Hi, I’m Janis – Boundaries Coach!
When I decided to go on this journey called coaching, I had no clue that it would take me to the place where I am today: happy, sated, self-assured, and confident in my abilities.
See, I haven’t always been into this kind of work.
How It Started
Before I was a coach, I was a freelance makeup artist. In fact, I had a whole other career for nearly a decade. I worked in almost every genre of the creative community: movies, music videos, television, and theatre (repertory, musical, and opera) – and I loved it.
But it wasn’t until I was driving to work one day that I began to have very vivid flashes of my younger years – and unfortunately, they weren’t happy ones.
It took me a year from that very day to admit to my therapist that I had been sexually assaulted – and several more before I told my family that the abuse of ten years was from a relative.
Not unexpectedly, I decided to get some help.
Therapy taught me a lot, but most of all it introduced me to the wonderful world of boundaries. It was also in therapy that I learned words like ‘holding space’ and ‘personal development & growth.
My second necessary shift happened on a random night while I was out having dinner with a close friend (let’s call her ‘R’). I knew that I was going to have to tell her about the “new” boundary that I’d discovered in therapy and apply it. You see, R – like a lot of folks I kept company with back in the day – took advantage of me being a good listener and an equally good follower. I was the friend that never wanted to cause any “trouble” by voicing my opinion so I’d always go along with what others suggested. This way I’d be seen as the aggregable and easygoing one. On the outside I appeared accommodating and pleasing, but on the inside, I was struggling with being mentally tired and physically exhausted.
When I finally decided (i.e., was ready) not to be at everyone’s beck-and-call any longer, R was the first person I wanted to establish it with – but she didn’t take the news quite so well. In fact, she just stared at her plate of sushi for a while without blinking. Before I could ask her if she was ok, she looked up at me and said: ‘I was afraid that you were going to get better.’
Though her unabashed honesty was selfish and a little unnerving…
It was the best thing she could have said to me.
From People-Pleaser to Coach
I used to think being a good woman meant being everything to everyone. To be a true friend/cousin/coworker/partner was about constantly overworking, overgiving, and overcommitting — and rarely pausing to ask myself what I needed. Back then I only knew a little bit about what a boundary was and how to hold one. But my experiences with family (who couldn’t fathom that someone in the family had committed a crime and swiftly turned their back) and friends convinced me to dive deeper into this supportive world.
When I realized that no one was going to create space for me to breathe, to rest, or to just be unless I did it first – that was my turning point. Boundaries didn’t make me selfish. They made me whole. They made a better human being, and they saved me from the nonsense.
Today, I help high-achieving women do the same. Through my coaching, I support women who are ready to step off the burnout treadmill and reclaim their time, energy, and peace. My approach is calm, authentic, and clear. I don’t coach from a pedestal — I walk beside you as someone who’s been there, and who knows that real change starts small, honest, and slow.
I’ve been exhausted.
I’ve been lonely.
I’ve been fed up.
I’ve been there.
Ten Toes Down
I’m a God-led coach — guided by grace, grounded in truth, and committed to showing up with integrity, always. My coaching is a blend of calm presence and clear reflection — honest, heart-centered, and real. You can expect me to be authentic, grounded, and present — and when needed, I’ll lovingly call you forward with a gentle push that comes from kindness, not pressure.
With a BA in Psychology and a Master’s in Social Justice and Human Rights, I carry both knowledge and lived experience into every session. My mission is simple but powerful: to help women define their own safe, healthy limits so they can take up space in the world with clarity, confidence, and zero apology.
That’s the heart of this work — helping you build a life that supports you, not drains you.
Because boundaries aren’t about building walls — they’re about creating healthy fences. Fences that protect your peace, hold your values, and remind you that you’re allowed to take up space.
You don’t have to keep living on empty.
Let’s build yours together.
P.S. When I’m not coaching, I’m praying, meditating, reading, writing, walking my dog, and laughing with my tribe.