I am Marie Skilling: Author, Empowerment Coach, Startup Business Mentor and Yoga Teacher. Welcome to this website that I designed for you.
It's not my first website. The first iteration under this name was for my children's adventure book series. And my first ever website was all about pictures and poetry. You see, my photos and poems were all I felt brave enough to share in the beginning.
And that was okay!
Today, things are very different to when I started out. I was once only able to recite my poems to a friend with my back turned to her. A few years later I was talking to 500 children in a school for World Book Day after I released my first children's book. And then somehow, my Chatty Cathy nature that was only ever reserved for family and close friends, became brave enough to talk to all of you as often as I felt the need.
I'm so glad I found my public voice because I intend to keep using it for all of you.
If I can empower you with my words, and the way I use them for you, that will mean an awful lot to me.
With Change Comes Opportunity
With the way the world has been lately, life in lockdown presented us with all sorts of challenges; those we wanted to resist and those we welcomed with open arms. I know I resisted the things I didn't want imposed on me in the beginning. But I also saw an opportunity to take time to reflect and respond to the situation in a way that would serve others.
I knew I had the potential in my hands to impact people positively in many ways, all of which you will find on this website. And the first step to really up my game was to put my skills as a yoga teacher back into action.
For three fun months, I taught live beginners yoga classes on Instagram for everyone who had suddenly found themselves stuck at home. It was something I felt called to do. As a regular home worker, I knew many people would soon start to suffer mobility issues with less freedom to move outside of their homes. And what better way to help 'lockdowners' stay mobile than yoga classes.
Okay, so dancing, hula hooping, Mr Joe Wicks' P.E. Classes etc. all helped as well, but this was about what I could do.
New Times
With lockdown came time. Not only to reflect and teach, but also to lean into what I wanted my life to mean. That reflection very quickly became confirmation that nothing meaningful had changed. My dreams remained the same, but they were growing, solidifying, and settling in deeper without any interest in ever going away.
I felt a new energy filter through me, and my calling called louder. I'd never ignored it before, but in this newfound quietness I felt a sudden surge of desire to build things bigger - much bigger.
In six weeks I wrote two books, one of which will be released late this year. And then I wondered what else I could do to bring it all together.
And so here we are.
Inspired Thinking
With time and space to feel and think I deepened my breath again. And with that breath came an even larger capacity for me to dive deeper into all that I have ever wanted to do, which brings me to you.
Whether you are here because you are a part of my life, because you've bought and read my books, been to one of my coaching sessions or yoga classes or been mentored by me in the past, I thank you.
Thank you for gracing me with your openness, your eagerness and your willingness to believe in something different for yourself. I know I don't offer much that is normal, but that's essential to the core of my beliefs.
It's essential because I am all about you in everything I do. And that means ensuring I only ever support you in your difference, your uniqueness and the core of who you are.
All that is so important for you to accept and embrace.
From Me to You
If you are here because you are seeking something different for yourself, I am pleased you have taken the plunge as a first step towards that something different.
Whether it's empowerment coaching, business startup mentoring or yoga services that you seek, the free meditations or my written words, welcome. Please take your time to look around for what I hope will resonate in some way. This is a new beginning for both of us.
I hope you enjoy what you see.
You can also jump to my Instagram page @marie.skilling for daily inspirations. And if you're wondering what on earth The Bitch Pad is then you haven't started that journey with me yet.
Introducing The Bitch Pad
The Bitch Pad started out as a book I wrote, and it was also the name of my original coaching website.
The word BITCH stands for:
Brave
Intuitive
Tenacious
Creative
Heart
The book I mentioned that is coming later this year, is a newly written version with a very different spin to the first one I wrote. The Bitch Pad is my baby. But as it isn't all that I do, I decided it was important to name this site after me to ensure I am able to fully empower you by wholly embodying who I am.
The Bitch Pad Dream
To all you Brave, Intuitive, Tenacious, Creative Hearts, it is my heartfelt opinion that it is my calling to serve you by empowering you to be, do and have all that you seek. The much awaited book will be released in October, and the podcast will beat it to the podium when it arrives later this summer.
I'll be mustering up some other secret reveals along the way as well. All reveals will be announced here and on my social media where you'll find The Bitch Pad community I've been building.
So, join me on this ever growing journey, as I expand evermore for you, to serve you as I serve myself for all that we can be.
Welcome on board and enjoy the ride!
Marie