Nancy Light, Owner, Nancy Light Coaching & Communications, (Greenbrae, California, USA)

Years in the Industry:
Going on 40 years, yikes! I started in the wine and spirits business in New York at Kobrand Corporation in the early 80's. I was already fascinated by wine when I walked into their beautiful Georgian brownstone on East 40th Street to interview for an assistant ad manager position. I knew I had to work there.
I moved to San Francisco a few years later, eventually joining Wine Institute where I did two stints heading up communications for the California wine industry, including marketing and public affairs. The last "tour" lasted for 17 years. It is an amazing organization that does so much for the wine business in the U,S, and beyond, and I loved my work there.In between, I was Vice President of Public Relations for the Robert Mondavi Corp. at a time of many new joint ventures and a lot of change. I worked with so many wonderful people there who have gone on to become leaders in the California wine business.

My Top Three Challenges to Wellness:
The yin/yang of life is so fascinating to me. All of my challenges are around the things that make me thrive.

1. Keeping My Love of Food and Wine in Balance - I live to enjoy good food and wine. It's one of the reasons I was drawn to this business. I am married to a former chef who beautifully prepares meals and the dinner hour is a sacred time to slow down, connect after a busy day and savor life. I like nothing more than to sit at the dinner table talking but the temptation to have a second helping or third glass of wine is one I have to work on daily to resist. I've also had to adapt my diet after being diagnosed with mild celiac disease last year.

1. Getting Out of My Head - I'm a thinker who has a million ideas every day (see wellness challenge #3 below). I'm physically active, exercise daily, sing and perform among other hobbies but I still regularly struggle to get out of my head and into the present moment with body awareness. I know how important this is to my overall health, sanity, creativity and intuition so it's a priority for me to address.

1. Trying to Do Too Much - I have a tendency to judge myself by how much I accomplish in a day. There's just so much I want to experience and I want to fit it all in. I'm a huge list maker and love to check things off. Unfortunately, the lists I make are so long, there's no way I can get everything done. Since I've had my own business and more control of my days, I'm under-scheduling to break the habit and also examining my definition of a "successful" day.

How I Keep It Together to Stay Well:
Animals contribute so much to my well-being. It's unconditional love. I've had cats and dogs throughout my life, and now live with a small terrier mix who loves to walk. We log at least three miles a day rain or shine. I love hiking the many wonderful trails of northern California and spending as much time as possible near water, ideally, at a beach.

Yoga is also great medicine for me: mental, spiritual and physical. Minor back issues and occasional aches and pains are gone since I started practicing regularly. I've also added meditation to my routine. I'm trying to make it daily because the benefits of even five minutes of centering or conscious breathing are significant.

Through my coaching studies and practice, I've come to see firsthand the importance of slowing down and taking time, whether for reflection, exercise, meditation or a nap. I've always made time in my life for fun but I now understand how it contributes to my energy and what I have to offer to others.

What Inspires Me:
The capacity of people to love. Tempting as it is these days to feel despair for the future, I believe we have the capacity to create a thriving, equitable and just world, and there are so many amazing people dedicated to that. We need to join them.

A Quote I Love:
“Life is a perfect adventure. A game that cannot be won or lost, only played.” Source: Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC)

You can connect with Nancy on Facebook at Nancy Light, and online at nancylight.com