Hi, I’m Jennifer Lazo
I was born and raised on the charming island of Maui. Growing up on the island, I have always sought out opportunities to be close to nature, appreciating its beauty by hiking, surfing, and paddling. However, as a curious, young woman with a case wanderlust, I was bound to explore. Thus, I set my sights on a worldly education and a change of scenery. I courageously moved to San Francisco to study fashion and graphic design. However, you can take the girl out of Hawaii, but never the Hawaii out of the girl. Right after graduation, I ended up trading in surfing for snowboarding in Lake Tahoe where I honed my skills in the hospitality field. I spent my days on the mountain and nights at a restaurant where my passion for food and drink flourished. In time, my culinary interests as well as wanderlust shifted my course further East to Europe where I was a chef on a luxury yacht off the coast of Greece. Opa!
After many delicious Mediterranean meals, sunsets, and compliments to the chef, it was time for another chapter. Eventually all my roads and detours led back to home, where I not only transformed my interpersonal skills from the hospitality world into a lucrative career in real estate, but I also let my entrepreneur side bloom.
[Insert mic drop]
Ok, if that bio sounds like a fairytale, it is. That was the sugar-coated version of my life. Now, I’m going to be authentic and truthful with you. This may seem too raw and almost naked, but I believe it is imperative that you know who I am in order to better understand how I can guide you to your purpose, passions, and your why.
My childhood was far from normal. I would classify my upbringing as dysfunctional. My three brothers and I grew up surrounded with heavy alcoholism, a mother often incarcerated and at one point we were separated in foster homes. Never a dull moment. We moved around a lot but the most life-changing was a homeless shelter in upstate New York. You may wonder where my father was in all of this. Well, he left when I was two years old. So, I’ve had to work hard to overcome my relationship issues across the board. However, it is crucial to be aware that our pasts, both positive and negative experiences, carve out who we are, but they DON’T define us. What defines us is the combination of our pasts, present, and the power to choose our futures.
That’s why I founded Courage Collab. I harnessed the courage inside of myself to confront my past and use it in the present to help others transform into their best selves. One of my specialties is in nutrition and wellness. The number one reason why I honed in of this was my childhood. In front of my very own eyes, I witnessed my mother deteriorating. Over time, her eating habits and heavy drinking not only affected how she looked and felt, but every aspect of her life. It is really true; you are what you eat or better said, you are what you feed your body, mind, and soul.
I thought to myself, if we are given only one vessel on this planet, I wanted to get the most out of it. I made the choice to treat my body with respect and love. After making my health a priority with a balanced, holistic diet and exercise, I saw a ripple effect of success in other areas of my life. Thus, I repurposed my culinary talents and became a Functional Nutrition Counselor. Sharing my knowledge of how nutrition doesn’t need to be a diet of counting calories, but instead a tasty, good for you lifestyle is so much fun for me. Plus, on a daily basis, I witness tremendous positive changes in my clients, which naturally led me into life coaching.
From my own backstory, personal transformation, and various wise mentors along the way, I have learned that mindset is paramount. Whether for career success, health and wellness, or the whole enchilada, the power of your thoughts is boundless. Through your thoughts, you create emotions. Those emotions spark your actions. A negative mindset might be holding you back. It certainly did in my life. If fact, there were times, I was in survival mode. Whether I was job hopping in the hospitality field or entering the dating world after a long relationship, I utilized every win and loss as an opportunity to hone my true essence. As a certified life coach, I bring this to the table. I can inspire you to transform into your best self and thrive. You can achieve your wildest dreams and goals, but in a much more expedited and fun way.
I know from my journey with all its twists, turns, wins, and hurdles, that to level up and achieve your boldest goals you must collaborate with a mentor that ignites the fire within you.
Let’s ignite that fire together!