Have I properly introduced myself?

I’m Trudy Gebhard, a small-town girl from Montana, living in Wisconsin, Mom to John Michael and Will (yes, they are adults but I’ll forever be their Momma), wife to John, retired athletic club owner (of 34 years), and, a business and mindset coach.

I have forever been a learner.  Before we sold our club, I was all about a good Excel spreadsheet or Access database.  In business, I am well know for my eye to detail, my systemization of EVERYTHING, and my deep belief that there is always a better way to do something. 

In life, I am a life-long learner, always striving to do and be my best.

Much of the compassion and wisdom I bring to my coaching comes from a very rocky journey raising my sons.  I am a Mom of sons who never took the expected path, who metaphorically aimed their 80 mile an hour car at a brick wall when it came listening to advice or making choices.  There is not a holiday or expected life celebration that has not been damaged or frankly left in pieces.

As a result of these almost 2 decades of chaos, I developed a deep sense of mistaken responsibility.  I’ll just come out and spill, I thought I was a horrible Mom and that the choices of my sons fell on my shoulders.  It was a deepest belief and secret from all who knew me.  I was forever trying to do better, set a boundary, smooth over an argument, heal our family.

When we sold our family business in 2019, all the ways of proving to myself that I had value disappeared.  You see, I realized that I had used my role in our business to prove, prove, prove that I was good enough.  I didn’t know it then of course, but looking back now I can easily see it.  So I went from 115 employees and thousands of members to me, alone, at home.

In that instant, everything changed….

But, being that life-long learner, I embarked on a journey to come to terms with ALL the pieces of me, the ones I liked and the ones I hid.  Through this journey of healing, I learned. 

I learned how to believe in myself, to extend grace to myself. 

I learned how to see and hear self-doubt, but not believe it.

I learned that I didn’t want to set goals because of that very harsh woman that lived in my head.  She would remind me that I didn’t do it perfectly, and that I should just not try. 

I learned how to be my own best friend. 

I learned how to lean into my successes, each step celebrated for what it is, a step in the direction of who I want to be.

And, now I have the honor of walking beside those who want more from their life, who want to be and do their best in all the arenas of their life. 

It is an honor I take deep pride in.  In serving my clients, I am extending a big thank you to God for beginning to restore our family and heal my heart.