A God story…the backstory of how the Arise Academy came about.

About a year ago I had the idea to create a subscription based, online site, where people could come & watch short coaching videos, in the privacy of their own home, on their own schedule & without it costing a fortune to do so. I couldn’t make it ‘make sense’ in my brain at the time & thought that no one would think it was a great or even good idea, so I just filed it away as ‘one of my many ideas’.

In February of 2021, I got an email from the Book Proposal Bootcamp program with Lysa Terkurst, informing me that I had not been chosen to go to the next round for possibly receiving the book contract with Thomas Nelson Publishing Company. I was disappointed to say the very least. I had worked so hard on that proposal, that receiving the email that I did not make it through to the next round, was painful.

In March, I had to finish my John Maxwell Speaking, Coaching & Training certification program in order to receive my certificate for completion. I gave my speech & got my certificate in the mail. But I was still undecided about what to do next. I have learned through many instances of wanting things ‘my way’ that it’s best for me if I wait on God. So I did. Side note: I’m an awful ‘waiter’ for anything. I wish I was more patient, but good grief, it’s so hard to just sit and wait! About four weeks into the waiting, I felt overcome with frustration. I wrote in my journal: Dear God, Please just give me an answer; I will gladly go work at Target if that’s what you want me to do. But just tell me! I ended with: Today is Tuesday; by Monday I’m fully believing you will have given/sent my answer. I know, I was bold to put God on a timeline, as if He needed one or something!

That Thursday, I went to have coffee with my dear friend & mentor, Mrs. Darlene. She asked me, “What have you been doing lately?” I said, “Absolutely nothing and I’m losing my mind.” She said, “I had an idea I wanted to share with you. I was thinking you should do some sort of online thing next, with videos because you love videos. That way it wouldn’t take up your evenings or weekends with the kids and people who are more timid about coaching or those type things, could watch in the privacy of their own homes and at their own pace.” I literally almost dropped my coffee cup!

I said, “No way?! That’s my answer? Are you serious?” She just looked at me, confused. I said, “I had that exact, almost word-for-word, idea last year but I thought it wasn’t good enough, or wouldn’t make sense to other people, so I let it go.” I also told her what I wrote in my journal just two days before our meeting. She said, “You won’t believe this but I almost canceled our coffee date today. At the last minute, everything that was preventing me from coming worked out and I was able to come.”

I just sat there for a minute trying to wrap my mind around the whole thing. I couldn’t believe this was the answer I had been waiting for! I had been so certain that my idea would never work… because I wasn’t good enough, smart enough, not enough for it to actually ‘be a real thing’.

Here’s the good part…

“Usually the very thing you are the most afraid to do, is the very thing God wants you to do.”

Why? Because if you weren’t afraid , then you wouldn’t need His help along the way. And fun fact: He loves to take ordinary people who really aren’t qualified for the job at hand and qualify them.

To end our coffee date, Mrs. Darlene said something that will stick with me for years to come. She said, “Don’t let your fears talk you out of something you were created to do. I wish I had pursued things in my life at your age but I let fear take control and I regret not pursuing them.”

My word for 2021 is, are you ready…Fearless. I never know the catalyst for these annual words; they come sometimes with surprising force and sometimes with a whisper. In this moment, with my wise friend’s words, I knew exactly why this year, my word was Fearless.

Every single part of this year has been scary, unknown, uncertain, a time of new waters and new territory. Sadly, I have been fearful about it all… that is, until this meeting with Mrs. Darlene. I decided to stop letting my fears, doubts and insecurities run the show and start walking in the boldness & fierceness that God has equipped me to walk in.

So here we are, now ten short days out from launching this crazy idea that I never thought would or could come together. But it did and it has and I can not wait to share it with you.

My heart in all of this is: to see lives changed, hearts healed, relationships restored, families united, marriages made whole and people transformed.

Whether you believe in personal growth or not, we can all agree on this: every single one of us can strive to grow, to become better in at least one area of life. Arise Academy is created for just that- a place to come and grow, meet some friends along the way and surprise yourself by all that you are capable of doing and accomplishing.

Yes, this is very long but in my opinion, it helps to know the backstory to really appreciate the brand. And maybe, this story is the ‘wink’ from God you needed to remind you of some crazy ideas you have let fade into the background, thinking you aren’t ‘enough’ to see them through.

Let me be your Mrs. Darlene! Don’t let your fears, doubt and insecurities talk you out of what you were created to do or become!

Thank you for your time, your support, your interest. I can not wait to start this journey with you!

I’m cheering for you.

Love- Coach Cait