Having experienced anxiety, depression and an eating disorder, Kayla Pickering taught herself to heal and be happy again. She set out on a journey to share her tools, knowledge and personal experiences with others, to help them through their struggles. At Fearless Sunflowers she helps support women through the many transitions of motherhood.
The passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
Doing what I do was not something I planned. After doing a lot of work on myself for five years and healing myself from anxiety, depression and an eating disorder, I had many tools to share with the world. The old me didn’t want to be here and hated everything about myself. I realised that nothing would feel enough until I felt enough. After I changed my life, I started helping people just because it made me happy and I loved watching people feel their best. When I found my soul’s calling, I gained incredible mentors and more experience in mental health. After years of helping people, I decided it was time to give this everything I had and not just be something on the side. For me to do this full time so I could help more people. I moved across the world to Australia with the mission of lowering male suicide. Once I became a mother, I went through a massive transition. I understood things I did not understand and that is when I realised during this time, that I am here to help women and teens. I had always worked with mostly women, but I realised mothers need help through the transitions. When you become a mother, you are giving birth to your child but there is also the birth of YOU! I am here to support you through it all.
The launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
I started out just sending love on Instagram. I shared my journey of healing myself with others. People watched my growth and transitions. People just blew up my inbox pouring their hearts out. Some told me they had been following for a year or two until they reached out. I found myself at all times of the day on the phone with people from all around the world. I was helping them. I was seeing them and holding space for them. I did not charge them anything, I just listened and guided them on their journey of life – from experience, training and mostly intuition. It was not a business, just me seeing people and helping them where they needed it. Boosting their confidence or giving them hope to want to live more days on this earth. I then created a coaching program and website and decided, let’s do this. For my first coaching client, I charged her $50 for a four-week program. I had done the coaching for years, but this was the first time I actually called myself a coach and made it more official.
The innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
I had a client who had no will to want to live. She hated herself, her life and never felt enough. After our program together, she told me that for the first time she loved herself. She was happy and wanted to be here. That for me was everything and priceless. What fuels me more than anything is watching people grow and seeing them loving this life we are all in together. This was two years ago and it’s incredible to watch her thrive in life. I actually have the video on YouTube of me crying because it brought me so much joy working with her.
(I had permission of course to share her story and post the video on YouTube)
