Anne-Sophie Dumetz is described as an “Empowerment Ass Kicker” and an “Intuitive Business Coach.” And this entrepreneurial mother of two is fiercely determined to show other parents that they too can achieve the work and family life they’ve always wanted.
By Sonia Mendes
Anne-Sophie Dumetz clearly recalls the pivotal moment that spurred her to start following her life’s dreams.
It was an ordinary day, and the 35-year-old mother of two was searching around her Ottawa home for some arts and crafts materials. Unexpectedly, she came across a childhood memento — a little button depicting her school photo from Grade 1.
“I found myself staring at the face of this bright-eyed, little kid,” recalls Dumetz. “I felt like I was reconnecting with my own inner child and saying, ‘I know we haven’t lived your dreams yet — I know you want to do more in life.’”
Dumetz calls it a wake-up call, a realization that her high-paying government communications job was unfulfilling, and making her physically sick.
“My body was rejecting my life,” says Dumetz. “It was like a bad organ transplant.”
Dumetz realized she was feeling stuck and unhappy for the sake of being a good parent, yet compromising her core values, freedom and self-truth. It’s a trap she says she sees many young parents falling into, and has made it her personal mission to change that.
Dumetz left her job in the fall of 2012 and never looked back. Then she put her vision into action.
Today, Dumetz runs a coaching business to guide female entrepreneurs — who also have young kids — to “soulfully create a life and business they’ll love.”
A key component of Dumetz’s approach is her emphasis on parents pursuing their own dreams while their kids are still young, in order to be “real-life role models.” If we’re going to tell our children that they can be anything they aspire to be, we need to model that for them, she explains.
“I’m committed to seeing parents raise their children without the burden of our own baggage.”
Through her colourful website, annesophiedumetz.com, Dumetz outlines the number of professional coaching options and virtual workshops she offers clients.
“I take a whole-life approach,” she says of her coaching.
The site also offers a blog and a mini-publication where Dumetz shares a number of “truths” that encourage her readers to reflect on their life goals, and how those fit with family life.
One such truth is what she calls “Bloody Somedays” — that epic list of things that you want to achieve “someday.” In one of her blog posts, Dumetz gives an example of a Bloody Someday that she and her partner, Brad, decided to act on.
“Brad and I have talked about someday moving by water and living an adventure with the kids,” she wrote, referring to her six-year-old daughter, Soléa, and three-year-old son, Axel.
“Well, I’m now en-route to take down a bunch of my own somedays and turn them into todays; in a few weeks, I’ll be moving 4,000 km to Kelowna, BC, in an effort to move to a community that’s closer to nature (mountains and giant lake, anyone?).
“We’re big fans of showing our kids daily how to live without having a dire case of the somedays.”
Photos: Justin Van Leeuwen Photography