Meet Annie Henderson | Life Coach, Author, and Podcast Host

We had the good fortune of connecting with Annie Henderson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Annie, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Risk taking used to be something I avoided like the plague. My brain wanted comfort and predictability, and I made sure it had just that! The problem was, by not taking risks, I became a people-pleaser who focused on making sure everyone around me was pleased by my actions. As we all know, you can’t please everyone. So even though I thought I was doing my best to make everyone happy, I wasn’t. Most importantly, I wasn’t happy.

Now some people struggle with leaving people-pleasing behind because of the guilt or they think others assume they are selfish. They don’t believe they can have boundaries and keep their family and friends. This is something I had to learn and I had to take risks to leave my marriage, lose my house, come out of the closet, leave my career, and start over.

Old me thought starting over would be the worst decision ever! But I didn’t start over at all. I started fresh with strength, courage, wisdom, and some hindsight that helped me notice patterns, habits and red flags to assist me in making better choices this time around.

Now my life is abundant in all areas. My family is healthy, happy, and strong. My career is full of helping and supporting others. Being a Life Coach and a Coming Out Coach for the LGBTQIA community and their families has been tremendously fulfilling. I would have missed out on actually living my life if I had never taken that step forwards and introduced a little risk into my life.

I believe risk taking can look different to different people. If you start to notice that you are just going through the motions, or stuck on the hamster wheel taking care of everyone but yourself, it might be time to take a baby step towards risk and see what awaits you.

What should our readers know about your business?
I am a Certified Professional Life Coach and one of my passions is being a Coming Out Coach for the LGBTQIA community. This is probably what sets me apart most. I connect with people with similar paths as me on TikTok and Facebook who have lived inauthentically for most of their lives and are finally ready to stop checking off all the boxes that they thought “should” lead to a happy and fulfilling life.

Although I’m based out of north Texas, I help clients nationwide.

Deciding to transition from 1st grade teacher, to school counselor, to LPC, to a Life Coach was a hard transition that didn’t happen overnight. It created a lot of unnecessary drama in my head about what is normal and what I should do. I had worked so hard to earn 3 masters degrees and work in private practice as a counselor, that to step away from it all seems insane to some family and friends. There was something inside of me that knew I had an even greater calling even thought I couldn’t quite name it yet. So I continued to learn, grow, heal and connect with others until I found something that not only allowed me to continue helping others and make money, but to have the flexibility to reach people world wide, spend more quality time with family, and do everything I have always wanted without fear holding me back.

There are so many counselors and coaches out there and I truly believe that everyone can use a coach, no matter what age. Not matter if you are feeling “successful”, stuck, fearful, or just curious about how much better life can get for you!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
DFW is FULL of fun and adventures! I still think an amazing way to visit and get a quick rundown of the city with some fun history included is with …a segway tour! After taking this tour, then we can go back and visit some of the hightlights. Although I’m not a huge history buff, the 6th Floor Museum where JFK was assassinated is something neat and unique to Dallas. The Dallas World Aquarium is a day full of fun and nature and on a beautiful day, Klyde Warren Park next to the Art museum is a fun way to experience the food trucks, the people, and excitement! 1 week won’t be long enough! Come visit and plan to stay awhile!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to give a shoutout to my partner, Sam! Without her standing beside me during most of these risk taking decisions has shown me what love and support truly is. I also want to thank my church, First Methodist Sherman, for their amazing outreach and support for the LGBTQIA community and allies, locally and worldwide. I never would have imagined finding a such a whole hearted group in a small Texas town. To all my family and friends that have loved and supported me along the way, thank you! Together we are making this world a better place!

Website: www.anniemhenderson.com

Instagram: @life_coach_annie

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anniemhenderson/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/lifecoachannie

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMe8o5BSFWLsDc9Cr45TfqQ

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@anniemhenderson

Image Credits
Joan Holdburg