Mom, Entrepreneur, Speaker, Lawyer, Coach, Giver of "Booth" Hugs
“I’m so excited to talk about trauma!” Said no one ever.
I never sought to become an expert in stress, burnout, or trauma.
Why not an expert in wealth or pasta making?
Because my life has been a crash course in stress, burnout, trauma and mental illness. A course that almost cost me my life.
It turns out that the very qualities and behaviors that took me to the pinnacle of success were also my Achilles heel.
My capacity for pushing through obstacles, relentlessly pursuing my goals, and dissociating from my needs ultimately broke me.
Now I know that embracing my humanity, in all of its complexity and capacity for restoration and repair, is truly my superpower.
Crash and Burn
I ran on empty for years.
I ran myself into a wall, over and over and over again until my body said NO MORE.
I ran until I collapsed - mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, and financially.
I did not know where to turn.
I believed I was completely alone.
I believed I was a burden on those around me.
In 2015, I crashed. Hard.
I lost every material measure of success imaginable.
I almost lost my life to suicide.
At age 40, I was the CEO of a $5 million non-profit, a mom of 3, community leader, and triathlete. Just a few years later, I was unemployed, broke, divorced, severely ill, and separated from my community. I had been clinically depressed and anxious, battling PTSD, self-medicating with compulsive spending, wine, coffee, wine, and more coffee; surviving only with the assistance of prescribed antidepressant, anti-anxiety and sleep medications for three years before I hit my breaking point.
Rebuilding Step by Step
Day by day, I began to rebuild. But it took more than two full years before I was able to string together a whole week of "good" days.
In the summer of 2019, my mental illness was officially declared in remission.
I was able to wean off of the anti-depressant/anti-anxiety medication I had been taking for eight years in 2020.
I am still healing. I am still learning to be in my body.
I expect that I will spend the rest of my life returning to the person I came here to be.
And also.
I am present with my children and in my life.
I tend to my well-being.
I ask for help.
I savor my coffee.
I live a life that I love - something that I did not believe was possible. A life of presence, intention and hope.
Does that mean that I have it all together and love every moment of life? Of course not!
But, I am no longer just surviving. I am healing, growing more resilient daily, and finding beauty even in the storms of life.
I want that for you, too.
"Booth Andrews shares a powerful testimony. Through storytelling, her authenticity and vulnerability captivates the audience and draws people closer to their own truth. As a speaker, Booth is approachable and present with her audience, and her story is one of resiliency and hope that translates into actionable takeaways for both work and life leadership."
- Tiffany McGee, HR Professional
On a Mission
When the darkness began to lift ever so slightly, I knew I wanted to use my experience to help others.
While my experience is deeply personal, it is not unique. Trauma is wreaking havoc on our bodies, mind, families, communities, and world. Not only have we normalized the “superhero” behaviors that are often the result of unresolved traumas--like hyperperformance, perfectionism and workaholism-- but we reward them.
It is almost like the bar has been set such that if you do not live your life on autopilot and completely dissociated there is something wrong with you.
I know the fear.
I know what it’s like to feel desperately alone. Like no one will understand. Like if you tell the truth about how you are feeling, people will never look at you the same way. They won’t trust you anymore. They won’t believe you or believe IN you. They will abandon you.
It feels like everything is on the line. And there is no hope.
I know what it feels like to wake up and find yourself with nothing. With none of the measures of success that you spent decades working your ass off to accumulate so that you might feel like you can relax someday, and your children might have a different life than you did.
I know what it is like to start over from a personal ground zero.
I know because I have been there.
You are not alone.
I can help.
My commitment
I am committed to talking about hard things.
I am committed to holding space.
I am committed to telling the truth.
I am committed to giving people the opportunity to be seen.
I am committed to treating and celebrating people as human beings.
I am committed to giving the best hugs.
Together, we can turn and face our history and our pain. We can heal the present. We can heal the future.
Will you join me?
Let's Get Started
6 Steps to Stress Recovery and Burnout Prevention
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A step by step process for staying connected and calibrated so you can recover from stress, prevent burnout, and expand your capacity for impact.
Invite Booth to Speak at Your Event
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Authentic and vulnerable stories captivate audiences. Actionable takeaways empower transformation.
