Andrea Hall: “Horse”ing Around – How Horses Heal

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Hey listeners. Welcome. And thank you for joining us for learningfromothers.com de Andrea Hall will be joining us with weathers whisper, LLC, out of Eaton, Colorado. Uh, Andrea, this is going to be in a new space for us. Thanks for joining us. Well, thanks for having me. We were just talking offline you’re in Colorado, right?

Right. Yeah. Yeah. So at the time we’re recording this, I’m here in Utah. We’re getting some smell and, and I think sums heading your way. So what parts of that. Yeah, I actually, Eisenhower tunnel was closed on Sunday because of the snow already up in the mountains, which I’m sure the ski people are astatic about.

Cause this is a little early for them to however people down in the Valley or not in the mountains, not so much. I still have fields. Yeah. Um, I’m all about the summer. And so I don’t know why I’m in Utah, so we’ll call, so Andrea, um, you know, this is a super interesting profession that you’re in and what makes it even more exciting to talk about is your historical background is from a totally different place.

So why don’t you give us the elevator pitch on what you do at work whisper, and then we’ll kind of, we’ll kind of go back in time and see how you got there. Sure. So I’m a certified equine gestalt coach and they’re stealth is a German word. That means wholeness. So my horses, Susan, I partner with lawyers and couples.

And basically what we do is personal and emotional work. We heal the unfinished business and trauma from people’s lives in order for them to be whole and fulfilled. So the difference between traditional talk therapy and what. My horses and I do is that traditional talk therapy place for people to go and get things off their chest and actually gain knowledge or what I do with the horses or what we do together with an individual or a couple of is we actually change the neural pathways in the brain because they’re actually having an experience.

And what we do is. Transformational. So if you want to change something, you need to have an experience so that you can change that if you want to just no about what’s going on in your relationship, then talk therapy is probably where you need to go. So basically we rip the bandaid off a wound. We get in, we discover what the root issue is that, or the trauma that ultimately caused that to happen in your life.

And then we heal that. So we put, you know, a tourniquet and stapled on a wound versus a bandaid, which typically happens in talk therapy. And the other thing that’s great about what you is. People get instantaneous feedback, the horses, those are the best lie detectors. I would put them up against any trained FBI agents because the horses feed off of energy.

So they are attracted to what is someone’s truth. So if you’re speaking, what is your truth? And then it’s in congruence with you. Energetically, the horse is going to be attracted to that. So people get instantaneous feedback we’re in talk therapy, go, and then they give you some homework and you leave.

And then you go back in another one weekend. You may or may not have seen it actually play out in the real world. And then you go back and you see your therapist and you sit down and you have another conversation where with me and the horses, you get instantaneous feedback. And, you know, if what you’re actually seeing is your truth.

I mean, this happens all the time where couples go. Yeah. The relationship with my husband or my wife is great. And the horse is like, not so much part of what you just said, that not the truth. And so they get to work through that process and really get to see if it is their truth, because the horse will join up with them.

If in fact, what they’re saying is their truth. So if I got in the round pen and I’m just going to dumb this down for a minute, I got into the round pen with the horse and I said, my shirt is red. And as you can see, my shirt is gray. That is not my truth. And so the horse would not join up with that. No, obviously that’s a very plain and you know, like I said, dumb down question or subject, however, I mean, it happens all the time where, like I said, couples get in there and one of them said, Oh yeah, our relationship is great.

Yeah. Relationship is not great. Um, and when they finally get to the root of the issue and are able to speak that. The horse immediately joined up with them and we start the healing process and they get to work through that. So that’s what I do. And that’s how it’s so much different than traditional talk therapy.

And like I said, we really get to the root of the issue and people don’t have to come and see me weekly. They get to come and see me maybe every six weeks, because once they do this process, Then they get to go out and see how it’s changed in their life and work with that. And then come back in six weeks and they’re a totally different person.

Cause we peel the layer of the onion back. And now we work with that new person. Cause you’re never the person you were yesterday or the day before that. Right. You’re constantly changing. And so once we’ve pulled that layer of the onion back, then they get to go and implement that into the real world and see how it works.

And then in six to eight weeks, come back and see me. For another session, which is much different than normal talk therapy, where they want to see you weekly. Yeah. So you mentioned the horse just say, you know, not so much. Um, so how do you initiate those types of tests? Do you have your, your patients audibly speak so the horse can interpret or do you have them do some sort of physical movement or interaction?

So it’s typically a combination of both. And so the first part of the process is. Just getting the client grounded and in the moment. We’re such an instantaneous or way of gratification society that most people aren’t even aware of what’s going on in their life. Like if their heart didn’t beat and their lungs didn’t actually take in oxygen, you’d see people falling over because they’re so engrossed in, you know, cell phones, checking emails.

I mean, nobody’s in the moment. Right? So the first thing I do with clients is just getting them back into their body and grounded and centered. And that may be something that is. Not in their norm anyway. Right. So that may take just a while just to then get them back in there, body and feel that. And then from there, it’s just, what do you want to share?

And what’s coming up for you in this moment. Cause they may have called me for any number of reasons. Right? Like they got into a fight with their significant other and they’re like, okay, we’re going to therapy and we’re going to work this out. I think yet that might not be, what’s actually coming up in the moment.

So then it’s a process of working through whatever is coming up in the moment. And so. Horses in and of themselves are healing just by themselves. They don’t even have that to do anything. Just you standing in their presence, you’re going to feel their healing nature. And there’s going to be a process that happens with the horse, whether you do good work or not, just because they have four feeds that are connected to the ground.

They’re connected to mother earth. They don’t have an agenda. They’re don’t care what you did yesterday. They’re so in the moment and feeling what’s going on. So that’s the first process. And then, like I said, we work through the gestalt technique with the individual, and then ultimately they get into the round pen with the horse, and then we continue the healing process.

Now this whole time I’m watching my horses because they’re co actively doing with me profits with me. I mean, they’re just as much of a coach as I am in this process. Sometimes even more because the horse is feeding me. Um, information throughout this whole process. I’m constantly watching my horse to see if my horse is responding positively or negatively to who is there and what is going on.

And then ultimately again, they get in the round pen with the horse and we continue that process and I’m watching the horse and I’m also checking in with the client, like, so the horse just did X. And that’s not a normal behavior for my horse. What do you think the horse was wanting to share with you or tell you, or what just happened?

Like what were you thinking or what were you feeling to get them to go? Okay. The horse just responded to that. And what does that mean for me? Because I am the type of coach that believes my client holds the answers. I don’t have the answers for you or anyone else. My job as a coach is to hold up the mirror so that you can see the reflection and discover what’s inside you.

Um, because when I speak, I’m speaking from my life experiences, my trauma things that I’ve experienced in my life. So it’s got my filter on it. So yes, what I might say might fit might be true for you. However, it may not. So even if I give my client a suggestion or feedback, like the horse just did act.

Does this sound like this might be true and it may fit in it may not. However, if I do give any suggestions or any comments, I always check in with the client and say, does that feel like what’s going on? Does that feel like your truth? And it may or may not. And then we, you know, proceed from there. Hey, just a couple of questions real quick.

So one what’s the setting like, like, um, are we in a stable? I heard you say round pen. Yeah. So it depends on the weather, first of all. Um, and it depends on if we’re specifically working with the horses or not working on the horses. You can do this at work without actually being in the, uh, in the presence of the horse.

Um, and I do coaching a lot of times, especially during the winter months here in Colorado, that doesn’t necessarily include horses, um, or horses on a regular basis. We may fit that in depending on the weather, things of that nature. However, definitely during the summer, you know, my meetup groups and private sessions, and a lot of the couples work has done with the horses.

And so for people that don’t understand round pens or that terminology for horses, it literally is a circle. And it depends for the horse to be in. And we are on the outside of that circle in the beginning. And then eventually the client gets into that room and with the clients now, a lot of times, you know, people may say, well, I’m scared of a horse or things of that nature.

And so we work through that process. They don’t always have to be in the round pen with the horse, or they can be on the outside of the round pen with the horse and still get the same. Healing effect and response and things of that nature from the horse. We are in a barn. I have a barn, a huge barn, you know, 70 by 175 feet long.

And, um, we, like I said, have the Brown pen in the barn and then the client works in the barn area. I am last, Oh, the horses. Um, yeah, I always check in with my horses before a client ever shows up. Um, and not all my horses want to do the work. Each horse can naturally do the work. It’s not like anything that they are trained on.

Like, you know, horses are trained to run barrels and raining and you know, things of that nature. Um, however, you also have horses that are naturally. You know, a saddle bronc horse or a bareback horse, or both that buck based on their bloodlines and things of that nature. And they just do that naturally.

So horses naturally. Um, want to heal, however, again, they’re just like humans, right? They have their own personality and not every one of my horses have the same healing modalities. So some of my horse is depending on their background, where they came from, you know, if they had been abused by somebody before they came to me, things of that nature.

Depends on the type of work they want to do. So I always check in with my horse intuitively I always know what horse is right for the client that’s appearing. And it always seems to work. Like I said, they all have different personalities. Some are great shocker workers. Some are just big lovers. You know, it just depends on their personality as well.

And I pick the horse, uh, for the day that we’re going to work with. And. Magic happen. So how does, and do you find that you had mentioned, you know, a horse might come to you with an abusive background, do you find that horses that have, you know, their own traumas are, are better or worse in some circumstances for your patients?

You know, every situation is different. So I personally have horses that I own. We have horses that we have bread that, um, you know, our babies and it works through the, um, growing process. Um, I have one that just turned five that you know, is starting to do the work. Uh, she’s a phenomenal shocker healer. Um, and for the audience that may not understand chakras, um, it’s just energy inputs in through the body.

And she immediately starts healing those when she walks up to a client and processes, what areas need to be balanced and things of that nature. And so I typically don’t work with a horse. And a client in the round pen. If they’re under the age of five, they’re just not ready for it. Energetically. There’s still too much of a baby.

If I have a horse that’s younger. Cause I do have a few younger horses and we’re starting that process with them. The client is always on the outside of the round pen because energetically it’s a lot for our younger horse to take in and absorb and be able to hold the space for the client and figure out what’s going on.

They’re just not ready for that. So typically I have the horse or excuse me, the client on the outside of the round pen, if we’re going to work with somebody under the age of five, um, again, most of my horses have been mine. However, I do have a horse that I just got about a year and a half ago. I don’t know what happened to her prior to the owner of that.

I got her from. However, I know that there’s been some issues in her past just on how she responds to certain things. Like I believe she was probably tied up previously from an owner. Because she wasn’t doing what she was supposed to. So we had to work through the trauma of that. So for the first year and a half, that I’ve now had her, it’s me getting to know her, me getting to respond to her behaviors and attempting to figure out her past trauma and healing that however, she is phenomenal.

And she’s about ready to start doing the work depending on. Where they come from. I know a lot of people will get horses from like horse rescues and things of that nature. However, if the horse has been extremely abused, you know, not fed beaten things of that nature, they may not want to do the work. They may be, um, with the human and then therefore not be willing to participate and just basically want to be a pasture pet.

So again, it’s going through the process, discovering who that horse is. And seeing again, other times the story of the horse fits really well with the client. You know, somebody who has been physically abused and that horse wants to do the work. The stories marry so well together. And it’s a beautiful process for both the horse.

And the human that’s gone through that process. How long did he say there? An average quantity of sessions? So a session is an hour and a half long. Sometimes it goes a little longer, however, it’s typically an hour and a half long. And I recommend that people do at least four sessions. And again, that’s spread out, you know, every six to eight weeks.

So they have time to implement and really embody what has happened in that process. Uh, but yeah, I, I recommended East for sessions. And it is there. So after each session you had mentioned earlier that the person comes back to the next session and, and you know, they’re a different person. And so is there like a homework that your patients have after each session?

And it just really depends on what happens, happens in that process. Cause everything’s organic, nothing’s ever planned. Like I never know how a session’s going to go. So it may be journaling afterwards. It may be, you know, writing a letter to the person we had a conversation about. I mean, there’s any number of things, um, that can happen.

And I, I want to change a little bit of your verbiage and I apologize. So. I am not a therapist. I’m not licensed. Um, I am a coach. I don’t have a psychology or social work or anything background like that. I am a lawyer. Trained. However, I have gone through a two year certification program to be trained in the equine to show at work.

And I’m actually starting in January another, a two year program with Melissa that is focused just on gestalt work, uh, to deepen my knowledge and expertise in the gestalt technique. However, I am not a therapist. Um, you don’t have to be a therapist to do the good show at work. Uh, however, I want to be very clear for your audience because.

Therapists and based on my legal background, I don’t want anybody to be going, Oh, she’s advertising the therapist. Thanks for clarifying. Yeah. So, so you just mentioned your background in a lot, and I wanted to touch on that. So. Um, you have Indian clarify, you had, or have the hall law office, and then you, you moved into this world, uh, that you’re in now.

So how, how do you, what prompted that transition from one profession to the other. Sure. So I’m in the process of closing my law practice. I was a criminal defense attorney for over 13 years. I specialized in domestic violence and sex offenses and the very, very high, stressful job. And so I actually, um, gosh, it’s already been seven years ago.

I was in the middle of a five day jury trial when my 18 month old puppy died. And I really struggled through the trial because she was sick in the morning of closing arguments. She passed away. And I remember calling the court clerk saying, there’s no way I can make it to court today. Like, can you give me some, give me the morning to get, you know, I stuck together here.

I haven’t had sleep. You know, I’ve been struggling through this trial and I’m not prepared. Can you just send the jury to breakfast and I’ll get in by lunchtime, the new closing arguments in the case will be wrapped up. And the judge called me and said, you basically have 30 minutes to get to court. And I said, are you kidding me?

Like, you know, I’ve not been prepared. I’ve had no sleep. The dog died in the middle of the night. You know, I’m a train wreck. And it was the first time that I actually experienced what my clients experienced in front of a judge. Like no sympathy, no compassion. Just, you know, this is the way it is very black and white.

And I went. Oh, my God. Like, what am I killing myself for? And it was the first time for me that I went to kill for me no longer fun. That’s what I thrived on before. So I took and I said, okay, like, I’m just going to have fun. For the first time, in a long time in my life, like I was, you know, seven years into my career, I’d been grinding it out, huh?

Your miles an hour. And I said, okay, I’m just going to take some time off. And so I went to the pool and amusement park and played with my nephew and just really didn’t do anything. And at the end of summer I went. I don’t want to go back, like, what am I going to do? And it was the first time in my life that I had no clue.

Like I always knew when I graduated from high school where I was going to go to college, what degree I was going to get. And then I was going to go to law school and where I was going to go to law school and, you know, going to be a criminal defense attorney in all my life had been like planned. I knew.

And this was the first time that I like had this open slate that I could do anything. And I was lost. It was like in the middle of the ocean floundering, going like, what’s next? Like, what am I going to do? And of course, you know, going to law school is not just something easy. It’s a long time in school and it’s a lot of two loans and, you know, lots of struggles in it.

And my family kept saying, you’re crazy. Like you worked so hard for this and you’re just like going to give it all up. And I was like, you know, I don’t know what I’m going to do. However, I’m not happy. So for three years, I continued on, you know, a personal growth journey of attempting to figure out where I was going to go or what I was going to do next.

Or was I going to change professions or do a different type of law? Or what was that going to look like? And in the meantime, I started physically getting ill and over the next three years, the illness just kept getting stronger and more prominent. And I had done. Excuse me, everything I could, I had done you puncture and Reiki and cranial massage and change diets, and you name it.

I had done it and it just progressively got worse. And so I finally was diagnosed with a brain tumor and had to have emergency brain surgery. And I said, wow, like this is like two by four upside the head. Um, I said, if I survive and it’s not cancer, I’m gonna do something different with my life. And thankfully, a few months before that I had discovered Melissa Pierce was touched by a horse program and started looking into this equine certification program.

And I had taken one class with her and I was due to go into my second class. When I found out I had the brain tumor and I said, okay, I got it. I got the two by four up the side of the head. Clearly I wasn’t listening to the whisper pebbles and the stones along the way. I got it. I heard you. I’m done. And so it’s been a little bit of a process of, you know, leaving my law practice because of course that’s what I identified with.

Right? Like you walk into the room and somebody asks you what you do and you go, I’m a lawyer and people go, Oh my God, you’re a lawyer. Right. And I finally just went like, that’s not who I am. That is a part of me. Yes. And I will always be a lawyer and no one can take that education away from me. However, I don’t have to identify with that title like that.

Doesn’t make me who I am. And so I’m, yeah, I’m winding down. I have one more case that separate trial and you know, then this is all it is, is this work so I’m so looking forward to it, it’s so much more enjoyable, um, to be with the horses and be grounded and centered and be with mother nature then to. Be in such an adversarial position and dealing with cops and judges and prosecutors that don’t make the shortlist for Christmas cards at my house.

I can imagine the stress level. Do you find any of your locks overlapping into the profession you’re undertaking now? Oh yeah, absolutely. Because the first people I work with as lawyers, because. We are the second highest profession when it comes to drug and alcohol abuse and suicide in our profession is doing nothing.

Absolutely nothing to support this. There are only eight States in the U S that require any sort of mental health and wellness, continuing legal education credits eight. And it’s like, what are we doing in every month? I get the Colorado lawyer magazine. And in the back, you can look they’re in trouble and what they’re in trouble for.

And they’re typically in trouble for three things, drugs, alcohol, um, they picked up some sort of DUI or domestic violence charges. They’re in trouble for not communicating with their client and they have trust account issues and trust accounting issues. These are where the money has to go when you get it from the client, because it’s held there.

You don’t, you don’t get that money until you’ve earned it. Right. And so if they have trust to County issues, they’re more than likely not communicating with their client. And they more than likely have some sort of a drinking or drug abuse problem. And no one’s doing anything to support these people until they’re in trouble.

And we have a four alarm fire. Well, like where’s there a place to go and educate these people beforehand. Like when they’re in law school and saying, how do you create balance in your life or. Really what you want to do for the rest of your life. Like, I don’t give baby announcements. I’m lucky if clients pay their bill.

Right. Cause I’m only good until I get them out of jail or keep them out of jail. And then after that they don’t need me. Right. Like you’re rich, you’re a lawyer. I don’t need it. Hey, you okay. Got it. You know, like I don’t have insurance companies that send me money because I’ve done a service for you when you don’t pay your bill.

I don’t have money to pay my bills, you know? So people think because you’re a lawyer that you’re rich and you know, you’re throwing a hundred dollar bills out the window, and that’s not the case, especially criminal defense lawyers. Most of us do it because you have a passion for it now because we’re making millions of dollars, the personal injury lawyers and the corporate lawyers are the ones that we’re doing that, not us, you know, people that are keeping people out of jail until I want to work with lawyers too.

Give them that place and awareness because they’re type a personalities they’re driving every day, grinding it out, and the wheels are falling off the bus. Like their relationship at home stinks. You know, they’re overweight, they’re drinking in the closet, you know, where are they spiritually? And so if they say being a lawyer, how do they create balance so that the wheels on the bus are equally filled and they’re not driving down the road a hundred miles an hour, headed straight for the ditch.

Right. Or is this really what they want? Are they staying there? Because you know, well, they have a wife that stays at home and takes care of the kids and they have three kids in private school and they live in a house that they’re keeping up with the Jones’s with. And, you know, they have student loans, right.

Regenerations in their family of men or women have gone to law. So this is what we did when I rather be singing on a stage or playing a guitar or pinking. That’s not their passion. So it’s figuring out like what makes their heart sing again? And how do you get to leave your law practice or change the identity of.

I’m a lawyer versus, you know what, what’s going to truly make me happy and want to get me out of bed and have a life again, versus a job. Right. And grinding it out. And the couple of situation. Is something I’ve seen way too often being a defense attorney for 13 years. Um, you know, all of a sudden, a couple starts going through a divorce and now the husband is accused of sexually assaulting the kids or domestic violence and who suffers ultimately the kiddos because the parents have inhaled the unfinished business.

And what I tell my clients all the time is if there is no emotional attachment, To what is going on in your relationship, you finished it. You guys would be able to go through a divorce without having a lawyer, and you’d be able to co-parent and put the best interest of the child first versus fighting over a teapot set from the day you got married.

Cause the average divorce is $10,000. That’s like one year of your college kids. First year of college in a private school. And you’re spending that on fighting over stuff because he cheated or this or that. And it, and it’s like, let’s not forget that you attracted them into your life. Like you’re the common denominator.

And if you don’t fix them heal, what’s going on with you. You’re going to be in another lawyer’s office five years from now doing the same dance. The only differences he or she is going to be taller, shorter, skinnier fat, or blonder hair, darker hair, whatever. But the drama is still going to be the same.

It’s not going to change she’ll that. So there’s no emotional baggage and you can put the child first and you can move on and co-parent healthy. And be in a successful relationship. And sometimes it’s not a matter of them getting a divorce. Like I don’t have a dog in the fight, whether they stay together or they part ways.

My job is to allow them to see that the person they’re sitting across from is not chronologically 25, 35, 45. They’re a child that was traumatized from a divorce at 10. They were sexually assaulted at 14. There died. Dad died at the age of 17, and that’s who they’re arguing with, who they’re fighting with, not the person they see across from them.

No, that makes sense. So, you know, speaking of healing, it sounds like this professional move, obviously. Oh yeah. You have, um, you know, anything that you would tell your younger self or, or for the listeners that, um, it sounds like you’re, you’d obviously be a big proponent of. You know, doing what makes you happy in life and not being scared of making a change.

Do you, do you have any advice you’d tell yourself your younger self or listeners about, um, you know, making bold changes like that? Well, first of all, I mean the basic thing is that you’re either living or you’re dying, but there’s only two options in life. Right. And the pain of staying where you are. Has to get to the point that the fear of change becomes less because otherwise people don’t move and why people typically stay in domestic violence, relationships, or relationships that are terrible, right?

Like. This is a constant, I know every day he’s going to come home, we’re going to eat dinner. He’s going to drink a six pack of beer. He’s going to get upset. He’s going to shake me. He’s going to smack me, whatever it is. And then he’s going to go to sleep. Like, I know that, like, I know my own name, that’s going to happen every single day.

Where if I jumped this shift in knees, I don’t know who’s going to pay the bills. Right? I don’t know if I’m going to have a place to live. Who’s going to take care of the kids. The car is about to break down. I don’t have money to buy a new car, so that fear of leaving. As well as the low self esteem, I don’t deserve anything better than this has to get greater than the fear of the unknown.

And until that happens, people aren’t willing to jump ship. And again, I’ve been a perfectionist my whole life and a control freak. And so I have had to learn huge lessons around. You’re not in control. It’s only a illusion. And then, you know, this was all planned out long before your feet ever hit the ground.

And sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith and know that your wings are going to manifest and that you’re going to survive, you know? I tell my clients all the time, when they’re they say things like, well, how are the bills gonna get paid or this or that? And I go, you have to trust that whoever you believe in whatever higher power that is, God, all of the universe, whatever mother nature that that is not going to have.

And not only that, I’m assuming you have friends or family that are going to allow you to live on the streets in a cardboard box, right. Somebody is going to be there to support you and just have to take the chance. You know, I just talked to a client of mine the other day. Who’s a high executive. She just had a baby.

She’s a first time mom in her forties. And you know, this is all she ever dreamed of was to get married and have a baby. And it’s now finally happened and she’s struggling with leaving her job because she too identifies with that. Right. As well as. This is the first time she’d had a man support her and she’s not had to be the breadwinner and keep it all together herself.

And she’s struggling with this, letting this go, because if I do, I’m putting all my eggs in one basket, I’m going to be a stay at home mom. And this man is going to have to take care of me. Right. And what if, and I said, and what if it turns out great. And not only that, if it does it. It’s not like 10 years of your life has passed.

You can go get another job. You already told me you weren’t happy in the job that you were at. And if you had stayed and hadn’t had it and the baby he’ll be looking for a new job anyway, cause you weren’t happy. So I said, what if you get to stay at home with your brand new baby and enjoy that instead of stressing out.

And like you said, the fact of the matter is if it ultimately gets to the point where you don’t feel safe and secure, that you can go back to work, it’s not like you’re out of the workforce forever. The biggest lesson I think I would tell my younger self is to be more in the moment. Because that has been probably a huge struggle.

And I’ve learned that lesson probably a lot of hard ways, uh, especially in the last, you know, seven years with staying in my profession and grinding it out and then ultimately getting sick. This is really made me check in with my body as well as. Just taking time off, just smell the roses. I didn’t do that.

My first 40 years of life. I can tell you that.

So you had mentioned that you, you basically always had a clear path in life. And, you know, you successfully started your own law practice and now you’ve successfully, successfully transitioned into life coaching. Uh, what would you say has contributed most to that success and being able to stay on those paths?

Well, I think it’s kind of twofold. First of all, I am very determined when I put my mind to something, whether it’s working out or eating a certain way, things of that nature, I’m very. When I see the end results, I’m very focused on, on getting that. The second thing is, is I personally always had a coach and this is what I talk to people about.

And the reason I’ve always had a coach is because. I find that I’m always last on the list of things. So here’s a prime example. I got married year ago prior to meeting my husband and marrying him. I was very healthy, organic, no gluten, minimal dairy and sugar. I worked out and things of that nature, and I know what’s good for my body and what works for my body.

However, when I met my husband, he is not a healthy eater. He likes feed out. Bread corn potatoes. Those are his staples. Good old North Dakota boy. And I had not eaten like that. And so eventually it was, you know, a sandwich here, potatoes here, and I gradually just forgot what I was doing and was like, Oh, okay.

I’ll just be like, he knows. Right. And so I gained like 15 pounds and I kept saying, I am miserable. Well, I don’t feel good in the beginning of the week. I’d be like, all right, no more of this crap. I’m not even sugar. We’re not doing this. And I would do about two or three days and I’d be good. And then the wheels would fall off the bus again.

And I was like, I have got to stop doing this. So a girlfriend of mine was a gym back in Minnesota. I reached out to her cause she does a bunch of holistic stuff. And I said, Hey, you know, what do you got going on? And she said, we got a challenge coming up 21 day challenge. Do you want to do it? I said, absolutely.

I’m in. So, and it wasn’t anything that I didn’t know, you know, I knew all the stuff I should eat, whatever. However, I was going to have to be accountable to somebody we weighed in, we took measurements at the end of the 21 days. We had to do it, the measurements again, weigh in and every day our coach emailed us and said, did you take your supplements?

Did you drink your, you know, 96 ounces of water, blah, blah, blah. Do you exercise? And it’s like, great. And at the end, I was like, yes, I was back on track 21 days. I have it again. So of course we got to the end and my husband’s like, no, and I was like, we’re not going anywhere.

So back to how I was, because I finally was like, yes, my body feels good. I don’t feel miserable. I’m not bloated. I lost weight no way. And so, yeah, he was like, where are we going to go? And cheat. And I was like, nowhere we’re eating in the kitchen. So for me having a business coach or a networking group, that is a yeah.

Remind that I can always check in with and hold myself up accountable week after week or month after month works for me. Because like I said, I did to be last on the list. Like I’m going to meditate a few days, go by and yeah. And I go, Oh, maybe not. You know? So when I do, you know, Oprah and Deepak meditation, it’s 21 days, I get an email every day.

Singles day. And I know for 21 days, I’m for sure going to be focused because I’m getting the email and I do it, you know, so for me having a coach keeping me on track, not that I’m not able to keep myself on track, but it again, is that accountability as well as it gives somebody an outside perspective to look into my life and go, okay, what’s holding you back because I still have.

You know, 30 some years of programming things that I had trauma in my life over that still run me. You know, I’ve only been doing personal growth work for about 10 years. So I have a good 35 years. Of the other stuff that I took in that I gathered information and said, see, this is why I’m not good at math.

You know, I remember the math teacher who told me you’re no good at math. You’re never going to be good at math. That’s why I went to law school because I knew if I went to med school, I was going to have to do math. And I was like, no way, no, how I’m not good at math. I love to argue, this is my ticket. You know?

I’m good to go. So the minute somebody says math, or you got to add something, I just like break out in hives and it’s like, no, no. You know? Um, so it’s a process, right? And so if I have somebody who can look in and go, this is what’s holding you back, or have you thought about this? No, I didn’t think about that.

Cause it’s not inside my awareness. Right. Get somebody to get you outside of your box and see you bigger than yourself. That’s what a coach does for you. And so I, like I said, I cannot pitch whether it’s me or anybody, a coach to get you to where you say you want to go and help you set goals and actually achieve them.

Yeah. Yeah. So a few bucks even brushing to tell us about the books, do those tie into your profession? Yes. So I was asked gratefully participated in two books that were just released. The first is living your joy, creating a joyful life. And my story in there is called for the love of horses. And it’s just a fun book, very short.

It’s about 70, 80 pages. It’s a quick read and it’s all stories about people and expressing how they create joy in their life. And obviously mine is with my horses. Uh, the second book is, um, touched by a horse equine coaching stories. And that book is by my mentor, Melissa Pierce. She’s the editor of it.

And there’s about 15 authors in that book. And it’s the story of my journey. And one of the big pieces of the work I did around wanting to become a mother and surrendering to the dream of potentially one day being a mom and surrendering that I wasn’t in control of that and that a higher power actually held the cards and that no matter how much I stressed about it, uh, it wasn’t going to change the fact.

And so it’s. Told my story of going through the process of potentially being a single mom and doing fertility, and then ultimately finding my husband and ultimately letting that dream go, not letting it die yet, surrendering to the process and seeing that I really I’m going to be a mother in and out of my hands.

So those are the types of stories that are in that book. And it all focuses around the horses and the coaching process and how people can be healed. And like I said, it’s my healing process of allowing myself to surrender to the dreamer, becoming a mother one day. That’s interesting. So horse horses are part of your life and your career does that, you know, as we kind of wrap things up the horses.

Transition into your personal life too. Do you, you know, what do you do for fun? Do you ride horses and what else do you do outside of horses? Um, well, I’m definitely an avid reader. I’m constantly reading. I usually have about two or three books going on at any given time. Um, my husband always is like, what are you doing?

I’m like, Oh, I’m reading. He’s like another book. I’m like, yeah. It’s like, I. If I could be a permanent student and still have the life I lead, I would love to do that. Like I constantly am looking to learn. Um, I love doing crafty things. Um, my husband just bought me a bandsaw so that I can do some crafty things.

Uh, but I do love my horses and whenever I can get out and ride, you just purchase 48 acres this summer. And it was my husband’s dream to be a hay farmer. We’re both from North Dakota and his family is, um, in farming back in North Dakota. And so he started doing Shea here in Colorado, and we’ve now purchased 48 acres.

A hay farm. So I got into that. I never thought that I would be on the back of a tractor raking and picking up hay bales. However, it’s a very peaceful and relaxing to be out in the field and be with mother nature. If you had said to me, 10 years ago, you’re going to marry a farmer and be on a tractor. I would have went.

Well, no, not gonna happen. Um, but yeah, so my life has really changed from, you know, being in high heels and a three piece suit in front of judges and prosecutors to being in cowboy boots and a pair of jeans on a DACA tra back of a tractor on a horse. Yeah, that’s a, that’s a transition, but it sounds like you’ve made it smoothly.

I Andre. I appreciate your time. Um, why don’t you, uh, for our listeners that want to find out more about your services? What’s your website, uh, social media, phone number, anything you want to put out there for him? Sure. So they can find me at Witherwhisper.com and that’s w I T H E R S whispered.com. And I can be reached by a phone at nine seven zero six eight two.

Four four zero five. I’m on Facebook and LinkedIn and Twitter and Instagram, all of those places, as well as what I’d like people to really know is I offer free 30 minute exploratory sessions so that people can call and just see if we’re a good fit. Explain to me like what they’re struggling with and how I can potentially help them.

I think it’s a good thing for people to be able to interact and converse, to see if my coaching style is going to work with their personality. Um, and I’m looking right now for a new group of clients to start a 90 day coaching process to finish the year off strong we’re at the 99 yard line, and we still have time to get those goals in before 2019 rings a bell.

Now do your clients, obviously it’s being physically present is going to be a big advantage to, do you have people, are you able to, in other ways, if they can’t come to you in Colorado, Yeah. In my clients for coaching just specifically without the horse, don’t have to be present in Colorado. Um, however, there is, um, people that, you know, want to fly in.

If there are a couple of, and do like a mass weekend, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. And so then we knock out three days and then they fly in, we do the work and then they, they fly out. But yes, coaching and setting goals doesn’t have to be done in the presence of the horse. That’s all stuff that can be done.

And throughout the United States or the world actually. Very cool. Andrea, thank you. Um, so before we go, we surprise our guests with a random question. We have a random question generator and, um, they’re all over the board. So yo, you look, it looks like your question is, would you rather be granted three wishes of your choice?

10 years from today or be granted one wish today. Can you wish for more wishes though? Is there a caveat I’m going to say no, um, a wish for today or three wishes in the future? All my gosh. This is tough because just the one we’ve had. So yeah. What did you eat for breakfast two days ago? You know, just totally random

so like, I’ll just, I’ll just run a random one and, and, uh, like Kyle said, some are just like totally off topic. Some I’ll give some, some are so off topic that, you know, we’ll do it. I’ll give you another spin if you want. But I thought this one would be interesting. No, I’ll stick with the first question.

There’s a reason it was prompted. Um, so the instinct gratification person in me wants to say, I want to take the wish now. However, I’m going to go with the future 10 years from now and grant three wishes. Cause I feel like I’ve put enough seeds out at this moment that it’s about ready to manifest. On your one today.

Wish that it’ll be there. You’ll accomplish it. Anyway. I like that. I like that a lot. Andrea Hall. Thank you for joining us. Appreciate your time. Yes, thank you so very much. It was an honor to be on with you today. Thanks. Nice to meet you.