Karen is a Life Coach, Empowered Recovery Coach, and Yoga Instructor. She utilizes the teachings of yoga and mindfulness to help her clients move from striving to thriving in recovery. By guiding her clients to a deeper connection with and understanding of themselves, they learn that recovery doesn't have to be one size fits all, and that their dream life is within their reach. Her dogma-free approach shows her clients that everything they need for success is within them.
Karen Burke, Empowered Recovery Coach
Hi Karen, introduce yourself! Please tell us about you and your life, so we can get to know you better.
I grew up in your typical middle-class Midwestern home. Fortunate to have both of my parents around and still together growing up. I have one younger brother. Nothing was particularly notable about my childhood – I was a good student, active in music and sports, and never really caused any trouble.
Not too long – after I got out of high school I became involved with a group of people who were heavy into the drug and party scene. Being in a place where I was desperate to fit in, it’s no surprise that I followed down this same path. Around age 25 I escaped from the drug scene, but unfortunately, my subconscious wasn’t quite ready to give up the party, and I developed an alcohol dependency after that. My battle with alcohol lasted about a decade and a half. Fast forward 16 years, and I can say with confidence that I am 100% substance-free, and I have zero desire to look back.
I earned both my BSc and MSc in Physics and have worked as an engineer in the automotive industry since finishing graduate school. I recently received my 500-hour yoga teacher certification and teach as a substitute locally and host occasional workshops. In my free time, I love to write, knit, do beadwork, and enjoy a few other creative hobbies. I still play piano and saxophone and am hoping to play the flute again someday. I am married to a talented electrical engineer, and we have 4 fur babies: two dogs and two cats.
What is your business name and how do you help your clients?
My business name is Mad Moose Mindfulness, and I provide coaching to support women who are healing from addiction. I guide them to shift their focus in sobriety from maintenance to living a life of freedom and possibility. I blend traditional coaching with additional modalities and the healing power of yoga in order to help my clients not only with understanding and shifting their mindset but also working through energetic, emotional, spiritual, and physical blocks.
What kind of audience do you target your business towards?
Women, generally those who are spiritual, but it’s not a requirement. The most important thing is that they are willing to take a deeper look at the things that are holding them back, and willing to try a new approach to life and personal growth.
What are your current goals for your business?
I am in the early stages of building my business (< 1 year in operation), so right now I am focusing on connecting with people, and establishing myself as a skilled practitioner.
What would you like to achieve for yourself and your business in the future?
In addition to creating my own financial, location, and emotional freedom, I want to help my clients do the same. Giving back is important to me, so donating time and money is also a goal. Last but not least, I hope to contribute to the ongoing efforts to raise awareness around the addiction crisis and reduce the stigma around addiction so more people feel safe seeking support.
Who inspires you to be the best that you can be?
My husband. His support during the last couple of years of my own battle with addiction showed me a level of patience and compassion I’ve never seen in a person. He never gave up on me, and I will be forever grateful for that.
What is your work inspired by?
My work is inspired by my own battle with addiction. Having created the successes that I have in my life is why I decided to become a coach and be an example to help show other people like me that it is possible to be free from addiction.
Tell us about your greatest career achievement so far.
Finding the confidence and self-assurance to believe in myself enough to start a coaching business. It was a lot of getting here, and I am looking forward to exploring the next leg of my journey.
If you could change one thing about your industry, what would it be and why?
Integrity in marketing. It’s really disheartening to see people using toxic tactics to get clients, using fear-based and scarcity methods of attraction. There’s a lot of misrepresentation involved and all it does is hurt clients and the future of the industry.
Tell us about a pivotal moment in your life that brought you to where you are today.
Finally breaking free from alcohol for good. As I mentioned before, there is a lot of history to my battle with addiction. Had I not freed myself from the mental and behavioral patterns that were keeping me stuck in that loop of relapse, I wouldn’t be able to help others as well.
