What is the Bird’s Eye View of Your Career?

I was recently asked to write an article for the Co-Active Training Institute on the topic of: 

My Remarkable Journey Toward Becoming a Life Coach

I looked at that title as the deadline approached and kept thinking, 

• What am I going to say? 
• What if nothing comes to me? 
• What’s so remarkable about my journey?”

My saboteurs sure had their way with me as they offered a ton of evidence to the contrary. 

But, in truth, it has been an incredible journey.

When I finally sat down to write about it, my hands flew over the keys and 2000 words were on the page before I took a break. 

And, yes, I did this without the help of AI! Though I did put it through my Chat GPT just to see what came up before deciding that I liked my version better. 

I want to share with you one of the lessons I learned from that experience. Then I’d like to give you a little teaser from that article. 

It is really beneficial to look back. To take the bird’s eye view not only of the present and the future but of the past. 

In coaching, we do not spend much time on the past because it is over and done. Often our negative beliefs are anchored there as well. But I realized in writing this article that taking a little time to see the journey that got me here can enlighten the path forward. 

I noticed I had discounted many of my accomplishments. I discovered a few narratives I had missed that included my tenacity, willingness to do the hard things, and refusal to give up on my dreams. 

I also saw all the people who helped me along the way. 

Building a business can sound like a nuts and bolts kind of operation. At times it is, and in some professions, maybe that’s all it is. 

To build a coaching business requires you to care about the people you serve. Coaches care a lot about their own integrity and authenticity, which can make the journey much more fun but also bring challenges that other businesses may not ever encounter. 

Here is a little snippet from the article that reminded me to continually be grateful to all the people I have met, been helped by, enjoyed connections and community with along the way. 

I am forever grateful to my coach Phil Sandhal, co-author of the Co-active Coaching Book, who helped me navigate those uncertain times when I was training to be a coach and in the Startup stage of my business. 

I had a spiritual counselor, Christen, who helped me to see that as soul crushing as my job was at the time, I would be causing myself unnecessary stress by giving up my salary before I was ready.

My acupuncturist, Suzanne Umidi, put my flier up on her bulletin board and told some of her clients about my services. My yoga teacher, Julie Aha, allowed me to make an announcement after every class about my services.

I received much needed help from a young woman I knew, Jessie, whom I hired to do some admin work but who also gave my moral support. 

 I was blessed to be helped by my sister, Gretchen, who offered her accounting services to help me set up my business.

I could never have done it without all that support! 

It seemed like it took a very long time and it wasn’t easy, but it was exciting to be aiming for my dream. I had no uncertainty about this new career and no doubt that I could make it if I just kept moving forward!

Then came the moment when the numbers worked! I had enough marketing that was working to bring in new inquiries each week, enough clients to pay my pared down bills, and the time was finally right to take the leap into full time entrepreneurship! 

I left my postal service job, took off those golden handcuffs, and wholeheartedly committed to being a Co-Active Coach in business.

I opened up my life coaching business full time on August 16th, 2001. I still remember how, on that day at about 10:05 am Eastern Time, my phone rang with a potential client on the other end. 

I was in business!

As I mentioned earlier, my journey since then has been the best of my life.

It has not been an easy journey, nor a hard journey, but a full journey that supports me financially, spiritually and with the richest relationships and deepest connections with others that I have ever known.

That is what I will leave you with today. It is the people, the support, the communities you are a part of that help make dreams come true. 

To me, that is really good to know.