Meet Sara Johnson of Imperfect Hive Coaching

Hi Sara, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
In September of 2022, after having gone through a difficult divorce, the loss of my mom, my oldest child leaving for college, and experiencing an extended period of work-related burnout, I was lost. I was doing all the ‘right’ things. My doctor and I had a very good working relationship; he worked with me and prescribed me what he felt was the best pharmaceutical cocktail to help with my depression and anxiety. I was seeing a therapist weekly.

She and I talked about everything and sometimes nothing, when I just needed to cry. I was, and still am, exercising 4+ days per week. Those things were only keeping the stress, anxiety, depression, and darkness at bay. That night in September, I was losing the battle to the darkness. I emptied a bottle of Xanax into my hand,  looked at the handful of pills and thought to myself “I don’t have to feel like this anymore.”

My best friend, lover, and now fiancé, knew something was wrong and came to check on me. I dumped the pills to the floor and collapsed into a broken, sobbing mess. He sat with me through the night, getting me an appointment to see my therapist the next day. This is really where two stories collide: a beginning and an ending. This was my crisis moment – something had to change.

This is the beginning of why I’ve started a Transformational Life Coaching business. My epiphany or bolt of lighting was…the one most consistent and complicated stress input in my life; my career.  I was burnt out. I needed a break; but they still needed a job done. I left my career the following July of 2023.

I did not have a game plan.  I just knew that it was time for me to work and live for me, to make myself happy, to fill my soul. For the rest of 2023 I was recovering from burnout while also listening to my heart. I decided to follow my passion(s) of connecting with people, and helping them to solve the problems and issues in their life. I took courses and became certified as a Personal Trainer, and Nutrition Coach; as well as a Transformational Life Coach.

By the end of 2023, I was wrapping up my certifications, creating a website, and establishing an LLC, and my business Imperfect Hive was born. I believe that we all come into this world Imperfect, and rightly so; it is what makes us unique. We don’t need to chase perfection but rather embrace our imperfections as unique characteristics. The journey to embracing our imperfections is supported best by a community of like-minded people, that is our Hive.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My journey has been filled with a lot of bumps and turns. Changing careers in your mid-40s is not an easy task. I have needed to learn how to be a business person, a marketing person, a sales person, and still hold true to my principals of coaching people.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
At Imperfect Hive, we believe in an approach to wellness that goes beyond traditional life coaching. Our philosophy centers on the idea that true well-being encompasses the harmony of mind, body, and spirit. There are five critical components to living a Happy and Healthy Life: Sleep, Nutrition, Movement, Love & Letting go or “unpacking your stack”.  The interconnectedness of the mind, body, and spirit cannot be stressed enough; creating balance with a good nights sleep,  eating balanced and healthy meals, and moving your body will all help you to facilitate meaningful and fulfilling  relationships as well as the ability to handle everyday stressors or the bigger stressful life events.