Frequently Asked Questions
What can I expect from the Discovery Session?
Most of my prospective clients want to know what it feels like to work with me before establishing an ongoing partnership. This session will answer any questions you have about our ability to collaborate, as well as our overall compatibility: do my questions, my presence, and my style feel encouraging and helpful? If you have specific questions, I will answer them. If you don’t, I will be more than happy to walk you through a sample session and help you uncover some.
What is the most rewarding aspect of coaching for you?
My personal mantra is “always leave things better than you found them… especially people.” So, I love when clients share an action that demonstrates how they have meaningfully shifted their perspective or behavior in a way that is congruent with how they want to be in the world.
What do you think is the biggest barrier to lasting change?
I’m not sure I can claim to know which barrier is the biggest, but I can share the one I see most often: an unwillingness to accept our truth and the discomfort that comes with it. This resistance manifests in many forms: needing things to move more quickly (impatience), needing to feel like we have mastered something (insecurity/imposter syndrome), needing to know how things will turn out in the future before we take risks (sense of control), or needing to avoid unwanted emotions (seeking distraction).
What aspect of coaching have you found to be the most surprising?
I’ve been surprised by how often my clients have insight about where to initiate change. Initially, many say they feel stuck or lost in some aspect of their lives. But within a few weeks of coaching, all of them uncover a deep understanding or truth about themselves. Together, we explore the tension between their internal truths (what they know to be true without thinking about it) and external expectations (what they believe others want for or from them). For example, I may tell myself that I am a person who enjoys helping people. And this may be quite true most of the time. However, such a story may cause resistance, and possibly suffering, when I am faced with a situation in which I sincerely do not wish to help. Some people may not even be fully aware of this internal conflict, but most will be able to acknowledge the disparity if thoughtfully asked about it. And this is where meaningful change begins.
Can you share more about your experience living in Germany?
Living in Germany for over a year stripped away the familiar and forced me to get deeply curious about my own values and habits. Culture had heavily influenced me and told me what I should want, and I had become less attuned to my own intrinsic motivations. So began my lifelong effort to look internally for what is authentically true for me (rather than expected by my society). I began to think more openly about what I wanted to pursue and to rethink and reimagine my own definition of “success”.
How did you decide on your core values?
My core values (Wellness, Curiosity, Connection, Authenticity, Inspiration, and Rebalancing) represent my habits and approach towards living that keep me centered and focused on what matters most. I know from experience that if any of these elements are missing from my life for too long, I will no longer be able to live in a way that keeps me joyful and motivated and able to be of service to others.
Do you have any book recommendations on navigating change?
I wish I could recommend a "user's manual" on implementing steps to effectively navigate change, but I've come to believe that truly shifting one's mindset and expectations is the more challenging and more important piece. That said, below are some books I’ve found useful along my journey.
Who Moved My Cheese? - Spencer Johnson
I read this in one sitting as I contemplated leaving the tech world and letting go of the "successful" career I spent nearly a decade constructing. It helped me gain some perspective and question my desire to stay comfortable.
What Should I Do With My Life - Po Bronson
Real stories about real people navigating real change.
The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho
A boy’s magical journey filled with inspiring quotes such as, “(t)here is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.”
When Things Fall Apart - Pema Chödrön
Buddhist-influenced insights on how to “invite in” and remain present for the most difficult and painful parts of life, and the associated emotions that go along with them.
A New Earth - Eckhart Tolle
Tolle’s observations and fresh interpretations of ancient spiritual teachings helped me consistently identify and get some separation from the internal ego-driven commentary that plagues us all. This ongoing practice of noticing ego-driven thought has allowed my own curiosity to expand, and I now seek to understand without worrying too much about my own story or my own status relative to others.