With deadlines looming, new demands surfacing, and expectations on the rise, the typical workday for many professional women is a constant battle against incoming requests. Driven by loyalty and a team-player mentality, most women willingly oblige. They often find themselves staying late, shouldering additional responsibilities, and consistently prioritizing the needs of others.
Christina Solis knows how people-pleasing often leads to burnout and resentment. Her journey began in 2009, when she embarked on a quest for self-discovery and personal growth. Through therapy and entrepreneurial endeavors, Christina honed her understanding of empowerment and resilience, defying societal expectations.
Despite facing challenges and societal pressures, Christina refused to be silenced, confronting her fears head-on and championing the importance of speaking up. We recently met her for our interview series while she stands at the forefront helping women worldwide find their voices and embrace their power.
- Can you tell us more about your journey into self-development and personal growth? What inspired you to embark on this path?
I was in college when I started to see how my reactions and experiences were different from other people’s. For my early education, I attended a private, Catholic school where certain norms and expectations were enforced. I think it wasn’t until I met a greater variety of people at the University of New Mexico that I could truly see what I had been missing out on.
2. Speaking up can be daunting, especially for women who fear being labeled as "emotional" or "difficult." What strategies do you employ to help women overcome this fear and find their voices?
I definitely understand that fear! I was raised in a culture where women aren’t supposed to speak up. Over the years, I’ve developed principles and a framework around assertiveness, and I also use something that I call the PRR method. The PRR method helps with speaking up in the moment, and the framework helps to foster a full transformation to address the real issues behind why most women struggle with speaking up.
3. Cultural norms often dictate that women should remain silent or subdued. How do you navigate these cultural barriers in your work?
There are certain elements of this work that are true no matter the cultural or socioeconomic background. I find those universal truths and use those to build a common ground. For example, it doesn’t matter if someone is Mexican like me, African, or East Indian - I’ve come to find that the starting place for us to feel heard is to practice listening to ourselves. As women, we’ve learned to put the needs of others first, and I teach women how to start to hear themselves. It comes down to this: How can we expect other people to hear us when we won’t even listen to ourselves?
4. In your experience, what are some common misconceptions or myths surrounding women's empowerment, and how do you address them in your coaching practice?
The biggest thing that I see that’s stalling the progress for women’s empowerment is that it’s usually talked about as a general, overarching concept. Women need to stand up for themselves - that’s great - but HOW can we do that? Most women that come to me know that they need to assert themselves, or they wish they could come up with a good answer to a hard question, but they need help with translating it into action. That’s where I come in.
5. How do you incorporate mindfulness and self-care practices into your coaching?
The most valuable thing for me has always been journaling, and I’m a strong advocate of that from day one for anyone who is in my circle. As an example, if a woman wants to speak up to an authority figure, then she can benefit from getting her raw, unfiltered words out before she is faced with the real situation.
I realize this may not sound like your typical self care, but consider what happens in our psyche when we let negative and resentful thoughts continue to swirl inside. That is the exact opposite of self-care. I also think it is a way to practice mindfulness - we put those negative thoughts into constructive use instead of letting them build up and take up energy.
6. Looking ahead, what are your aspirations for the future of your coaching practice?
My ultimate goal is to turn my framework into a course, or even a couple of courses. I’m passionate about making self-development accessible, and I know that the price of coaching can sometimes be the only thing that stands in the way of someone getting the help they’re looking for.
I also want to be a trailblazer in showing women HOW to empower themselves. We need more than just awareness and advocacy, we need an action plan. I think we as a society are taking steps in the right direction, and I want to fan that fire a little more.