Today we’d like to introduce you to Candice Suarez.
Hi Candice, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have always worked in the helping professions. First as a school counselor, then working in community- and school-based behavioral health programs, and finally in my current roles as a life coach and college admissions coach. My bachelor’s degree is in English education, and, not knowing it at the time, has led to my current coaching framework called Life Drafting. It’s a way of approaching life as if you were the author of a book. You set the main theme—working toward a greater vision—while staying curious, flexible, and open to edits. There is no final, perfect copy that we are writing. Our lives are always a working draft.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Ha! My current Life Drafting framework came out of my own life trajectory. I have found over the past seven years that I can have a perfectly laid out plan for my year in January, and by March, a major plot twist arrives and I find myself scrambling, abandoning the plan, or putting everything on pause. In 2021 I was diagnosed with tongue cancer. Everything was put on hold while I had surgery to remove over half of my tongue, followed by chemotherapy and radiation. Coming back from that with my now-altered voice was challenging. But I knew I wasn’t OK with staying at home and being quiet, so I revised how I showed up in the world by gaining confidence to speak with my voice the way it is now. I’m also a new empty-nest mom, recently separated from my husband, and am finding a new confidence in living on my own and building my business.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Women (and a few men) bring me their overwhelm, chaos, and general unease with their life, and I support them in writing their next chapter. I work with the women who are ready to change their lives in big and small ways. Through my life drafting framework, we work through letting go of the old draft, becoming comfortable in the sloppy copy (messy middle) and then drafting the next chapter.
My approach to goal setting sets me apart from my peers. We look at the overall vision for where you want to go, but the difference is that we remove the blinders. I allow for curiosity, flexibility, and failure to shape your story. The permission to edit and revise if something doesn’t feel aligned any longer is something I encourage, leaving room for failure or major plot twists. I also believe that leaning into who you need to be in order to live in the story you envision is just as important as what you do along the way.
Because change, and the habits and reframes necessary to make it happen, take some time. I offer membership programs that house my clients in a supportive environment for their growth.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
I am always looking for opportunities to speak to groups of women. I love presenting on my life drafting philosophy and framework.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lifedrafting.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pencilandpurpose.coach/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OptimumGrowthCoaching
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/candice-suarez/
