Creative Career Coaching

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. Interview the coach.

Ask questions that get to the heart of how they think and how they will respond to you.

That means it's better to ask things like, "What makes you successful with clients?" rather than, "What is your educational background?" The educational background is fine (for instance, I could tell you I have a Ph.D.), but the question about success gets to what is at the heart of their coaching (which isn't my Ph.D., but my creative approach and the process I use). And always ask, "Why should I choose you for my coach?"

As you interview the coach, notice how you are feeling and your intuitive, gut response AS WELL AS the content of the coach's answers. How you're feeling in the conversation will probably be similar to how you'll feel in your coaching sessions.

Ideally, you'll feel energized after even the interview call, and will feel energized after typical coaching sessions.

Q. What important information should buyers have thought through before seeking you out?

A. While coaching can help you clarify your real questions and goals beneath any confusion you may feel, it's best to think through what you most want in your career--even if it feels unrealistic. That has proven to be a great way to start helping you seek what is most meaningful for you.

Second, think about what you would like the impact of coaching to be.

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. I work fast with clients, rather than expecting or demanding a long term commitment. That's not because I push people, but because I use an approach that cuts to the core issues and gets people moving toward success more rapidly.

At the heart of that approach are 4 key questions and creative tools I provide to help you get your own unique answers to those 4 questions.

What's also special is that I build on your successes. That simply means together we examine how you've succeeded in the past with transitions, key decisions, and career choices and use those stories of success as a mental and emotional model or touchstone for how to move forward with the current decision, transition and career choice.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. Making a big difference in how people are spending their work lives so they aren't just putting in time, but feeling they are doing something exciting, meaningful, challenging and positive. Specifically, when someone is discouraged or slightly hopeful, but completes coaching and is full-out excited and motivated about their vision and plan--that's big. That's very fulfilling for me as well.

Q. What are the latest developments in your field? Are there any exciting things coming in the next few years or decade that will change your line of business?

A. There are new developments all the time in Job Search, Networking possibilities, Resume presentation and Interviewing. Specifically, social media have made it so much easier to get to almost anyone you need. Job postings are easy to search for and resume postings and profiles on LinkedIn can make you stand out to someone you otherwise would never have met.

Changes will only accelerate. It's exciting. But one thing isn't changing. You need to quiet all the external "noise" if you want to figure out who you are and what would really make you happy in your career. You can find new fields and new opportunities through an app, perhaps, but not which career path will make you feel great about your life. Without that, the rest is very unimportant.