Hi,
My name is Antonia.
I’m a life coach, motivational speaker and writer.
Above all, I’m an eternal optimist in helping you turn your life into your message to the world.
Today, I want to open up about myself and be real with you.
I was raised in a dysfunctional home by Italian parents who immigrated to Canada. My siblings and I endured years of physical and emotional abuse from our father’s gambling addiction and our mother’s demands to protect the image of a picture-perfect family.
I spent many lonely days and nights feeling as an outcast from society. When I had to quit college to get a full time job to help support my family, I believed I had missed the train on ever having a life true to myself and convinced myself that I’d forever be a victim of my past. Then, I met Pascal (my husband). He made me feel I had something of value to offer. But, I didn’t know what.
Then, four months before my wedding, my father—the man I blamed for my sufferings—had a major heart attack. During the time I visited him at the hospital, the unimaginable happened: I forgave him. My life took a major detour. And most importantly, I realized that my past did not define me or the life I lived.
After Pascal and I got married, I ventured on getting a job in a big corporation with my small baggage of education. I started at an entry level as an online representative and moved up to a management’s position. I helped employees alleviate their fears and insecurities to reaching their full potential. They went on to win numerous awards for achievements beyond their daily tasks and got promoted to various management positions.
This is when I realized that my life story had given me everything I needed to learn about what it meant to create a meaningful life and make a difference in someone’s life. After ten years, my drive to learn was no longer satisfied within the confinement of my corporate 9-5 job.
Could I still thrive in my life despite facing the most challenging circumstances?
I had to find out.
So, on September 11, 2011—at forty three years old—I took a one way plane ticket with my husband to South America and started my online coaching business. The local culture and language was so far away from what I knew. Mistakes and setbacks were piling up. But as painful as it was, this pain made me feel alive. I dedicated myself full time for 3 months to learn Spanish. I also started trekking and hiking in remote canyons, mountains and forests across South America; I reconnected with myself. Nature became my best teacher.
I lived in the Amazon with no electricity and no hot water; it taught me to appreciate beauty in the simplest tasks of daily life and accept the unexpected of each day. I called home where I was living; while working in unprivileged neighborhoods in Argentina, Ecuador, Colombia and Nicaragua, I understood fully my responsibility to others and the world.
For so long I had thought I didn’t matter because I didn’t have a University degree. When I let my story matter, I gained a higher life education that no degree could have ever taught me. All of which helped my coaching business to flourish and open opportunities beyond anything I could imagine. I now give motivational conferences in Spanish across Colombia.
That’s when true beauty revealed itself; I understood that people who are truly happy—living a life fueled by meaning—bring their whole self in all aspects of their life and master the lessons from everything life throws at them.
And this is where YOU come in.
My work—and this website—is dedicated to help you learn who you can truly be, and stop carrying the weight of your past. I do this here on my blog, via my book and my conferences. In my one-on- one coaching sessions, we take a journey together in recognizing, understanding and facing your own hidden fears.
Whether you want to make a big change in your career or in your personal life, I’m here to walk you through taking your first steps towards living a life you truly love.
Your own life story is teaching you something big; something special about you. You are a part of this beautiful world around us; your story matters. Your message matters! You must dive into your fears and your strengths, and bring your full attention and all your heart into making it happen.
I’m no guru. I still make mistakes and face challenges while striving to learn something new every day. But my commitment is to give you all I have come to know from both my professional and personal life. I open my heart as a mirror to help you look at your own situation and use it as an ally to live a meaningful life.
This is my mantra and I put all my heart into this. I’m a perfect example that your dreams don’t have an expiry date. If you feel scared right now, it’s a good sign. Something deep inside is calling out to you. I believe you were meant to do the things that scare you, so you can tap into your creative potential. Don’t ignore it. Start being the author of your life story today and bring your message out into the world.
I’m thrilled you’ve read this far and hope we stay connected. I wish you an amazing journey. Let’s walk it together.