A Reintroduction Rooted in Wonder
Today I am delighted to be able to share this updated website with my present and future community. It has been a labor of love and a gift of transformation to arrive at this moment. Thank you for spending some time with me here.
Nearly one year ago I began a process of deepening into the roots of my coaching and consulting practice, This is Meha, and reimagining its expression. I hadn’t given much intentional thought to my “brand” when I started my practice four years ago. Though I always tried to express myself visually and verbally in ways that felt authentic, I didn’t feel the creative capacity to give more thought or energy to a cohesive brand identity beyond how I strived to show up in the work I do. In many ways, my brand felt like it lived in my body and practice already. I just didn’t have the words for it yet.
So in late 2022 when I felt some financial spaciousness, I let myself get curious again about my “brand” and how I was sharing what I do with the world. Through the beauty of queer community, I connected with the talented and fabulous Sergio Garrido-Ramirez to begin a rebranding journey that took me on an unexpected ride. Through it all, this journey gave both me and my website a pretty lovely glow up if I do say so myself.
I’d describe my rebranding journey in three phases:
I got clear on my “why”
I let myself be seen
I took my damn time!
In this blog post, I’ll share a little more on phase one and how I connected to my “why”: to witness wonder. More on phases two and three to come in future blog posts.
Rebranding Phase 1: I got clear on my “why”
My initial work with Sergio was about landing on a simple and concise brand identity statement that could serve as an anchor to my work, my new website, and my way of being. A brand identity statement consists of two components:
Who am I?
What’s my why?
Sergio’s brand identity statement is “I’m a Creative Magician” (who they are) “partnering with artists, entrepreneurs and creatives in bringing their visions to life” (their why). Beautiful, right? Simple as these questions may seem, the process to answer them fully and honestly sent me into a minor tailspin.
We started with seeking out my “why” by understanding the work I have done and where I feel most alive and aligned. It was hard to land on a singular professional title or target audience to describe my work. I’ve worn many different professional hats while working with many different types of folks, and I could see my work continuing to take many different shapes and forms in the future. Exploring my “why” through this route, I generated a long list of past work and future possibilities where it was difficult to see a concise common “why” right away.
As I made my way through the messy thoughts with Sergio, witnessing and wondering emerged. I’ve often identified my greatest strengths in moments of resistance, struggle, and moving through tension and conflict (Hi! Double fire sign here, nice to meet you.), so it surprised me to land so contentedly on two practices and ways of being that felt so light. I realized that even though I feel well-resourced in the fiery energy of transformation and change, witnessing and wondering are core ways of being in those moments that allow me to show up rooted enough to sustain the work that needs to be done there.
My greatest joy is in being able to be a witness in the messy processes and beautiful moments that emerge when we choose to be in struggle around the things that matter most. When I see a coach partner set a boundary, take a step, or make a choice that creates a little more room for themselves to be as they aspire to be, I am overjoyed. When I see an organization be willing to let go of “the way things have been” and move into the difficult and possibility-filled work of reimagining, I’m ready to be alongside them. When I see queer and trans folx of color turning towards each other in the midst of relentless violence and grief, I feel honored to hold space for them (us) to be in it. A dear friend once greeted her grandmother with “It’s good to see you!”, and grandma responded with “Baby, it’s good to be seen.” Isn’t it, though?
Wondering encompasses both the surprise and reverence when we encounter something/ someone incredible to us and the spirit of curiosity that allows us to know something/someone deeply. Wondering has moved me through stuckness into flow and creativity. Wondering has helped me see possibility for something new to be birthed in even the most deeply entrenched patterns, institutions, and systems. Wondering has helped me stay alive, present, and engaged in the midst of chaos and devastation. Wondering has allowed me to love myself and others deeply, holding the ways we are both flawed and magnificent all at once.
Landing at “to witness wonder” as my “why” felt like a great relief and guiding light. Then came the next question: “who are you?” Initially, I felt lost and overwhelmed all over again, but supported by a steady and skilled partner through this next messy exploration I arrived at my brand identity statement:
I am an embodied seer who is out to witness wonder
This statement has guided my work to express who I am and what I do, both here on this website and beyond. It has also helped me stay connected to my core values and greatest gifts in the midst of different projects, partners, and phases of my practice. I can remember myself as a child, a living expression of this statement. I can imagine myself as an elder still guided by this statement. In moments when I feel lost, overwhelmed, or stretched too thin, I return to this statement to ground me and help me see a way forward.
So welcome, or welcome back, to this virtual expression of me and thank you for witnessing my journey. Now here’s my invitation to you…
An invitation to reflect:
What is your “why”?
How do you seek to show up in the world?
What nourishes you in this world?
How are you honoring your “why” in your work and life?
How might you deepen your connection to your “why”, even in small ways in your day to day life?