When I was mapping out the first part of the year here at The Found Podcast and decided that February was all about belief and self-confidence, I just KNEW we had to have my friend Coach Kiah in for a guest interview.

Kiah Twisselman Burchett is a California cattle rancher turned motivational speaker on a mission to empower others to love themselves deeper, care for themselves better, and find joy in this messy, beautiful, journey of life.

Through hosting retreats, motivational speaking, her podcast Climbing with Coach Kiah, and coaching her clients, Coach Kiah helps women cultivate confidence through self-awareness, compassion, curiosity, and growth.

As she shares in the episode, Kiah wouldn’t always describe herself as “confident,” but through all the peaks and valleys of her lived experience, she’s learned to lean into her gifts, talents, and dreams, to write her own story.

Our time together FLEW by and I just loved where the journey took us in today’s episode. Be sure to visit Coach Kiah’s website for more, including details on her upcoming Ireland retreat, her Cultivating Confidence free downloadable guide, and more of her energetic and inspirational stories from her podcast. 

Key Takeaways

• She calls herself a “California cattle ranch kid,” and throughout her life Kiah has found herself coming back time and again to the rural/ag community.
• Kiah says that a lot of her self-worth over the years was defined by her picture of the “ideal body.” Her journey to attain that body over nearly two decades lead to a series of yo-yo fad diets before a pivotal moment caused her to take massive action and reinvent herself and her entire life. 
• Kiah found success in her mental, physical, and emotional wellness when she stopped restricting herself and began celebrating, loving, and nourishing herself with what she needed: “It was more about what would make me feel really good today…and really it was about focusing on the mindset aspect first.”
• “I had no idea where my life would be now, five years ago. And I’m not naive enough to say that I know what the next five years of my life will look like. I don’t know, but I’m along for the ride!”
• “The truth is that I really do believe that every single one of us are the main characters in our own lives, but whether or not we feel that way is another story.”
• “All of us are looking for this prescriptive list…we want someone to tell us what to do…But the question isn’t “what do I do?” the question is “how do I think?” and the thinking and the feeling is the hardest part of this journey but it’s the most important piece.”
• It’s the thinking and the feeling, not the doing, that will ultimately propel us to personal and professional success and belief in ourselves.
• “We are not even aware of the stories we are constantly ruminating on in the back of our minds.” Coach Kiah really believes that journaling and getting those thoughts out on paper is a helpful tool for reflection, self-awareness, and growth.
• Where is Coach Kiah climbing in 2024? Listen to the full episode to find out!

Climb with Kiah

Check out all that Coach Kiah has to offer on her website, especially her podcast library and her Cultivating Confidence guide, or connect with her over on IG for all the updates in her upcoming adventures.