What exactly is coaching?
Coaching is a powerful tool for unlocking personal and professional potential. It involves partnering with a client in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their capabilities. Through coaching, individuals can tap into previously untapped sources of imagination, productivity, and leadership. In this blog, we’'ll explore the impact of coaching and share a real-life example of someone who benefited from it. We'll also discuss the process of finding the right coach and the breakthroughs that can be achieved through coaching.
Below is my interview with Elle Gail, a global brand marketing leader and health entrepreneur. She’s not a client of mine but I can clearly see the impact and strength that the coaching journey has brought her. The best coaches are the ones that work best for you as an individual.
Tell us about yourself.
Let’s start here… I’ve been working in corporate America at big global brands like Adidas, Nike, and NBC Sports for the past twenty years. I got into sports because I was a collegiate athlete who was determined to follow my passion and turn it into a career. Which I’m proud to say I did.
And then I had kids and…everything changed.
I quickly realized that the expectation for working moms to “do it all”…crush it at their careers while raising kids and running their households was completely unrealistic and incredibly overwhelming.
I was stressed and running on empty and I knew there had to be a better way. So I turned to the experts. I explored meditation programs, read endless self-help books, worked 1:1 with two different life coaches, and even got certified as a health coach myself.
It was a long and winding process, but I’m happy to say that it led me to launch my own business called MotherBar. MotherBar is a wellness brand on a mission to empower women to mother themselves. I saw working moms just like me suffering and realized that part of the problem is that we constantly put ourselves last. We give, give, give until there is nothing left and then we feel inadequate, incapable, and overwhelmed. MotherBar provides education and advice for working moms alongside “Moment” which is a CBD mint made with ingredients to awaken the senses. As mothers, we are constantly rushing around and Moment provides a little space in your day for you to just BE.
So who am I? I’m a 43 year old working mother of two in Lake Oswego, OR who has just redefined herself. I let go of outdated expectations I’d had since childhood, made the choice to put myself first, and committed to only put my energy into activities and individuals who fill up my cup.
What made you decide to get coaching?
Honestly…it was out of desperation. I felt lost. More than once. The first time, I just wasn’t sure where my career was headed or where I wanted to take it. I needed someone to help me wade through the emotions of it all so I found a local life coach here in Portland. The second time, coaching sort of found me. I am a huge fan of The Class which is basically HIIT meets mindfulness and they were promoting an upcoming retreat featuring this amazing meditation, mindset coach named Phillip Attar. I looked him up and on his free 30 minute discovery call, he had me crying within minutes. In that short time, he made me feel more understood than maybe I had…ever. So I knew I had to work with him.
What kind of coaching did you do (health, life, career, etc.)?
I’d call both experiences life coaching, although they were very different. One was more focused on helping me rediscover my passion and my strengths and feeling confident enough to share them with the word. And the other…it’s honestly hard to describe. He helped me break old patterns of conditioning and embody my ideal life. He trained me to be hyperaware of my body through meditation and somatic healing. And he helped me feel more alive and more in love with life and all its possibilities. It's important to note that I also explored being a coach myself. I graduated from the Institute of Transformational Nutrition a few years ago which teaches a holistic approach to coaching (physical, mental, spiritual). It was highly engaging and honestly a huge catalyst for launching MotherBar.
What were your expectations for coaching?
I went into coaching with a totally open mind. I felt lost in life and was hoping that by talking through my experiences, hopes, and dreams that I could find a new path forward.
What did you get out of it? What were your biggest breakthroughs?
My biggest breakthrough was connecting more with myself. We are all unknowingly socialized at a young age. As we get older, how often do we stop to ask if our hopes and dreams are actually ours or someone else’s? I feel like a totally different person than I was even 5 years ago. As humans we are meant to evolve but I think the fear of change sadly keeps so many stuck and complacent.
What advice would you give to someone who’s considering coaching but is unsure whether it’s worth the time and money?
I would say, do your research. There are so many coaches and coaching programs out there. Talk to individuals who have either worked with the coach or have gone through the coaching program if you can. And then take the plunge. Worst case, you’ll learn more about yourself. Best case, you’ll jump start a new career or shift your mindset. I really don’t think you can lose.
How has coaching impacted your career and/or life?
Majorly. I don’t know where I’d be if I hadn’t pursued coaching. While I’m still working in corporate America, I now have my own business which lights my fire and fills up my cup. I definitely wouldn’t have found this new path without working with a coach and doing the work on myself.
But I believe coaching is the long game. It takes willingness, openness, commitment, and patience to change. You have to be willing to explore the messiness in order to get to the breakthroughs. But I promise it is 1,000,000% worth it!
If you’re trying to decide whether coaching is what you need now, it’s so easy to book a free session with a coach. There are so many of us and the worst that could happen is that you learn more about yourself!