Olyvia is a Positive Psychology Coach, Writer, Educator. Optimist, edge pusher, & smarty pants. Momma to bevy of 4 leggers, artist & proud science geek. I'd love to speak for your team, organization/ company or group!
About A Really Big Life
When I was in the 4th grade something happened in the classroom that made the kids laugh. The girl sitting next to me had a big, loud laugh with her mouth open and head back. I remember thinking she looked like a fool. Like a horse on an old TV show laughing at the bad jokes told by the local farmer. It was not a good look, my 4th grade brain decided. I resolved, right then, that I would never look like a fool and I stopped laughing out loud.
I became reserved. Stoic. My laughs were sparse and tempered. I was cool, I was Jackie O., I was 10 and I had it together.
I managed to remain this way until somewhere in my 20s. I came to the slow realization that there was not a lot of joy in my life. I’d been depressed and anxious for years and any fun I had was fueled by substances, not real enjoyment.
During a workshop, the leader, who was a hard-core Union leader and activist, shared that he felt that laughter was the source of all good social change. If you can’t laugh, you’ll burn out. I was already cinders and ash. He recommended telling jokes.
This seemed ridiculous to me. Telling jokes, so childish, so trite. But I was willing to try anything and, begrudgingly, began to build my joke repertoire.
I had standards:
they couldn’t be oppressive: no making some group of people the object of ridicule
they and to be super smart or total groaners; bad puns were totally acceptable
they HAD to make me laugh.
I grew up with a smart-ass Dad and a punny Mom, so it’s not as if it was a humorless household. I remember watching late night Monty Python’s Flying Circus and Mary Hartman Mary Hartman during the 70s. This is some weird shit to let your kid watch when their brain is attempting to grasp the world and forming important neural connections about the behavior of human beings.
So I started asking people to tell me jokes. I asked kids. Adults are pretty serious about their joke telling while kids will just make one up on the spot if they don’t have an arsenal. Kids tell the BEST jokes. They love sharing and they love to laugh.
Then I tried it out, went out into social situations with my stash of humor. Some people thought I was weird. This proved an excellent social filter. Can’t stand a few bad jokes, then just move along Honey, I ain’t got time for your stick-in –the-mudness. Some people were embarrassed by or for me. Once again, see ya.
Mostly, though, people appreciated the opportunity to laugh. Through their appreciation, I started to enjoy it too. I particularly loved it when they didn’t laugh at my joke and I did. Because, of course, standard #3 clearly stated that the joke had to make me laugh. Often they would get a laugh out of me thinking my joke was that funny. Either way, it worked. It didn’t matter what we were laughing at, just that we were laughing.
Finally, something in me snapped. I was laughing all the time. And not that small reserved and cultured laugh from my youth. I had a big, loud, open mouthed, head back, unreserved laugh. I was no longer afraid to be the only one in a room laughing and I wasn’t afraid of being bold about it. I’d embraced the horse laugh and totally thrilled with it.
I can see people being shocked by my laugh. I can see them move away. I notice them getting uncomfortable in their own skin and judging me like I judged the girl in my 4th grade class. And I’m okay with this. I’ve been there, I get it. And it’s completely fine with me that they just keep moving along.
I can also see people lighting up. I see people coming closer. People will cross a room to tell me they love my laugh, that it’s inspired them to not hold themselves back, that it’s given them permission to express themselves without reserve.
I’m happy that my freedom has allowed them to step into their own. Joy begets joy.
Now I look for opportunities to laugh, to have fun and play with people who enjoy the same. It’s fabulous taking life a lot less seriously.
About Olyvia
Meet Olyvia, the driving force behind A Really Big Life.
With a passion for empowering small to midsize women-owned businesses and non-profits, Olyvia serves as a trusted Business Consultant specializing in growth and expansion strategies. Her expertise lies in Organizational Design, Service Design, and Leadership and communication training. She offers in-house training, on-going team support, and captivating public speaking engagements that inspire resilience, confidence, and work/life flow.
As a GenX-focused Mentor Coach, Olyvia understands the unique challenges faced by women in today's wildly evolving world. She goes beyond the conventional by offering courses specifically designed for women who are ready to step into their own authenticity. Not what we’ve been told to be, but who they are in alignment with their deepest desires. These transformative courses delve into rewiring the brain, nurturing the body, and embracing a life of bigness through your greatest self-expression. She recognizes the impact of growing up and navigating the patriarchy, and her aim is to help women untangle its effects and create an equitable world for everyone.
Olyvia has been a bodyworker and somatic practitioner for over 27 years. Her capacity to integrate the body into your process creates a unique expression of personal transformation. She believes the intersection of body and brain creates profound leaps in women being able to be their biggest, bravest, bodaciousest self. These are the women who love their lives and access building nurturing communities around themselves.
Beyond her extensive work skills, Olyvia is a musician, artist, and proud science geek. She lives by the idea that hope and love are necessary for change, that humans are only beginning to tap into their potential, and laughing loudly at the absurdity of life is the best.
Ready to take your business to new heights? Ready to embody your deepest, unleashed self-expression?
Let Olyvia guide you on the path to success, helping you navigate the challenges, overcome obstacles, and find your own version of A Really Big Life.
Work with Olyvia
Business Consulting & Branding
Supporting owners, organizational design, service design, and developing your leadership team so that communication challenges don’t become HR issues. We can help you launch from scratch, relaunch from where you are now, and expand into the business of your heart’s desire.
Mentor Coaching
Create your really big self and really big life with personal coaching. We will build the bridge between where you want to be and where you are right now, Happiness, pleasure,, and deep satisfaction are on the menu when your life is designed your way.
A Really Big Year
Want to take a look at every facets of the diamond that is life? We will spend a year together, in group coaching, diving into a specific topic each month. Instead of doing it alone, you’ll get the opportunity to be in community with other women committed to having their really big life.
Testimonials
"Elisabeth was exactly what I needed to kick my business social media up a notch! She quickly assessed my situation and delivered the goods with clarity.
I am not a tech person and needed her to communicate in language I could understand – which she did spot on! Looking for a kick-ass coach who can get the job done – I highly recommend Elisabeth."
Owner, Blissful Adventures, Ltd.
"I can’t say enough about how incredible Elisabeth is at what she does. From our first call, I knew I was talking to the right person to help me get un-stuck. I've moved across the country, created a solid relationship, and thriving at a job I love. Elisabeth is all about action, we've uncovered where I self-sabotage, and she gives me tools to kick ass in my life. I honestly don’t know where I’d be without her. She’s the real deal. And her laugh is amazing."
Writer, Baptiste Yoga Teacher
"I had the great fortune of being one of Elisabeth’s clients for several years. Having worked with several others who provide similar services, I’ve never met one so absolutely dedicated to empowering her clients to live a really big life.
I give her my strongest recommendation and encourage all to explore if she’s the right match for you. Keep up the amazing work, Elisabeth!
Data Scientist