To answer this question about me, I’d love to share a few defining moments that brought me to where I am today—coaching people like you on how to take charge of their wellbeing, accomplish their goals, and live their boldest, most balanced life.
Born “Sarah” (pronounced [zaːʁa]) in Northern Germany, “Alex” became my brave alter ego when my childhood best friend and I decided to be a duo of world-class performers.
I’ve always loved and often practiced both fine arts and performing arts, with writing being my greatest passion.
As a pre-teen, I suffered from epileptic seizures which led to depression and anxiety disorder, but also to my career in advocacy.
In 1993, to cope with insomnia resulting from childhood epilepsy, I started telling myself intricate stories, which I began to turn into novels in 2013.
I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t an artist, although it would take me 30 years to finally say I’m an artist out loud.
I’ll be in my mid-thirties soon (2019), so I’ve spent a very long time not being true to who I am.
After completing a three-month graphic design course and my formal education in tourism, I migrated south and started a music blog with my then-roommate, leading to an interesting summer hanging out with musicians and becoming infatuated with an Italian rapper.
I was already heading to Italy, so I took that summer romance as a sign I was traveling in the right direction.
A new years resolution to learn Italian led me to the language class that introduced me to my future partner in life, love, and adventure.
Three dates and seven months later we eloped and moved to Ireland, where I studied business and later on geography and environmental science focusing on sociology and social psychology.
In 2012, I moved to California, finally graduating college at age 28 (as the first person in my family to obtain a college degree).
The following summer I started working for an international think tank as a communications and design manager.
That job was the best thing that could have happened to me. My boss was a veteran author and became my mentor, encouraging me to finally write a book and thus realizing my lifelong dream.
I finished the first draft of my first novel in just three months, around the time I turned 29.
And then I wrote another novel, and another, and another, all in one year. Yet I didn’t have the guts to try and publish even one.
Because I’m not a native English speaker, I needed to get an editor. In 2015, I finally worked up the courage to contact one. But while we were working on taking my novel to the next level, a few unforeseen events delayed completion.
Most notably, the cyst I thought I had turned out to be a human growing inside me. Sadly, I didn’t get to have the Hollywood-esque pregnancy, blinding people with mama glow. It was hard and scary, and I was so relieved when it was over.
When my baby was six months old we decided to spend three months in Europe. Most of it we spent in Italy, which is probably my favorite country to live in (if you can see past the politics and slim job prospects).
I published my debut novel on March 6, 2017, at San Francisco International Airport, because I couldn’t bear the thought of dying in a plane crash without having at least published one book.
I didn’t tell anyone about it, and I didn’t magically sell any books overnight. It took me almost three months to tell my friends I published a book, and only then did I start promoting it—lightly. I made some sales, but nothing particularly remarkable.
The biggest success to date was when I made my novel available for free and it hit #34 in my genre on Amazon. But best of all, it brought fellow romance author Lynn Turner into my life.
Sharing this journey with someone I admire not only made it more fun but also taught me the value of having an accountability partner (or on a larger scale, a supportive community).
2018 was one of my worst years, bringing a lot of illness and loss not only to me but also my family and friends. On top of it, I got severely homesick for the first time in my life. Eventually, I ran out of energy and willpower.
I still managed to drag myself forward by the gums of my teeth for another six months—which is nothing to brag about, but shows you how determined I am. Toward the end, I couldn’t breathe anymore without medication. And, as they say, something had to give.
I started my very own Self-Care/Self-Development Experiment in mid-August 2018, with the help of my little sister. She was visiting for a few weeks at the time and became both my accountability partner and sounding board.
I strongly believe that the right books will find you, and so it happened that I stumbled upon Julia Cameron’s The Complete Artist’s Way, probably the heaviest book I’ve ever held in my hands. And also the most life-changing.
The Artist’s Way in combination with all the things I’ve tried as part of my experiment really shook something loose. My breathing problem disappeared within a few days, and by Day 4 I no longer needed any medication at all.
By the end of 2018, I felt so much more calm, optimistic, and full of ideas, that I decided to make my experiment public, so others can benefit from it as well. Hence, The Bold + Balanced Life was born.
If a skeptic like me can do it, so can everyone else who has a willingness to change their life one day at a time. But this willingness to change is key. You need to know why you’re doing this, and you need to remind yourself of it constantly, because there will be roadblocks, and you need to keep going anyway.
Putting myself out there is far past my comfort zone, but I want to build and be part of a supportive community, and people usually don’t just conveniently appear at your doorstep.
In 2019, I started teaching other creatives how they can shift their mindset to realize their wildest dreams. I watched their renewed energy and creativity flow too!
I have since made a commitment to dedicate the rest of my professional life to helping other writers, artists, and creative professionals break through their inner blocks, regain their confidence, and overcome their fears so they can take the actions that will make them accomplish their goals.
In July 2019, I created Your Bold+Balanced Life, a 12-week one-on-one coaching program where I help you create a life you love.
xo Alex
Although I will give you the techniques and assignments that life coaches commonly use, I take a holistic approach to helping you live your boldest, most balanced life. I work on your mindset, your overall wellbeing, help you identify and plug your energy leaks, get organized (both mentally and if necessary in your physical environment) and help you create a sustainable routine so you can accomplish your goals with ease. The best part is the system you will learn is repeatable and transferable and will help you reach any goal in life.
What that means to you is that you get a knowledgeable kick-butt book coach who will always give you a straight-to-the point response. You may not always like what I have to tell you but you can be sure I will always tell you the truth—the truth about what’s standing in your way and how to get rid of it FAST so you can live a life you truly love. And I throw in a healthy dose of humor and inspiration, which always helps!
Here are some of the results you can expect:
– Have big breakthroughs and ah-ha moments
– Health benefits, living stress-free
– Anxiety dissipates and peace and calm sets in
– Creating new standards for yourself
– Renew your energy and learn self-care
– Reaching for your passions in life
– Set goals and reach them
– Feel empowered and at ease
– Be kind with yourself
– Break out in creativity
– Raise your self-esteem and self confidence
– Improve your relationships (even the most intense ones that normally trigger you)
– Develop more compassion for yourself and others
– Be clear, concise and honest in your communication
– Create healthy boundaries
– End the drama cycles and patterns
– Have more ease and grace in your life
– Connect with your intuition
– Re-write your story
– Truly love the version of yourself that shows up to live a bold, balanced life.
I created my Your Bold+Balanced Life program for people who are absolutely serious about living their boldest, most balanced life. This means not running around all day long, beating yourself up saying: “I don’t know where to start. I don’t think I’m good enough. I never have enough time for myself!” I created this program for you to put systems in place that lead you to more confidence and ease.
Working with me means you will be expected to take serious and consistent action. No excuses anymore, just a different way of thinking and full support while you go through this incredibly exciting transformation.
Please know I’m very selective in who I work with and I prescreen potential clients to make sure we’re a great match. Here’s what I expect from everyone I work with:
If you aren’t ready to work with me yet, that’s ok, I also offer a lot of free content and advice in my newsletter, my Facebook group and over on my blog. The free information will give you a lot to think about until you’re ready to work with me one-on-one. When you’re ready, call me and we’ll get you started. (I’m in no rush and will be here when you need me.)
Living your boldest, most balanced life begins with shifting your mindset. In this intensive 3-month coaching program, I’ll help you get energized, clear-headed, and excited about creating a life you truly love.
We’ll identify your energy leaks and create a sustainable routine that helps you accomplish your goals.
You’ll also learn to manage your time effectively and you’ll have me at your side to make the process easier, faster, and more fun.
Here is what my system gets you to do:
1. Get clear about your goal and set your intentions
We examine where you are at in your life and get clear about your intentions, what you want to accomplish and by when. This includes getting clarity on what exactly your goals and milestones are, and what’s been standing in your way.
2. Develop a plan on how exactly you’re going to accomplish your goal
This includes the actions you will take each week, continuous check-ins to hold you accountable, and addressing any challenges you need to overcome to reach your goal. Every week we’ll assess your progress and make adjustments to your plan if necessary.
3. Release your inner resistance and self-sabotaging tendencies
You might already know what you need to be doing, yet you’re struggling with low energy, procrastination, feeling stuck or blocked. I will teach you proven techniques for breaking through the inner resistance, self-doubt and fear that keep you from living the life you want.
4. Feel empowered and at ease
Life doesn’t have to be hectic, overwhelming or a constant struggle. We’ll work on your beliefs because they are the hidden scripts that run our lives. You’ll learn strategies that help you regain your confidence and calm.
What’s included, how long does it take, and how much does it cost?
I’m here to support you every step of the way.
Your investment: $3,000 USD (or 3 monthly payments of $1,150 USD)
People I won’t work with (without exception!) are the whiner or the chronic skeptic, as well as individuals who constantly make excuses for not getting their assignments done or challenging every aspect of the program. If you are one of these people, I gently and respectfully ask that you not call and I hope you understand why. We’ll probably just not work well together and I wouldn’t want you to waste your time or money.
Do all of your homework. Be totally committed to your success. Understand that this is a process, a proven one, that works if you take consistent action. Everyone I’ve worked with who has diligently applied every step has made a lot of progress in much less time than they would have on their own.
Yes, I encourage you to! Please go to the Testimonials page and read all of them. See which ones you feel drawn to, either because the person has gotten the results you want to get too, or perhaps because that person is in a similar situation. Then feel free to email or call them and ask what they got from working with me.
Yes, I’d love to get on the phone with you! Please schedule a free consultation. I can’t wait to work with you and I’m honored to be the one to help you. Let’s do this!