Meet Sarah Baldwin, the President and CEO of Sarah Baldwin Coaching, a practice empowering individuals to heal trauma, regulate their nervous systems, and step into the lives they’ve always imagined.
Sarah’s journey began with her own complex trauma, which left her battling anxiety and depression. Traditional therapies offered the space to learn and talk about her trauma, but it was somatic work that finally unlocked true healing. Now, as a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner and trauma-trained life coach, Sarah combines neuroscience and Polyvagal Theory to help her clients effectively navigate their human experience, fostering resilience and personal transformation. Her programs have reached over 10,000 people across the globe, from rural villages to bustling cities, making healing accessible to all.
During our conversation, Sarah shared the mission behind her work, the lessons she’s learned as an entrepreneur, and the advice she has for women looking to grow businesses rooted in passion and integrity.
Tell us the story behind your company’s founding. How and why did you start working on Sarah Baldwin Coaching?
Starting my company felt like a soul calling. Every part of my lived experience played a significant role in my deep desire to do the work I do. I have a complex trauma history as the result of adverse childhood experiences that continued through most of my development. As a result, I spent the majority of my life entirely dysregulated and unable to live the life I desired. I suffered from depression and anxiety, and I was in immense pain. As a result, I spent the first decade of my adult life devoted to healing. I realized early on that no amount of learning about healing or talking in traditional therapy was actually creating the shifts I so deeply desired. When I finally found somatic work, everything began to change. My nervous system began to regulate, which meant my anxiety and depression dissipated. The past finally became the past. This allowed me to step into the fullness of life I now experience.
There aren’t words that can describe the suffering trauma brings. But there are also no words that can describe how extraordinary the most ordinary moment can be when you feel safe inside and, as a result, safe in the world. It makes you limitless and it allows you to step into the fullness of life that you desire. That is what my healing brought me. It led me down a nine-year long journey of becoming a trained mental health professional in the very work that saved my life. There is nothing I care more about than helping others do the same so they can live the full lives they are here to live.
“Passion is what sells—true, deep passion that is rooted in integrity. When we are so deeply anchored in our why and in being of service, we become unstoppable.”
What is the underlying mission of Sarah Baldwin Coaching? How does your work make a difference in people’s lives?
The work I do isn’t just for people with extensive trauma histories like me—it’s for everyone. No one teaches us how to navigate our human experience, to have relationships that thrive, to step toward the things that scare us, to handle stress, and set boundaries. I think of the work I do as a manual for the human experience. And that’s something we all need. So much so that neuroscience and Polyvagal Theory actually confirms that our autonomic nervous system creates every feeling we have, every sensation we experience, every behavior we exhibit, and our perception of ourselves, others, and the world around us. This nervous system literally creates our entire lived experience. If we are not in the driver’s seat of it, it’s as if it takes over on cruise control, avoiding roads in our lives that it thinks could be dangerous; which usually means keeping us from things we want the most. The work I do helps people to harness the power of this system so they can step into the lives that are waiting for them. I’ve never done anything more rewarding.
Because I grew up in poverty without access to proper help, it was incredibly important to me that when I began doing this work that it was accessible to people all around the world. I am so proud that our programs have served over 10,000 people from every continent, from rural areas to major cities. It is so evident that we are all so much more similar than we are different. We have people inside our programs who are 20 years old and those who are 80 years old. I’ve watched people go from having chronic panic attacks to being free of them; people who have struggled for a decade to publish their novel to finally doing it; people who have gone from challenging relationship after challenging relationship to thriving in them; and people who have gone from being unable to step into their purpose to starting major global companies. That’s the power of this work. That’s the power we each have internally to heal. There’s nothing I care about more in my life than watching people come alive like this.
How have you navigated the growth of Sarah Baldwin Coaching while staying true to your core values?
Every time I create a new program, start a new project, or say yes to an opportunity, I sit down and ask myself, “How is this going to serve people?” “Is this adding value?” “Is it anchored in integrity to provide the highest level of support?” No matter how exciting an idea or opportunity may be, I only lean into it if I feel deeply that it will provide people support at a very high standard.
Because I’m so passionate about the work I do, it’s really easy for me to get caught in overworking and not making enough time for the things I need to do to nourish myself. Regulated nervous systems regulate nervous systems, so it’s absolutely vital that anyone in the helping professions is devoted to our own overall well-being. Early on in my career when I was building my business, I still had some parts of me that were constantly on a hamster wheel of feeling like it was never enough. Once I reached a goal, I would set another one instead of resting and enjoying the process. Now, my company nourishes me as much as I nourish it. This means I deeply value my life outside of work, which fuels everything inside of it.
What is the most important lesson you’ve learned in your entrepreneurial journey so far?
There is no “there.” There is here; in this moment. That is the thing that exists. That’s what regulation is all about. Unless we are able to enjoy the process, we will be stuck in a tireless race toward the next goal. It was such an important thing for me to learn, and it has made my work and the process so much more enjoyable.
What advice would you give to other women wanting to start or grow businesses in an intentional way?
Passion is what sells—true, deep passion that is rooted in integrity. When we are so deeply anchored in our why and in being of service, we become unstoppable. You become a light in the world that people are drawn to. Regardless of what you are doing, it means you are offering the world your gifts, and that is the thing that will make you successful. It’s all really about serving the world in your own unique way.
*All images were taken by Jeffery Neubauer
Sarah is a member of Dreamers & Doers, an award-winning community that amplifies extraordinary women entrepreneurs, investors, and leaders by securing PR, forging authentic connections, and curating high-impact resources. Learn more about Dreamers & Doers and get involved here.