By: Sarah Johnson
Success often feels like an uphill battle, even for the most talented and driven individuals. Many entrepreneurs, creators, and service providers work tirelessly but still find themselves stuck, often unable to break through to the next level. Kris Driskill, an award-winning transformation coach and business strategist, has served, trained, and empowered over 1,600 creative entrepreneurs and service providers worldwide, suggesting that true success often starts from within. She argues that the real culprit may not always be external obstacles—it’s often self-sabotage.
A Creative Approach to Overcoming Self-Sabotage
Driskill, the founder and CEO of Gilded Within LLC, has spent decades helping high-achieving professionals identify and overcome hidden patterns of self-sabotage. Based in Northern California, she combines scientific insight with a creative edge, drawing from her background as a renowned opera singer and visual artist. Her coaching is equal parts neuroscience, mindset mastery, and a touch of theatrical flair that makes the process both engaging and potentially transformative.
“As a recovering perfectionist and self-proclaimed ‘yes’ girl,” Driskill shares, “nothing brings me more joy than witnessing someone loving life while in the process of working toward their dreams.” Her work is grounded in Positive Intelligence® research, performance psychology, and neuroscience, aiming to help her clients achieve lasting success with ease, fun, and flow.
Meet Your Inner Saboteurs
Driskill’s signature Conscious Reality Method™ is designed to empower clients to recognize the thoughts and behaviors keeping them from progress. By identifying these patterns, they can begin to break the cycle, realign with their true potential, and build businesses and lives they genuinely love.
Self-sabotage is often subtle, operating below the surface of awareness. It can manifest in common but destructive behaviors such as procrastination, perfectionism, imposter syndrome, and chronic overworking. Based on her work with the saboteur archetypes of Positive Intelligence®, Driskill has created a set of Saboteur Characters, including M.A.R.T.Y. (Makes Awful Remarks To You), S.I.M.O.N. (Success Is My Only Need), and C.A.R.O.L. (Controls All Respects of Life). These characters, each with their own habitual behaviors and personality, aim to bring to life the relatable self-sabotaging patterns that may keep individuals stuck in cycles of frustration and self-doubt.
“People don’t always realize that self-sabotage can masquerade as discipline or reason,” Driskill explains. “For example, hyper-achieving might tell you that working more is a logical path to more success when, in reality, it’s a path to burnout. S.I.M.O.N. often wears overworking like a badge of honor, saying you won’t be fulfilled unless you complete your endless to-do list.”
The Cost of Staying Stuck
Self-sabotage not only can halt progress; it also may affect mental and emotional well-being. Many entrepreneurs find themselves burnt out, overwhelmed, and questioning their abilities despite their intelligence, talent, and work ethic. Driskill teaches that success often begins from within, emphasizing that command of the mind is one of the most critical factors in professional growth.
“When you stay in negative emotions like doubt, fear, and frustration, you may reinforce self-sabotaging habits,” she explains. “But just like training a muscle, you can learn to train your brain to shift toward success and ease.”
Driskill’s programs, such as Money Mindset Breakthrough and PQ® Self Command Performance Coaching, are designed to help clients reframe their thinking, release limiting beliefs, and create momentum in their personal and professional lives.
Breaking Free: A Playful Yet Powerful Approach
Driskill believes that growth doesn’t have to be heavy and serious—it can actually be fun. Her playful yet deeply impactful coaching weaves in creativity, humor, and interactive storytelling to make the self-development process engaging and memorable.
She shares three key steps to start breaking free from self-sabotage:
- Recognize the specific patterns of sabotaging thoughts and habits – Learn to identify which saboteurs are at play and how they might manipulate your decision-making.
- Challenge and reframe negative self-talk – Understand that your inner critic is often inaccurate and train your mind to replace self-doubt with empowering beliefs.
- Prioritize mindset development over strategy – A strong mental foundation is often essential for success, regardless of business acumen.
From Opera to Coaching: A Journey of Transformation
Driskill’s own story suggests that transformation is possible. Having faced profound personal and financial hardships, including divorce and bankruptcy, she reinvented herself by applying the very methods she now teaches.
Her background as an international opera singer and university faculty member gave her a unique perspective on high-performance mindset, resilience, and reinvention. She brings that same discipline, presence, and creative energy to her coaching practice today.
“I could have let my circumstances define me,” Driskill reflects. “Instead, I chose to rewrite my story, and now I help others do the same.”
Through Gilded Within, Driskill demonstrates that true success often starts on the inside. Her coaching programs blend business strategy, mindset transformation, and personal growth, offering a holistic approach to lasting success.
Take the First Step Toward Change
If you find yourself feeling stuck despite your talent and hard work, it might be time to work with a coach on the hidden force of self-sabotage. Kris Driskill helps clients break free from limiting patterns, create clarity, and build a business and life they love—with a lot of fun along the way.
When not inspiring her clients’ transformations, Driskill can be found in Northern California communing with wild animals or being herded by her overly time-conscious Mini Aussie, Jasper.
For more information about Kris Driskill and her transformational coaching programs, visit www.krisdriskill.com. Connect with her on LinkedIn.
Published by Jeremy S.
