Jessica Avona

Throughout my career journey, I have had the opportunity to work and volunteer in a variety of different areas and capacities. I started my career as a journalist and, after a winding path, eventually discovered a love for program management and workforce development. Coaching jobseeking clients to identify and achieve their goals (whatever those goals may be) and developing and improving job search training programs for career changers lit a fire in me that I hadn’t felt before. I truly believe that meaningful employment has the power to transform lives, and I feel honored that I have been a part of so many people’s job search journeys.
 
I loved my program management work so much that I became engrossed in and defined by it and before long, I had almost no life outside of it. I found myself working long days with no breaks, running from one meeting to the next during business hours and spending all the remaining time hunched over my laptop catching up. Of course, this caught up with me, and in early 2016, I developed a repetitive strain injury that spread from my hands and wrists through my back and neck. For months, I couldn’t even lift a fork to feed myself without excruciating pain. Despite this, I continued to work for two months until the pain was so extreme that I was forced to stop. I loved my work – or, more accurately, I had lost sight of who I was outside of my work – so I fought and fought until my body shut down. I wouldn’t take a break, so my body forced me to.
 
My injury and burnout were the wake-up call that I needed to make a drastic change in my life and my health. I realize now how crucial balance is to all things, and the internal and external challenges I faced in creating my own healing plan inspired me to become a holistic wellness coach in addition to a career coach. I love helping others achieve a better work/life balance, allowing them to live happier, more fulfilling lives.

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If you have a goal that you're struggling to meet or just have a sense of unbalance and unease in your life that you would like to remedy, let's chat! I look forward to working together to build the life you truly deserve.