My Forsyth _ Spring 2023

Change:
AN INTERVIEW WITH
ELIZABETH
HAMILTON-GUARINO
FOUNDER, BEST EVER YOU
By Amy Lyle
AL: I was reading an article about how change
causes so much anxiety that people resist doing
things in their own best interests. Why do you
think we are so fearful of change?
EH-G: I believe that people become fearful of
change because they are perhaps ahead of themselves
and often overthinking. It’s when we can’t
control or don’t know the outcome of changes we
make or changes that are made for us, that many
of us lose sight of all the good that can happen
as a result of change. It’s important to think with
your heart, be authentically you and understand
you go where you place your energy. When these
align, anything is possible. Trust yourself.
AL: The Change Guidebook is not a fluffy, readin-a-day
type book, it is a guidebook that takes
the reader on a journey of discovery. How did
you develop the book?
EH-G: You’re right Amy! While it is funny
and heartfelt in many parts, the entire book
can be used as a Master Class in Change Management.
We’re starting to see entire groups of
people and teams use the book together and
obtain team certifications.
I developed the book using resources and
tools I use in my own life and life coaching
practice. I wrote the book from a standpoint of
“Peace starts from
within, and it starts
with us individually.”
- Elizabeth Hamilton-Guarino
thinking like a client, rather than a coach and
thinking about how I would want to personally
learn and become a “change master”. In other
words, if I hadn’t written the book, I’d want it to
be something I would personally discover, purchase
and use. I think the book is a great tool for
anyone of any age to have in their best life toolbox.
Learning to navigate change is something
that we all could be our best at and this a trusted
resource on the topic.
AL: You talk about "Growing so much that you
have peace"- have you hit that level of growth?
EH-G: I believe I am a life-long learner. That
said, I believe at my present age, I’m so much
more peaceful than I used to be both personally
and professionally. I hope others read the book
and do the work to find their level of growth
to find personal peace. I believe this is how we
change the world. Peace starts from within, and
it starts with us individually.
AL: Rome was not built in a day, nor are our
lives- what advice can you give to someone who
is feeling restless in their lives?
EH-G: That restless feeling in your life is a calling
from within to do what you are being called
to do. Don’t ignore it. Read the book to understand
how to align your heart, truths, and energy
to grow, learn, and change.
AL: I love that your training/coaching business
is gratitude-based, can you share the impact that
has had in your life and of the leaders you have
worked with?
EH-G: Amy, you have touched on one of
my all-time favorite words – GRATITUDE!
Everything about me and my life and those
around me is rooted deeply in gratitude. I got
very caught up in the notion that ambition,
and gratitude can’t collaborate and set to disprove
my thinking. I spent around 18 months,
years ago now, feeling like that more, more,
more – never enough - feeling was me being
ungrateful. This is a moment where I coined
the term “conscious ambition”, and the book
explores this concept in more depth.
I believe you can want more; you can feel
enough, you can climb to the highest levels of
anything you want to do and stay rooted in gratitude
and awareness of what makes you personally
and professionally peaceful.
Another aspect of gratitude for me and clients
I guide, is keeping a keen perspective on
what is truly important, including how important
time is. We are not entitled to time.
AL: What's up next for you?
EH-G: I’m feeling very content and peaceful
and am loving the energy and support I am receiving
with The Change Guidebook. I’m looking
forward to navigating with the book as it
grows and changes over the next few years.
ABOUT
Elizabeth Hamilton-Guarino
Top 50 Women CEOs of 2022
Elizabeth Hamilton-Guarino is
the founder of The Best Ever You
Network and Chief Executive Officer
of Compliance4. Through these
companies, she has helped individuals
and organizations around the world
be their best and achieve world-class
excellence with gratitude-based
behavior and belief systems. She is one
of America's foremost personal and
corporate development consultants
specializing in mindset, gratitude,
change management, strategy,
leadership, and taking action.
Elizabeth is a member of the Forbes
Business Council.
Guarino is the author of multiple books
in the children's and self-help genres,
including the award-winning Hay
House book Percolate – Let Your Best
Self Filter Through and The Change
Guidebook – How to Align Your Heart,
Truths and Energy to Find Success in All
Areas of Your Life.