Empowering Millennials: Breaking Free from Limiting Beliefs

Most Valuable Lesson or Insight:

The most valuable lesson from this conversation is that true empowerment comes from breaking free from societal expectations and limiting beliefs, and instead, listening to your inner voice to create a life that aligns with your authentic self. Angela Gentile, an empowerment coach and podcast host, emphasizes the importance of self-reflection, mindfulness, and taking intentional steps to live a life you love, not one you feel you "should" live. Her Zen-Rage-Heal framework provides a practical guide for navigating personal and professional transformations.

Top 5 "Between the Lines" Lessons:

1. Self-awareness is the foundation of change: To break free from limiting beliefs, you must first get quiet, reflect, and understand what you truly want and need.

2. Mindfulness is a powerful tool: Practicing mindfulness helps you stay present, manage stress, and make decisions that align with your authentic self.

3. Community and support are essential: Surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals who support your growth can make the journey less daunting and more fulfilling.

4. Flexibility and adaptability are key: Life rarely goes as planned, and being open to change and uncertainty is crucial for long-term success and happiness.

5. Self-compassion is vital: Be kind to yourself throughout the process. Growth is not linear, and setbacks are part of the journey.

5 Actionable Steps:

1. Get quiet and reflect: Set aside time daily to check in with yourself. Ask, "How do I feel? What do I need? What do I want?"

2. Identify your limiting beliefs: Write down the beliefs or expectations that are holding you back. Challenge them by asking, "Is this true for me?"

3. Create a vision for your life: Visualize the life you want to live. What does it look like? What steps can you take to move closer to that vision?

4. Build a support network: Connect with people who inspire and support you. Join communities, attend events, or seek out a coach or mentor.

5. Take intentional action: Start small. Break your goals into manageable steps and take consistent action toward them. Celebrate your progress along the way.

Transcript:

Host:
Welcome to Business Chats, people! You know how it works—basically, I’m going to try to invite the person for a million years until she’s finally able to join. Today, we’re going to talk to Angela. She is an empowerment coach—an amazing one, by the way—and she is right here for the first time in ages. She’s also a podcast host with Account and Be Empowered Millennials. Let’s see if we can get her to join.

Angela:
Honestly, Instagram does this every single week. Every time I have the business chat, I keep trying to accept your request to join, and it never works.

Host:
It’s insane. How’s everyone doing?

Angela:
I know it’s saying that I joined, but can you see me?

Host:
I can’t. Honestly, I think it’s my Instagram. They have just... Oh, I just got a little message that says you cannot join for some reason.

Angela:
This happens every single week.

Host:
Every single week. I’m thinking about just starting to do the lives on TikTok because it’s like 10 minutes... Oh, there you are! We did it!

Angela:
Hey, that’s awesome! How are you?

Host:
I’m good. How are you?

Angela:
I’m great. Thank you so much for joining me. Oh my God, I love chatting with you. I think you’re amazing.

Host:
I think you’re amazing too. I love your energy. You’re always like a powerhouse. I don’t know where you get that from, but I need it.

Angela:
Sending it across the pond, my friend. Thank you!

Host:
So, can you tell us who you are and what it is that you do?

Angela:
Hi, everybody! My name is Angela Gentile. I am a single, childfree Millennial out here talking her truth, helping folks—especially Millennials—break free of limiting beliefs and limitations that we were kind of given as default operating systems. I help them bust through that so they start really honoring what’s true for them and live a life they love, not the one they feel they should. I do that through coaching, fitness, and my global podcast.

Host:
You have a lot on your plate right now.

Angela:
I have a million things, but I love it. I love it because I spent a lot of my life—my 20s and into my 30s—being miserable. So, what I get to do now, the life I’ve curated, is something that lights me up. It doesn’t feel draining or heavy.

Host:
I love that. I feel like that’s a universal situation with us Millennials. We spent most of our 20s trying to adapt to what people expected us to be and to do what everyone wanted us to do. It’s just time to woman up and do our thing.

Angela:
Yeah, a lot of what we were given as Millennials as tools in our toolbox are just outdated, antiquated, and unhelpful—especially for women. If we’re looking to be big, bold, successful, and strong, we have to look at some of what has been given to us by women who didn’t have the same opportunities. They just don’t know what they don’t know, and they can’t give what they don’t have.

Host:
Exactly. It’s so difficult to deconstruct that and try to build something new out of thin air.

Angela:
Yeah, but that’s what we do. I think every generational bracket thinks they’re the best, but I truly believe we were the last group of kids to really grow up without social media, without pressures, without this overwhelming sense of fear that younger generations were funneled into. We had some freedom, but we also adapted so quickly to this ever-changing world.

Host:
Absolutely. I’m so curious to know what led you to this transformation. We’ve all gone through our own transformation in our Millennial years, but what did you do before, and how did you find that click moment when you realized, “This is not working. It’s not for me”?

Angela:
There was a big bomb that went off—that was my awakening. The bomb that dropped on my life was when my dad died in December 2015. That was my reckoning moment. I realized I hated my life, I hated everything I was doing, and now my dad was dead. Nothing mattered except joy, love, fun, and feeling connected. I didn’t have any of those things in my life at the time. That’s what got me to spin out, get rid of my teaching career, and build a business to go after my dreams.

Host:
That’s powerful. So, if someone is in that situation where they start to listen to that little voice saying, “You need to change something,” what would you say are the first three steps they need to take to move forward and explore a new direction?

Angela:
First, get quiet. You can’t make a decision or think clearly when you’re anxious. Your central nervous system is designed to get you out of the situation as fast as possible, so you might make temporary decisions instead of honest ones. Get quiet, then start thinking about what you want. That’s the activation part—what do I want? What don’t I want? What are my goals?

Host:
A lot of us Millennials grew up trying to please everyone else, so when we think about what we want, we need to have a reason why. But sometimes, you just want to do something because it feels right.

Angela:
Exactly. This isn’t about what your life should look like or what someone else said you needed. If you want to sell seashells by the seashore, go do it. When I had this conversation with myself before I quit my job, I realized I wanted to wear sweatpants, hang out with my dog, eat good food, and be around people who wanted to be around me. Those are things I needed, and they didn’t have to be justified to anyone else.

Host:
It’s not an easy road, though. It takes some getting used to, taking those decisions and having everyone around you question you. But when you’re passionate about something, it shows, and that’s what makes businesses successful.

Angela:
Exactly. When you combine getting quiet, activating what you want, and reflecting on what’s working and what’s not, you create a cycle that helps you grow. It’s about washing, rinsing, and repeating that process over and over again.

Host:
How do you tackle the anxiety around money with your clients? When people make drastic changes, like changing careers, they often want to quit on the spot, but they can’t. How do they handle that situation in the beginning?

Angela:
I think it’s about having better conversations with yourself before making any moves. If you don’t figure out what’s wrong and what you want, you’ll end up in the same situation. I’m not saying you need to flip the desk and walk out, but you need to sus out what’s wrong, what you value, and what you’re looking for in your career.

Host:
At some point, you’re going to have to jump into uncertainty and discomfort.

Angela:
Absolutely. I wouldn’t leave a job until you have something lined up, especially in this economy. My job is to help you get clear and honest about what’s best for your life and co-create a plan so you don’t have to just flip the desk and cry.

Host:
How can people reach you?

Angela:
I hang out mostly on Instagram. You can send me a DM. I’m also on TikTok, but it’s mostly me doing rants and dances. You can also visit my website, angelagentile.com.

Host:
I think if your clients are building brands and businesses for themselves, they can only meet a version of their life as deeply as they’ve met themselves. If you have big goals for your business, you’ve got to do the work.

Angela:
Absolutely. If you don’t understand where your roadblocks are, they’re going to show up in your business.

Host:
Thank you so much for being here. Have a great rest of your day!

Angela:
Bye!