Welcome to Conversations with Catalysts.

I'm your host, Jeremy West, and today is a special episode.

Basically, I'm just going to have a chat with my coach, Elissa Freeman. Every time we have a chat, I say, "Oh man, we should have recorded that and put it up as a podcast." So we're recording it, and if you're listening to it, it means I thought it was an interesting enough conversation to share with the world.

If you're not listening, that's because I haven't published it, so you can't hear me saying this.

Anyway, this is a conversation between me and someone who has been a catalyst in my life, Elissa Freeman.

Elissa, welcome to the program.

Thank you so much for having me, Jeremy. It's an absolute pleasure to be here, and yes, I agree it's going to be a great conversation as it always is when we start chatting.

We haven't planned anything.

So tell me about what you are doing coaching-wise at the moment.

Coaching-wise, I'm really working with a lot of people in a group setting now, because the thing is that it makes it so much more inclusive.

I really like the group work because it means that the students in the group can actually help each other, support each other, work with each other, and they can learn the skills and tools to help others.

It got to the point with my coaching that for one-on-one, I could only help so many people in a week. It frustrated me, to be perfectly honest, because I had all this good stuff and wanted to do more.

So the only way really to do more was to help other people help others.

The way that I've been helping people one-on-one, they can go out and start helping other people, and it can ripple out, and that got me really excited.

So I put together a group program, and that's exactly what's been happening.

The participants have been working with each other and helping friends and family and their clients with the tools that I teach, and I'm really, really excited about that.

It's really time for me to, I guess, not just work with a small group but to get the information out, get the change happening, and really make the world a better place because of that.

Cool, so how are you finding the new clients that come into the program?

Well, I've been doing this a really long time, so a lot of them come from referrals or people who have worked with me in the past and come back. That's happened quite a few times.

Also, some people find me on social media or through an event that I run.

Sometimes I run a seminar online with different topics, and they'll find me through there.

So that's generally how people find me, but they can also go to my website and send me a message if they want, which we’ll get the details of at the end if you like.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

But I was more just kind of curious. Obviously, you're getting referrals and people are coming to you, but I was looking to find out about the sort of thing you're doing where you mentioned doing online workshops or whatever.

I know you've been doing this long enough that you don’t have to do as much marketing from your end, but yeah, I’d like to hear a bit more about what you’re doing proactively to find clients.

Marketing is far more important than people give it credit for.

It’s just a fact of life when you’ve got any form of business that marketing is important.

It’s a really beautiful thing because, if I can detour here, I had a real issue with marketing.

I found it really challenging.

I just wanted to do the work. I just wanted to help people and that was it.

The marketing stuff felt like it was getting in the way.

It wasn’t until I actually used my own tools on myself to work out what that block was about, why it was restricting me, and how to move forward from it.

Once I cleared that block, marketing became a beautiful thing for me because it meant I could reach people who might never have found out about me otherwise.

And that’s what marketing is about: reaching people who are out there struggling, having challenges, not knowing where to go or what to do.

That just really hurts me to think that people are suffering like that.

Marketing ended up being flipped in my mind into a way that I could actually help more people.

Once I realized I was able to help more people, it became much easier.

So regardless of where you are in your business, marketing is something that must be done.

If anyone listening out there has a business like this or any kind of business and is struggling with the marketing, feeling emotionally resistant to it, or just dragging through it, then that’s definitely a block that needs to be worked on.

There are lots of reasons why someone might hold back from marketing themselves—fears, blocks, or maybe something someone said to them when they were young that’s now stopping them.

But marketing is a crucial part of business. Referrals are great, but you’ve also got to reach other people too.

So tell me what you do for marketing these days.

These days, I put on free seminars online or in person.

For example, I’m doing one shortly next week in Canberra on stress. It sold out three weeks ago!

That’s amazing.

Yeah, people are on a waiting list now.

Those free events are great because they let people experience what I do without making a financial commitment. It’s a win-win.

That’s a great strategy. I feel like people get to see what you’re about without the pressure. It builds trust.

Exactly. And it’s not just about building trust with me; it’s about building trust with themselves too.

Sometimes people hesitate to invest in themselves because they don’t trust that they’ll follow through or get results.

By attending something free, they get a taste of how it feels to take that first step.

And once they feel that shift—even a small one—they’re more likely to keep going.

It’s about momentum, right?

Absolutely. Momentum and alignment.

When people are aligned with what they truly want—whether it’s less stress, more purpose, better relationships—it’s much easier for them to take action.

The problem is, so many people don’t even know what they want because they’ve been too busy doing what they think they should want.

Oh, that’s a big one.

Yeah, it’s huge. It’s one of the first things I work on with clients: getting clear on what they actually want versus what society, family, or their past selves told them they should want.

And once they get that clarity, everything changes.

That resonates with me a lot because I went through that process myself.

I thought I wanted the corporate ladder, the big house, the whole ‘picture-perfect life.’

And then, when I started questioning it, I realized I didn’t want any of it.

It’s like peeling back layers of an onion, isn’t it?

Exactly. And sometimes you cry during the process, but that’s part of it.

So true. Speaking of peeling back layers, I’ve been diving deeper into how mindfulness connects to other disciplines like psychology and even shamanism.

What’s your take on integrating different frameworks into coaching?

I love that you brought that up because it’s something I’m really passionate about.

I think there’s so much wisdom in different traditions—whether it’s psychology, shamanism, mindfulness, or even neuroscience.

They all have different ways of explaining the same thing: how to come back to yourself, live in the present, and find peace.

For example, in psychology, you might talk about cognitive reframing.

In shamanism, it could be about storytelling or releasing energetic blocks.

And in mindfulness, it’s about observing without judgment.

They’re all different roads leading to the same destination.

That’s so true. And I’ve found that when people hear something framed in a way that resonates with them, it clicks.

Exactly. It’s not about one-size-fits-all.

It’s about meeting people where they are and offering them tools that make sense to them.

That’s why I love coaching—it’s so dynamic.

You’re not just handing out advice; you’re guiding people to discover what works for them.

I completely agree.

Well, Elissa, this has been such a rich conversation.

Before we wrap up, do you have any parting words for someone out there who might feel stuck, either in their personal life or business?

Yes, I do.

I’d say: Start small.

Don’t underestimate the power of small, consistent actions.

Whether it’s five minutes of mindfulness, one small step toward your business goal, or reaching out to one person for support—it all adds up.

And trust yourself.

Even if you feel lost or unsure, trust that the answers are within you.

You just need the right environment and support to bring them to light.

That’s beautiful advice. Thank you so much for joining me today, Elissa.

It’s been an absolute pleasure, Jeremy.

Where can people find you if they want to learn more about your work or get in touch?

They can visit my website at elissafreeman.com.au, or follow me on social media—I’m pretty active there.

Great. Thanks again, Elissa.

And to all of you listening, thank you for tuning in.

That’s it for today’s episode.

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