You Can be This and That

Michelle V. Wolf
Oct 6
7 min read

Embracing Your Expansiveness

Guess what? Today’s my birthday! It’s also an Aries Full Moon. I'm ready to balance some courage and independence (Aries) with harmony (Libra). This year is going to be magical! One thing I’ve always known about myself: I’m not basic, and I’m not “normal”. I believe we are made of polarities—light and dark, structure and flow, logic and intuition. It’s not about choosing one or the other, but learning how to work within both. That’s where the real growth happens.

Just yesterday, I was chatting with a coaching client who was trying to make a big decision about a move. They were stuck in that “either/or” mindset - should I stay or should I go? I offered a different perspective: why does it have to be black or white? What if it could be both? Maybe not both at once, but in steps and stages? You could almost see the shift happen in real time. They paused and said, “Oh… I guess I could.

”That’s the power of expanding beyond limitation. We’ve been conditioned to believe we can only be one thing at a time. But that belief comes from fear—a scarcity mindset that keeps us small. We’re meant for more than that. We’re meant to be whole.Just own it: You Can Be This and That. You are not one thing, you’re all of you, whole. So, fuck it! (Fun side note - when I left the corporate world I actually bought that domain name and could shoot myself now for selling it years ago.)

It’s hard to believe it’s been almost 9 years since I launched EmpowHer - where does the time go? I guess you can call me an entrepreneur if you want to “label” me, and sure, it fits. But honestly, I am so much more than that. When I first launched, friends of mine from other corners of my life told me to focus on one thing and do it really well. They were not wrong, but they weren’t entirely right, either. Oh how I love to live in the grey zone. It is the sum of our parts - our experiences, passions, and callings - that creates our success. It is not one thing, it is all of us, whole.

Allow me to take you on a journey back to your younger years - envision a networking event, school tours for your kids, or any setting where small talk is the game. What's the first question out of someone’s mouth? “What do you do?” “Where do you live?” “Where do you work?” Imagine if we didn’t ask those questions. If we didn’t feel the need to define someone based on their looks, job title, children, where they live, or status.

Our world loves labels, but when it comes to people, labels fall flat. They shrink us. They box us in. They tell us to “niche down” and stay there if we want to be taken seriously. By the way, who are THEY? I’ve been annoyed by this concept of niching for years, and it’s time for me to come clean. Trust me when I say I understand why it exists - it allows people to have a point of reference, especially in a world built for shopability and branding. But what if we stopped trying to be so searchable and started being more present? You see it’s not about what you do, it’s about WHO YOU ARE, and how you choose to show up in the world. And let me be clear: that is always a choice.

But here’s the truth about success: it doesn’t come from niching down and squeezing yourself into a smaller version of who you are. It comes from expanding - from allowing every part of you to show up and work together. I believe we are all multidimensional beings, and research backs that up. Studies from the National Bureau of Economic Research and Harvard Business Review show that people with diverse skill sets and interdisciplinary experiences are actually more innovative and higher performing than those who specialize too narrowly.

Many people suggest focusing on one thing, and believe me, I get it. Ever since Malcolm Gladwell's 10,000 hours theory took off, we have a whole generation of kids who specialize early, doing only one sport or skill. I am certain this was not his intent when he wrote the book. One of the things that made our generation well-rounded is that we tried everything. We did many things to find what we liked, loved, and frankly, disliked. Back then we called it character building. Now I guess we’d call them teachable moments.

People love to put you in a box, don’t they?

They decide you’re either logical or creative. Spiritual or strategic. A coach or a CEO. Light or dark. Introvert or extrovert

But what if you’re all of those—and more?

Own your worth and step into your power.

You don’t have to shrink into one version of yourself to be successful. You don’t need a tidy niche to be taken seriously. You were never meant to fit in a box. You were born to break it open.

You know what I’ve learned? I am all of those things. I can be a yoga teacher or channel the Akashic Records or lead Breathwork—and then turn around and talk with someone about their marketing strategy or business plan. My clients often tell me how seamlessly I flow from one state to the next, and I’ve come to see that as one of my greatest assets.

When I was younger, I didn’t talk about it, even though I felt it happening. Now I realize this integration—this ability to bridge the practical and the spiritual—is exactly what makes me uniquely different.

You can be many things, and exceptional at them, in fact. Becoming multidimensional is really about expanding into the full spectrum of who you are instead of shrinking yourself into one label, role, or identity. The more I work with energy the more I know this to be true.

Here are a few ways to practice that expansion:

Allow yourself to be a beginner again! Perhaps one of the best ways to expand yourself and your abilities is to try new things—classes, hobbies, adventures—that stretch you beyond your comfort zone. This opens fresh channels of creativity and resilience.
Integrate, don’t compartmentalize! Instead of separating business from wellness, or spirituality from leadership, look for ways they can weave together. Intertwining your talents allows your uniqueness to shine.
Surround yourself with expanders! Spend time with people who embrace wearing many hats and being many things. Collaboration and community amplify your dimensions.

EmpowHer Purpose was built on this truth:

We are not one-dimensional.

We are layered, nuanced, and often full of beautiful contradictions.

Business or wellness?

Masculine or feminine energy?

Rooted or rising?

Yes. And yes.

The idea that we have to choose just one identity, one title, one version of ourselves—it’s outdated. It’s a cultural conditioning rooted in binary thinking. A shortcut the brain uses to feel safe, but one that often limits our wholeness.

And I’m here to say: that old story is done.

The Magic Is in the Multiplicity

When people ask me if I’m a business coach or a spiritual guide, I say: both. When they wonder if they’ll confuse their audience by being multidimensional, I say: it’s not confusion—it’s expansion.The more of you you bring to the table, the more magnetic you become. That’s not just branding. That’s embodiment.

The world doesn’t need more perfectly packaged experts, it needs fully expressed humans. When you bring all of you—the shadow and the light, the structure and the flow—you give others permission to do the same. That’s the ripple effect of authenticity. That’s leadership rooted in truth.

It’s time to reconnect with the parts of you that have been hidden, suppressed, or waiting to be reclaimed.

If you’ve been craving a space where all of you is welcome — the bold and the tender, the strategic and the spiritual — the MembHership was designed with you in mind. Here, “this and that” isn’t something to hide or apologize for, it’s celebrated. Because the truth is, the parts of you that feel like they don’t fit the mold may actually be your greatest gifts.

The MembHership is your invitation to explore them fully, in community, and see how much more aligned life feels when you stop holding back.

A Reflection for You:

Where in your life are you still operating from an either/or mindset?

What version of you have you been silencing because you were told it’s “too much” or “not aligned”?

Let’s rewrite that.

You are not too much.

You are just too full for small minds.

You are this and that. And that’s your brilliance.

So come celebrate another magical year of adventure, connection and health. Being alive is NOT normal it's a gift to be lived! So fuck it - let's create MAGIC! Book that trip, call that friend and don't miss another opportunity to tell someone you love them. Love you!

Be well. Do well.

All my best,

JOIN ME AT LA TECH WEEK

I'm honored to announce that I'll be leading the opening Breathwork at the InvestHER Roundtables hosted by Gritty In Pink and the Stella Foundation during LATechWeek.

This evening brings together powerhouse female investors, VC leaders, founders, and the tech community for a roundtable discussion.

I am excited to set the tone for the night with a grounding Breathwork experience—a moment to reset, center, and open up before diving into meaningful conversations.

✨ Free entry with RSVP at the door through INPINK. Come for the insights, stay for the connection, and don’t miss this opportunity to network with some of the brightest women in the industry!

Get Centered through

Live Coaching @ Gritty in Pink

Join me for another live virtual session in October as part of the Gritty Club’s Wellness Wednesday series.

Date: Wednesday, October 8

Time: 1pm PST

Location: Live on Zoom

→ Sign up for the club

→ Join the event here

Being part of the MembHership means you don’t have to choose one version of yourself.Here, you get to bring all of you—the leader, the dreamer, the builder, the seeker.It’s a community designed for women who are done shrinking and ready to expand.