Elizabeth Cantu from ER Nurse to Inspirational Coach

FWM: Share your background with us. 

Growing up in the High Desert we lived about 30 miles outside of civilization. Desolate roads meant that there were no phones, homes or even people for miles so if something happened you prayed that someone would drive by to help. I will never forget this hot Summer day in July it was about 120 degrees outside. My mom, her friend and I were on the way to town to enjoy a day of shopping. As we came down a small grade all I could hear was my mom and her friend screaming “Oh my god!” I peeked in between the two seats and saw a lady lying in the middle of the road, with broken glass and fluids all over the road. On the side of the road was a 1985 lifted brown Ford Bronco with the front tires still spinning. The accident must have just happened, her Bronco flipped and she was ejected from the vehicle. 

At the age of 10, I instantly had this desire to jump in and do something. The car had not even come to a full stop when I jumped out and ran to help her. She was in her 40’s long beautiful blonde hair and I had no idea but she was taking her last breaths shallow and labored. I held her hand until the paramedics came I refused to leave her side. Each day I would ask my mom to look at the Antelope Valley Press or ask to watch the nightly news to check on her status. She eventually passed away in the ICU and I was devastated. That was a key moment in my life that made me want to help people and I spent most of my nursing career working as an Emergency Room Trauma Nurse. 

FWM: When did you decide to be a Coach? 

I decided to become a coach after my divorce. 

Wow! this was a heart-wrenching moment for me. The moment of truth revealed the realness of my situation. I was in the kitchen and my daughter had just told me the night before that her father my ex -was going to marry his girlfriend and asked my daughter to be her maid of honor. While opening the pantry I fell to my knees in tears and asked myself “Elizabeth, what is it going to take for you to move on, what do you need?” It was at that moment that I realized I was waiting for my ex-husband to give me a detailed apology for the betrayal and everything he had our family through. Yet I knew it wasn’t going to happen, I had to give myself an apology for him and forgive myself for holding on for so long. Then began my journey to self-development, reading books and listening to audios by Wayne Dyer, Louise Hay, Tony Robbins, and Bob Proctor. 

I started an Instagram account and shared posts after having breakthroughs. It was for my healing and reflection and then it began, I started receiving direct messages and people reposting and sharing my posts! When I was working in the hospital my patients were in tears from having huge breakthroughs. My co-workers were constantly asking me why all my patients were crying and hugging me, sending me letters and cards. I started to receive gifts and was even nominated for awards at work. All I was doing was sharing the knowledge I gained through my transformations and wanted others to know that they too can be free from the past. 

I believe that there is a strong body connection with energy and unresolved trauma and issues leading to mental blocks and negative narratives. 

As I began my journey to self -development after my divorce I was constantly in a state of anxiety and feeling worthless. I felt like my body was energetically controlled by the people who hurt me. They did not physically live in my house with me yet I allowed them to be present in my heart, mind, and soul everywhere I went. Anytime I thought about my ex- husband and everything I had given up and lost I began to feel chest pain and anger. This started affecting my asthma and when I was at work I was unable to concentrate and lost the light inside. I was allowing all that I could not control in my life to control me and it was showing up as shortness of breath, chest pain, destructive toxic self-talk and my subpar performance at work. I took notice and after reading a book called “You can heal your life,” by Louise Hay. I began to speak affirmations and work through the trauma of my past. With acknowledging the pain, positive affirmations, forgiveness, daily repetition, dedication, and consistency I was able to replace the negative self-talk and toxic narrative/story to the truth. The truth behind what happened and allow that moment of betrayal to pass and take from the experience the lesson growth and reminder of how truly strong, brave and I am worthy of all that is good.  

Years ago I was helping a man in the Emergency Room who had come in for chest pain. He had what we call the million- dollar workup at every nearby facility and by his Cardiologist. All his labs were normal and every test performed came back inconclusive for any cardiovascular disease. He had been having this chest pain for the last 6 months. I asked him what had changed in his life in the last year and have there been any major events? Instantly this 6 foot 5” 225 LB man begins to cry uncontrollably. I sat on the gurney next to him and held his hand he then shared with me. “I have been to the doctors for 6 months and no one has asked me that.” He then shared with me that 11 months ago he was driving in a car with his wife and his 6-month old daughter celebrating his wife’s birthday. They were struck by a drunk driver and his wife and daughter died in the car. He did not share this with anyone and not that this is the case for everyone but this man’s physical state of being changed his chest pain decreased and he could finally take a deep breath. He was holding in so many emotions and unable to process and begin the grieving process. He needed someone to give him a safe space to do so. This man could have eventually given himself a heart attack with so much unresolved pain. 

“I believe that there is a strong body connection with energy and unresolved trauma and issues leading to mental blocks and negative narratives.”

FWM: How has your training as an ER/Trauma Nurse helped your coaching?

I have truly learned what it means to be non-judgemental, resilient, compassionate, the ultimate critical thinker and problem solver, and to appreciate every moment of life. The journey through nursing has shown me how people react to fear when faced with decisions and unwanted new. It has given me all the tools necessary to create the basis of my proven coaching model. I have become an expert in finding the pain points in people’s lives and able to give them clarity and together build a road map to their success. I have been trained to solve problems with limited information and to anticipate the needs of individuals and these are the tools that have allowed me to help so many in their personal and business life. I have used my gift of being trained to save lives to transform lives. 

FWM: Tell us about “Finding Beauty Beyond The Pain.” 

This was such a fun project. Finding beauty beyond the pain is a collection of stories from 16 women from all different backgrounds. Sharing their stories on how they overcame cancer, prison, divorce and so much more on their way to becoming an entrepreneur. 

FMW: How important is collaboration to you? What strengths have you drawn from your collaborations? 

Collaboration is everything. Someone else has already mastered something that I need to know for my personal growth or to help with my business and vice versa. Everyone has an amazing gift and can add value to each other’s life. I am part of a group called Arete, it is for people that are on a mission to change the world and this group has changed the game for me. The collaboration that happens in a group like this changes the trajectory of your personal and business goals. We all work as a team to help and support each other.

FWM: You have coached high-level entrepreneurs and achievers, share a pivotal moment. 

Yes, I have coached numerous individuals and couples all high-level entrepreneurs from real estate investors, real estate developers, actors, singers songwriters, and promoters. Most times high- level entrepreneurs and achievers are focused on one thing “winning.” When you focus on winning in one area of your life, everything else falls apart. 

Our lives are made up of the three areas of personal, relationships and career/business. When someone only focuses on winning in the area of career/business they will allow the self-care and honoring themselves to fall and maybe start gaining weight not sleeping or honoring their boundaries. Maybe the relationships begin to fail or are non- existent due to lack of communication or resistance to wanting to put in the effort and blaming the relationship for not winning. There are multiple scenarios and all in all what I have come to realize is if one of those areas is off the imbalance starts to take over everything and next thing you know you feel like your life is out of control. I’ve taken a high-level entrepreneur who came to me broken after a divorce and losing everything including his name. He had one business and a big dream, I believed in him as I knew he was hurt and needed the support and guidance. After working together for 7 months he has built a successful luxury home building franchise singing with major NFL teams to provide those services and is happily married and now inspiring others to take control of their lives. Working with high-level entrepreneurs and achievers is a blessing and biggest joy as it allows me to utilize my skill set and I love a challenge. I love taking someone from the deepest darkest moments of their life and helping them to see that moments of the past do not define the future unless they allow it. Teaching them that the foundation of our strength is built from the adversity that they have overcome. Walking with them side by side and showing them how to gain control of their life and to live each day with a growth mindset so they can manage life without me moving forward. 

FWM: What have you noticed about YOUR growth as a Coach?

 I believe that being a coach to someone is just as important as my nursing role. As a nurse, we need to have so many continuing education units and certifications to renew our license. I take that same approach with my coaching. My clients believe in me and trust me to help them with the most important decisions of their lives. I take this very seriously and want to make sure I am honoring and respecting them and their dreams. I am constantly learning, reading, and taking classes to make the effort to grow as an individual, so I am “walking the walk.” Just like you expect your personal trainer to have a six-pack you want to make sure your coach is growing and learning. After all, this is what I teach my clients. Like Tony Robbins says “If you’re not growing, you’re dying.” 

FWM: What would people be surprised to know about you?

 I think people would be surprised to know that I genuinely care about them and do my best to give 100% of myself to help them in their lives. The other thing is that I am Latina my mother is from a town in Mexico called Tecatilan, Jalisco and I speak fluent Spanish and I love lifting weights and fitness. 

 www.elizabethacantu.com 

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