Meet Jill “GiGi” Austin, CEO and founder of GrowthFlows. In the soon-to-be-released book, The Wellness Universe Guide to Complete Self-Care: 25 Tools for Transformation, Jill shares her journey from exhaustion to energized through learning how to consciously manage her lifeforce.
The Wellness Universe (WU): Hello Jill, please tell us about yourself and what inspired you to write your chapter in The Wellness Universe Guide to Complete Self-Care: 25 Tools for Transformation.
Jill “GiGi” Austin (JA): Anna had me at “transformation.” [laughs] I’m a big proponent of intentional change as I find it to be empowering. One of the most life-changing lessons I’ve learned is when and how to say, “No.” As a former C-Suite exec, I piled too much on my “to-do” plate – whether it was mine to take on or not. My workaholic habits and people-pleasing tendencies in both my professional and personal life led to exhaustion and, eventually, burnout.
To transform from exhausted to energized, I had to learn how to identify and declare my boundaries to make room for those things where the effort is worth the return. Identifying and prioritizing my “yeses” is what feeds my lifeforce with a sense of vibrancy and fulfillment.
Am I perfect at it? No. I still fall into old habits. Some of the examples in my chapter are fairly recent. But with practice, I catch myself sooner in those former patterns and respond more quickly with conscious choice of how I’m saving, spending, and replenishing my lifeforce.
I’m pleased to share a practical guide for lifeforce self-mastery and inspire others to experience a more vibrant and self-empowered life.
WU: What tool do you share in this book, and what can we expect to experience as a result of using this tool?
JA: My self-mastery tool is Recognizing Your Energetic “Tells.” Energetic “tells” signal when to say “yes,” “no,” or “maybe” to invitations to spend our “energetic coins.” Before we can consciously manage our “yeses” and “no’s,” we have to be able to recognize them. This tool includes a practical process to identify personal energetic “tells,” and serves as a powerful step towards lifeforce self-mastery and empowered living.
WU: You mentioned you’re a fan of intentional change. Please tell us more.
JA: I feel empowered when I intentionally make a change in my life. When something’s not working, I prefer to alter it deliberately, rather than waiting for deteriorating circumstances to force change upon me. For instance, why wait for an extreme situation like burnout, if I can make a shift before exhaustion overwhelms me?
People find me when they want something more or different in their professional or personal lives. To achieve either of those goals, something’s got to transform on purpose. In my experience, conscious change involves letting go of something—a belief, an old approach, a budget line expense—to welcome in something new. The example in my chapter is about saying “no” to make room for “yes” on purpose.
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AVAILABLE SOON!
The Wellness Universe Guide to Complete Self-Care,
25 Tools for Transformation
Life is a journey of transformation—some chosen, others unexpected. In this book from The Wellness Universe, more than 25 experts share stories and self-care tools to guide your growth and transformation. Discover wisdom, healing, and inspiration to live a fulfilled, balanced life. Aligned with The Wellness Universe’s mission, it’s a guide to well-being and a better world.
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Loved this interview with Jill “GiGi” Austin! Her take on intentional transformation and learning to say “no” really hit home. The idea of tuning into our energetic “tells” is such a helpful way to make better choices without burning out. It’s a great reminder that protecting our energy isn’t selfish—it’s essential.