If you’ve ever turned to Tik Tok for tips on health anxiety or searched Instagram for how to get past the fear of driving, you probably have come across an infectiously energetic personality known as Lily Sais. Perhaps you’ve wondered how this 40-something educator ended up on the forefront of the inner revolution in a few years, reaching hundreds of thousands fans and followers all over the globe. If so, you’re in luck.
This is the improbable story of how one life changing viral video catapulted a mother of two in the middle of divorce proceedings to a new existence as a successful anxiety coach and digital nomad.
How it all started
It is May 23rd and Lily Sais (pronounced like rice) pops up on the Zoom screen for an exclusive interview with our magazine. There’s a striking difference between much of her online content and her demeanor in a one on one conversation. The former demands your attention, it is feisty, direct and fast. The woman behind the content on the other is a calm and friendly presence, someone you’d feel comfortable trusting what matters most with. And that is in fact how Lily used to make a living, as a school psychologist.
For more than a decade, Sais spent her days listening to children share their challenges, guiding them as a counselor, educating on topics like puberty and doing the type of work she had always wanted to do. This is what she was up to in 2018, but all was not well. In fact Lily felt very unwell. For years she had been struggling with panic attacks, anxiety and a debilitating fear of driving.
Although a psychologist by trade, Sais had never been presented with a model of how inner struggles work or can be met in her formal education. She had however come across the 3P community through her own research and included teachings from the three principles when counseling students. At the height of her own struggles, in May of 2018, she signed up for a course by Sarie Taylor that was to end years of suffering. Seeing how profound the change was in herself, Lily continued to study the three principles and is now a registered 3P practitioner.
Until 2020, Lily kept learning and sharing her newfound insight at her day job, but felt she had much to share that could help adults as well. What kept her from doing so was the idea that this would require an office and traditional, face to face visits. An idea that quickly became challenged by the worldwide pandemic starting in 2019. Seeing how the world was changing, how an online migration was taking place, Lily decided this was the time to launch an online program offering group discussions.
Her first ever session took place on September first, 2020. Five people attended, four of which were friends and coworkers. One single student had found her through Instagram. But little did Lily know that a life changing event was just a few days away.
Breaking out
Having decided to launch an online program, and inspired by her teenage daughter, Lily set up a Tik Tok account. She started off by posting videos of herself talking, which didn’t get much attention. On September fifth, she tried something different. On top of a trending sound, Lily added a fictional conversation between an anxious brain and inner wisdom. The former saying that a headache probably was cancer, the latter saying no, it wasn’t. It was a 7 seconds long video which quickly after being uploaded had 300 views. This was not the typical 100 views her videos would get, something was different.
In parallel to everything else that was happening, Lily was in the middle of a divorce. She was no longer living with her husband but stayed mostly with her parents. When that was not an option, she would scramble to a hotel. She had spent money she didn’t have, buying a marketing course using Paypal credit. Although in a difficult place, there was a fire burning within. She knew that the life she wanted for herself and her children was not possible on the salary of a school psychologist and a thought kept pushing her forward.
I will change our lives.
The number of views kept going from 1000 to 2000, and when that number went above 100k, Lily knew that her life indeed had changed. One viral video later, what Sais knew was going to happen did. In October, the second time she offered her signature Peace from Within program, 18 people signed up. Inspired by what was happening she added a second course on relationships, she held live workshops and soon had more people interested than she could accommodate.
As her online business was now taking off in a remarkable way, there was still one obstacle keeping Sais from the life she wanted. Living in southern California and being an avid hiker, seeing how many of her friends got to spend time with their kids outdoors during the week, being a full time employee kept this lifestyle out of reach.
By the start of 2021 she had cut down to working four days per week. By October, she was trying to stay on one day per week to support the school system. However, she realized her true passion and potential lied elsewhere. The following month, she left her job of 13 years, prioritizing her family and pursuing her dream of building a thriving online business sharing the three principles.
The future
When asked whether she believes we are living in the early stages of a migration within, a spiritual revolution of sorts, Lily’s answer is cautiously optimistic. On one hand, she believes we are in the middle of a period of increasing self-awareness. On the other hand, she points out that spiritual leaders have talked about this for centuries.
As for what is next, she is an invited speaker at the upcoming 3PUK conference and will host a new program, the name of which says much about why Lily Sais resonates with so many looking for a fresh take on wellbeing. It is the Peace From Within Summer Camp: Where your brain takes a vacation, anxiety gets lots, and divine intelligence parties!
