Women In Wellness: Esther Murray of SAI On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Be grateful — Always be thankful for the blessings from the Almighty, even the little things that you enjoy every day, such as that first cup of coffee. Do not let yourself be obsessed with money. Most people spend most of their days chasing material things they don’t have, and their inner soul does not need.
As a part of my series about women in wellness, I had the pleasure of interviewing Esther Murray.
Esther Murray is a coach who specializes in helping professional women who have hit a dead end in their career due to getting passed over, feeling unappreciated, or lacking opportunities to move ahead in the workplace due to systemic gender discrimination and internal office politics. She is an experienced Administrator with over 23 years of experience in government of which seven years entailed management duties.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” better. Can you share your backstory with us?
Well, originally I’m from a small island in the Caribbean, Tobago to be exact. I grew up poor. My three brothers and I were raised by a single mother who juggled three jobs just to put food on the table. My dad deserted us when I was only 8 years old. In those early years, I loved to run around and play with my brothers and gained the reputation of being a tomboy. I would climb trees with my brothers, play cricket in the streets, and stone any stray dogs that wandered in our backyard. I was a rebel, but I still loved the quiet time alone with my books and dolls.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? What were the main lessons or takeaways from that story?
My foray into coaching came about quite by accident. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, in April 2020, I was assigned to work from home, remotely, on my computer. One day I was surfing the internet when suddenly the image of Tony Robbins, the renowned motivational speaker, popped up on my screen. I believe I had an epiphany, like a lightbulb shining inside my head. I thought to myself there was something more for me to do, an inner calling, better than sitting at a computer answering calls for the Department of Finance. I jumped into this new avenue of opportunity immediately, feeling that this coaching business was something worthwhile, something I had to explore.
Being at home gave me the calmness I needed to evaluate my inner strengths and values. I got involved in a plethora of seminars and online conversations about career challenges and development, all of which shaped my personal search for job satisfaction. I was determined to be an independent professional lady, dedicating myself to helping others find their own path to inner bliss and deep satisfaction in their careers and lives. Real or meaningful service to others is what drives me. I am offering to urge and give women the courage to jump away from tedious unsatisfying work and brighten their lives and the lives of their loved ones.
Can you share a story about the biggest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
One of the biggest mistakes for me was in the beginning, once I realized that coaching was my passion. I invested in various coaching programs which later did not serve my purpose. I realized that I should have done more homework to sift out the right program that would give me the adequate training and resources to boost my coaching business.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
My mother has always been the support system for myself and my siblings. But, during my hardest time, when I was transitioning from senior high school to the business world, with no job opportunities, I met an Englishman who is the reason why I am here today. This Englishman moved into my neighborhood in Bethany, Tobago, just about the same time that I returned home with my daughter. He would take long walks everyday near the standpipe where I fetched water for my home. We slowly began by saying hello, which later turned into a real friendship with him, his family and mine. He always said to my mother, that I should travel abroad as the possibilities are endless, and that I will not live the life I need to live, tethered to a ‘small’ island.
One day, that moment arrived, and I landed at JFK airport leaving behind all that I know and my young daughter, anxious to pave the way for a better future for myself. My English countryman, Ralph, I will never forget!
Ok, perfect. Now let’s jump to our main focus. When it comes to health and wellness, how is the work you are doing helping to make a bigger impact in the world?
My work aims to fundamentally change my client’s outlook on life and hope for a creative dynamic future. I seek to pull unsatisfied professionals out of their malaise and give them a kick in the rear end, to get them to live and dream and find their bliss. When (and if) they realize their goals, they will indeed be in good health, and I will be very happy.
Can you share your top five “lifestyle tweaks” that you believe will help support people’s journey towards better wellbeing? Please give an example or story for each.
1. Exercise — it’s a quick and easy way to enhance your mood, reduce stress, and clear your mind. I find that getting out of bed and straight into my running or walking shoes, to be outside just after sunrise, for 30 minutes, is the surest way to start the day with gusto.
2. Meditate — Twenty minutes of meditation each day will relax your mind and body and strengthen your health. You’ll also build your ability to focus. It may be the best 20 minutes you spend every day.
3. Improve your diet — The food you eat has a dramatic effect on your mood, ability to focus, and health. You already know which foods are healthy. So, introduce more of them into your diet, especially fiber and omega rich foods, like avocado and berries. Most importantly, take sugar out of your diet as much as humanly possible, even if you adore ice cream.
4. Be grateful — Always be thankful for the blessings from the Almighty, even the little things that you enjoy every day, such as that first cup of coffee. Do not let yourself be obsessed with money. Most people spend most of their days chasing material things they don’t have, and their inner soul does not need.
5. Get enough sleep — You cannot function at your best without proper rest! Do not forget your duty to nourish and take care of your body.
If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of wellness to the most amount of people, what would that be?
It would be “Hope for the Homeless” to eradicate all the homelessness in the universe. In my dream, all homeless will be treated for their mental well-being and given a place of refuge until they can once again re-enter into society and contribute to the world.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?
1. It would have been helpful to find my niche sooner, so that I did not feel that I must serve everyone. Having a niche lets me focus all my energy on the right way that works best for me and my clients.
2. Plan to have a mentor coach so that he/she would hold me accountable for my future goals.
3. Never build a website first because it’s not necessary to get clients. There are many coaches today that have an array of clients through word of mouth. Once you get a foothold in your field, then creating a website will give you a multiplier effect.
4. Don’t try to compete with other coaches in the same arena as you, bring your own flavor to the pot. You want to be an individual who follows his/her gut and does not follow the herd.
5. Go to several webinars and learn how other coaches operate before investing lots of money.
Sustainability, veganism, mental health and environmental changes are big topics at the moment. Which one of these causes is dearest to you, and why?
I believe that “mental health” is my chief concern because too many people are living in this nightmare and are extremely reluctant to reveal this because they are either afraid of how others may feel towards them or just lack the courage to label their struggle as such.
I worry about this especially in the workplace now that after COVID-19, workers are slowly moving back to an office space after working remotely for two years. Some are even traumatized and prefer not to return because they are still coping with their circumstances and have lost touch with how things used to be.
What is the best way our readers can follow you on social media?
Here is my contact Information:
Website: esthermurray.com
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/esther.murray2
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/em2664/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/esther-murray-ctacc-72541655/
Thank you for these fantastic insights! We wish you continued success and good health.
Women In Wellness: Esther Murray of SAI On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.