Choosing the right coach for you

You may remember that I offer a 30-minute Complimentary Clarity Call to potential clients who think they may want to work with me.

In that call, my job is to truly listen and to give the human in front of me an opportunity to be heard.

It’s also crucial for me to be fully who I am, coach how I coach, and to clearly articulate what I offer and what I don’t.

In my program, I include a career transition framework with a series of tools that help people find their answers and create a plan to go after what they want.

The clients who want to work with me often say, “I LOVE the structure. It helps me understand what concrete things we can accomplish together.”

And then there are those who hear all about my offering. We have a lovely conversation and when I follow up they say, “Your program has TOO much structure for me.”

Completely valid. And good that they know what they need.

The exciting news is that there are MANY skilled and inspiring coaches out there. They are my colleagues, my community and I refer them often.

What’s important for you, as the client, is to think about WHAT you need and WHO you need to help you.

Three things I recommend considering when you choose a coach are…

1. Style

What kind of person tends to motivate you the most? Who do you respond best to in a challenging or vulnerable moment? I would call my style compassionate tough love with space for both tears and laughter. Some people need a bit more of a tougher edge than I provide and still others are looking for more time to talk about feelings and where they’re stuck. I recommend you trust your intuition on whether or not you feel chemistry with your coach.

2. Specific expertise

Where do you want to focus your energy in this coaching engagement? What are your goals? I focus on Career Transition Coaching and no longer offer Leadership or Executive Coaching. Some of my colleagues are Business Coaches and Public Speaking Coaches. You can probably name a type of coach you’re looking for these days and find someone.

3. Unique gifts and offerings

Are there nice-to-haves that would sweeten the deal for you? Would it be nice if someone came from a specific industry prior to coaching? I love connecting people so I’m often creating a community in my Office Hours, pairing up clients for accountability or introducing clients to my own network for conversations. It’s one of the things that my clients don’t necessarily expect from their coach, but love that they get this as a bonus.

As with job searching, finding the right coach is truly about fit. If you can’t decide among all of the coaches you’ve spoken with – my guess is you don’t currently have the bandwidth or desire for coaching OR you haven’t met the right one.

If you think you’re ready and we may be a fit, feel free to schedule a Clarity Call with me at the end of August when I return from vacation.

Boundaries are my love language

In the past couple of months, I’ve been leading discussions around boundaries for all of my many groups. And I’ve noticed something. 

My body is on fire. 

There’s a visceral current. All the energy and flow and a wee bit of sadness when the discussion comes to a close. 

In my work with clients, I would call this a “career clue.”  Career Clues are those topics you discuss, events you plan, projects you lead, moments you mentor – when you feel sparky and alive in your body. A physical sensation. 

My learning curve with boundaries has been an evolution in both my business and personal life. 

As a mostly people pleaser, rule follower kid – I remember a rush when I said no, or went my own way to do the unpopular thing. 

It felt like a high-five with my true self. 

That’s typically how I know I’ve set the right boundary for myself now. While some “no’s” are a “hell no” and easy to say in the moment. There are still many that push me to the edge of my comfort with my own worthiness and the belief that I can have, or even create what I want. 

My boundaries practice is tested when I…

Stand firm in my rates.

Guard my free time.

Choose values-aligned communities, clients and projects.

And even if the lead up  is hard, when I hear the inner slap of that high five, that full body relief on the other end – I know I made the right choice. 

If you’re having challenges setting boundaries in your career – whether it’s about the time you’re putting in, the way you’re being compensated…or recognized – let’s talk it through. 

Is there something you want to ask for?

Something you need to say no to? 

A redistribution of tasks and labor at home?

I help clients with scripts and examples for how they can put these boundaries into words, so they can own what they want in their language – and then get the practice asking for those things, out loud, with another human. 

Looking forward to talking with you in a boundary-strategy session! 

Job Market Signs of Life

You’ve seen the headlines. The first five months of 2023 were tough for jobseekers. After 2022, an unprecedented year for both my business and my clients nailing their right-fit roles, 2023 definitely started slow. 

Between layoffs, budget cuts,  hiring freezes and the collapse of a few key banks–I was absolutely setting expectations with clients. 

I know this process works. Yet–in this climate, your search is possible AND will take longer. 

And now, I’m pleased to report momentum has returned. Traction in searches is happening. June was hot! In June I had SIX clients who landed their roles. And it’s only been continuing to pick up from there. 

So, consider this your gentle and compassionate push. 

You can figure out your priorities for your next role. You can network over the summer when many of your contacts have more flexibility and less to do. 

And if you feel like you’re going to need support, there are two ways to work with me right now. 

1. My 1:1 Coaching Program which includes 6 sessions and my career pathing framework (10+ video modules and worksheets). 

2. My NEW Self-Study Program where you can buy the entire framework and add on single 1:1 sessions, as needed. 

I’m looking forward to helping you find your answers to all of your career desire questions.

The suck of STUCK!

Recently, in a client session I heard the same word coming through over and over. 

It’s one that I hear often when it comes to career paths. 

A word that prompts driven humans to seek me out. 

Let’s just get it out of our systems. 

Stuck. Stuck. Stuck. Stuck. Stuck. 

There, you said it. Now, let’s talk about how you’re really feeling. The feelings behind stuck. 

Frustrated that you haven’t figured out what you want to be when you grow up. 

Angry that the situation you thought would be a fit, isn’t what it seemed. 

Shame that you don’t feel as far along as your peers. 

Overwhelm with options and tactics and opinions and oh so many terrible job descriptions. 

Fear that the right thing isn’t out there for you. 

You may be feeling all of these things and yes, you also may be feeling stuck. 

But that doesn’t mean you are. 

Often people use the word stuck when they don’t yet have the answer. 

When they’re anxious about sitting in the uncertainty. 

And yet, it’s in the permission to keep moving in the uncertainty and getting out of your routines and experimenting and taking risks even when you don’t know the answers — that you will find your answers. 

It’s in the forward movement. 

In the trust of your intuition.

It’s in the belief that you are on your path to figuring something out. That it may not be perfect or the one dreamiest dream jobbiest next step. But it is worth trying if it matches your terms and you feel that physical pull of energy toward this inevitability. 

So, the next time you feel the inertia–the suck of stuck–I invite you to use this stuck releaser:

I'm on my path.
I don’t yet have the answers and that's OK.
I trust my inner wisdom and I will find them.

The more you allow yourself to feel the actual feelings behind your inertia and begin taking action without knowing the outcome, you are practicing self-trust and building momentum toward your career goals. 

Sending you energy and support and a path to rise from the stuck.