Coaching Stories

How can coaching benefit you? These are people who asked that same question. Here are their stories. Yes, you can take charge of your life and make the leap from being confused, angry, and stuck to energized, excited, and creative. Read on . . .

Work SMARTER rather than harder! — Rebecca’s Story

"I Wish I Knew How to Accomplish My Goals." — Tonya’s Story

Feel the fear and do it anyway! — Karen’s Story

A More Spiritual Life — Bob’s Story

Unleash Your Creativity And Passion— Tammy’s Story

It seems incredible, but you really CAN work SMARTER rather than harder!

Rebecca’s Story:

Rebecca owns a beautiful Villa, called Mille Vigne, nestled in the hills of St. Helena, in the heart of the California Wine Country. When she hired me, her goal was to be become more open to opportunities that would improve her quality of life.

Her desires were clear: To increase the bookings in her Villa To become more organized To work fewer hours To make more money To have more free time to enjoy her life Together we created an action plan based on this vision with a goal to realize it within the next ten years. Rebecca is absolutely a joy to work with because she is committed to learning new things. She has a natural talent for seeing the best in people and in every situation. The biggest challenge she faced is having come from a past riddled with trust issues, broken dreams and disappointments. We had to do some dedicated work on her belief systems.

Sometimes when we want to grow and expand, things left unresolved in our past can hold us back. Coaching can be helpful to identify patterns that were established when we were growing up to see where our blocks are. Fortunately, Rebecca had already dealt with a lot of negativity from her past. Working successfully for many years in the hotel and restaurant industry, she later established a wedding planning business, which she ran successfully for eighteen years. Through this, she saved enough money to buy a gorgeous piece of property on which she designed and built her Villa. Like everything she did, she did this with great passion.

Her new goal was to work smarter, not harder. During our coaching relationship, it became apparent Rebecca needed to look deep inside to find some personal answers. Every week she completed writing assignments that encouraged her to get crystal clear on what she now wanted. We addressed the past and changed beliefs that no longer served her. She found the courage to resolve past issues and find peace with them.

We even worked on her relationship with men where she learned to set boundaries and embrace the term, “healthy selfishness.” She found it hard to say no and being service oriented, it was easier for her to give rather than to receive. Positive results came quickly. She learned how to say no and to become as good at receiving as she was at giving. She began to get more organized and completed projects that she had been procrastinating about. She cleaned neglected corners, cleared things out, organized her paperwork, and hired two new staff members.

There is an exercise I give my clients to help them become clearer about their needs and wants. Rebecca loved this change-of-focus exercise. It helped her see the areas of her life that she needed to adjust. Once she got clear, it didn't take Rebecca long to get what she wanted. Bookings for the Villa continue to increase. She delegates more to her staff, has more free time for herself and the quality of her life has increased tremendously. About the Villa, she writes, “I want to give my guests an experience they won’t find any place else.”

Recently one of my current clients conducted an informational interview with Rebecca. (I encourage my clients to speak with people who are successful, to find out how they did it.) His comment, after meeting with her was, “I know Rebecca is a hard worker, but she seems to do whatever she wants.” He was impressed with the amount of freedom she has to live her life in her own way.

Rebecca learned how to work smart, not hard. Her Villa is absolutely beautiful. Every inch of it is filled with her tender loving care, and it is one of the very few places in our Wine Country where you truly feel like you’re in Europe. Beyond its visual enticements there is an air of calmness and serenity that resides over the Villa. This is one of the many outcomes of the inner work that Rebecca has done that now radiates outward into the world.

To learn more about Mille Vigne, click on this link:
www.millevigne.com/innkeeper.shtm

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How Often Do You Find Yourself Saying:
"I Wish I Knew How To Get Clear, Persevere And Accomplish My Goals. "

Tonya’s Story:

When Tonya first started working with me, she was in her mid-twenties, full of ambition, but frustrated by a lack of clear direction. She wanted a meaningful, fulfilling career not just a job. Tonya’s mantra was, “My ultimate goal is to have a career with a company that keeps their people growing and learning.” I encouraged her to start with achievable goals, the first being to increase her circle of contacts. I shared with her the ins and outs of networking and nurturing important relationships. She was open, curious, and stayed focused on these goals.

Tonya had a natural style of uplifting others and wanted to work in some capacity that allowed her to do that. As we forged ahead in our coaching relationship, Tonya boosted her self-confidence and grew a network of new positive associates. Although she enjoys a sharp mind that can process information quickly, she struggled in these earlier years with communicating her thoughts to others. Her mind worked faster than her mouth would talk. “I feel discouraged when my thoughts don’t come across clearly!” she groaned. I suggested she overcome this frustration by joining Toastmasters. Many Toastmaster members join with a goal to become more effective communicators rather than public speakers. This appealed to Tonya and the structure and sequence of their training helped her become the excellent communicator she is today.

As Tonya built her network, she made use of these new professional contacts to find out about better jobs. She was getting closer to finding her perfect career, attracted more new contacts, asked the right questions and stayed focused on her goal. With patience and perseverance she found an interim “home” in the Staffing Industry, which fulfilled her immediate goals, paid well, and gave her good business experience. She sensed however, deep down, that there was another calling driving her forward.

Now, almost 10 years later, Tonya is a successful Financial Advisor. Since 2002 she has been working as a member of the San Francisco Bay Area Agency, LLC, a General Agency of Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, where she was awarded “Rookie of the Year” status in her first year. She’s happily married, has two beautiful children and is passionate about what she does. She knows she’s making a difference in her client’s lives. She helps them reach specific and attainable financial goals and often shows them how to do it by being a natural role model. Tonya contributes to her community by taking leadership roles in Soroptimist International, Toastmasters, Women in Insurance and Financial Services, and the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors.

To experience Tonya’s financial services in action or learn more
about what she does for her clients, visit her website:
www.tmathison.com/new/tmathison/

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Yes, YOU too can feel the fear and do it anyway!

Karen’s Story:

Karen’s story is one of determination and perseverance. 12 years ago, Karen was lacking direction and felt fearful and worried about what her future held. She made the brave decision not to let these fears debilitate her and hired me to help her move ahead.

As a stay-at-home mom, Karen hadn't been in the business world for quite some time. She lacked the confidence to relate to fast paced business people and wondered how she could ever gain respect and become accomplished again. For many women it’s a scary prospect to re-enter the working world after a long hiatus. I began our process by teaching Karen how to do informational interviews and connect with people doing jobs she liked in interesting fields. As our coaching relationship progressed, she developed new quality contacts and relationships and learned how to ask confidently for what she wanted. These exercises constantly challenged her to find ways to manage her fears. One-by-one, with my support, she felt the fears and went ahead anyway.

Eventually, Karen found a business that she could be passionate about - Weekenders USA, a Direct Sales Company focusing on women’s fashions. She’s now an Executive Sales Manager with 150 women in her unit called “Women Who D.A.R.E.” – to Dream, Achieve, Recognize and Empower. With my initial support, she learned how to overcome her fears and now empowers other women to do the same. Now a powerful leader, Karen is highly respected within Weekenders receiving The President’s Award for helping hundreds of other women to believe in themselves and succeed in business.

One of the best decisions Karen made was to join Toastmasters where she honed her communication and speaking skills to give a voice to her passions. Joining Toastmasters was scary, but she felt the fear and did it anyway. Within a year, she became a Toastmasters Area Governor helping other clubs to expand and grow. I recently heard Karen speak at a women’s organization. She held the audience spellbound while telling them how she overcame her fears and built her dream. She pulls no punches and speaks clearly about the challenges in making her mark on the world. Karen continues to build her business and keeps her eye focused on her goals. Many years ago Karen adopted a saying about fear that helped her tremendously. It is: F.E.A.R. – Find Every Adventure Rewarding.

Karen’s web site:
www.weekendersusa.com/KarenLeffler

Are you ready to see with new eyes that the only thing to fear
- is fear itself?

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For Those Who Deserve To Live, Create And Embrace A More Spiritual Life

Bob’s Story:

In the first 3 months of Bob’s employment as a cost accountant, he saved his company $30,000. Impressed upon hearing this, I asked what this company pays him to create such dramatic results. “$30,000 a year.” he replied. “You’re drastically underpaid for what you do!” I countered. His reply, “Oh, you’re not going to be one of those people who challenge me, are you?” Of course, the answer was “Yes! As a matter of fact I am!”

As our coaching relationship progressed, we unearthed and cleared limiting beliefs that kept Bob tethered. Session by session, he discovered new ways to look at opportunities, new ways to think differently about life. The idea was to awaken his creative talents and watch him blossom into a person reaping the benefits of following his own spiritual guidance. To develop a more spiritual foundation, he followed my recommendation to read the works of powerful authors such as, Marianne Williamson, Dr. Wayne Dyer, and Dr. Deepak Chopra.

With dedicated and supportive coaching, Bob learned new tools to help him get clear, stay focused and build the courage to keep moving ahead. Over time waves of creativity started exploding inside Bob and the momentum began to take on a life of its own. I marveled at how he continuously set “new intentions” and accomplished them, for instance he:

• Nurtured new relationships with like-minded seekers.
• Attracted and acquired better paying jobs where he could showcase his new found creativity.
• Transitioned himself from a skeptical thinker with low self-esteem to a powerful pro-active believer.

The path was not always easy, but he continued to read and stay dedicated to embracing his life with new eyes. For five years, he’s worked for an organization that fosters and encourages his creativity, and recently he purchased a beautiful home.

That’s not all! One day, inspired to create a business on the side, Bob became an event planner, specializing in creating parties and events for people - “Imaginative Events Creating Treasured Memories”. Coaching gave him the confidence and support he needed. I got chills when he said, “I'm not only using the tools you taught me… I'm teaching them to others!” It’s a comment every coach dreams of hearing.

An inspiration to many of my clients, Bob shares his story with those ready for change. When my clients meet with him, they remember him fondly as someone who challenged them to be and do more. I sometimes think back to that day I met Bob and how he questioned me about challenging him. His results are absolute proof - if you have support and dedicate yourself to following your spiritual path, miracles can and do happen.

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Feeling A Burning Desire To Unleash Your Creativity And Passion?

Tammy’s Story:

Some people embrace their creativity and passion daily, others take a while to get in touch with it and sadly some people never allow it to blossom. Tammy was enjoying life. She had two children aged 4 and 8 months, as well as an 11-year marriage to a loving, supportive husband. Like a lot of couples, however, they needed to increase finances so decided to focus on how to boost Tammy’s income. She already had a little home-based business and initially, it looked like all she needed was to get her business back on track. Feeling stuck and out of sorts, Tammy hired me to help.

As we worked together, it became apparent she wasn't that passionate about her business anymore. Week after week, as she diligently did her homework I assigned, I noticed she was an excellent writer and pointed out how creatively she expressed herself. She didn't pay much attention to that observation and continued to work at growing her business. Eventually something began to feel “off” in our work together. I had to ask straight out if she truly had the passion needed to rebuild her business. Having a hard time feeling anything, except frustration Tammy realized she just wasn't that passionate about it anymore…but what else could she do?

Months later, something began to stir inside Tammy. It appeared that my continual encouragement to creatively write started to take hold. She attracted a side job writing a book with a friend, a book targeted to assist parents with young children. Then they created a newsletter and published their first issue in March 2005, filled with valuable content - things like tips, activities and reviews of movies appropriate for young children. Things started to happen, positive things and one thing led to another. Now, they’re up to 500 subscribers and have 38 businesses distributing the newsletter. Doors started opening and dollars started rolling in! It’s like the Incredible Hulk is paving the way for them. They'll be teaching classes at the local Adult Educational Center and have been invited to speak on a panel for the California Writer’s Club.

There’s even more good news! Because they review movies, Pixar and Disney have designated them as “Press”. How fun is that? Now she gets to view movies for free and write in-depth reviews so that parents can make educated choices about what to take their kids to see.

Tammy recently said, “Once I allowed myself to be creative, everything started happening!” Unleashing her creativity, she was able to tap into that place of flow and now supplements her family’s income doing something she’s really passionate about. And, the best thing is - ALL this work she does from home while spending quality time with her family.

For a free copy of Tammy's newsletter, email her at
TummyToToddler@yahoo.com
or call 1-925-947-1366

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