PowHERhouse Portrait | Michela Quilici
Michela Quilici is a marketing strategist + business development advisor at Q. Consulting.
“It is my greatest wish to use my skills, abilities and talents to help entrepreneurs reach their business goals, transcend their obstacles, burst through their own limiting beliefs and share their unique gifts and expertise with the world.”
Michela is also the Managing Director of the Vancouver Chapter of eWomenNetwork, the #1 North American networking organization and complete success system for businesswomen in start up, growth and leverage stages of their business.
Prior to founding her own marketing consulting and business development coaching practice, Michela worked for over a decade leading marketing strategy, budgets and teams for some of Canada’s fastest growing companies at all stages from zero to $20M. As a successful entrepreneur, she’s worked with hundreds of business owners to help them get focused on the marketing and business development activities that will impact their bottom line and generate results. Michela has been featured in Canadian Living Magazine, Business In Vancouver and Make it Business. She is also a contributing author in the book Conscious Business, which is part of the bestselling Adventures in Manifesting series.
Describe your Mission.
What’s it all about for you? I’m on a mission to support women entrepreneurs (and heart-centred men) to grow a thriving, profitable and self-sustaining business, serving the world with their brilliance and authentically marketing themselves from the inside-out. I realign small business owners to their business vision, identify their roadblocks, then guide them to create results-focused solutions that will clear away the clutter and generate success. They come away with a renewed passion for their business, clarity & confidence, marketing tools, and business development systems to help them thrive, not just survive.
My clients have a highly valuable service but are not attracting the right clients, they don’t have a system in place to intentionally grow their business, they struggle to successfully communicate their offering, and they work way too hard and spend tons of time, energy and money with poor results. I work with service professionals who are fed up with mediocrity and are emotionally committed to creating their own success.
What is your ultimate dream for your mission and where you’d like to take it?
As much as I am a strategist and a planner, I don’t have a final destination in mind for my mission. I am staying open to the infinite possibilities, and trust that I’ll be guided in the direction that I am meant to go as long as I keep showing up and taking courageous action in a grounded and purposeful way.
Describe what success looks like – complete fruition.
Ultimate success to me looks like complete self-mastery.
Describe your success strategy in one sentence.
Success is measured by progress, not perfection. (Hard lesson to learn for this overcoming perfectionist.)
Biggest highlight in your journey thus far?
My journey from being dis-empowered to claiming and owning my own power is the biggest highlight in my journey thus far. I attribute this inner work to being the catalyst for creating my own success in my life and my business.
One thing that you feel has been most pivotal or useful thus far in your journey?
The most useful thing thus far has been my unwavering dedication to personal growth work, to becoming whole and learning to be better at being totally myself. I have spent three decades as a steadfast student of my own emotional and spiritual development: overcoming fear, defeating internal demons and re-calibrating my entire mindset toward courageous action and perpetual progress toward living my highest potential.
What holds us back is generally not a lack of education, money, ancestry or any other typical mainstream belief; it has everything to do with the level of personal growth work that we do to cultivate healthy self esteem, self worth, and self love.
How would you describe what brings you the greatest joy in your current role?
What brings me the greatest joy is to ignite other people into their own awareness. I would not be where I am today without seeking out the support of mentors, teachers, coaches, and leaders; all of whom have had a profound impact on me. My joy comes from positively influencing others as has been modeled for me.
What would you like women to most understand or consider – on a higher level – with regards to your role and your mission.
I believe three things wholeheartedly…without question.
- I believe we are born with a calling and a purpose that only we can fulfill with the special gifts, skills and talents that we’ve each been given. We were born to grow, if we don’t allow ourselves to grow we’re going against nature.
- I believe we are all on a personal journey with a story about how we arrived at where we are today and why we are compelled to do the work we do.
- I believe that it is our own responsibility to lead ourselves and be the creators of the life we are meant to have.
My parents immigrated from Italy to Canada in the late 50’s with little money, language skills or connections. They cast a vision for a better life for themselves. They became business owners. They worked hard, and everything was for the family.
I started off as a seedling, happy to stand up and speak poetry at 5 years old, to sing, dance and be free. I was a quiet introspective child and a highly sensitive empath. As I grew and began to sprout, I started to react negatively to the world around me, it was very chaotic and stressful. The reality was that my father ran a very patriarchal home. He was loud, overbearing and non-negotiable.
I didn’t feel safe in the environment I was in to speak my truth without facing rejection of my ideas. So I spoke less and less, and conformed more and more. When I got to 8 years old, I developed a stutter and could barely get words out, which caused me a ton of embarrassment and frustration. I was bullied and laughed at. I began to close myself off to the world around me. I didn’t want anyone to find out my secret that I was imperfect so I did everything in my power to hide it.
If I couldn’t speak without stuttering, I didn’t want to speak at all. So for countless years I avoided speaking situations and became a master at avoidance, calculating where the danger zones were. I was deeply shamed and caused myself so much internal suffering that my self-worth and confidence were non-existent. I allowed my dis-ability to dictate my life – my thoughts and actions all revolved around hiding and keeping myself safe. In my heart of hearts, I knew that the stutter wasn’t who I authentically was. My parents, my teachers and my doctor said, it was all in my head, I just needed to talk slower. It was a motor-skill problem; my brain wasn’t wired right.
If I had accepted what everyone told me as being the truth, if I had let the speech impediment define me, and if I didn’t believe that I had the power to change my situation, I would be living at home with my mom, on disability, hiding from the world.
When I was 18 years old, I took charge of my own growth again, and made a choice. I cast a vision that I would be somebody who didn’t stutter; that I would be somebody who wasn’t afraid to speak her truth and who could feel proud and worthy. My why became about claiming my own power, stepping into my own voice, using my voice to spread my message, and that has become my purpose.
My purpose is to inspire others to claim their own empowerment, to confidently grow a thriving, profitable business that they love, being who they authentically are.
Best advice you ever received.
One of my greatest mentors used to tell me, “You know more than you think you do.” I never really understood this… until I finally did many years later. What a profound truth. If I had only realized this sooner in life, I wouldn’t have spent so many years thinking that everyone knew more than me, or that I wasn’t as smart or as good as others, which is exactly the type of dis-empowered thinking that kept me feeling small.
What would be your top three tips for women regarding walking their talk and why a courageous approach is most important to them.
If we want to live authentically, we have to stop caring about what other people think, we have to stop worrying about disappointing others, and we have to be detached from the outcome of our actions.
How do you balance between being an impactful community leader, a busy business owner, volunteer and so much more without dodging your own self-care?
Self-care is my number one priority. As a recovering over-giver, I have had to learn how to identify my own limitations and how to set boundaries with regards to the expectations of others, especially family and friends. I don’t always get the balance right, but it’s a work in progress. I’ve learned to recognize the signs in my emotional and physical body when I am giving too much to others and not enough to self, which helps me to know that I need to spend some time getting myself back to homeostasis.
You must have some pretty long days. How do you keep your energy up and your focus consistent? How you stay PowHERful and on the top of your game?
Eating wholesome, organic natural food and taking health supplements to support my immune system and adrenals. I sleep a lot, 9+ hours per night, and am fierce about my quiet time, which is necessary for me to recharge my batteries. Cultivating a healthy balance of being and doing helps keep me sane. Dancing, yoga and walking outdoors are my part of my daily schedule.
What would you say your Top 3 Excellence Habits are (ie. habits that ensure your success).
- Always having a beginner’s mindset and approach life with curiosity. Lose the illusion of perfection. We are enough exactly as we are. We don’t have to do anything or prove anything to be deemed worthy. Each of us is innately worthy.
- Know that life is a journey, and our job is to evolve and learn. If we are not learning, we are not growing. So, from that perspective, there are no mistakes only opportunities to learn from.
- Trust and believe in your own ability to figure things out with enough focus, time, effort and dedication. We must have a fierce determination and belief in ourselves in order to learn to do what must be done and become who we must become to achieve our dreams.
Describe your Top 3 Time Management Tips as they relate to your Mission.
- Time block and prioritize your calendar. Understand what’s urgent versus important, and prioritize accordingly. (I even time block lunch, meditation and exercise time, because those things are important to me.)
- Focus only on the tasks that are important for moving the needle toward your mission and the key levers that will drive your business forward. This includes personal and business related activities. If I’m not nourished personally, I don’t have the energy or motivation required to work on my business tasks. I am driven by my calendar and my CRM system, which puts me in the driver’s seat of directing my daily activities and being purposeful with how I spend my time and where I devote my resources.
- Get really good at saying “no”, even more than saying “yes”. I’m learning that I can only do so much, so when I add something to my already-overflowing plate (which is challenging for this overcoming overachiever), something has got to come off.
Describe collaboration and what the looks like/feels like on the ground – how does it show up in your life?
To me, collaboration means that a group of people are all working toward the same end for something greater than themselves, and embodying a clear set of values and philosophies in the process. One way in which it shows up in my life is that I have the privilege of leading the thriving Vancouver Chapter of eWomenNetwork, a community of like-minded, high-achieving business women (and some men) all dedicated to “giving first, sharing always, lifting each other up as we climb, and employing teamwork to make the dream work”. I have an amazing leadership team who helps support me in growing and developing this dynamic and successful community, which provides women with a marketing platform and networking opportunities to build relationships with one another, make new contacts, get proven business strategies and access to Million Dollar success masters, so they can grow both their mindset and their bottom line.
Describe a favourite hobby or adventure.
Nourished by being in nature! I enjoy walking amongst the trees, walking barefoot on the sand, breathing in the fresh air.
Favourite energy meal or snack (healthy).
I love organic popcorn with olive oil, sprinkled with sumac (spice).
Favourite indulgence or treat.
Dark chocolate and red wine!
Top 3 things on your Bucket List.
I’m not big on material things… been there, done that… didn’t feel any more fulfilled with them. My bucket list is more about reaching a certain level of spiritual growth. Based on my past experience, I know that when I attain a certain stage of self-development, my level of suffering decreases and my level of happiness increases. Right now I’m working on setting healthy boundaries with people in my inner circle, taking the stage and owning it, and learning not to over-commit myself to things at the expense of my own self-care.
What does giving back (fulfillment) look like to you?
Striving to be my best self every day is the best way that I know how to give back to others in a deeply impactful way. Giving people the gift of presence, listening to them without judgment and criticism, giving people a platform to be heard, feeling compassion for other human beings rather than projecting judgment and shame. I believe that opening our heart to another is a precious gift.
I never leave home without my…
…Sunglasses. I am really sensitive to light.
Your thoughts on mentoring young women? What do you feel your most valuable lessons to pass on are?
I am a huge proponent of mentoring young women. I feel that it is our responsibility as leaders to be the stewards of mindful leadership, if we want to live in a world that is evolving. We all need to be better leaders for ourselves. Claiming your own personal power and belief in yourself. Trust in your abilities and in the path that the Universe already has in store for you. Take courageous action, every day. No matter what.
Where do we go from here in terms of supporting and inspiring women to step-up and continue moving forward with their missions… regardless of how hard it may feel at times. #confidence #courage #connections #capital
Learning to lead yourself is critical, and seeing those qualities and actions of mindful leadership modeled by others is essential. If we model good leadership, we inspire, motivate and ignite women to step-up and continue moving forward with their missions. Lifting each other up as we climb and being part of a community of like-minded women all walking the same journey is a key component of success because when we know that we are not alone, we are more likely to keep pushing forward regardless of how hard it may feel at times. Fulfilling our life’s work is not for the faint of heart. It’s uncomfortable, it’s not simple or easy, and it can sometimes feel like a lonely journey, but despite all of that, it is so worth it!
Socially yours. What are the best ways to connect with you online?
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MichelaQuilici
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Q.Consulting.Marketing
LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/michelaquilici
Most recommended apps or online tools for 2016?
Honestly, I believe we are too dependent on technology and a slave to our devices at the detriment of our physical and social well-being. My recommendation for 2016 is to streamline and simplify. Less is more.
I challenge readers to spend less time with technology and more time cultivating real-world experiences!