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Nichole Lee | The Grieving Achiever ™ Coach

@iamnicholelee

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Certified Coach & Confidante to Executives and Founders Redefining Their Identity, Life & Legacy After Loss || Bespoke Private Experiences ||

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I was misdiagnosed with depression when my mother was dying.

I wasn’t depressed. I was experiencing anticipatory grief - the pain, sadness, anxiety and overwhelm I was feeling knowing my mom as going to die and there wasn’t anything I could do about it.

It was one of many experiences in realizing how much the western medical system had no clue about grief and the overlapping symptoms with depression.

And as I hear so many people online and in person say, I lost x,y,z and I was so depressed, it also demonstrates how it has become the default.

It is so important to understand whether you have grief, depression or both to ensure you receive the right care and support. by @iamnicholelee

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a month ago

My male clients often come to me with a major loss they can name, however, when we dig deeper they are grieving more than that one event/situation.

It is important that men have a space to fully process what they've been holding on, often times for 10+ years. Also, there experiences are commonly categorized under other diagnosis categories without considering grief as part of the equation due to the lack of education and awareness of 1) grief outside of death 2) the impact of grief to the mind and body.

Men, your grief matters, your voice matters and receiving proper support matters.

I invite you to take a moment to connect with the parts of yourself you feel you've lost and reach out to someone you trust to share. There is a lot of healing that come from being seen and heard. by @iamnicholelee

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19 days ago

Grief is not just emotional, it is physiological. It is a whole-body disruption that requires care and compassion. by @iamnicholelee

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21 days ago

Highly successful individuals can carry beliefs that have been beneficial in achieving their success, yet after a loss, affect their ability to fully grieve and create their next chapter with freedom and fulfillment.

There is often an assumption that because someone has built a successful career, led through complexity, overcome significant challenges, or achieved at a high level, the belief systems they carry serve them in every area of life.

Many high-performing individuals were taught, directly or indirectly, that feeling is irrational, crying is weak, anger is unacceptable, pausing is unproductive, or “losing control” is dangerous.

Particularly when those messages began in childhood, the behaviors connected to those beliefs were reinforced and rewarded. They have often been very beneficial in survival and acquiring success.

However, a life-altering loss can expose the limitations in continuing to operate from these belief systems.

Grief cannot be optimized. It does not operate according to the rules of performance, productivity, or control.

It can bring tears, anger, exhaustion, fear, numbness, confusion, and disorientation.

When a person believes they should be able to control or think their way through those responses, grief becomes more difficult to process.

Becoming aware of and understanding an individual's belief systems is an integral part of how I work with my clients.

We identify and examine the beliefs that have shaped their life, honor how they've been beneficial in the past, discuss the impact they are having on their grieving process, clarify the life they want to create, and determine the best strategy for which beliefs to reinforce, reframe, or remove.

If this resonates with you, I invite you to take inventory of your beliefs. With awareness, there is the ability to take action to change not only your belief system, but transform your life as a result. by @iamnicholelee

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22 days ago

In Honor of World Suicide Prevention Day, I am sharing episode #3, from my podcast where I sit down my college friend Connell "Spanky" Spain, because his story is part of why this day matters.

Spank was an All-American high school football star, a national champion at Florida State, and NFL player. An injury ended his NFL career before he was ready, but he kept going and won a championship in Arena football with the Orlando Predators.

Then football ended for good. And privately, he was suffering. The depression got dark enough that he considered ending his life. Nobody around him knew how close he came. He looked strong. He looked like a guy who had it all figured out.

What brought him back was a moment of clarity that his life still had purpose, even before he could see what that purpose was.

Today, Connell is a successful business owner, a motivational speaker, an actor, and president of a foundation, where he teaches young people economic awareness, character, and leadership.

You never know what the person next to you is carrying.
Please check on your loved ones, not just the ones you "think" might need it.

And if that person is you, I want you to know You mater. Your life matters. You are loved. You are needed.

Also sending love to those who lost a loved one by suicide. My heart goes out to you.

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available by call or text, 24/7. https://988lifeline.org/

🎧 Full episode of Connell's interview is available on platforms. Links can also be found in the comments.

Sending love, peace, and joy. 💗 by @iamnicholelee

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a month ago

Grief didn't just take from me. It also gave me something back.

For twenty years, I led change and transformation for Fortune 500 companies. What I rarely spoke about was my sensitivity, healing and psychic abilities that have been part of me since I was a child. I learned early to keep them hidden and managed. Be "normal", fit in, don't scare people out.

Losing my mother changed that.

Grief stripped away the version of me built for performing for other's approval and returned me to a version of me that was aligned in freedom, purpose and fulfillment.

I'm sharing this because I've watched the same pattern in the executives, founders, and pubic figures I work with. Loss has a way of returning people to parts of themselves they set aside to succeed. It can open a door back to curiosity, to dreaming, to work you feel genuinely called to do, if you let it lead you rather than define you.

I recently sat down with Nick on The Mindset and Self Mastery Show to talk about it: how life's hardest moments activate abilities that were already there, what the research says about intuition, and the practical steps for turning self-awareness into self-mastery.

If you've ever wondered what's on the other side of what you're carrying, this conversation is for you.

https://themindsetandselfmasteryshow.com/grief-and-loss-activate-hidden-abilities-with-nichole-lee/ by @iamnicholelee

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a month ago

Secondary Losses Often Go Unrecognized, Unnamed, & Unwitnessed

When a loved one dies, it is common to acknowledge the grief that comes as a result.

However, when we lose someone, there is a domino effect of losses:
- Loss of a part of our identity
- The future we imagined with them
- The relationships that we didn’t expect to change
- Financial impacts we didn’t prepare for
- And more...

These are called secondary losses.

I had the opportunity to speak on this with the amazing Karyn Arnold and Kelly Daugherty of the Grief Ladies Podcast.

We talked about the many losses that go unrecognized and unnamed and the impact it has on an individual’s grief healing journey.

I also talk about the loyalty trap, the deeply held belief that we must keep suffering in order to prove our love for the person we lost, and how that belief often lives below the surface without us even realizing it.

In 2018, I served as my mom’s caregiver from the time she was diagnosed with cancer in May and died in September.

What followed was grief that touched every part of my life. However through intentional focus on my mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health, I was able to transform my pain into my purpose with love, hope and peace.

As a result of my journey, I left my 20-year career and built a practice helping other high level leaders navigate grief, identity, and major life transitions from a place of self-discovery rather than suffering.

Episode 45 is available now on all major podcast platforms and YouTube. by @iamnicholelee

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2 months ago

Grief is a natural response to any significant loss including the ones that accumulate while building, leading, and succeeding. And yet, for so many high achievers, it's the journey that rarely gets named or witnessed.

That's why I created The Grieving Achiever's Sanctuary on Substack.

It's a space where grief and excellence can coexist without apology. Where the losses that come with a full, high-responsibility life finally have somewhere to land. To come out of the shadows of deeply desiring to reach the highest levels while also knowing healing & restoration are also a priority.

It is also a space where you can share what you're carrying, what you're curious about, or what you wish someone would finally say out loud anonymously through the Grieving Achiever Anonymous form.

If this resonates with you or others you know, I'd love to connect with you there.

You can find the link below in the comments or in my Bio.

With Love and Liberation,
Nichole 💕 by @iamnicholelee

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4 months ago

Grief can feel all-consuming. Yet within your sorrow lies your incredible capacity to love, to care, to feel.

Healing doesn’t mean forgetting, yet it does mean you can carry both grief and joy, grief and gratitude, grief and hope.

As you release the weight of loss, you make space to live fully again - carrying the lessons, the love, and the strength that grief has revealed to you.

If you’re looking to release your grief, join the waitlist for my upcoming workshop - Release Your Grief and Reclaim Joy by sending me a DM.

With Love,
Nichole 💕

#griefsupport #griefrecovery #healinggrief #griefcoaching #griefworkshop #griefawareness #griefjourney #transcendingidentity taken in Joy in the Journey by @iamnicholelee

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2 years ago

I am constantly in aww and gratitude for my divine mission in holding space for and serving changemakers on their journeys ensuring they take care of themselves as they take care of others.

It was truly an honor to hold space for @fitgoddess55 as a heart-centered global changemaker in the fitness, health and wellness space, she is using her brilliance and her divine gifts to help people heal and thrive through her private 1:1 sessions, group sessions online and at her multiple facilities, through local and international retreats and more!

I invite you to make your self care and healing a priority. It’s the only way we can truly change the world and make the massive impact we desire.

With Gratitude & Love,
Nichole 💕

#healingreatreats #healingretreatsforwomen #changemakers #selfcare #arizona🌵 taken in Arizona by @iamnicholelee

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2 years ago

We all ebb and flow like the ocean, love 🌊

Cause life - and us as humans - truly is both/and, not either/or (and that’s a beautiful thing)

I absolutely looooved this honest, grounding convo with @iamnicholelee on @theunfilteredceopod where we share a reminder that you don’t have to carry everything on your own — AND allowing yourself to feel, process, and evolve is part of stepping into the next chapter of your life.

If you’re someone who’s used to being the strong one — the positive one, the ambitious girly who keeps things moving no matter what — this episode is for you 🫶🏻

We talk about:
◊ Nichole’s journey from losing her mother to leaving her job and building a business supporting people through loss & life transitions
◊ The unique challenges high performers face when navigating emotional change
◊ Finding the people who can hold space for you without trying to immediately fix things
◊ Allowing yourself to FEEL your emotions
◊ The importance of moving emotions out of your body
◊ Practices we both love that help release stored emotions & reconnect with yourself
◊ Questioning belief systems & expectations that were never actually yours to carry
◊ Grieving the loss of friendships, identities, & old versions of yourself as you grow
◊ Looking at the root of what’s happening, rather than just trying to fix the symptoms
◊ How unprocessed emotions can show up as anxiety, panic attacks, or depression
◊ Learning to listen to what your body is telling you & trusting your intuition
◊ Allowing yourself to dream bigger than what you might believe is possible

Stream on Spotify & Apple Podcast 🎙️ Link in bio! taken in Denver, Colorado by @iamnicholelee

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7 months ago

In less than two weeks, I'll be in Cascais, Portugal for the World Happiness Summit® (WOHASU®) attending as a participant as well as serving as a Tribe Time Facilitator.

I am so o excited!

The theme this year is Kindness for a Happier Life. I can't think of a more fitting intention for May and Mental Health Awareness Month.

Kindness is central to our collective well-being.

What Karen Guggenheim built over the past decade is extraordinary. Recognized by Forbes as one of the top five leadership summits in the world, WOHASU® has grown into a global movement that brings together the science of wellbeing and the lived human experience in a way very few platforms have managed to do.

To be a participant and to serve as a facilitator is truly an honor I receive with a full heart.

There is still time to join us! You can register with the link provided below in the comments.

Sending a burst of happiness to you today! 🩷 by @iamnicholelee

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5 months ago