The Path to a Fuller Life
By Jasmine Gomez | Photography by Mary Grace Johnson
Before teaching other women how to live a Fuller Life — the name of her career, life and relationship-coaching business— owner LeaAnn Fuller first had to learn to do it herself. Her path to entrepreneurship was a rocky one, but eventually led her to inspire and empower other women.
At age 16, LeaAnn had her first daughter, forcing her to face the challenges of motherhood at a young age. She remembers overhearing whispers of people who wondered if she’d finish high school.
“I’m the kind of person [who if] you tell me I can’t, I’ll show you I can,” she said.
LeaAnn proved the naysayers wrong, finished high school and had two more daughters. But though she’d accomplished the goal of completing school, her life was still far from perfect.
After leaving a relationship she described as toxic, LeaAnn had to deal with the pressures of being a single mother. Her life became a monotonous routine.
And then someone asked her a lifechanging question: where do you see yourself in the future? It was something she’d never thought about before. Upon pondering the answer, she began to think there might be more in her life.
“It just got me thinking that there actually is a future,” she explained. “There is more than this. And I took that tiny whisper and made it into a roar.”
She started working on herself more, eventually founding Fuller Life. In the process, she co-authored four books, including “The Unstoppable Woman of Purpose,” an Amazon International Best Seller.
LeaAnn’s goal for Fuller Life is to empower women to actively build toward future goals. She encourages her clients to work through exercises aimed at building energy and creating the positive mindset necessary for overcoming obstacles. Though LeaAnn does book speaking engagements and conduct workshops, most of her coaching is done via the internet and phone, allowing her to connect with women in places as far away as Australia.
LeaAnn aims to help her clients realize that while challenges are inevitable, it’s how you attack them that counts.
“There are struggles in life, but you don’t have to suffer. It’s your choice whether or not you get stuck and you suffer,” she explained. “I did for a long time. I was in limbo for a long time, and just finally decided enough is enough.”
Though LeaAnn’s business focus is helping other women, she constantly strives for personal development as well.
She hosts a radio show every Wednesday night, “Welcome to Your Fuller Life,” which offers her another way to connect with women. Recently, LeaAnn stepped into the role of program director for the Women Business Opportunities Connections organization, a group that has helped her experience growth for both herself and her business.
And with the holiday season right around the corner, LeaAnn is ramping up for her annual Adopt-A-Mom program, which collects gifts to give to single moms around the holidays. She started it about five years ago, when her mom — who, like LeaAnn, was a single parent — passed away. In its first year, the program collected 10 gifts. Since its inception, it’s grown to now donate more than 100 gifts.
Though LeaAnn’s life is focused around helping other women, her clients do the work themselves, she said.
“We just help them figure out what they want to do,” she explained. “So, just knowing that you’re a part of that, and you helped them get there, and just to have someone say they never thought their life could be this good is one of the most rewarding things.” SWM
For more information on Fuller Life and the Adopt-A-Mom program, visit lovingyourfullerlife.com.
Women Business Opportunities Connections (WBOC) is a non-profit organization that has been supporting the Syracuse and CNY area for more than 20 years. To become a member, visit wboconnection.org or follow the organization on Twitter at @WBOConnection. Syracuse Woman Magazine is a signature sponsor of the WBOC.
