Today we’d like to introduce you to Yana Dashevsky.
Hi Yana, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born in Uzbekistan and moved to Atlanta, GA when I was seven years old. I attended GSU and received my bachelor’s in Middle Eastern Studies. After graduating, I moved to Jerusalem with hopes to work in politics on the peace process in the Middle East. However, upon moving to Jerusalem, I realized that more then peace, people (especially in politics) wanted to be right.
Somewhat disheartened by the reality I saw living in Jerusalem and within the political world, I decided to move to NYC where I worked for non-profits in Brooklyn and the Upper West Side. After some time in this circuit, I realized two things, first – New York City was not for me as I deeply craved more nature and peaceful environments, and two I truly wanted to work with people in a more individualized way, rather then in an organizational setting. However, I had no clue what that would look like.
After New York, I came back to Atlanta for a year and found myself bartending while trying to figure out my next steps. My best friend from collage was originally from Maui, and I took a vacation there this year, it was my second time visiting and I absolutely fell in love with the island. To make a long story short, six months later I found myself moving there where I ended up living for seven years and working my way up in the service industry, learning to surf, spending lots of time in nature and genuinely enjoying exploring and learning about the local culture, the connection to Mother Nature, and a slower, easier and more mindful way of life.
About five years into my stay on Maui, having achieved a great career in the service industry, I found myself working 20 hours a week, making great money, with lots of time to play in nature, and feeling quite depressed most days. I had lost my passion, wasn’t sure of my purpose. Overall I felt like I had so much more I wanted to give to humanity and that I wasn’t utilizing my skills to my fullest ability.
This discomfort led me to start thinking about a total career switch, however, I had no clue what that could be. So I hired a life coach to help me figure out my passion, purpose and raison d’être. This is how I fell involved with coaching, it was absolutely everything I have ever wanted in a career. Working with people individually, to help them achieve their own goals while leading a life filled with joy, passion and purpose. So I got certified as a coach myself through a coach certification program by Tony Robbins and Cloé Madanes in the winter of 2019.
In 2020, my grandparent’s health started to rapidly decline. My mom, who was working full time was their main caretaker, and I found myself, longing to come back home to Atlanta, to be closer to family, and help my mom with caring for my grandparents. I made the move back to Atlanta in early 2021 and have been back here for the past year and a half, truly enjoying my time with family, and expanding my coaching business in our beautiful city.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Definitely not, however, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I truly believe that challenges in my life are the foundation which helped me become the woman I am today.
One of my biggest struggles on my path was the depression I lived with so many years, that I know began far before I moved to Maui. Although I was always functioning well, and from the outside, you might have never know the severity of the sadness I was experiencing inside, I found myself feeling quite miserable, quite often.
I tried therapy several times in my past however, it just didn’t seem to help me. I had a very hard time on prescription medicine that was supposed to help me with my depression and chose not to take it in the long run. After some time, I found myself overdrinking a lot to soothe my pain.
Life coaching was the first wellness modality I discovered in my own life, that did not label or diagnose me. Rather my coach taught me about my mind-body connection, how to manage my mind and how to regulate my nervous system. I have always been a very independent person and it was as if my coach was giving me the keys to get myself out of my own depression by teaching me the tools and techniques I now teach my own clients.
I also truly believe that when we are not in alignment with our true potential when we are not living a life that is authentic to ourselves when we do not feel like we are fulfilling our own purpose, there is a heaviness that we experience in life. So much shifted for me when I decided to pursue a career as a coach, which allows me daily to fill my own inner void and desire to be of service to humanity in an intimate and personalized way.
Another huge challenge is entrepreneurship. Before launching my coaching business, I tried to launch two other businesses in the past. A catering business and an underwater photography business while living on Maui. Running and launching your own business is definitely not for everyone, however, I have always been a very independent person and always felt a calling toward entrepreneurship.
My first two businesses did not last, because my “why”, my reason for launching them wasn’t strong enough. The catering business was great financially but did not feel at all like my authentic calling. The photography business was fun, however, it was more of a hobby.
Launching my coaching business has been completely different. It’s not about the money. It’s definitely not a hobby. It truly is me answering my soul calling and stepping into my purpose and passion to be of service to others in a way that is authentic to me. It also hasn’t been easy. At the beginning of my business, every month was financially unpredictable. I am constantly learning about marketing and branding which is almost a second career at this point. There are lots of times when I had to say no to travels, trips and adventures so I could re-invest my time and finances back into my business.
However, every single step of the way has been worth it. It still is. Watching my clients get results and step into lives they only imagined were possible for them is what keeps me going every single day. Helping others repair their relationships with their families, find meaningful work that sets their souls on fire, pursue goals like kayaking class 4 rapids and simply enjoy and appreciate their relationship with themselves is what I live for these days, making every challenge so worth the rewards.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
As a life coach, I work with functioning individuals, to help them gain greater fulfillment in their lives. For each of us, this looks different, for some it’s mending our relationships with our family and partners, for some it’s switching careers, for others is creating and achieving goals that push us to our physical capacity.
I am a general life coach, so I help people with all areas of their lives. However, my niche as a coach is to help clients step into their soul purpose. I am definitely a spiritual person and bring my spirituality into my work as a coach, which helps my clients access and develop a strong relationship with their own intuition and soul calling.
There are many tools in my toolbox as a life coach however, I take three main approaches with my clients. The first is goal setting and accountability. Secondly, I have an array of mindset tools to help my clients manage their thoughts and establish a generally positive mindset. A unique aspect of my own work, which I know comes from my own intuitive abilities is the somatic and meditative work I do with my clients. From deep guided meditations to inner child work, I utilize my spiritual gifts to help my clients regulate their nervous system by releasing and working through trauma that they may not even know is affecting their lives on a subconscious level.
I know my mom didn’t intend for this to happen as she named in Russian, however in English, my name happens to be an acronym and the story of my life in many ways. Y.A.N.A = You Are Not Alone.
Most of my life, I felt like I did not belong, I felt the weight of loneliness, even though I had a great family, was surrounded by incredible friends and successful in my previous careers.
Today, as a life coach, this is my biggest goal. To cure the world of loneliness, one soul at a time. As a coach, I am my client’s biggest ally. Kind of like their own personal cheerleader. I believe so deeply in people, I see their innate worth independent of their accomplishments and I absolutely love walking my clients home to themselves, and their true purpose and calling in their own lives, whatever that may be for them.
I truly believe that we all have our own unique mission and purpose in life and by exploring our passion and talents, we can discover our way towards a life filled with meaning. When we do this work, we will never feel alone a day in our lives. We become our own biggest allies, And through this powerful relationship with ourselves, we all have the capacity to make this world a better place for the collective.
What were you like growing up?
I was an extremely curious and inquisitive child. I loved nature, playing outside, exploring the woods behind our house and spending time at the beach. I was always full of questions. My uncle often tells me stories about how I would ask why over and over again as to try and understand why people did the things they did.
I was also very empathic and caring. My grandmother often relates to me, how even as a young child, maybe 2 or 3 years old, that I always knew when she wasn’t feeling her best. When she had a bad day at work or got into an argument with my grandfather, as much as she would try to hide it, I would just know something was off and spend extra time near her, giving her hugs, telling her I loved her or how nice she looked that day.
I also always loved music, and although I tried to learn to play guitar in middle and high school, it was actually listening to music and dancing that really sparked my joy.
Contact Info:
- Website: youarenotalonecoaching.com
- Instagram: @youarenotalone_coaching
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yanamana27
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbXByRVYDlcYn4KqDBBHj1w
Image Credits
Deacon McMillon
