I wanted to give up (and why this matters for you)

How do you respond when things don't go as planned?

There’s something I’ve been moving through behind the scenes that I knew I had to share, because the moment it clicked for me… I immediately thought, this is exactly what our clients go through. And likely, you, too!

As many of you know, we launched a new 4-week program, Awaken Foundations, back in January. 

And it was wildly, unexpectedly successful.

Not just in terms of the number of women who enrolled, 102 to be exact, but in the results they experienced.

The energy shifts, the clarity, the improved menstrual cycles, the weight loss, the peace of mind… it was everything we hoped it would be and more! 

And more importantly, this offer aligns so deeply with our mission.

To teach real nutrition science and foundational health practices, especially for women and mothers, so we can support ourselves and the next generation. 

To create something that is accessible, affordable, and still delivers an incredible level of effective support.

To build coaching containers that don’t just give information, but actually change lives.

That’s what Awaken Foundations became.

So naturally, we were so excited to relaunch it in May.

And this is where things got… interesting.

Because I went into this launch with a very clear expectation: 

“102 women signed up last time… this is going to fill again. Easily. Probably faster. Maybe even double or triple!”

I mean, in my mind, it felt like a no-brainer.

The value is honestly hard to even explain without sounding dramatic.

My normal rate for a single 60-minute coaching call is $375.

Inside Awaken Foundations, you’re getting multiple 90-minute live coaching calls every week, for four weeks plus a bonus onboarding week.

That’s over 1,000 minutes of coaching support.

Plus daily chat support.

Plus a 150-page guide with education, tools, and recipes.

Plus a community of women walking through it with you.

All for less than the cost of one private session. It's only $333!

So in my brain… I knew how powerful this was.

I knew what it could do for someone.

And I assumed that meant everyone would immediately jump in again.

But that’s not what happened...

I spent two weeks in a downward spiral. 

And if I’m being honest, it felt like a full-on dark night of the soul. I questioned everything as a coach and business owner.

And the negative thoughts started rolling in:

• What am I doing wrong?

• Am I not cut out for this?

• Am I not communicating this well enough?

• Why isn’t everyone signing up for this?

• Is something broken?

• Are online businesses not working anymore?

And then came all the “shoulds.”

• We should have women lining up for this!

• This should be easy!

• This should be like last time!

• We should be further along in our business!

As I started to feel momentum building in the wrong direction, I forced myself to stop.

I pivoted. Intentionally.

I journaled.

I cried. A lot. Like ugly crying for hours while still trying to run a business, support clients, be a good parent, and manage a household. Full upheaval and release. All the doubt and fear and shame and anger came to the surface.

I reached out to loved ones who could hold me and hear me in my deepest, messiest, most embarrassing human emotions.

I rage strength trained.

I rage cleaned.

I rage walked.

I booked an extra session with my therapist.

I devoured my business coach's mindset videos on repeat in every waking moment possible... ones I had already watched multiple times... while cleaning, cooking, walking, driving, drying my hair, taking a shower, in between calls, anywhere.

And then I realized… this had nothing to do with the offer.

Nothing to do with the value.

Nothing to do with whether people “wanted it.”

It was a mismatch between my expectation and reality.

My expectation was here on one end.

And reality was over there somewhere.

And the gap between the two… that’s what created the frustration. 

Not the circumstance itself.

But the thoughts I was thinking about it. 

So I did exactly what we teach inside Awaken Foundations:

I didn’t try to force the outcome from fear. 

I didn’t spiral further.

I shifted my energy and changed mindset, one thought at a time.

I practiced thoughts and affirmations that weren't a stretch... thoughts that I actually believed to be TRUE with every fiber of my being.

And that's how I dug myself out of a hole.

Instead of: “No one is signing up.”

I shifted to: “24 women have already signed up. That’s 24 lives I have the honor and opportunity to positively impact!”

Instead of: “No one is on social media anymore.”

I shifted to: “People may not be engaging like they used to, but they’re still watching. They're DM-ing me with questions. I’ll keep showing up.”

Instead of: “This isn’t working.”

I shifted to: “What worked last time? Let me do an audit and reassess.” 

And with those new thoughts, I started taking aligned action.

I recorded a podcast with a client and dear friend who helped me start this 4-week program in the first place.

I spent time thinking positive, helpful thoughts on purpose... thinking all the reasons why this offer is so amazing and valuable.

I reached out to past clients and enthusiastically invited them to share.

I spoke up instead of staying stuck.

And as my thoughts shifted… my energy shifted.

My actions changed.

And the momentum started to build again.

And then it really hit me:

This exact process of expectation mismatch and then moving through it is what so many women in our programming experience.

Most people arrive into our world with high expectations, like:

“I should be losing 5 to 7 pounds a week.”

“This should be fast.”

"I should have perfect food logs, like Lisa and Shannon." (Hint: they’re not).

"This shouldn't take so much time to feed myself properly."

"I should feel constantly motivated to do everything I need to do."

And when it doesn’t…

They feel frustrated. Defeated. Like something isn’t working.

And that's exactly when we jump in with supportive coaching, assuring them that this is so normal.

Just like my launch…

It’s not that anything is broken.

It’s that the expectation doesn’t match the reality of what actually creates sustainable change.

Because real body composition change for women is not extreme.

It’s not linear.

And it’s definitely not built on burnout.

Losing more than 1–2 pounds per week consistently often means losing muscle.

And muscle is everything, especially for women.

Your metabolism.

Your hormones.

Your longevity.

The path that actually works is slower, more intentional, and far more sustainable.

This experience brought me right back to something I’m witnessing daily… not just in our clients, but in my own life, and even in my kids. 

They go to a Montessori school, where they are constantly challenged, but in a way that keeps them engaged.

Not so hard that they shut down.

Not so easy that they’re bored.

Right on the edge of growth.

And because of that, they’ve developed a love of learning.

They feel proud when they figure something out. 

They build confidence through the process.

And I realized…

That’s the point.

That’s what we’re here for. 

Not perfection or constant ease.

Not a life where everything goes exactly as planned.

We're here for growth.

We're here for expansion.

We're here to learn how to move through challenges instead of dropping our goals and dreams to avoid perceived failure in favor of complacency.

  

There is no level in life where you "arrive" and everything is just "perfect" forever.

You don’t reach some magical point where it’s like:

“That’s it. I did it. I reached level 5 and now I never struggle.”

As long as you’re here, you’re going to be called into new levels. 

New challenges.

New opportunities.

New versions of yourself.

And honestly… how boring would it be otherwise?

The opportunity for us all is learning how to meet those moments differently.

To feel grounded instead of reactive.

To stay in the process instead of giving up.

To recognize that you actually have agency in how you respond.

To continue building resiliency not through force but flow.

And this is why we created Awaken Foundations.

Not just to teach you what to do…

But to help you build the mindset, the habits, and the support system to actually follow through.

Because women don’t thrive on willpower.

We thrive in community.

We thrive in connection.

We thrive on oxytocin (not dopamine).

For women, it must be "good for the collective," not just "good for me."

We thrive when we’re supported, seen, and moving forward together.

And that’s where real, sustainable, long-term change  and eventually full identity transformation happens.

If you’re in a moment right now where things aren’t going the way you expected…

Where you feel like you “should” be further along…

Take a breath with me.

Nothing has gone wrong.

You’re just in the space between expectation and reality.

And that space is where the work happens.

That’s where growth happens.

And you don't have to go through it alone.

If you feel called to step into support around this, we would love to have you (or anyone you know who might benefit!) inside Awaken Foundations.

We kick off the week of May 4th with our onboarding week, and you can still join us through May 18th.

Early enrollment is just $333 until then.

👉 [Click here to save $222 on Awaken Foundations]

And if you’re looking for deeper, more personalized support…

Our 12-week flagship program, Awaken Your Nutrition, will be opening again soon.

Sending so much love your way.

Here’s to meeting life exactly where you are… and growing from there.

🤍 Lisa

  | Co-Founder of The Green Door Life

NAMS Certified Nutrition Consultant | Quantum Biology, Hormones, and Mindset Certified Specialist