Tag Archive for: 2015

“The Real Cost of Being Beautiful”

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Dawn in iPEC schoolSometimes people will “go the extra mile” in efforts to be beautiful. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, 15.1 million cosmetic procedures were performed in 2013, which is a 3% increase from the previous year. Of these procedures, most of them — 13.4 million — were minimally invasive procedures, like botox injections and chemical peels. But a large number of people — around 1.6 million — went under the knife to have invasive procedures, like breast augmentation surgeries, nose reshaping surgeries, and liposuction surgeries, according to http://www.cheatsheet.com/personal-finance/how-much-do-we-spend-on-beauty.html

Now, I know that most of us want to look our best, but how much of this obsessions is pure insecurity in ourselves. It really “pains” me to see women chasing after “beauty” as if it will truly make them more confident. Let’s face it, when you take off your makeup or your garments that perform some miracle, you are the “real you”. I am not putting down makeup or looking your best, by no means! It’s when you become obsessed with “beauty” and it runs your life, I think there is a concern.

Do we ask men to get “implants”? Seriously! I heard that comment last night when I was at the Millrun for a comedy show featuring Vince Morris. Vince was taunting the women in his audience about their obsession with their views and unrelentless desire for plastic surgery and trying to be perfect. He had me on the end of my seat! I totally get his humor and his raw “truth” about the obsession of beauty.

I went to Miami, Florida last September to finish my third module of coaching with iPEC. I forgot to take a couple of makeup items and realized it down the road. I realized how perfectly comfortable I was without makeup and the need to impress another human being. I could have gone to a drug store and bought some makeup, but I chose not to because I am about the “beauty” inside me. But—don’t get me wrong, I do value looking great, but not at the cost of being obsessed with it.  The picture above proves that I have no makeup on and I am still a happy girl!  So, I may have been one of the few women in Miami (at this time) who had absolute no makeup on and was just perfectly fine with it!

As a teenager, I went to a high-end modeling agency in Jacksonville, Florida. I was told that I had the “looks” to be a high-fashion model.  My father was very handsome and my mother also gave me some very good genes too. I mean—I was 5’10” and about 120 lbs. when soaking wet. I was jumping up and down for joy, and that came to a halt when my mother told me in her own words—“It is not going to happen!” That probably was a beautiful gift from my mother at this time.

Most of my life has been about helping others and advocacy. I value inner beauty and kindness.  I went many years without wearing makeup and declining “miracle” garments that would somehow make me look “different”. I had spent too many years feeling insecure because of my childhood woes to let that insecurity back into my life as an adult chasing after “beauty”.

If you would spend the money to hire a coach or hypnotherapist that could help you feel better about yourself—that is beautiful! A coach or a hypnotherapist can get down to the “root” of your problem and help you “overcome” it so you can feel better about yourself. In my practice, I don’t just hypnotize someone and they are “confident”. There is never a magic “blue pill”.   I intuitively ask empowering questions so I know more about the “blocks” that people have that make them feel less beautiful or insecure. Together, whether in coaching or hypnotherapy, I work with each client to get “positive affirmation/results” that they want in their session. It’s always about the client—not what I want for them.  It’s their agenda.

If you work on becoming more secure and stop paying attention to marketing that is targeted to “insecure” women, who will buy about anything to make themselves feel better about themselves, you will find the reflection in the mirror to be more beautiful. Trust me on this! There is a trend with the women I work with–they all want more confidence. I even see it with men too. Wouldn’t you agree, that confident and positive women are far more attractive than one who is externally attractive, but feels insecure?

I share with this group my “Confidence building” hypnosis/meditation I made at http://DawnMarieWestmoreland.com/blog/ . I can work with individuals that want a more “tailored” session with me at www.DawnMarieWestmoreland.com

Phone, Google hangouts, or Skype work out just fine if it can’t be done in person. Here is to being “beautiful” you– inside and outside—because you are!

“The Leadership of Energy”

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While I was attending training to become a coach with the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC), I learned from their coaching program that there are seven levels of energy. You can learn more about iPEC at www.ipeccoaching.com  The founder of this wonderful coaching school is Dr. Bruce D. Schneider.  Let’s talk about energy.  Everything is energy—our clothes, our cars, and even our personal thoughts.  There are also two types of energy:  anabolic and catabolic.   Anabolic energy is healing, productive, positive, and growth-oriented. While catabolic energy is contracting, draining, and resistant.   If you feel like a “victim’ or feel “hopeless”, that is catabolic energy.  While you feel like a victim, you perception may be distorted and affect the choices that you make.   If you are non-judgmental and feel passionate about your life, you may be at the high-end of the energy levels.

If you feel fear, guilt, worry, self-doubt or have low self-esteem, you will be operating at the lowest level of energy and feel like a “victim”.  Feeling this low, makes you susceptible to feeling helpless and avoiding confrontation.  You may feel like you are “losing”.  This is a highly destructive energy level.  You may notice that you are attracting other “victim-like” people in your life because “like” attracts “like”.   But you don’t have to be a “victim” or feel like you don’t have choices in your life. You can raise your energy levels by becoming more “empowered”.

As you move up the energy levels, you may experience what is known as level two energy.  This is where a person may want to manage others by force or control.   A person may want to project blame on others.  It’s an “I win and you lose” situation in this energy level.  It is certainly better than being a victim, but it’s still catabolic energy that is draining you.  Do you really want to have level two energy?

Level three energy is an entry-level of anabolic energy, which is productive energy and more uplifting.  A person may take responsibilities for their thoughts, actions, and emotions.  They realize they have a choice in the matter and take accountability for this state of being.  This is an “I win, and hopefully you win, too” energy.  A person can motivate themselves and others through forgiving others, being more tolerant, and compromising with others.

When you have a level four energy, you take little or nothing personally and are able to be more objective.  There is more of a “You win” going on and a “service” before self-mentality.  This kind of energy lends to compassion for others and inspiration to serve others.  This fosters team work, loyalty, and collaboration with others.   It is definitely a high level of energy that lends to you becoming more successful and making a difference in this world.

Some of the greatest leaders in this world have a level five energy, which is a “We all win or no one wins” mentality.   The people who possess this energy tend to be calm, confident entrepreneurial, and powerful.  There is a sense of being in control of your life and destiny.   There are no challenges, but every experience in life is an opportunity for self-growth.  One of the core thoughts is that a person is “accepting” of others and does not try to change them.

Level six energy is an energy where a person sees everyone and everything as an extension of themselves.   Their intuition is very active and people possessing this energy can tap into being a creative geniuses and they are visionaries, along with being a conscious leader.   The mentality is “We always win”.  The feeling are of permanent joy, satisfaction and pleasure.  There is a great sense of connection with everything and everyone.

The highest level of energy is one that is characterized by complete objective thinking, being fearless, and are non-judgmental.   A person with this kind of energy can view things with complete objectivity.  The mentality for this energy level is “Winning and losing are illusions”.  It is hard to imagine that concept, but with practice you can achieve it.   Leaders who possess this energy are “masters” in their world and consciously co-create their life experiences.   These are the most powerful leaders in the world.

There are always advantages and disadvantages of each energy level.  Everyone can experience level one energy (Catabolic energy aka “victimhood”) at times and also experience level four energy (Anabolic/where you take nothing personal) too.   Your overall average of your energy levels can dictate how successful you are in your personal life and in your business.  Generally, the higher your energy levels, the more satisfied you are in your relationships, finances, personal self-growth, and your achievements.

It is great to have an awareness of who you are, you level of “consciousness” and how you act in your life.  If you are interested in learning more about the leadership of energy and how to determine where you “fit” in with these energy levels, you can request more information at www.DawnMarieWestmoreland.com/contact    Just remember that every experience in our life is not a “challenge”, but an opportunity to grow and learn.  If you can truly accept and embrace that, you are raising your energy leadership.  Here is to an “empowering” 2015 and taking action to realize your dreams and Dawn and Virtuegoals this year!

Feed Your Confidence, Not Your Fear—Tips to empower your confidence

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Dawn Picture at RRHow often do you “buy-in” to your fear?  Isn’t it self-defeating and un-empowering? It can be down-right crippling.    If you continually feed your fears, you are going to stay “small” and deal with non-serving beliefs about yourself.  Kick your fears to the curb!  You will always feel some “fear” in your life.  Fear is normal and can actually help empower you to make wise choices in your life.  But, when fear controls your life and holds you hostage—it is time to divorce your fears.  Now you may be thinking that this is not so easy, but let me assure you—you can do it if you want to release your fears.

For example, I talked to a lady recently who felt inspired to be a motivational speaker.  In fact, she was dreaming about it.  Now, your dreams can be a powerful sign for you to take action.  Her fear of standing in front of others and what they would think of her was keeping her from taking the action to fulfill her dream.  This happens to many people and some people can “break-through” it and others need a little assistance.   Did you realize our fears can be a form of “gremlin” that can actually protect us? That’s right! Let me explain.  In the case of this lady, her fear aka “gremlin” was protecting her from being embarrassed in front of others and people finding fault with her.   In reality, this kind of “protection” keeps us small and a “leader in hiding”.   For goodness sakes!  There are people out there that really need you and your services. They are only going to connect and resonate with you.

If you are noticing how your life or your business is unfulfilling or that issues are coming up that are making you uncomfortable, that is probably your sign that you are not where you need to be right now.  It’s time to step up and “break-through” your self-made wall that is keeping you on the side of unhappiness and fulfillment.   Don’t be looking for others to rescue you. They have their own issues to work on.  You empower yourself when you do the work needed to step into the person you want to be on this earth.  Now, let’s kick that door down!  If you only realized you are giving away your personal power when you are constantly seeking answers from others. You are your own “expert” in your journey of life. Why not follow your own inner guidance and trust that you can positively change your life.   Are you ready to kick that door down?

First, realize that living “small” and playing “safe” may have protected you in the past from being embarrassed or dealing with critical people.  Just own it and don’t judge yourself.  It served you in the past.  However, if you are really ready to move on and be more empowered, you must have a “talk” with your fear aka “gremlin” and tell it that it has served you well in the past and has protected you.  You may even feel thankful for the protection it served you.  But, you are ready and willing to spread your wings and get the training you want, join a toastmaster’s organization or speak up for a raise in your job now.  Tell your fears or gremlin “thank you and to hit the road now”, because you feel protected in your knowledge that you are able to move forward and that your inner guidance is now going to empower you.

Second, keep some kind of record so you can later realize how far you have come with your own personal-growth.  Often times people take things for granted and fail to realize that even little baby steps are steps of empowerment and lead you in the right direction on your journey.  I find that the more things you express gratitude for, the more grateful experiences will pop into your life.  This has been proven over and over again.  I could share so many amazing opportunities that have entered my life because I express “gratitude” daily.   The heart puts out more energy than the brain does.  Let your appreciation for your personal self-growth and gratitude come from the heart.   Have fun with it and be creative! Some people will write notes and put it in a jar to read later.  It can be helpful to read when you are having a bad day.

Most people can use a little more “confidence” once in a while.  As a hypnotherapist, I created an MP3 called “confidence” that can be listened to in a comfortable place where you will not be interrupted.  It is a guided meditation/hypnosis session that offers suggestions of relaxation and confidence.  Hypnosis is simply a guided meditation.  When you can access your subconscious through meditation/hypnosis, you are able to use mind over matter, with positive suggestions to help you achieve an outcome you desire.  Be sure that you don’t listen to it while operating any heavy equipment.   Always seek professional medical help if needed, this audio cannot replace medical care that you may need.  Here is to more empowerment and staying on the journey to self-growth, self-love, and self-respect!  You can access the “confidence” audio here:  http://dawnmariewestmoreland.com/confidence-hypnosis/

 

Dawn Westmoreland knows what it’s like to be un-empowered and feeling like a “victim”.  After blowing the whistle on her former government manager, Dawn endured two years of retaliation and bullying that resulted in her landing in a mental health ward for three days.  Dawn checked herself out and promised herself that she would never be a “victim” again and she would help others who wanted to move forward in their lives.  Dawn later settled with this government agency and began training to become a Life Coach that empowers professional women today.  She is sought out by media and has finished over 30 radio/magazine interviews about her journey and how she is empowering women today.  Dawn has begun writing her book about her story and tips for others to overcome their “old stories”.  The Christian Science Monitor also has praised Dawn for her bravery and empowering women today.

How to Believe in Yourself—Three Steps You Can Conquer

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Believe in YourselfI remember my business coach telling me, “You have to believe in yourself more than others believe in you”, when I first started working with her last year.  Everyone experiences self-doubt at times.  Even I do sometimes.  I remember when I first spoke out against the prohibited personnel actions going on in the Veteran Affairs agency several years ago.  As soon as I filed charges against my management, I experienced severe work place bullying and retaliation.  At this time, I was also trying to encourage a good friend of mine from committing suicide due to their own workplace bullying.

My troubles began building as I was trying to down-size and sell my house.  My house flooded two times and my insurance company dropped me after paying me back for repairs of nearly $30k.   Now, the stress of all of this was starting to overwhelm me and I was feeling very discouraged at this time.  I had so much self-doubt at the time and wondered if I could conquer all my goals.  It took about nine months and a lot of up-grades to sell my house.  The house and property were very nice, but would appeal to only someone who loved being on the side of a hill and loved to garden—I mean a lot of gardening!   I thought that my troubles could not get any worse and then the Veteran Affairs disregarded my doctor’s recommendation of being allowed to work from my home computer.   I refused to go back to the Veteran Affairs, to a hostile work environment and my management cut off my pay.  Mind you, I was paying for an attorney and living hand-to-mouth at the time.

The story has a great ending!  My troubles and self-doubt were conquered.  I settled with the Veteran Affairs in March 2014.  One week after settling with the Veteran Affairs, I became a Life Coach and now show people how to become empowered.  As a Life Coach, I don’t provide the solutions, but help people to realize where they are “stuck” in their lives so they can get “unstuck”.   Once they see what is holding them back, I am able to assist them with reaching their goals.  This is what empowerment is about.   Life is full of choices and it’s up to us to choose wisely.  So, how do you believe in yourself more?

First, you must take 100% accountability in your life.   If you are selling yourself short—stop!  Be responsible and make sure you are being accountable in everything you do in this life.  When you know you are being responsible and honest with yourself, it’s hard not to believe in yourself and what you are doing. If you don’t like your job—change jobs!   Own up to the mistakes you make, but don’t beat yourself up!  Learn from your mistakes and make the right action to grow from them.   I learned that I did not have to earn four degrees (after I had earned them) to impress my dead grandmother who had a PhD.  I was smart, without even earning a degree.

Second, take a good look at yourself in the mirror.  Are you your own best friend or worst enemy? If you are cringing to look at yourself and realize you have low self-esteem, take steps to improve your self-esteem.  Lose weight, exercise, go to a support group for help or reach out to a modality that helps you “shift” out of your old patterns or belief system that has been holding you back.  Life coaching and hypnotherapy are excellent ways to help with confidence and breaking old patterns.  It saved my life and now I do it to help others so they can feel better about themselves and have more confidence.

Third, no matter what you faith is, you will find so many benefits in asking for the help you need.  I use to ask God to please “fix” things for me.  Now, I ask God to please help me to become the person I need to become, so I can handle/manage things better in my life.  I have seen so many “signs” in my life, which tell me I am not alone and I am much loved.   I will find a white feather out of the ordinary and last night my stand-up fan turned on by itself.  These are “signs” to me that I am much supported and never alone on this earth—never.   These “signs” get my attention and gently remind me to believe in myself and know I am always supported.  We all have the ability to see “signs” and know we are loved.   Sometimes, we just have to slow down and pay attention.  We are all on this earth for a reason and we must believe in ourselves so we can fulfill our destinies.  We can do this when we fully believe in ourselves and realize what we are capable of doing on this earth.  Each of us are very powerful in a meaningful way.

I would be happy to explain to you how life coaching and/or hypnotherapy can help you to believe more in yourself.  Book a complimentary 20 minute session with me at www.DawnMarieWestmoreland.com/contact

Five Ways to Step Into Your Freedom

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Dawn and VirtueHave you ever thought you felt “trapped” or “enslaved” in your life?  You may have a fancy home or the car of your dreams, but yet, something is really missing in your life.  If you feel that there is more to life than waking up, driving to work, working in a job that does not necessarily fulfill you, going home to spend time in front of the tube, you are not alone!  Recently I heard on the radio that three out of four people do not like their bosses.  That is a lot of unhappiness if you ask me. Let’s take charge of our lives and be accountable to us.  It’s time to step into your “freedom”.

Step one, if you are miserable in your life or job, you may not be in alignment with your true purpose on this earth.   Sometimes we must experience misery, being uncomfortable, and feeling unfulfilled to prompt us into positive action so we are living our true purpose.  Check in with yourself.  If you are not happy in your life, are you really doing the kind of work that you are passionate about and excited to do every day?  Are you with the partner or mate that truly makes you happy and brings joy to your life? Life is sooooo long when you are unhappy.  Take charge of your life!  Work in a job that makes you fulfilled and be with the person who makes your soul feel complete.

Step two, is “fear” controlling your life?  If fear is controlling your life, the fastest way to gain confidence is to tackle what you are afraid of because it will give you confidence.  Seriously.   I am talking about facing fear that is holding you back from being happier and more confident.  Life coaching and hypnotherapy are excellent tools to identify why fear is “protecting” you, holding you back in life, and provides the means to overcome the “fear” in your life.

Step three, is insecurity or lack of confidence keeping you a “leader in hiding”?  Anyone who has experienced life on life’s terms has probably been hurt by some experience.  We all get lessons in life, but we must not let them define us in a way that keeps us small in life.  We have to be accountable in our life.  No excuses!   Let go of the past, forgive the person who may have hurt you, take giant leaps of faith to become the person who can “overcome” the hardships that come up while living on this earth.  We forgive others so we let go of the negative energy or chords we have with the person who harmed us.

Step four, are you taking good care of yourself?  If you are eating poorly, watching too much TV, and making excuses why you can’t get a little exercise done, it’s time to really evaluate how you are treating your body.  When you look in a mirror, are you your own best friend or worst enemy?  Be mindful of all your actions in your life.  Life is always about choices.  Be smart.  Eat right.  Have fun, but treat your body right and it will reward you back.  We have all heard the phrase, “You are what you eat”.  There are tons of helpful advice on the internet.  Reach out for help if you need it.  You deserve it and others are counting on you to be in good shape.

Step five, if you are not in touch with your own intuition, it is high time that you connect with your intuition.  We all have some form of intuition.  Pay attention to the “signs” you get that confirm your intuition is right.  There are great courses you can sign up for and get help with credible instructors that can help you get in touch with your own intuition.  Being connected with your intuition is one of the greatest gifts we have and it can really help you make wise choices in your life.  It can help you find empowerment and the freedom you desire in your life.  So run, don’t walk…..and get in touch with your intuition.  Life is all about choices.  Make smart ones.  We are all much more powerful and intuitive than we realize.  That is mind-blowing, but the truth.  When we make smart decisions, it sets us free to become the person we really want to be in our lifetime.  Life is about choices.   Empower yourself and set yourself free.  Stop following the crowd.  Be a maverick if you want.   Freedom is a choice and you can have it too.   We only have to “unlock” our potential and step into the life we all really deserve.  That is what freedom is all about.

Dawn Westmoreland is a life coach and hypnotherapist on a passionate mission to empower women who are ready to come out “hiding” and become their authentic selves.  Dawn resides in Asheville, NC with her dog and two cats.  She offers a 20 minute complimentary “break-through” strategy consultation for women who want to take charge of their lives and are ready for positive change.  Request your complimentary session at www.DawnMarieWestmoreland.com/contact

 

 

The Art and Science of Self-Care

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Self careWe all know that burnt out feeling when we are tired or overwhelmed in our life.  It may come on slow, but it can really affect us personally and professionally when we are not taking good care of ourselves.  We rush, we scatter, and we are running with our heads cut off………We think it is the way to success, by always being busy and multi-tasking.  With all the conveniences we have today, we seem to be still on “overloaded” with work and activities.   No wonder we are so darn tired!

Self-care is about taking care of yourself and your needs.  I find that getting energy body work and massage to be very healing and grounding.  When I get regular energy work and massage, I am able to focus more on my practice and it recharges my energy.  Our bodies need regular care and if we do not practice self-care, we will end up feeling burnt out, overwhelmed, and not succeeding in all our endeavors.  I highly suggest that you make it a practice to get a massage, receive body work or experience a modality that helps your body to feel better.  The body heals itself, but it does count on us to make wise choices and to be good to ourselves.

You never want to think of self-care as a luxury.  It is not.  It is a necessity that will keep your body “fueled” and in a homeostasis manner.  Pay attention to the food that you put in your body.  Is it free of pesticides, herbicides, dyes, additives, chemicals etc.?  Our body was not designed to eat poisonous foods and drinks.  Are you overweight and depressed?  It is time to evaluate the self-care you are giving yourself.  Are you getting the necessary exercise you need?  Sometimes, it is as simple as taking a daily walk and experiencing the benefits of an active body in motion.  It is well known that people sleep better at night when they have a good exercise routine.

I encourage you to evaluate how you can incorporate self-care in your life.  One of the best ways to see how your life is changing is to journal each day.  You can later review your trends and your accomplishments.   Be good to yourself!  Not only do you deserve it, but your body needs it.  I find that getting regular massages and energy work to be the best self-care for my body.  It shows too.  I have accomplished so much more in my life and people notice the difference in me too.  I attribute it to being better at self-care and loving myself in a healthier way.

Did you know that hypnosis is a great way to provide your body with self-care.   Not only is it extremely relaxing, but it is very effective in being therapeutic for your body.  Check out my complimentary “relaxation” hypnosis/meditation video at www.DawnMarieWestmoreland.com  You will find it on the top right side of my home page.  Enjoy.  Relax.  You are on your way to self-care.

Signs of Faith are Everywhere

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Signs of Faith are Everywhere

Signs of faith are everywhere and you must slow down to see them.  Just last week, I was in north Florida because my brother married his sweetheart on 12/13/14. It was an awesome wedding, only one week after my father passed away.  We had mourned our father leaving this earth and then embraced a wedding.  The wedding had been set up over a year ago and it turned out to be the happiest wedding I have ever experienced. I offered to pet sit my brother’s carrot-eating dog named Pugsley, while he was on his honeymoon. The weather was very comfortable and I took every opportunity to walk on Flagler beach, which is right below St Augustine, FL. I found myself asking for a “sign” on the beach one evening. I wanted to know that certain actions I was taking were the right ones for my personal, professional and spiritual growth. I soon walked upon five starfish, that had been swept up in the tide, in a matter of 30 minutes. Very few people find starfish like that on Flagler beach and I knew it was a sign that I am being supported. It was also clear to me that I am on the right career track for my life. I threw all of the starfish back but the one I knew was no longer alive and it was very dried out. It is my reminder that I am always being supported in my life and there are signs to prove it.

Often times I will find things that are out of the ordinary and I know they are signs. We are always supported and never truly by ourselves in this world. I remember walking into my closet and looking at the stack of sweaters in my closet on day. I began to think that I needed to donate some of them because I was not wearing them. All of a sudden, one of the sweaters drops to the floor. Of course I laughed! The sweaters were nicely stacked towards the back of a shelf and the sweater did not just fall to the floor because it was close to the edge of the shelf. Another sign! Like many people, I have been guilty of trying to explain everything and ignoring my own intuition. We all have intuition and it’s up to us to develop it and use it properly. It is highly beneficial in my coaching practice.
I remember constantly seeing a blue butterfly in the summer time that would always dance near me when I went outside. Butterflies are a sign about transformation and I knew I was in one hell of a transformation from my old self. My transformation has been mostly about “overcoming” and stepping into my spiritual gifts. My past no longer haunts me and I have become an “Overcomer” of my old stories. How did I “overcome” my old stories is a constant question I receive by those who want to overcome their own stories. I had to learn to trust my faith and that the “signs” I constantly see in my life are meant to assure me that I have all the support I need. As, I walked off the beach after seeing those five starfish that evening, I caught a glimpse of sparkling gold lights out of the corner of my eye. Yes–another amazing sign! We are all supported, loved, and never alone. We must trust our faith.

If you are ready to kick-start your 2015, be sure to ask for your complimentary 20 minute “break through” strategy session with me.  You can contact me at www.DawnMarieWestmoreland.com/contact  for your complimentary session.  You deserve it!