Marlena O’Donnell is a mindset coach, motivational speaker, trainer, and mentor. She lives in the UK, runs a successful coaching business, and has been married to her soul mate for over two decades. This may seem like ordinary life, but it’s not. Marlena’s life has revolved around defying expectations. She was born in Poland when the country was under the communist regime and she has a life-long disability affecting her mobility. There were no provisions for people with disabilities in Poland when Marlena was growing up. Lack of access to education meant homeschooling. None of the universities was accessible, but this did not deter Marlena from applying and studying at a university regardless of physical barriers. The same determination to live her life freely helped her succeed in leaving Poland and studying at a university in the UK, even though Poland was still behind the Iron Curtain. Against all odds, Marlena finished not just one, but two degrees and had a successful career as a manager of support services for vulnerable people. Her passion for helping others live their lives to the full eventually led her to become a coach. Just like her life is not ordinary, she is not an ordinary coach. She lives her life achieving the impossible and inspires her clients to achieve the impossible too.
Marlena O’Donnell, Life Coach
You have overcome many barriers in your life. What is the secret to your success?
My dad died when I was seven years old and my mum brought me up and an older sister on her own. Life under the communist regime was tough - there were shortages of food, privileges were reserved only for party members and their families and you had to bribe the officials to get what you needed. But my mum never gave up - she fought for the best opportunities for her daughters. Her motto, which I have also adopted is, “there is always a way - you will find it if you look hard enough”. She helped me realise that in order to succeed in life you need to stay focused on what you truly want. Everything else will fall into place.
I’ve always dreamt big. As a little girl who could not walk and leave home on her own, I imagined going to university, travelling the world, getting married, and having a fabulous life. We often dream of things we want, but we categorise them as “fantasies”, too implausible to materialise. But I didn’t. I focused on turning my dreams into reality, not on why they could never possibly come true. Everything I dreamt of came true.
When you shift your focus from why you cannot have something to the end result, you will find a way to live out your dreams.
How did you become a mindset coach?
I had a successful career as a senior manager in a local government for 17 years. I was managing a multi-million budget, teams, and services. And suddenly it all ended. I met my nemesis - a manager who was a bully. I lost my job. I thought that my world ended. The career I worked for so hard was over. I felt broken. I lost my confidence and lost sight of my mum’s motto, “there is always a way”.
When I was a manager, I coached and mentored members of my team. I knew the power of speaking to someone who does not judge you and helps you see what is not obvious to you. When my world turned upside down, I turned to coach. Soon I realized that I can use my personal experience to help others who lose sight of what they are capable of and
I trained as a life coach. We all have abilities, strength, and resilience far exceeding our awareness. I love helping others open their eyes to their inner power.
I lead by example. After losing my job, I took my former employer to the Employment Tribunal. I was self-representing which required an enormous amount of time, energy and determination. It was one of the most challenging things I had ever done, both physically and mentally. I spent months gathering all the information and preparing for the hearings. The inner voice of doubt (we all have it!), kept telling me that this was too much, that I cannot possibly do this on my own, that I don’t have the legal training required to represent myself, that I will fail. I ignored that inner voice (after all, what does it know about what is going to happen in the future and what I am capable of?) and carried on. I won on every single point. I focused on the facts and whilst acknowledging the emotions I was experiencing such as fear and apprehension, I focused on what I needed to do to achieve the end result I wanted - win my case.
What do you offer your clients?
Our beliefs create our understanding of what is and what is not possible for us to achieve. Just as we are capable of creating our own limitations, we are equally capable of removing them. We are not prisoners waiting to be let out – we are already free, we just don’t know.
I take my clients on a journey to uncover layers of beliefs that are not serving them well such as not being good enough, not being worthy and not being capable of getting what they want. Such beliefs cause a lot of pain, unhappiness, and even self-loathing. I help my clients free themselves from these restrictions and achieve results that their heart truly desires.
One of my fellow coaches once told me that when others see a canyon and don’t know how to get across, I see an invisible bridge that helps me get to the other side. I show my clients how to find invisible bridges leading to seemingly impossible destinations.
As well as being a coach and mentor, you are also a motivational speaker. What do you tell your audience?
We believe that we are limited by our circumstances, by other people’s judgment, and our own judgment of who we are and what we are capable of. In fact, we are always free to pursue our dreams. My passion is to empower both my individual clients and large audiences to break down barriers to success and achieve much more than they’d ever believed possible.
Can you share your 10 best tips on how to succeed in life?
Take responsibility for your own life – you alone can change it.
Dream big and bigger.
Focus on the end result, not on the obstacles in the way.
Don’t give up.
Draw on your inner power - you have limitless reserves!
Take no notice of the inner voice of doubt.
Take action every day.
Stay in the present moment.
Focus on positive emotions - negativity is draining!
Be good to yourself and others.
So, what’s the next big goal or project for Marlena O’Donnell and how can someone get in contact with you?
I am writing a book about how to break free from beliefs that are holding us back and get the outcomes we want, no matter how impossible they may appear. I am also creating online programs to empower others to fly high. You will never achieve much in life if your goals are limited by what you think you are capable of and your circumstances.
I’d love to hear from any of the readers.
