Taking Aligned Action in Life and Business – Exclusive Interview with Gemma Sheppard

In this insightful interview, Gemma Sheppard, a multi-passionate serial entrepreneur and mindset coach, shares her journey of overcoming personal challenges and her commitment to helping women transform through nervous system-informed coaching. From navigating life’s big transitions to rebuilding self-worth, Gemma offers valuable advice and powerful stories of transformation.

Gemma Sheppard, Mindset Coach

Who is Gemma Sheppard?

Gemma is a multi-passionate serial entrepreneur whose ADHD brain keeps her busy with a myriad of interests: psychology, personal development, animal welfare, yoga, cooking, reading, and writing. Gemma has evolved through multiple rebirths, including losing a parent, navigating addictions, relocating to Vietnam, getting sober, adopting a rescue dog, and experiencing reverse culture shock when she moved back to England in 2023. Having just finished her MSc in Human-Animal Interaction and Wellbeing, Gemma decided to reignite her passion for helping humans. Her flourishing animal care business, “More Than Human,” ensures she gets plenty of time outdoors with her pack, while her rescue dog Nelly gets plenty of socialisation with his pals. And when she’s not outside with Nelly, she’s at the yard teaching her Connemara to play football or exploring the countryside together. She describes herself as a “feral woman,” having transformed her mindset to shed the shackles of societal expectations of her appearance. Gemma aspires to become more and more herself each day.

What do you mean when you say “self-worth is the foundation of everything”?

Energetically, you attract what you put out into the world. So, if you have ruminating thoughts of not being good enough, or pretty enough, or smart enough, your external world will reflect that. You’ll find evidence in your daily life that supports these beliefs, and the cycle will continue.

Until you commit to rebuilding your self-worth, brick by brick, old patterns will continue to repeat themselves. This often means realising and accepting that it is the people around you who have broken you in the first place. Some of them meant to, and a lot of them didn’t. It’s your job to figure out who still aligns with you when you become your highest self. Understanding and implementing boundaries is a powerful act of self-love, which often pisses off the wrong people and inspires the right ones. Learning to say no will be one of your biggest lessons on the journey to freedom.

Why is nervous system-informed coaching such a game-changer for women in transition?

Transitions shake up our entire identity and leave us feeling like our lives are crumbling around us. Sobriety, grief, starting a business, getting a pet, divorce, relocation, and relationship changes are often interpreted by our nervous system as a threat. Our nervous system doesn’t recognise that change and growth can forge a happier life in the long run; it just sees a threat that needs to be removed. But you can regulate it so it doesn’t feel like you’re being chased by a lion (unless you actually are, in which case, run). By understanding and regulating our nervous system, we can truly embody mindset shifts when navigating life's big transitions. We can understand the beliefs, attitudes, personality traits, values, habits, thinking patterns, and assumptions that keep us stuck, and, most importantly, we can change them. You are not your brain; you control it.

Can you share a transformation story that really stuck with you?

My client, in her 50s, had spent years living in her marital home after her divorce. With her adult child having moved out, she was rattling around in the house with her cats. She had already been sober for quite a few months, which opened her eyes to the things alcohol had stolen from her. She felt like she had been hit in the face with a brick, tidal waves of trauma, emotion, painful memories, and realisations of how badly some people had treated her. She had tried therapy, but it wasn’t enough; she needed to move forward. She needed straight-talking honesty wrapped in a blanket of compassion.

The transformation this woman made in a matter of months was nothing short of miraculous. Each week, she would show up having processed years of stuff that she’d been holding on to for decades. She was proactive in completing her homework tasks, journaling, meditating, and visualising every day. She got to a point where she made the decision to move away and take a few months to sit with her feelings and just be, something she had never felt she deserved before our coaching relationship. I couldn’t be prouder of this phenomenal lady.

What advice would you give to someone who feels stuck or like they’ve lost themselves?

Buy yourself the most beautiful notebook and start writing. If you don’t like writing, make voice notes or videos. Keeping everything inside of you is killing you. It’s eating away at your mind and your body. Your life and health are your responsibility. You can literally rewire your brain to be whatever you want it to be. Get yourself a fucking cheerleader, whether that’s a coach, counselor, partner, or friend, someone who believes in you fully but will keep you grounded while you ride the storm.

What’s the first step someone should take if they’re ready to say “f*ck it” and start fresh?

Don’t wait until you’re ready. No one is ever truly ready; you’ve just got to do it anyway and be ready later. Thank your nervous system for trying to keep you safe, and speak to your inner voice with compassion. Remember, your thoughts are a suggestion, not factual.

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