My Name Is
Brooke Toulon Clay, M.Ed.
I am The Self-Care Coach for stressed out Educators. I am also a Writer, a Lifelong Educator, Philanthropist, and the Author and Creator of the The Link 2 Join Hearts parent-child communication journal.
I am obsessed with developing and maintaining healthy communication. As an Educator in the school system I NEVER (yes you read that correctly) stood up for myself. I didn't communicate my wants or desires, nor did I enforce my boundaries. I did not feel safe doing so, and so MANY Educators are currently experiencing the same discomfort. There was no one around to tell me that I have to put myself FIRST in order to be the best Educator, Mom, Wife, and most importantly individual. I burned out, but I refuse to stand by as other Educators do the same.
Was the Parent and Me journal...
But here I was at home with a newborn and a 3 year old. It was almost as if I was in shock because of how fast it all happened. Don't get me wrong--I AM GRATEFUL, but I am still human. And being at home with a 3 year old for 9 months was not ideal for me, but I knew how crucial learning at her age was. So, I took it upon myself to create a homeschooling curriculum for her and I never looked back. I was still able to share my love of teaching, and I got to share it with someone that I love deeply. But something was still missing, and I felt guilty about having that feeling because my children should have been enough, right? Wrong! It was time that I lived as my FULL self, doing what brings me joy just thinking about it--in my zone of genius (if you are interested in your zone of excellence and zone of genius, read "The Big Leap" by Gay Hendricks).
Born?
I had always LOVED writing but was always too fearful of trying to make a career out of it. I mean--what was I going to write? Would people actually read it? My Imposter Syndrome was REAL! The opportunity to truly have the time, space, and energy to write had finally presented itself and fear had to go! I had suppressed my love for writing long enough and wanted to use that love to benefit others. How could my writing help others? I had no clue, but was determined to find out. I prayed and prayed and prayed! And one day I got to thinking about how I hoped my former students would find another confidante because I knew how important it was for them to connect with someone, and parents don't always give their children the time or space to REALLY be themselves. Out of fear of judgement or disappointment from their parents, they refrained all together from communicating on a deeper level with them. I knew I had to help my former students and so many like them. Children need to have a safe space to communicate without feeling judged, and the The Link 2 Join Hearts parent-child interactive communication journal is the place where they can do just that.
How...
I had been a teacher of the Deaf and hard of hearing for 6 years when I realized that it was no longer the career for me. Teaching is my zone of excellence, but I wanted to be working in my zone of genius. Currently, I have a 4 year old and an 8 month old, but at the time of my resignation I was still pregnant and then the pandemic hit. I secretly panicked about what was next for me because I had always tried to plan out my life, but I truly didn't know what I wanted. I just knew that teaching "traditionally" wasn't it. I had conditioned myself to think that all I had to offer were my amazing teaching skills--because lets face it, I was a pretty great teacher (duh, it is my zone of excellence). I adored my students, and vice versa. I thought I would have more time with my students. I thought I would have proper goodbyes. Instead, everything happened all at once--my resignation, the pandemic, the birth of my second child, and becoming a stay at home mom of 2. And that was DEFINITELY NOT THE PLAN!
My Why
To help Educators rediscover themselves and their purpose. Helping them realign with themselves, and call in abundance through the practice of self-care. Self-care is more than bubble baths and massages. It's more about setting and enforcing boundaries. Saying "no" to what doesn't serve you and yes to your desires.