Tess Miller

Life transition coach who helps professionals who love what they do but aren't sure where it's going

I had no clue what I wanted to do with my life until I figured out what I didn't want. This was a 20-year process. In this time, I earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in music performance, taught at the college level, performed with orchestras, freelanced as a chamber musician, recorded a CD, presented at conferences, and became a Music Practitioner playing therapeutic music at the bedside. And then, career burnout hit hard. It was painful to keep making myself work, but I couldn't just quit everything. I was STUCK. I let go of a few of my responsibilities in order to recover and remember why I became a musician in the first place. I came home to myself only to discover that I had neglected to honor where I felt enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is what fuels motivation. Without enthusiasm, I was fabricating energy, which drained my resolve faster until there was nothing left. Through meditation, journaling, talking with friends and family, reading, and lots of podcast listening, I was able to uncover my enthusiasm. It seems I am most in my own skin when I am helping others cultivate awareness about themselves. Even as a musician, whether I was teaching or performing, my natural state was in fostering meaningful experiences that helped people see their next best steps. Those moments as a musician were sadly few and far between, hence the energy drain. In order to maximize my enthusiasm, I became a Certified Professional Coach through the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC) and founded my seminar and coaching business, Wings Unfolded, LLC. In 2021, my first book, The Book of STUCK will be published. This book comes out of my passion for sharing what I learned in the process of being STUCK. My goal is to help others navigate their STUCK places and create a life that allows them to follow their enthusiasm by being most at home in themselves.