Meet Paula Houlihan | Choice Management ™ Expert

We had the good fortune of connecting with Paula Houlihan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Paula, is there something you believe many others might not?

We are told we can’t have it all. That we have to choose between our success and our personal life. Or at best, that we can have it all, just not all at once. 

I disagree. I have found that you can have it all – what is important to you and all that you want in your life and in your business – now. You just can’t DO it all.

Because if you are busy doing everything, you won’t have the time or the energy to enjoy it.  Instead, you need to focus on what is within your strengths and what’s important to you while delegating or hiring out the rest.  Too many believe that if you just work hard enough and reach that next level of success, then someday you’ll be able to enjoy all that you’ve worked so hard to build.

Which is why most high achievers feel they have to wait for someday to enjoy their success. They’re too busy doing it all. Thinking they just need to manage their time better when what they really need is to manage their choices.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?

Helping others avoid burnout due to stress in the workplace is personal to me. Back in 2010 I was a corporate senior claims specialist in the insurance industry. I investigated, defended and negotiated high risk litigated cases. Like many high performers, I worked hard to achieve and maintain my success. I had it all, except the time and the energy to enjoy it. And like most, I believed that demanding schedules and stress were a part of what it meant to be successful.

I thought I just needed to manage my time better and achieve that next level of success. Then everything would finally fall into place. Until I received a life-changing medical diagnosis – adrenal crisis due to chronic stress. That’s when I realized that the choices I was making, about how I was using my time and energy, were literally killing me. Something had to change. But I had no idea how.

Recognizing the power that choice had on my life, I took some time to regain my health (which I did!) and reflect on what was truly important to me. Through that process, I discovered that I didn’t have to compromise my success to have time for my personal life.

I found the key to creating sustainable success is not how well we manage our time, it’s about how well we manage our choices. Now, through transformational presentations, executive coaching, and retreats I help high performers (especially women) avoid burnout, take back their time and enjoy their success AND the incredible lives they’ve built with my Choice Management™ System.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

We live in Steven’s Point, a small city in central Wisconsin. I think the best time to visit is in the summer when we can enjoy the many lakes and rivers in our area. There are several beaches, Sunset Lake is my favorite. The water is crystal clear. 

There are also fun opportunities for boating too. Waupaca is nearby with a beautiful chain of lakes where we can take a river cruise, go kayaking or just go tubing down the river. It’s a favorite tourist area in the summer months.

Our city offers a movie night outdoors in the city park on Thursday evenings and live music on the weekends. There is also live music in the neighboring towns/cities on the weekends.

Picnics, boating, long walks in the countryside, bicycling and just sitting on the deck watching the fire flies after the sun sets as we visit is a lovely way to pass the time. We can also do a campfire in our woods. Summer wouldn’t be summer without a campfire and s’mores.

There are also many wonderful restaurants to choose from and if you visit Wisconsin you have to have a fish fry on Friday. It’s a tradition here!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to give my shout out to Darren LaCroix and his Stage Time University. STU is a fabulous community and Darren and his coaches have provided fantastic support in growing my speaking business.

Website: www.paulahoulihan.com

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/paulahoulihan/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChcPvtbLz0OpAmCzjp975bQ

Image Credits
Certain photos from my photoshoot with Jennifer Brindley Photography can give image credits. Photographer credit requested when appropriate / available when any image is used: Jennifer Brindley Portrait or a linkback to www.jenniferbrindley.com or to Jennifer Brindley Portrait social media sites. [instagram: @jennbrindley | facebook @jenniferbrindleyportrait]