was amazed at how effective it is for a wide variety of issues.
I gained hundreds of hours of experience working with clients while studying at HMI, which is required to be certified as a hypnotherapist. Between nutrition therapy and hypnotherapy, I was enrolled in school for over 5 years and I finally felt ready to go out on my own and launch my practice. I officially launched my online business in June of 2021. All of my client sessions are done remotely, so I am able to work from home with people anywhere in the world. I am happy to say that I am my own boss now, and it has been quite an adventure!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Starting your own business is almost never a completely smooth road. However, I am amazed at how well things began to fall into place for me once I put the intention out there to create my own business and work for myself. I found the right schools for my training and was introduced to various mentors that have helped me tremendously along the way. I hired a business coach when I first got started to help me figure out the steps, I needed to take to get my business up and running, and that was also very helpful for me. It did not take me long at all to start taking on new clients once I put myself out there and launched my business online.
I have to say the biggest roadblock in my entrepreneurial journey has been my own mindset. There are many ups and downs associated with the initial stages of creating a business. Like many new solo entrepreneurs, I had my fair share of fears and feelings of not being good enough. I struggled with a fear of failure and imposter syndrome, which causes one to doubt their abilities or feel like a fraud. After connecting with multiple women who own their own businesses, I know I was not alone in feeling that way.
Luckily, thanks to my hypnotherapy training, I was able to work on altering my own mindset and limiting beliefs around starting my business. Anytime we do anything that is outside of our comfort zone, it is human nature to feel resistance and fear. I essentially had to treat myself how I would any of my clients, and through self-hypnosis and other therapeutic tools, I was able to push past the fear I was experiencing and keep going.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
As I mentioned, I am both a certified nutrition therapist and a hypnotherapist. My main objective when working with any of my clients is to have them understand the importance of utilizing the power of the subconscious mind when it comes to achieving their goals. I have assisted clients with various issues including weight loss, increasing self-confidence, smoking cessation, habit control, decreasing stress and anxiety, and overcoming fears and phobias.
Hypnotherapy can be very effective for a wide variety of issues. However, my favorite use of hypnosis is helping clients utilize the power of their minds to create the life they dream of living. Whether or not we realize it, we all have negative or limiting beliefs in our subconscious minds that prevent us from achieving all that we want in life. Once that programming is eliminated and replaced with empowering beliefs, your subconscious mind can work with you rather than against you. This practice can produce some amazing results!
For example, one of my clients was attending law school and was experiencing fear and anxiety surrounding the upcoming bar exam as well as imposter syndrome regarding her ability to practice law and find a job in a field that interested her. She has since passed the bar and found a job working in environmental law which is a passion of hers.
Another client of mine is a talented actress who was dealing with her own fears and doubts about her ability to succeed. After our sessions together, she found she has much more confidence in herself, has been called for multiple auditions, and has landed several acting roles. While it always requires action on your own part, hypnotherapy can help you get out of your own way and make you truly believe that what you want to attract is on its way.
I am proud of myself for bringing my own dreams to fruition. I went from having the idea in my mind to working for myself, and despite the challenges, I made it happen. I think my story is also what separates me from others. I was on a very traditional life path at one point in time and I decided to do things differently. I know what it feels like to want something and have doubts about whether or not it’s realistic. I also know what it feels like to push beyond fear and doubt and keep going. If there is something that you dream of having, being, or doing – and you feel it just isn’t possible for you – know that your subconscious beliefs often make it or break it for you. My expertise is in helping my clients change those limiting beliefs in their minds so that they can actively begin creating the lives they dream of living.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
That’s a tough one! The happiest times revolved around being with my extended family. The Christmas season was always my favorite, and I would start playing Christmas music as soon as Labor Day had passed. I loved Christmas shopping at the mall with my mom, baking cookies, and decorating the tree. On Christmas day, both sides of my family would gather at our home. At night we would do a white elephant gift exchange, which always ended up with us fighting over silly gifts. Now my family is spread out throughout the country, so it is rare to have big family get-togethers. I definitely miss being a child during Christmastime.
Contact Info:
- Email: laura@laurajoyhypnosis.com
- Website: www.laurajoyhypnosis.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/laurajoy_hypnosis
Image Credits
Kaylie Miller
