Today we’d like to introduce you to Tonya O’Neill.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
This all started for me a few years ago. I looked like I had a perfect life on the outside but behind closed doors, it was far from perfect. My life seemed so great to others but inside I felt empty and lost. I was stressed and always tired. I was very unhealthy and was constantly yo-yo dieting and then binge eating. I was working so hard at my 9 to 5 job as a Business Assistant in Dentistry but wasn’t seeing any growth in my career. It was barely making ends meet. I just couldn’t seem to find balance in my life at all. Somewhere along the way, I had lost myself. I realized that I was having a quarter of a life crisis. When I spoke to friends and family about how I was struggling, they could all relate but would tell me that is how life goes. I started to accept what everyone around me was saying and I slowly sunk into an all-time low. I was completely miserable. I was reflecting it towards my husband, my kids, and it was even affecting my job.
I found myself wondering if living a healthy life of success and happiness was even an option for me. However, I had this deep burning desire inside of me that there was more to life than what I was living. I just had no idea how to get there. So, I invested in a high-level coach and she taught me mindset work and how to incorporate a healthy lifestyle in my busy schedule. She also taught me how to focus on my strengths rather than my weaknesses. I was introduced to personal development and from there I completely flipped my life around. Working with my coach was life changing! Now, I am super passionate about coaching and want to share it with everyone!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been a hard journey for sure. However, totally worth it and very rewarding! I love my career and didn’t want to quit but I also wanted to build a coaching business of my own. I decided that I was capable of doing both. This has required a lot of focused energy and time. There have been growing pains along the way. I have struggled with uncertainty and limiting beliefs. I also didn’t have many people close to me who understood what I was doing. They couldn’t wrap their heads around why I would want to move up the ladder in my career and start a business if I didn’t have to. As I continued to show up every single day and started to build momentum, that is when I moved up the ladder and when my side business started to take off. People are now starting to understand. They are asking me how I am doing it instead of why.
My advice for young women starting a new journey is to do the inner work first and then show up every single day. This inner work could be reading personal development, exercise or moving in some way, eating foods that fuel your body, or journaling through those limiting beliefs. When you start working on yourself, everything else magically falls into place. Then, just consistently show up every day. Success is created by the compound effect. It is not overnight. It takes grit and hard work. I believe you are capable of whatever your heart desires. If your heart is in it, then you know you are headed in the right direction.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I am currently an Office Manager in Pediatric Dentistry. We are a private practice based out of Canton, Ga. We are considered a Mom & Pop practice because it is a husband and wife duo. Family is what brought them into dentistry and family is what continues to define our practice. Through relationship-based dentistry, our team is committed to caring for every child as if they were our own! Building relationships with our patients & parents and teaching children to love going to the dentist is what sets us apart.
I also launched my coaching business, TonyaLyn, in 2018. This is where I virtually coach women how to become leaders in their lives and career through wellness and leadership training. I believe we are all leaders in some way, it’s just some of us are better at it than others. However, I truly think it’s a skill that anyone can learn and always improve in. I started this coaching business based on my own journey. Coaching propelled me forward quickly in life. It would have taken me several years to get to where I am had I not worked with my coach. I also saw a huge need for wellness and leadership coaching among young women, my peers, and in my industry.
I think what sets me apart is my vulnerability and that I am relatable. You can find me on my Instagram page, @tonyalyn_, sharing my lifestyle and struggles. I am an open book when it comes to what I have gone through or what I am currently facing. I am only just a few steps in front of the women I am coaching so they can relate to what I am sharing. I also understand their situations and what they are going through on a deeper level.
What do you feel are the biggest barriers today to female leadership, in your industry or generally?
I think one of the biggest barriers to female leadership are the expectations and assumptions that society has on women. I feel as if people misjudge female leadership roles which make it harder to achieve. Women are often times not taken as serious in these positions or seen as “too intense”, bitchy, or masculine. For instance, when I decided I was going to continue to work and build my own business after my second child was born, people were so confused on why I didn’t want to be a stay at home Mom. It literally blew their minds that I enjoy work. Of course, I love my kids but I also love to work. I want to lead by example and show my kids what a good work ethic looks like and what it looks like to build something of your own. Leadership is a gift for everyone and I don’t think people understand that.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.tonyalyn.com
- Email: tonyalynoneill@gmail.com
- Instagram: @tonyalyn_
Image Credit:
Sarah Woods, Courtney Krokey
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