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03 August 2010
This is a preview from my book, Don't Hire A Life Coach (Until You Read This) and is the first half of the chapter entitled: 'My personal story as a life coach and the Story of Life Coaching'. I'm attaching it here to share how I started off thinking that it was a crazy 'crock' and now I'm making a big difference in people's lives in a big way every day. If you like it or are not sure, here's the definitive book on life coaching and I hope this excerpt interests you enough to buy your own copy . . .
My personal story as a life coach and the Story of Life Coaching
I remember listening to NPR on the radio about 12 years ago and hearing the reporter describe this new phenomenon of ‘life coach’ or ‘career coach’ and saying to myself ‘that sounds like a crock of *#@#’! Sorry to say, I thought it sounded more like the ‘lite beer’ version of, psychology or social work more than coaching and, as the saying goes, anyone who sees a psychiatrist probably needs to have their head examined!’
At the time I was running a small theatre program in Chicago and I was responsible for several programs: from after school acting classes and theatre summer camp to adult acting class and a full season of community centered theatre. I had what I considered the best job in the world in that I was getting paid full-time to do what I’d always wanted to do. My background included years of professional acting in venues around the country. I wound up in Chicago after finishing my Master of Fine Arts Degree in Directing for Theatre from DePaul University’s Theatre School, one of the top ten, if not top 5 of such programs in the country at that time (and now). I loved my job in that I could create programs to fit the needs of the community. I was involved with inner city kids, a courageous group of adult amateurs and could also continue my work as a professional in Chicago’s rich black box theatre movement.I was making a difference and every day presented a new challenge, a new opportunity and I could see the people around me growing. In fact, people were coming to my courses and reporting that they were using. Not only were they getting the sense of confidence that acting can provide, but the whole model of finding out what a character wants, what motivates them, and creating a consistent plan of action that will get them what they want was helping them see situations in their own personal lives more clearly.
People began to notice how our program was thriving and even the higher ups in the city management were impressed. It was probably the first time this had happened but the art program was so successful that it was funding sports programs! I was selling tickets, bartering space for classes, creating new programming and even sponsoring neighborhood programs like the local soup kitchen, an ethnic cultural program and the local block clubs. Our small center began to thrive like never before.
I began to receive requests for consulting and support from other park programs and was very active in the organization which is one of the best, most productive and well established in the nation. But at the same time I was being pulled in another direction. I had begun taking courses on my own in personal growth, development and self leadership. A new organization was recruiting me to leave the theatre and help grow the business of self development workshops.
Suddenly, I found the connection to the newscast I had heard on NPR a few years before and been so skeptical about. I was learning that my experience in directing, producing events and being an acting coach could also help people in real life, with real projects and with personal growth.
I left my job and went full time into coaching and, years later wound up as a full-time corporate coach with a great deal of practical experience making things happen and helping people, teams and corporations achieve their goals. I had found myself in the forefront of a very rich and rewarding new field that my first reaction to had been ‘that sounds like a crock of *#@#’!
End of Excerpt ---
Please see 'Don't Hire a Life Coach' for more on this topic and how you can use a life coach to get the results you want now!
