Today we’d like to introduce you to Rich Oceguera.
Rich, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Remember that childhood game called Dodge Ball? You know, where kids throw a rubber ball at you for fun? My story starts on the blacktop of Workman Elementary School in Los Angeles, California. Growing up I was never the athletic type and school sports and recess games like Dodge Ball were a nightmare for me. I was always the last one picked on the team and the first one to get hit in the head with that dang red, rubber ball. The other kids made sure to let me know that I was not a valuable addition and taunted me with unkind words. At a very young age, I began to unconsciously form negative beliefs about my self-worth and limiting, fear-based views about people in general.
“People don’t like me,” “Groups are dangerous,” and “I’m safer alone” are some of the thought seeds that took hold. And then life started to show me evidence and proof that I was right. Now, don’t worry, plenty of good also happened, but these limiting beliefs dug their roots into my mind and became the lens through which I unconsciously navigated life.
Flash forward to 1998. I had just moved from Chicago to New York City where I was beginning my career as a public relations video producer. It was a dream come true! And it was being in the hustle-bustle competitive energy of NYC that it soon became painfully clear that my shy, introverted nature was fine in other places but it would keep me from achieving my fullest potential in the City. This is when I was introduced to the concept of professional networking. The idea of speaking to complete strangers in a crowded room was enough to make me sick. It was also during this time that my eyes were opened to the world of personal development coaching and transformation training.
I share the full version of how I went from a total wallflower to a networking expert, community leader and entrepreneur in my book “Convert Your Community to Cash: Monetize Your Connections,” but for now let’s just say that I discovered that I could create a new empowered mindset and say ‘adios!’ to those old limiting beliefs that dominated my thinking. This changed everything in my life.
During eighteen years of living in New York City I learned to turn my inhibitions into confidence and while I could never have imagined it, it became clear that my Purpose is to help other business owners, entrepreneurs and visionaries who struggle with feelings of unworthiness, fear of rejection and limiting beliefs learn the very powerful and proven Mindset and Mindfulness tools that made the difference in my life. I can look back at all of the many challenges in my life and see them as learning lessons and gifts that now allow me to help others avoid some of the pain so they can activate their power and align with their Higher Self and share their unique Purpose with the world!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Has it been a smooth road? Most certainly not! I don’t know any person who is cultivating a life of mindfulness, especially if you are an entrepreneur, who has a smooth road. And I wouldn’t want it any other way. A business mentor of mine just challenged me with a view that having a perfect day actually does not help us become better people. Yes, I love when all is running seemingly without a hitch, but it’s on those gnarly days that appear to be sent from hell that I ultimately learn the most.
As I prepped for this interview I was listening to a house music mix by DJ Alex Cruz and the lyrics to one of the songs say, “Whenever things go wrong take a moment to look back and ahead to figure out the right way. Everything, anything, everything can be changed.” That sums up how I look at the obstacles and challenges that are inevitable if you are playing on the field of life. I didn’t always have this view, of course. Moving from the limiting belief “this is happening TO me” to the empowering belief “this is happening FOR me” is one of the greatest lessons I’ve learned.
It’s a simple concept and yet so difficult to practice. This is the value of mindset and mindfulness development work. Your thoughts created your reality. The human brain is a marvelous tool and we have the ability to rewire it in a way that empowers us to live with more confidence and clarity. This is the kind of training I give my clients through coaching, workshops and my inspirational training videos.
One of the biggest setbacks happened when I was seventeen in my senior year of high school. I was outed by a classmate and what happened after that ripped apart the young foundation of my life. Pretty much everything that could be taken away from me was, including my family, home, boyfriend, friends, college, church and my understanding of God. This experience led me to believe, again, that I am worthless, unworthy, disposable and unlovable. It also set me on a new spiritual path that opened my heart and mind to a whole new world!
Teachings from “A Course In Miracles” through Marianne Williamson and the book “You Can Heal Your Life” by Louise Hay floated into my life like angels and showed me I AM Worthy, I AM Desirable, I AM Lovable and so much more. It took many years of healing and transformation work to finally let go of the pain, resentment and anger that resulted from being outed. Now I can honestly look back to that day and see it as a gift. It put me on this path to discovering my Purpose and now I’m running a business that helps others do the same.
Another more recent challenge unfolded when I moved to San Diego in June of 2015. I never intended leaving NYC, but the Universe started nudging me and eventually, I listened. Prior to moving here, I had never thought about San Diego. In fact, when I left California to live in Chicago some twenty-six years ago I vowed I’d never lived in this state again. Well, never say never! When I came to San Diego I knew one other person. I had to start over from scratch. It was such a shift on every level to go from the pounding masculine energy of NYC to the relaxed feminine energy of San Diego. While I acclimated quickly to the weather (who wouldn’t!) it took some time to adjust to the new pace and my lack of social network. In New York City I was a community leader and respected business owner, but here I was a nobody.
The real obstacle, however, was on the business front. I tried to continue my coaching business the same way I had built it in New York. But nothing seemed to work the same here. I couldn’t figure it out and eventually, I gave up. I walked away from a six-figure business and began to really learn what it means to surrender and trust the Universe has a plan. It was financially and emotionally painful. But eventually, I began to see why this happened. And the more I surrendered the more clarity I received and a new vision began to rise up. At the beginning of this year several unusual health step-backs, including a near death experience, woke me up. It was a rich awakening and in fact, that is how the new name for my business and this refined direction for the work I do came into being!
I also met Cody, my best friend and life partner, over the last year. One more reason why I believe I was meant to call San Diego home. The beautiful thing is it’s all come full circle and some of San Diego’s most inspiring spiritual and business leaders are now my friends. People like Melanie Esperon of Reiki Room SD, 5Rhythms teacher Christina Graham-Smith and Nathan Mohle of Amazing Craft Workshops. They’ve all been featured in SD Voyager and I’ve also interviewed some of them on my Motivation Monday show.
You can watch their interviews and learn more about the wonderful work they do at www.fb.com/richawakenings/videos.
Rich Awakenings – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
My company, Rich Awakenings, specializes in helping business owners, entrepreneurs, change-makers and visionaries wake up to the power of mindfulness and mindset so they can turbocharge their life and business.
What sets me apart from others in this field is I interweave 35 years of sales and marketing experience with personal, business and spiritual development expertise. My journey includes studies and practice in many spiritual systems including Vedism, Buddhism, Shamanism, Kabbalah, Christianity, New Thought, Science of Mind, Yoga and holistic wellness using doTERRA essential oils. I’ve traveled the world and have lived in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, New York City and now San Diego.
I bring all of this experience together to offer my clients unparalleled and customized support to help them shed their blocks and limiting beliefs so they can awaken to their Purpose and confidently share their gifts and expertise with their customers and, ultimately, create more abundance. I’m known for inspiring people to Be Connected, Be Courageous and Be Conscious.
My clients gain massive confidence and learn how to tap into the power of their intuition to lead happier, healthier and wealthier lives and businesses that make a positive impact in the world.
I specialize in leading transformational workshops, group programs, spiritual retreats, meditation and mindfulness trainings and private coaching. One of my favorite things to do is interview inspiring spiritual entrepreneurs about their story of awakening. My new Rich Awakenings podcast will feature some phenomenal San Diegans, like music producer DTO Dave Kemp and Brahman Kyrie of the Brahman Project.
I love sharing the power of guided visualization. Readers can text “Rich” to 66866 to receive a free guided meditation called the Courageous Heart Journey featuring the music of DTO Dave Kemp. People who’ve received this are loving the peace, clarity and courage it provides.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
In 2008 I was invited to take on a monumental project to create a business organization to support the growth of the LGBT and allied business community. Despite being at the height of the global recession, we launched the first-ever LGBT chamber of commerce in New York City. As the president and co-founder of the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce New York (nglccny), my job was to create networking and educational opportunities for our members. It was also my job to build up the membership and secure corporate partnerships.
During my five-year tenure 350 businesses, non-profits and major corporations joined the chamber. We went from an idea with no members of a successful, award-winning organization despite the prevailing difficult economic conditions. How did this happen?
We used the power of positive mindset, intention and vision to defy the odds so we could provide a much-needed service to our community. NGLCCNY is celebrating it’s 10 year anniversary and, so far, this is my greatest achievement. Now I have a new goal. Through my business Rich Awakenings, I’m looking forward to launching a non-profit division called the Anahata Global Retreat Center.
My vision for Anahata is to provide a world-class learning institute where spiritual leaders and teachers will share their wisdom with mindful seekers who want to deepen their spiritual practices to create a better world. I also envision offering mindfulness training for kids and for people who have been incarcerated and need these life-changing tools to rebuild their lives.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.richawakenings.com
- Phone: 917-609-1569
- Email: richard@richardoceguera.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/richoceguera
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/richawakenings
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/richardoceguera
- Other: bit.ly/myheartmeditation
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