Welcome to our Stella Women series celebrating the game-changing women who aren’t afraid to shatter glass ceilings and drive change for other women. We’re proud to partner with Stella Insurance to amplify the voices of these formidable females. Previously, we sat down with Liz Dawes, founder of the Robert Connor Dawes Foundation, and the founders of finance platform, Ladies Talk Money. Today, we’re speaking with Olivia Phyland: life coach, TV presenter and all-round cool chick with an unbelievable zest for life.
Ever heard of a life coach? It’s one of those job titles that immediately piques interest; however, a lot of us aren’t sure what a life coach actually does. As a life coach herself, Olivia Phyland – better known as Liv – is perfectly poised to explain.
“Life coaches can specialise in all different areas, however overall, I believe a life coach works alongside you, offers guidance, advice and support in all areas of your life, to help ‘you’ unlock your fullest potential.”
If being a life coach wasn’t impressive enough, Phyland is also a respected health coach and talented television presenter, who you might remember as the host of Studio 10’s The Loop. With undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Nutrition, she uses her knowledge and passion for health and wellbeing to present keynote addresses, present at seminars and writes columns that benefit female teens.
Phyland’s proudest achievement is combining her passion for physical and mental health to launch and run Girls Who Glow with with her bestie and business partner Teigan Nash; these workshops for teenage girls, teach them to be their healthiest and happiest selves. She set out on a quest to help equip females with the tools and confidence they need to navigate these often challenging but formative years. She has also just launched Liv Your Life: a life coaching platform to help women plan and work towards positive life goals.
In this interview with New Idea, Phyland opens up about her important work coaching young women through life’s challenges, her greatest inspirations and why female-focused businesses such as Stella Insurance are so important.
New Idea: Why do you think that women should invest in a life coach?
Olivia Phyland: “Well, life is pretty bloody complex to start with. Add in some raging hormones each month and all the other challenges that arise from simply being female, and I think there’s no denying that having an extra ally on your side is going to be beneficial. Whether it be to navigate the pressures of today, to get clear on where you’re going, or to simply have someone to motivate and hold you accountable, a life coach is never going to be a regrettable investment.”
NI: What has working with teens taught you on a personal level?
OP: “Girls Who Glow has been such an eye opening, rewarding and heart-wrenching experience all in one. We started these workshops as we were receiving so many messages surrounding depression, anxiety, social media, toxic friendships, eating disorders, bullying, studying… the list goes on. But it wasn’t until we were personally working with these girls and hearing their stories first hand that we realised just how much of a generational crisis this is.
“They have taught and inspired me to be more real and relatable; to be more authentic and transparent; to work with purpose and passion. [I think] we have a responsibility to undo some of the damage we have created as a society. The unrealistic expectations [placed on young women] are impossible. They have inspired me to keep fighting for a world that’s more ‘real’ life.”
NI: What should schools be teaching the next generation?
OP: “How to love yourself; cultivating healthy relationships; identifying toxic relationships and learning how to cut the cord; menstrual cycles and how it effects our mind and body across the entire month; gender and racial equality; understanding and dealing with mental health. And how to LIFE! Hello, tax and managing finances, resumes and adulating. All of the things!”
NI: Who has been your greatest inspiration both personally and professionally?
OP: “My Mum for how fearless and selfless she is; [I admire] the hard work and sacrifices she made at such a young age to give me a life of opportunities and so much love.
“My best friend Em Carey inspires me and thousands of others daily to be a little more kind, a little less judgmental, and a whole lot more positive. She has taught me to live with an abundance of gratitude, to say yes to the things that scare me most, to be real and raw, and to see the good in everybody.”
NI: Why do you think businesses such as Stella are so important?
OP: “Any business that endeavours to make women feel heard, seen, understood, educated and empowered, is a business we need more of. Stella is exactly that!”
Brought to you by Stella Insurance.
