Gabbi was pouring herself into a dream job. And then it was gone.
That layoff changed everything.
It finally gave her permission to bet on herself.
đ Welcome to Interview with a Goal-Crusher! đ
Hi, Iâm Coach Tony, and this is Interview with a Goal-Crusher.
Every month, I sit down with someone whoâs crushing their goals and building a happier life in the process. These are real people, not gurus ⊠just like you. Think of it as free mentoring ⊠straight from people whoâve done the hard work and have the wins (and lessons) to prove it.
These goal-crushers are out there chasing their biggest dreams. Why arenât you?
Are you ready for a dad joke?Before we dive in, here's a groan-worthy dad joke as a little palate cleanser. I promise it will be worth every penny you paid for it. đ
I was caught off guard when someone asked me to name to structures that hold water. Pausing and panicking, I said "wellâŠ. Dam!" I was right!
Gabbi Bet on Herself, Her Two Passions and Built One Life without Apologies.
Itâs the first Sunday of the month, which means itâs time for a new Interview with a Goal-Crusher.
This monthâs interview is different. Gabbi is a current coaching client. This is particularly exciting for me because I donât get to share client stories while they are still unfolding. But this month marks the one-year anniversary of Gabbiâs decision to take a risk on herself. That moment deserves to be celebrated.
Gabbi unwired her beliefs, pursued what mattered to her, redefined her relationship with failure, and leaned into her authentic self. By the time you reach the end of this interview, I hope youâre ready to do the same.
Maybe youâll even reach out to work with her to capture your lifeâs most cherished moments.
Letâs start with the basics. Who are you, and what do you do?
Iâm Gabriela Raquel, a homegrown photographer capturing the community I was raised in, and a dedicated career nanny supporting the next generation of kids and parents.
What motivated you to pursue your unique journey? What was your vision? Can you share your story?
Many of lifeâs redirections have led me to this moment in both photography and childcare. Every path I have walked, I walked with intention and I poured more than my time into every role held.
While exploring and letting life unfold in different ways, time only solidified for me that I was never meant to pursue a single path. My head and my heart have so much to give, but I was done walking a path of pouring my love into a job that cannot reciprocate anything more than a paycheck, a corporate transaction.
In 2021, I was let go of a job that, at the time, I thought was the dream of all dream jobs, and this job was going to check all of my boxes and more. Now I cannot imagine working another single second in that past role, or any other role.
Because of that moment, I fell head over heels back into childcare and then subsequently took the leap to pursue my dream of running a photography business. The families I have provided childcare for have been some of my biggest and loudest cheerleaders.
To have what could very easily be two separate worlds not only collide, but thrive as one, is a power of passion and love for work I have never felt before.
What was the very first step you took to get started?
I realized I was reacting to life rather than intentionally shaping it.
I finally let go of my fear and started telling myself I was worth putting forth the effort.
I started genuinely believing that I had nothing left to lose, so why not bet on me?
What were your biggest challenges in chasing your goals? How did you push through them?
I had to push a narrative I had told myself for years. I told myself that I was not worthy of any success that comes with the hard and endless work that I so deeply pour in.
Rewriting that takes practice.
Practice just doing it.
For me, it was about less overthinking and more out there and doing it. All of it. I wanted to get it right or feel like I nailed it. So I got curious. I experienced calculated discomfort. I got constructive feedback and positive reinforcement. I managed through my resource scarcity through deliberate practice and failure.
Doing it discredited an entire belief system that I had established. Pushing past my analysis paralysis state proved these beliefs didnât hold true to my reality.
What goal-setting or success habits have worked well for you that youâd love to pass on to others?
I started small to work towards my big goals.
I approached my goals with a mindset that is reflective and mindful of all areas or aspects of life. They often are interconnected.
I also had to get comfortable with falling down and then getting right back up. Making that experience feel positive helped it sting a little less.
One final habit that has been a game-changer for me has been trying new things. For example, taking the leap and working with Coach Tony was a new way to take a leap towards being my authentic self. Once we started, it fueled the belief that I am worthy of the space I take and more.
What else would you like my Operation Melt readers to know about you, your work, or the journey youâve taken?
I love getting to show up every day as the most authentic version of myself.
I use that superpower to do what I love. I capture authentic stories through a thoughtful, intentional approach â preserving not only how your wedding looked, but how it felt.
My work is centered around connection, emotion, and the moments that become your memories.
Whatâs one thing you do that might look lazy or indulgent from the outside, but is actually essential to your success?
I love watching Bravo shows while editing photo galleries.
I spend extra money on coffee creamer. Having a tasty cup of hot or iced coffee can really set my day up in a fun, happy, and treat-like way. Plus, it saves me from spending even more money going out for coffee or snacks. That helps me reach my goal of saving money.
Paying to see a trainer once a week gives me physical relief from pain. The mental and emotional release also does wonders.
If you could go back and give 18-year-old you one piece of advice, what would it be and why?
Trust your gut and speak up. Youâre worthy of the space you hold and more.
Where can people go to learn more about you or connect with your work?
You can visit my Instagram (@gabrielaraquelphoto) or my website: https://unscriptedphotographers.com/gabrielaraquelphotography
Gabbi is clearly one of the most self-aware and intentional people Iâve ever interviewed. Not only does that make her an expert-level goal crusher, but she makes my job as her coach much easier.
Here are a few of my favorite highlights from her interview.
âI realized I was reacting to life rather than intentionally shaping it.â How many of us have had this ah-ha in our own journeys? Weâre out there doing what we can to keep up with life instead of taking control of it. Gabbi knew she wanted to do more than just survive. She wanted a life focused on her passions and values and wanted to do it her way.
âI love getting to show up every day as the most authentic version of myself.â We just finished a month focused on chasing the wrong thing in life. Thatâs all too common, but thatâs not what Gabbi is doing. She knows who she wants to be, whatâs important to her, and she has turned her passion into a career.
âYouâre worthy of the space you hold and more.â Gabbi would go back to tell her eighteen-year-old self that she is worthy of being herself. But I think this advice is bigger than a wish for a different past. This is a template for a different future for us all.
This is the sign youâve been waiting for.
You can decide today to stop playing small.
You can resolve to stop giving away your dreams to other people.
You can start doing the things youâve been avoiding because youâre scared to piss people off.
Figure out what that goal is that youâve been hiding and let it breathe. Have faith in yourself and get out that and show up as your authentic self, not just the well-behaved one, every day.
If you need a partner to help you do it, Gabbi will tell you that I am always ready, willing and excited to help.
It doesnât happen automatically.
Spoiler Alert: Goal crushing doesnât happen on autopilot.
Once you commit to stop being afraid of your biggest goals, youâre going to need a process and system to make them happen. Thatâs why Project Manage Your Life exists.
Here are a few ways Gabbiâs story demonstrates three of my Project Manage Your Life principles.
â Â Commit to SMART goals:
Gabbi had a big goal.
She was committed to build a business focused on her two loves: childcare and photography.
In my definition of SMART goals, the R means relevant. This is because big goals seldom come to fruition without a big why behind them.
And Gabbi certainly has a big why behind her goal.
Like so many transformational goals, Gabbiâs why started with being fed up. She was tired of a narrative sheâd been telling herself. She believed she wasnât worthy of success, no matter how hard she worked.
Her narrative was no longer serving her and she was ready to show up every day as the most authentic version of herself. That meant she was ready to do what she loved and make it her career.
Her business lets her focus on âconnection, emotion, and the moments that become your memories.â
She brings her thoughtful, intentional approach to life to capture authentic stories for her clients.
â Â Build a plan that works for you:
Gabbiâs success started with a goal, but it didnât stop there. Then she did the work!
Doing the work meant building a plan that felt authentic for her. This meant deviating from the ânormalâ path most people are taught to follow.
Time only solidified for me that I was never meant to pursue a single path. My head and my heart have so much to give, but I was done walking a path of pouring my love into a job that cannot reciprocate anything more than a paycheck, a corporate transaction.
Gabbi knew she wasnât going to be taking on a single 9-5 job. Armed with that knowledge, she explored how she could build a life that let her follow not just her passion, but her passions. Thatâs when her plan took shape.
To have what could very easily be two separate worlds not only collide, but thrive as one, is a power of passion and love for work I have never felt before.
She started small and took one step at a time toward intentionally building this life. Now she is a kick-ass CEO of a business and is doing the work every day.
Gabbiâs story is a powerful reminder that every important goal needs a plan. That plan doesnât have to look the same as anybody elseâs, it just has to work for you.
â Â Expect and plan ahead for problems:
Gabbi will be the first one to tell you that her journey has been anything but smooth. She has experienced ups and downs along the way.
A bumpy journey doesnât mean youâre doing something wrong, it just means youâre doing something.
Gabbiâs goal started with challenging a mindset that wasnât serving her. Thatâs not easy. It takes practice and is a day to day effort.
She proactively managed her overthinking through curiosity and by jumping in and doing the work.
She sought constructive feedback.
She practiced something she calls âcalculated discomfort,â which isnât the same as recklessness.
She proactively managed her scarce resources, prioritizing what was most important and delaying the rest.
Most importantly, Gabbi anticipated challenges and rewired her relationship with failure. She helped herself âget comfortable with falling down and then getting right back up.â By looking for all the ways her stumbles were positive, she numbed the sting of failure.
Gabbi knew she was failing forward.
If youâre ready to start taking control of your life and building the future youâve always dreamed of, Iâm here to help⊠just like I was for Gabbi. Just reach out, and we will set up a no-obligation chat about where you want your journey to take you.
Youâre making more progress than you think!
Hereâs a little peek behind the scenes.
Something I hear time and again from my featured goal crushers is that participating in my interviews is an eye-opening experience. As they sit down to share their story, they see just how far theyâve come and what theyâve accomplished.
High achievers tend to focus exclusively on the future. They look at goals they havenât achieved and their unfinished work. And this means they never see just how far theyâve come.
Pausing to look back and reflect on the ground youâve already covered is magic. It helps you see your progress. It reinvigorates your resolve and helps you double-down on your momentum.
Weâre going to celebrate your progress together at our next Goal Crusher Coffee Chat.
Intermission
Whatâs in your script for Act II?
The first half of this year is done. The curtain has dropped. This is our intermission.
In this session, weâre going to use our roundtable to reflect on the first half and write our script for Act II. Weâll do this through one simple question:
Whatâs one moment from Act I youâre proud of, and one scene you want to write differently in Act II?
If you want to raise the curtain on Act II of 2026 with focus and certainty, this event is for you.
Click below or visit OperationMelt.com/CoffeeChat to save your spot for this free event.
Gabbi did not stumble into her dream life. She decided to stop reacting and start building, and she bet on herself. Her story is proof that the goals worth having are rarely found on the obvious path. They are found when you stop following someone elseâs script and finally start writing your own.
Youâre here for a reason. Letâs take the next step.
Meet Coach Tony
Tony Weaver is a master life coach, technologist, consultant, writer, and founder of Operation Melt.
He helps project managers and other left-brained high-achievers pursue their biggest goals.
Through free resources, personalized coaching, and his proven Project Manage Your Life system, Tony empowers clients to move their dreams from âsomedayâ to success⊠one step at a time.
Learn more about Project Manage Your Life, the system my clients and I use to crush our goals, at OperationMelt.com/PMYL/
Coach Tony
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