[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Canadian trainer, wellness and lifestyle coach, Eva Redpath, has launched The Collective; a virtual meeting place for women to connect, share and grow throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Co-Active® life coach, dedicated to helping her clients achieve personal transformations, has pivoted her business to open her expertise and network to women looking to invest in self improvement during the pandemic. A natural extrovert herself, Redpath noticed and empathized with women, who like herself, began to feel cut off physically and mentally from the daily routines that stimulate growth. 

“I created The Collective in an effort to be in service and create a community in these unprecedented times,” said Redpath, “The online community meets Saturdays from 8:00-9:00pm for FREE on Zoom.” 

The free network builds community, confidence and purpose, something that Redpath says was missing in the early stages of her career. As a theme of rejection began to form she re-evaluated her goals and focused on building a career around what made her happy. 

“At 25 years, old my entrepreneurial journey began in the world of fitness. Using rejection as the fuel in my fire and a trust in my talent, I believed I could. From there, I launched a women’s fitness business, transformational retreat business, hosted fundraisers and built a community of women 10 years strong,” said Redpath.

As thousands of business women consider a change in career path themselves, The Collective offers a community of mentorship to help entrepreneurs at any stage consider what is next. 

“The Collective is a sacred space for women to connect, grow, and celebrate. Each hour-long session includes mindfulness moments, guest speakers, giveaways and more,” said Redpath. 

For this week’s Women Who Lead spotlight, we spoke with Eva Redpath about making the best out of every negative and fuelling your work with your passion.[/vc_column_text][vc_text_separator title=”Q & A “][vc_single_image image=”17850″ img_size=”full”][vc_column_text]What is the purpose of The Collective and how do you hope it impacts women who tune in? What resources does it provide?

When we meet, we are able to focus on the here and now emotions that are coming in (good, bad and ugly). We observe those and process them collectively, which is much more powerful than on our own, using the connective piece as a means of healing all of us. I believe what we are co-creating, the connection to community and the special energy in our space, goes beyond this time. That’s why I called it The Collective, moderated and created by me, but shaped by the community. Bonded together in a time that none of us will forget.

What lessons is your life and career help you define what it means to be successful? 

Success is enjoying the journey and realizing that reaching a destination, or level of success, isn’t nearly as important as who you become in the process. 

What is a common theme you find in your practise when it comes to women who are trying to navigate change in their life and how do you advise them?

Self sabotage, limiting beliefs, and the voice of the saboteur. There will be obstacles and setbacks along the way. Distractions come at us, and they’re inside of us. The biggest obstacle we face, the only one we really ever need to overcome, is our minds and the limits we place on ourselves. This is what we call in the world of coaching, our saboteur. It’s French for sabotage, literally meaning “trying to cause failure”. Think about the voice of the saboteur as an inner critic. It’s particularly good at taking small pieces of the truth and fabricating it into a complicated self-limiting story – a reason for stopping! Or even worse, never even starting! 

This voice will tell you that you’re not good enough, not pretty enough, not smart enough, that the timing isn’t right, that you don’t have enough money, education, or resources to pull this off.  It will even have you comparing yourself to others. The bigger your dream is, the more you’ll hear these voices showing up. The antidote to this saboteur is your vision. Choose to look inside for the truth, as you’ll find it’s right there! 

What has your biggest failure taught you and what advice would you give to other women in business based on that time of turbulence?

There’s no failure, only feedback. I have learnt many lessons in my personal and professional life, and have used them as fuel in the direction of my dreams.

Hard times build resilience, the quality that enables people to move through hardship and become better. Resilient people are able to integrate hard experiences into their lives in a way that makes them better.

All of life’s highest highs and lowest lows made me who I am today. For me, resilience is a muscle, the more you flex it the stronger it gets, and it’s that thing that keeps you moving, even when you can’t see the finish line. The amazing thing is resilience is not a trait that people either have or do not have. It involves behaviours, thoughts, and actions that can be learned and developed in anyone.

What in your opinion should all female entrepreneurs and leaders instill in their daily lives to grow as disruptors in their respective fields? 

Maintaining a connection to their purpose and letting their vision lead their life is so important because it’s easy to lose sight of your goals amid the chaos of life and business. It’s a big part of what I do as a Co-Active coach; stretching your sightline, getting you out of your comfort zone and making sure that all of your decisions, in life and business, are aligned with your purpose and vision. 

What impact do you want to have on fellow women who lead?

I’ve been able to inspire (and lead) by creating a message out of a mess. To lead by example, hold space and champion women to be who they want to be, in order to create what they want to create. 

What piece of advice would you give all women in business?

Collaboration over competition.

When you think of collaboration instead of competition, the world will look a little different and you’ll begin to see opportunities all over the place. It’s so important to hold space for each other. Together, nothing is impossible, but if we are divided, all will fail. 

There’s an incredibly inspiring quote that summarizes it all; “If you want to go fast go alone, if you want to go far go together.”

What is your best piece of advice for your younger self or someone who is just starting their journey to self actualization? 

It takes resilience, resourcefulness and a relentless pursuit in the direction of our dreams that bring our vision to life. Do not lose connection to your purpose, you will get there.

Is there anything I haven’t asked that you would like to mention? 

This is a journey and, like I always say, do not judge your journey. We will come out the other side stronger and wiser. So, be patient with yourself and know that doing your best is succeeding. We are in this together and The Collective is ready to welcome you. May you be happy, healthy, safe and at ease![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]