ON A cool October night last fall, more than a hundred people filled a Lebanon gym for a Halloween party. Music played, children darted between games, and adults gathered with laughter. At the center of it all was Julie Cook, leading the festivities. When she called the group together for the next game, 30 adults raised their voices in unison: “Yes!”
For Julie, that moment carried more meaning than the costumes and candy. Several years earlier, the idea of standing in front of a group — let alone leading one — would have felt unthinkable. “I am an introvert at heart and never felt comfortable being the center of attention. Most of my life, I struggled to make friends,” she recalled. “I had a couple of close friends from grade school, but the idea of leading a community of people or having a big friend group used to feel exhausting and stressful. The old version of Julie would have never had the courage or the confidence to run anything like that.”
Today, Julie is a certified life coach with a mission to help what she calls “ambitious introverts” step into leadership in their homes, workplaces, and communities. Her story is one of resilience, faith in growth, and a heart for serving both her family and her neighbors here in Wilson County.
FROM CAREGIVER TO COACH
Julie’s journey began at home. With a brother who is nonverbal and diabetic, and a father facing serious health struggles, she has long carried the role of caregiver alongside her mother.
“From a young age, I knew I was going to have to be really involved in caretaking for my family,” she said. “It used to feel very heavy. I never ran from the weight of it, but I did resist it, and I didn’t like that life had given me that kind of responsibility.”
When Julie discovered life coaching, everything began to shift. “Coaching really kind of helped me reframe it all,” she said. “I no longer feel trapped or burdened by my responsibilities, and I don’t feel like a victim. I fully embrace it to the point where I feel like it’s actually my superpower.”
That shift also changed how she related to her father. “Before, I was making his inactive lifestyle mean that he didn’t care about us, and that caused me so much hurt,” she said. “Life coaching helped me realize how I was creating resentment in my own mind, and how, at any point in time, I can choose to feel unconditional love. When I let go of the resentment and started tapping into love, the guilt went away, too. I wasn’t having to fake being happy around him. It completely transformed our relationship.”
FINDING CONFIDENCE ON THE MAT
Julie’s transformation into leadership didn’t happen just through mindset shifts — it also came from challenging herself physically. A few months before she discovered life coaching, she walked into Profectus Jiu-Jitsu in Lebanon; at the time, she was the only woman in the room.
“I knew if I wanted to lead and create change, I was going to have to be willing to do uncomfortable things,” she said. “Leaders are kind of like warriors in a way, so I wanted to do something that would help me become stronger both physically and mentally.”
Preparing for her first jiu-jitsu competition, Julie heard advice that stuck: If you don’t have the right mindset, you’re beat before you even step on the mat. That truth pushed her to strengthen not just her body, but her mind. “I started applying the coaching tools to help me develop a competitor’s mindset and manage the anxiety I felt on competition day. Then I realized these tools could help me win both on and off the mats. I used them to help me deal with the anxiety I felt when I was the center of attention, presenting, or public speaking. These tools helped me transform not only my relationships at home but also helped me develop the friendships that I had craved my whole life. I thought, ‘Wow. This is transforming me so quickly. I need to get certified so I can help other people.’”
A MISSION FOR AMBITIOUS INTROVERTS
Julie became certified in 2020 and is taking her practice full time this year. She also serves as an ambassador with the Lebanon Wilson County Chamber of Commerce, where she connects with local businesses and neighbors.
“Since I got certified, my mission has been to help ambitious introverts break out of their shell so they can create the kind of impact they fantasize about,” she explained.
Her clients range from business owners who dread networking to professionals hoping to move into leadership roles. “A lot of introverts get in their own way,” Julie said. “They overthink, they’re in their heads, and they worry about what other people think. My job is to coach them through that.”
One client — a university professor — was confident at work but struggled in his dating life. “After working with me, he went from being anxious and stressed to actually enjoying meeting new people,” Julie said. “That’s the kind of transformation I love to see.”
BUILDING COMMUNITY
Julie also invests in her hometown through events and workshops. She’s hosted gatherings on everything from conquering body-image struggles to developing a mindset for the stage.
“It gives people a chance to experience these coaching tools in a supportive and fun setting so they can start building confidence right away,” she said.
“When women feel more confident in their bodies, they do better academically, they’re more likely to pursue their dreams, and they have healthier relationships,” Julie added. “Confidence in one area of life often spills into every other area.”
In a time when so much interaction happens online, Julie loves hosting in-person events and making connections in her community. “I am a part of the Profectus Jiu-Jitsu community, and there I have experienced the strength you can find in community firsthand. Now, I am excited to grow my own community, because finding other people who are also committed to growth and carrying out their purpose is powerful,” she said, and added a quote: “Individually, we are one drop. But together we are an ocean.”
CHOOSING COURAGE, CHOOSING LOVE
Julie knows firsthand the weight of resentment, the exhaustion of caregiving, and the fear of speaking up. She also knows the joy of friendships, the peace of forgiveness, and the fulfilment of leading.
“You absolutely can become a person who has influence,” she said. “You can feel confident getting up in front of a group and speaking with passion and heart. It just takes stepping out of your comfort zone.”
For Julie, this work is not just a career but a calling — to lift others as she continues to grow herself. Whether through one-on-one coaching, hosting workshops, or caring for her family, she hopes her journey shows what’s possible when courage meets love.
“People admire those who do the hard things, so when life hands you challenges, face them with courage and gratitude. Allow them to shape you into the most powerful version of yourself,” she said. “And when we learn to lead ourselves first, that’s when we can start to change the world around us.”
And as she looks back at that Halloween party, surrounded by friends and neighbors, Julie knows that what once felt impossible is now the very life she gets to live — and help others build, too. GN
