Today we’d like to introduce you to Catherine Dietz.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Catherine. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
The journey from where I started and how I got to where I am today has certainly been an interesting one! I started my first career as a legal secretary at the age of 18 (I had no interest in going to college at the time and gravitated toward using the administrative and communicative skills I had learned in high school).
In my early 30’s, I became fascinated by ‘Discovery’ and ‘The Science Channel’ and felt inspired to learn more about the human mind, body and Spirit. So, while still working full-time as a legal secretary, I started taking classes at Mira Costa College to prepare myself for the Cardiovascular Technology (CVT) Program at Grossmont College (in San Diego).
After being in the legal profession for 19 years, I left that career, completed the CVT Program and began the next career in my journey as a CVT in the cath lab at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla. I grew so much in that experience and found great satisfaction in knowing that I was following my heart (pun intended)!
As I began realizing that the stress I felt in that environment was not something I cared to endure long-term, I found myself being drawn to using my knowledge and skills to help people improve their quality of life from a more holistic and natural approach to health. And while I was at Scripps, I was introduced to ‘Healing Touch’ classes and felt an immediate connection to helping people thrive through energy healing (reducing stress and optimizing the body’s natural ability to heal itself through the power of nurturing touch).
At the age of 42, I left the corporate world of helping people heal their hearts from ‘the outside’ to creating my own practice of helping people heal their hearts from ‘the inside’, and started working with my first clients as a Healing Touch Practitioner. I had no idea how to build a successful business, but I trusted my ability and kept listening to my heart’s calling. I was then led to the opportunity to become a licensed Heal Your Life® Coach (based on the philosophy of Louise Hay).
Louise Hay’s teachings had helped me change my life for the better in so many ways, and coaching felt so natural to me! Due to my own life experience, I then gravitated toward specializing in guiding and supporting people through relationship conflict – and even more specifically, through the painful predicament of ‘should I stay or should I go?’, which has been the primary focus in my coaching business for the last 4 years and is where I am today.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has not been a smooth road, but I’ve managed to navigate through the obstacles! The biggest struggles have been:
• learning how to be my own boss AND a good “employee.”
• learning how to create systems for all the components that a thriving business needs.
• learning about ROI and failing at many attempts in the process.
• learning how to let go of unhealthy habits and relationships that don’t support growth.
• learning how to feel confident about “selling” my services.
• learning how to stay committed to the path even when feeling temporary periods of discouragement.
My advice for other women who are just starting their journey is to always stay true to YOU. Certainly, ask for support and guidance when you need it, but follow YOUR intuition, not what others think is right for you. Fill your own shoes.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with A Healthy Path to Love – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
As a business owner, I am most proud of my desire and ability to stay true to my heart and be a strong leader and example for my clients to do the same. I also feel proud of the fact that most people find it incredibly easy to open up to me about their personal struggles and that I get to create a safe ‘space’ for them to learn how to align their head with their heart and make a clear choice from a place of alignment instead of from confusion and stress.
What sets me apart from others is my own personal experience of successfully navigating the wide range of emotions that comes with facing the decision of whether to stay or go, and as a result, being called to create ‘The HEALTHY Path Process’, a step-by-step program to guide and support women in making a clear decision about whether or not they’re with the right partner and to stay or go with self-awareness, integrity, grace and compassion.
I also created a free video training series that leads subscribers through each step of ‘The HEALTHY Path Process’, and I feel honored to work with women who are ready to go deeper through my one-on-one coaching services.
I love showing women how to tap into the wisdom of their heart and gain the clarity, confidence, and courage needed to speak their truth and ask for what they need in their relationships. And I love teaching women how to empower themselves – through taking ownership of the quality of their lives and relationships – and either reconnect with their partner in a way that *feels* good for both of them or gracefully let go of a relationship that no longer serves its purpose.
I believe relationship conflict is one of our greatest teachers and gives us ample opportunity to ‘show up’ for ourselves and be the women we truly want to be. To stay committed to love, for ourselves and our partners, even when we decide to go.
I feel blessed to have found my ‘purpose’ in this profession, proud of how far I’ve come, and thrilled about where I’m going. I love being an entrepreneur and trailblazing my own path in life, and I believe each and every one of us has the ability to follow our heart and create our own healthy path to love… in our businesses, in our relationships with ourselves and others, and in our quality of life!
There’s a wealth of academic research that suggests that lack of mentors and networking opportunities for women has materially affected the number of women in leadership roles. Smart organizations and industry leaders are working to change this, but in the meantime, do you have any advice for finding a mentor and building a network?
There are so many business coaches and mentors available, and finding ‘the right one’ may take some trial and error (it did for me), but as long as you’re open and willing, you’ll learn from each and every experience. As for networking, at first, I went to a bunch of different women’s networking groups in San Diego but then realized that without consistently attending, I wasn’t really building relationships, and that’s what networking is about (not just exchanging business cards). When I learned about Hera Hub – a female-focused co-working space and business accelerator – I found ‘my place’. It’s way more than networking (but includes a lot of that as well), and provides a community of support and resources that have helped me so much! I recommend finding a place that feels like that!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.healthypathtolove.com/
- Phone: 858-945-6910
- Email: catherine@healthypathtolove.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healthypathtolove/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/healthypathtolove
- Other: bit.ly/RelationshipVideoSeries
Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
