My Path to Coaching
If there’s one thing life has taught me, it’s that purpose often grows quietly — in the middle of real life, not on the edges of it. I’m Amye, the coach behind Empowered Living, and my path here wasn’t a straight line. It was shaped by a 25-year corporate career, a son who changed my view of the world, and a thousand small moments of learning, adjusting, and rediscovering who I am. This is the story of how my life — in all its beauty, challenges, and lessons — became the foundation for the work I do today.
If you had told me 28 years ago when I graduated college that I would eventually find my way to life coaching, I probably would’ve laughed. I fully expected a straightforward corporate career. I earned my MBA, stepped confidently into the retirement plan consulting field, and assumed I would simply move in a neat, upward line through my firm’s career ladder. And for a while, that’s exactly what happened. I gained skills I still treasure today — problem-solving, planning for the future, supporting clients through important decisions. And then my world shifted with three simple words.
By the time my son Collier was almost six, he already carried several diagnoses: low muscle tone, sensory processing disorder, and apraxia of speech. But we knew those alone didn’t explain everything we were seeing. So on April 1, 2013 (yes, April Fools’ Day), we found ourselves at yet another assessment, this time at Glenwood Behavioral Health. Later that afternoon, as the psychologist handed me her letter and findings, she began, “Based on our sessions, I have diagnosed Collier with Pervasive Developmental Disorder—Not Otherwise Specified.” I’m sure the look on my face said everything, because she paused and added gently, “That is an autism spectrum diagnosis.” And in that moment, one sentence reframed our entire world.
Everything shifts when a moment like that enters your life. I stepped away from the corporate world to focus on therapies, appointments, and supporting Collier in every way we could. Trust me when I say that wasn’t easy — especially with my husband working as a high school teacher at the time. But over the next few years, we learned how to build a life around what Collier needed most. We became experts in scheduling, advocates in every room we walked into, and partners determined to stay connected even when the days were exhausting. We worked hard to support our son while also protecting our marriage and creating a home where all three of us felt grounded, encouraged, and loved.
After Collier started school, I slowly found my way back into the corporate world. I landed a part-time, work-from-home position in the retirement plan field, and my husband transitioned into a professor role at our local community college. For a little while, life began to look “normal” again — a dual-career family, a mom volunteering at school, and a sweet elementary-aged boy finding his place in the world. But just as we settled into that rhythm, life had another unexpected turn waiting for us.
It quickly became clear that public school wasn’t where Collier needed to be. We tried a self-contained classroom, but he wasn’t being challenged in the ways he needed. We then moved him into a regular education classroom, and while he was absolutely capable of learning everything the other kids were learning, he did it at his own unique pace. And with tight learning objective timelines, he simply couldn’t keep up in that environment. One night, after crying so hard I could barely breathe, my husband and I made a decision that terrified us both — we would homeschool.
Pretty soon, we realized that the idea of homeschooling had been far scarier than the reality. I’ve always loved school and learning, and my husband was a teacher — so we transitioned into a homeschooling family more smoothly than we expected. I was still working part-time, so it quickly became a family affair. My husband, my parents, and I all shared the homeschooling responsibilities, creating a wonderfully rich, multi-generational learning environment. Collier thrived in it, and our “new normal” became a version of family life that felt absolutely right for us.
And here we are, eight years later. Collier is a senior (I still can’t quite believe it) and will be graduating soon. We’re all thinking about what the next chapter of his life will look like, but for now, we’re simply proud — proud of how far he’s come, proud of the work we’ve all done together, and grateful for the chance to pause and celebrate the incredible progress he’s made. And then there’s me.
As Collier moves toward his next chapter, I’ve felt a quiet shift happening in myself as well. For the first time, it feels like the timing is right to take everything I’ve learned — from the corporate world, from years of homeschooling, and from being a special needs mom — and use it to support others. As I head quickly toward 50, I’ve found a confidence and determination that only comes with experience and age. I know what it feels like to navigate uncertainty, reshape your identity, and rebuild your path more than once. And now, helping other people rediscover their confidence, clarity, and direction during their own life transitions has become my passion. It feels like the work I was meant to grow into.
This is the heart of Empowered Living. It’s a place where you can feel supported, seen, and capable — no matter what season of life you’re in. A place to pause, to breathe, and to imagine a new direction for your future. A space to reinvent what you want your life to look like and gain clarity about the purpose that’s been waiting beneath the surface. If you’re ready to take the next step toward a life that feels aligned and intentional, I’d love to walk that journey with you.
