Meet Jomana Elaridi | Mom of 2 gorgeous boys, Empowerment & Confidence Coach, University Professor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jomana Elaridi and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jomana, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I was born and raised in Australia to Lebanese parents. My very loving family brought me up with traditional and conservative village values from where they lived in Lebanon and this contributed a lot to who I am today. Our deep-rooted faith always kept me grounded while at the same time provided me with safety to move forward. However, with such a strict upbringing, I felt I always had to be the ‘good girl.’ This is where patterns of perfectionism, people-pleasing, poor boundary setting, seeking approval and validation, needing to achieve and over-achieve and so on … came from. Now that I’ve done a lot of work on myself, I’m very grateful for these because they contributed to who I am today. At this stage of my journey, I’ve chosen to hold onto aspects of my background and upbringing that serve me – such as my unwavering faith, while releasing patterns that no longer serve the person I am and evolving into.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am an Empowerment & Confidence coach for ambitious women who are ready to disrupt the status quo & go after the life they desire – the life they’re meant to live – as their true selves. These women are already brilliant – they’re smart, strong, competent, accomplished (sadly most don’t see it) yet they still struggle with self-doubt, self-worth, people-pleasing, perfectionism, imposter syndrome, setting boundaries, overthinking & overwhelm & so on. My journey was a long one (aren’t they all?) as I struggled with self-worth, self-confidence, perfectionism, fears (so many fears: fear of failure, fear of judgment, fear of rejection, fear of success etc…) most of my life. And the thing is, nobody would’ve suspected a thing because from the outside it looked like I had it all: Happily married, mom of two beautiful boys, thriving career as a university professor, well-respected in my community. On the inside, I was a ball of anxiety and struggling to keep up with my perfectionism which was a major symptom of my feelings of unworthiness. The turning point was when I did my TEDx talk (titled: Confessions of a Struggling Supermom), got my coveted promotion to tenured Associated Professor, I won the Teaching Excellence Award at the American University I worked at, I got an Academic Director position and yet I felt unfulfilled. I actually felt guilty about it. I always had known I wanted to make a difference and impact people and thought teaching university students would be my way of doing that. However, after my TEDx talk, I knew I wanted to expand my reach to beyond the walls of the classroom. This is when I did some real soul-searching and enrolled in my first coaching program. I loved it so much that I did a second (NLP Master Qualification) and then my third (Holistic Coaching). I had found my purpose. A lot has happened over the last couple of years. So much. I learned about my values – what is most important to me – and took massive action to live in a way that honors those values. I took unpaid leave from my professorial position, leaned into coaching full-time and moved to a new country with my children. I learned that when we live in alignment with our values, we are happy, fulfilled and content. I learned that I can trust myself to make bold decisions that align with my values because I know myself well enough now to know that my values are deep, thoughtful and faith-based values that impact those around me in a positive way when honored.
I want the world to know that this is possible for everyone. It takes a lot of work, commitment and endurance but it is possible to believe in yourself, your decisions, your abilities and worth and live a life that feels good for you. If this village girl can do it, I believe everyone can.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Wow! What a question! If I were back home in Mount Lebanon, I’d take my bestfriend (and have done so) to the mountain road I used to walk on several times a week. The sunrise and sunset views are breathtaking, the smell of the pine trees that line the road is so fresh and it’s a great place to be mindful. I’d take her to the river in the valley as well which has beautiful greenery. Yes, I love and appreciate nature very much. Here in Cyprus, I’d take her to one of the many many beaches (Cyprus is an island after all) and to the old castles and churches. In both countries, I’d take her to my favorite cafes for delicious coffee and to local restaurants that serve authentic Lebanese/Cypriot cuisine so she gets a real feel for the culture.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to recognize two people: My mom (Najwa) and my best friend of 26 years (Maria) who certainly deserve credit in contributing to where and who I am today.

Website: www.drjomana.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjomana_mindsetcoach/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drjomana/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drjomanamindsetcoach

Image Credits
https://www.instagram.com/karemkaedbeyphotography/