Interview with the Coach

Common questions answered about coaching, what it is, and what it’s like.

What’s a “Curiosity Call” and what happens during one?

A “Curiosity Call” is a phone conversation between you and me to learn about each other. It’s an opportunity for you to share your goals, what you really want to do with your career and life (More balance? A specific goal?), who you are as a person, and if we are a good fit to work together.

Schedule a Curiosity Call HERE.

If we work together, what exactly does “coaching” look like?

There are two beginner steps when we begin working together. The first step is to schedule a one-and-a-half to two-hour in-person Discovery Session where we discuss your big goals, how you evaluate 8 major areas of your life (career, family, relationships, etc.) and where you want to change. This sets the stage for our future work.

The second step is to start coaching. Normally sessions are 45 or 60 minutes long, 2-3 times per month. These sessions are usually via phone. CLICK HERE to read more about the coaching process.

What’s the difference between coaching and therapy?

Therapy is a valid and helpful tool for people who want to look back on their lives, process grief, figure out why certain things happened to them, or look more closely at a trauma that has occurred in their past. Licensed therapists can prescribe medications.

Coaching is a tool for people who see where they are in the present moment, and have a vision or idea about where they want to go in the future. Coaching deals with the entire range of human emotions: joy, pain, fear, love, worry, stress, etc, and can have therapeutic results. But it is not therapy.

The big difference between coaching and therapy is that –largely – therapy generally looks backwards at what has already occurred. Coaching occurs in the present moment and looks forward at what is possible.

I believe that clients are creative, resourceful, and capable individuals who are fully able to find or create their own solutions to challenges. Coaching helps clients reach their goals faster and with greater clarity.

My job is driving me crazy. How quickly can you help me change it?

Well, as with anything in life, you must take action on your own.  As your coach, I will come along side you to help clarify what exactly is driving you crazy, what it feels like, uncover what stories you’re telling yourself, and what actions you’re committed to taking, in order to change your own situation.

Are our coaching sessions over the phone, in-person, or on a video conference system, like Zoom?

Coaching sessions can be on any of these three mediums. Generally, coaching calls via phone provide some level of privacy for the client, save us both travel time, while at the same time allow the client to be vulnerable, as needed. Some clients are comfortable coaching face-to-face and we can arrange that.

What will we talk about? I don’t have much to say.

You’d be surprised at what thoughts you can discover to share.

Our clear coaching topic (for each session) will be based on what you have to say, and where you feel the most “juicy” topic is. We’ll know it when we hear it.

How fast will I reach my goals, if we work together?

As with everything in life, it depends.

A three-month commitment period is the best way to start. Three months is a small-enough window to see positive changes in your situation, provides enough time for your actions to bear fruit, and for you to get more clarity around what you want.

And, three months is not a magic bullet.

Working with a coach is a transformational process that occurs over a period of time. Sometimes the changes are big, and sometimes barely perceptible.

Stay patient, and positive change will come.

I noticed under “Services” that you do triathlon and leadership coaching. Isn’t that a weird combination? Why do you coach both?

It might seem like a weird combination at first glance. But actually, there are a lot of similarities between leadership coaching and triathlon coaching.

They both require:

• Mental and emotional commitment to your goal, often many months in the future
• Long-term vision of what’s possible
• Daily choice to “show up” for “practice”
• Willingness to ask for support
• Trust in the coach/client relationship
• Understanding that the success is in the training, not necessarily the “final race” itself.

What do all those letters after your name mean?

The CPCC is the certification from the school where I studied. It stands for Certified Professional Co-Active Coach. “Co-Active” [hotlink to CTI website] is the coaching method and model I use. A CPCC coach has more than 60 hours of intensive training, in addition to 100 hours of paid coaching experience, as well as both a written and oral examination of their skills.

The ACC  means Associate Certified Coach, and is one of the official credentials awarded by coaching’s governing body, the International Coach Federation.

Coaches with the ACC credential have more than 100 hours of coaching (both paid and pro-bono) and must pass a written test of their coaching knowledge and ethics.

Why did you become a coach?

I became a coach for many different reasons. The main reason is because I like helping people discover what lights them up. And I enjoy learning about what makes people “tick.” It’s different for everyone, and fascinating.

With a background in elementary education, international public relations, and athletics, my life journey led me to become a coach.

But even during my college days (20+ years ago), I knew that I’d own and operate my own business one day. And now that I’ve figured it out, I’m happy to be here and look forward to working with you!