Sophia Apostol

Books were Sophia’s first love…

She spent her pre-teen years in Georgia, under her covers, flashlight in hand, into the wee hours of the morning, finding herself on the pages of Tolkein and L’Engle. She loved English class, loved telling stories, loved watching words and sentences uncurl on the page.

That passion turned into a Bachelor’s in English Literature, followed by a Master’s in Library & Information Sciences. Her first job was for a large book wholesaler, matching librarians with the books needed for academic research. Meanwhile, like so many of us, the pressures of “adulting” were slowly creeping in and cutting her off from the magic she’d found in books as a child. She stopped reading and writing for fun. The flashlight disappeared.

As her career progressed, Sophia discovered self-development, and the tremendous new wave of writing and thinking about vulnerability and wholeness. She loved the work of Brene Brown and Elizabeth Gilbert. She trained to become a Professional Certified Coach and a NeuroTransformational Coach. She started running workshops and coaching clients in everything from leadership strategies for teens, to how to write your business story using the hero's journey structure, to how to feel comfortable being naked. She filled her days with public speaking, business advising, and coaching. She loved helping people find their deepest self-knowledge and the confidence that springs from that place.

But, she still wasn’t writing for herself. So when her best friend invited her to a writing retreat, Sophia eagerly went. To be clear — she didn’t think she would actually write, but being near people who shared her long-lost passion, and taking five days away to play by the shore sounded perfect. She was shocked when she found herself sitting in a sandy circle of beach chairs the first morning, reading a piece she’d just written about an adventure from her childhood days in Georgia. Her hands were shaking but her voice was surprisingly confident. Her writer self was alive and well.

That circle, her first of many, was her introduction to Firefly and the first moment when her love of words and her passion for personal transformation came together. She could see how writing let her witness her life with greater compassion and gentleness. She could see how much power lay dormant in that forgotten creativity. She started to write and write and write. After several years of taking Firefly classes, Sophia was asked to take the big step and interview for the job of coach.

Sophia completed her Firefly coach and facilitator training in 2019. She's deep in now, bringing together her intrinsic mama bear warmth with her passion for words and stories. She especially loves working with clients who are new and nervous, not certain what the page will reveal, but ready to pick up a pen and find out. Even if their hands are shaking.

A perfect Saturday for Sophia involves a leisurely morning stroll through a farmers’ market with her partner and their goldendoodle Beatrice. Then, a luxurious brunch with good friends and an afternoon doing whatever feels the most indulgent and replenishing.

Sophia’s current passion project is hosting a podcast called Fat Joy that rebels against diet culture by sharing the stories of fat folks who dare to flourish in an anti-fat world.