You are currently browsing the monthly archive for June, 2008.
These sessions with Client B are so exciting, & gets me in such a great place as both a coach and as a person. I’m not sure if it’s because Client B is an articulate woman who has experience in personal development & is aware of her own UACs, but the coaching comes so “easy” with her. It’s easy for me to listen, and to talk (but not too much & not to advise), to enthuse & to question. She even coached me today when we explored the power of words, & she remarked “Imagine if every person in the world used their words to only speak their truth”. That’s obviously a lofty goal for everyone, but we’re working to find the words that empower her and motivate her , which are different words than those that empower me (or you!).
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I’m grateful today for having Client B start my weekend off right for the next 10 weeks!
This class sparked something in me to sketch out my coaching model right there and then, in the middle of class! I know, I know, I have been taking the monounitasking challenge (you have been reading When I Grow Up Coach: The Blog, haven’t you?) and doing this during class is absolutely falling off that horse, but I just had to! Then, when class was over (see, I did wait until the end!) I went to the computer and came up with a model that I would just LOVE to show you, but am not tech savy enough to do so. You can’t attach something on a blog, huh? Learn something new every day.
Anyway, if you’re an ICA student, you can see it here. For those non-ICAers, you should be able to check it out on my website soon!
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I’m grateful for my second wind!
I don’t think I wrote after my last session - I’m so fired.
This session was great because Holly & I brainstormed as to all the ways I can freely/cheaply market myself. I really thought that I had all of my bases covered, but I discovered so many more ways to get When I Grow Up out there into the creative world! Now I need to find the time to do it……
As an actress, the applause and the laughter of the crowd was the reward. As a coach, it’s the silences, the “I have goosebumps!” and the excitement that you get through the phone that gives you that high. It’s hearing your clients light-bulb moment, and feeling their enthusiasm over jumping that hurdle that will get them to the next step of reaching their goal.
I started Session 1 with my first peer client (who is an ICA student, as opposed to my external client who was - at least at first- not associated with the school) today. It was nerve wracking because I only knew her though her emails and her intake forms, and she’s older than most of my peers or what I thought would be my target audience. Thankfully, it turned out that my worrying was all for naught! We immediately clicked, her friendly voice inviting me into her life, sharing her story and what she’s already discovered about herself. We uncovered some UACs that she only covered superficially before, and I got the silence, the inhale of breath, the “I’ve got goosebumps!” and the “Y’know, I never saw it that way, but it’s absolutely true.”
I think we uncovered many wants, and I know we’ll have plenty to work on and do over the next 11 weeks. I’m so excited to see where this vibrant, enthusiastic, vulnerable (in the fact that she’s open to new things & is focusing now on what makes her life fulfilling) woman will go!
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I’m grateful for a beautiful Saturday and the start of a wonderful weekend.
I can not believe my sessions with Client A are over! There’s a sense of loss, but also of pride and accomplishment. I mean, unless she was blowing smoke up my arse when she filled out my evaluation, she has grown so much - the sessions really meant something to her! And even though there wasn’t an earth shattering moment in each session that I could see, she said that she left every session motivated and excited to start on her challenge, even when it was something that was scary to her.
I start with my client on Saturday, and I’m really going to focus on two things:
* mirroring what she’s saying to make sure it’s clear to both of us
* asking if she wants advice before giving it
Those are my two weak points right now. But I also know my strong points! I definitely have the ability to motivate and encourage, and to empower the client with a sense of self-worth. I love that that was one of the main things that Client A got from our sessions - realization that she was selling herself short and she has the skills, the personality, and the drive to make things happen in her life! I was thinking of having a niche for those that have low self-esteem, but do those that have low self-esteem know it? Can they recognize it and seek help for it? I’m not too sure of that.
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I’m grateful today for my life. Is that too broad? I’m grateful for my job, my family, my friends, my pre-husband, my coaching…….I just have that spine-shivering moment where everything just seems like it’s in the right place.
I know that this is so important that I put these classes on my calendar weeks ago! I’m looking forward to the day where I can have my very own unique coaching model - a visual representation (and reminder!) of my coaching process. And now that I’m starting on my 2nd client hopefully I can get better insight into how I actually coach! I definitely know what’s important to me (sense of excitement, active listening, celebration, encouragement, passion) and what makes me different (sense of humor, enthusiastic) but I can’t wait to really dissect it and put it down in a cohert way. I’m picturing printing it up and framing it above my desk! Well, when I get a desk that is.
I thought that the best part of this class was when Jim asked us, right at the top, to define coaching. Or rather, “How do you define coaching?” I was the first to respond (was it my elevator speech talking?), remarking “It’s helping a client close the gap between where they are and where they want to be.” For others coaching was about “crafting a unique strategy and approach for each client to lead to their self-discovery” or “two people coming together, having a dialogue & interacting as they seek to look for answers, inspiration, and insight.” It was really eye-opening to see that there wasn’t ONE definition of coaching. Everyone gets their own!
I immediately wanted to add to my definition. It’s not only about closing the gap between point A and point B, but about:
* discovering the client’s values
* clarifying what the client wants for themselves
* actively listening, questioning, supporting, & encouraging
* allowing the client to see a new perspective on things
* challenging the client to act
* following up & offering feedback
* celebrating!
How can you wrap that up into one little coaching model?
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I’m grateful today for the wonderful feedback I got from Client A! It makes me giddy whenever I think about the things she said. I’m just glad I didn’t have to give her her money back 
I was a COACH today! I just felt it. I knew it. I was listening, and asking questions, and enthusing, and celebrating, and WOW!
Client A is so funny because she started the session by saying “I feel so bad because I come to you each week as someone different.” And she ain’t kidding! But that’s what I love about working with her. She gets psyched about something, and she acts on it. And not only does she act on it, she acts on it with vim! And vigor! And other words that start with v (vivaciousness?)!
Only 1 session left to go, and I’m so glad that I put myself out there to keep coaching. I’ve realized that my classes have been put on the back burner, but it doesn’t concern me as much. Coaching is the way you learn, and the classes supplement that.
I’m going to be a coach! Holy crapballs.
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Today I’m grateful for being grateful, if that’s allowed.
Elevator speech, elevator speech, elevator speech!
I think I might eat, sleep, and dream about elevator speeches this week. I was so excited last week after I spoke to Holly that I wrote mine on the spot:
“My name is Michelle Solomon, and I’m a career and life coach for young professionals with a creative streak. Some are sick of pounding the pavement, and are now looking for direction in uncovering a new, stable career that they can be enthusiastic about. Others have left those artistic pursuits behind for a stable day job, and want to incorporate their talents back into their lives on their own terms. Either way, they’re discovering who they want to be when they grow up - & I get to go along for the ride!“
I really like the way it reads, and I thought I liked how it sounded, but when I read it to Holly it felt so non-conversational and……fake. So let’s see how that would sound if someone says to me “So, what have you been up to?”
“I’m studying to be a life coach and am in the process of launching my practice.”
“Cool. What do you do as a life coach? I’ve heard of that before but I’m not sure what they do.”
“Well, life coaches help clients define their goals as well as giving them a new perspective on how to get there. So I do that specifically with creative types - either people that are sick of pounding the pavement and want to find a stable job that they can be excited about, or people that have been in a day job for years and want to bring their artistic talents back into their lives. Basically, I’m helping people figure out who they want to be when they grow up!”
Ah. Much better. And I have 10 seconds to spare, since an elevator speech should be around 30 seconds. I still feel like there might be something missing, in terms of what I bring to the table, or the specific way that I coach, but in all fairness, I’m not sure how I do that yet! So my elevator speech will be a variable thing that is always growing and changing.
Tomorrow I’m going to a fundraiser for a theater company that I work with, and figure it’s the perfect opportunity to try out my elevator speech (actors LOVE to ask other actors, “So, what are you up to?” It’s polite & competitive at the same time). Bring on the creative types!
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Today I’m thankful for air conditioning. Air conditioning, I love you.
OK OK, so not every session is a breakthrough session and maybe I AM just too damn hard on myself, but MY GOD when it clicks it really clicks!
I spoke with Client A last night, and the last thing she said to me is what a breakthrough she had today. I did feel like I spoke less, even stopping myself from relaying a story (”This isn’t about you, Michelle”) because I felt like it wouldn’t contribute anything. I still felt sometimes that I didn’t know what to say/ask, so I would often not say anything. Silence can be powerful, though, and it usually led to Client A continuing to speak and discovering something new.
But I have to recognize that my client has made major, major, major strides in the past 10 weeks, and without even the idea of me (not because of me) it might not have unfolded the way it did.
It all goes back to being proud of your client, and - as a coach - taking yourself out of the equation. Because when all was said and done, I was proud of her, and that’s my reward.
I love having a set time each week to discuss my business building! Without my scheduled sessions, I think that this would have gotten pushed back to being a 2009 goal, especially with all of my other (big, fat, huge, major) commitments. Instead, in 4 short weeks, I have:
* the start of an elevator speech (to be completed by Friday)
* a website that is up & running (but not launched yet - it’s not ready! But it will be soon and you will hear it here first!)
* a targeted niche (that can come with targeted marketing)
* a great understanding of who I want to help and why I started coaching in the first place!
I know that by the time I stop being coached by Holly, I’ll be a full-fledged business with all the necessities: a name, a website, a logo, a welcome packet, a services breakdown, business cards, and a marketing plan. Imagine that.
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I’m grateful for my business coach Holly who keeps me on the right track and helps me clarify my goals!
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