How did you get to be a Positive Change Expert and Mentor and how are you different from other Life Coaches?

I’ve been in business – and doing what I love – since 2003, which is when I had a wake-up call. At that point, I was deep into a corporate job, my husband and I had just built our dream house, and I was living a lifestyle of abundant “things.” Something wasn’t right, and I knew I needed to make a big change in my life in order to live more authentically. I was saying “yes” to all the things I thought I wanted…and saying “no” to what I really wanted. You can read more about my story to see how we ultimately sold the dream house; downsized, simplified, and moved into a townhouse; got rid of a ton of “stuff;” went back to school; and then I left the job and started this business! Whew, that was quite a change!

After making the big and important changes in my life, I made a commitment to dedicate my professional life to helping other women make important change in their lives – through my private coaching, workshops, writing, speaking, and products.

Now my clients have the benefit of expert coaching and mentoring from someone who’s been there, someone who ‘gets’ it, and someone who – most importantly – “walks the walk.” I confidently lead my clients toward the changes they have been yearning to make for so long. What a thrill for me and a true honor!

After several years of working with hundreds of clients, I created the Positive Change System^TM – a series of seven important steps every professional woman needs to apply in order to make lasting positive change and live a life of greater joy.

Does this The Positive Change System^TM really work? And can I ask your clients about it?

Yes! And yes! Please take some time to look through the many LifeShine client testimonials. Browse through the individual profiles and see which ones you feel drawn to – you might see someone who has gotten the results you want to get, too, or maybe they’re in a similar situation. Feel free to email or call them and ask what they got from working with me and my programs.

What type of clients do you work best with and what’s expected of me?

All LifeShine programs were primarily created for the professional woman who is eager to make positive change in her life; the woman who is done talking about living a better life and finally ready to do it. The programs were tailored to give you the guidance, structured support, and accountability to make the changes necessary to live your best life.

Being a believer in the “life is good” philosophy and making immediate positive change in my own life when needed, I work best with women who also believe life is good (and know it could be even better!) and women who are serious about making lasting positive change in their life.

The clients I work with understand the importance of investing in themselves. They are deeply committed to their own personal and professional growth and development, and they truly care about living a meaningful, purposeful life.

Consider what you’ll do with me to be like going back to school. You must be willing to raise the bar for yourself and set the highest standards. With my support and guidance, it’s important that you remain open to learning and new possibilities. You’ll be expected to show up prepared for our sessions and do the homework and assignments in-between. Rest assured, I will be with you – and right alongside you -supporting you throughout your journey.

Please know that I am very particular about who I work with. I gently turn away prospective clients when I find they aren’t suited for my programs or feel they won’t get the results they’re looking for. In this case, I make a referral to one of my trusted colleagues who I feel would be a better fit for them.

Do you only work with women?

Wait! I should also tell you that while my coaching programs are mostly geared toward women, I also work with men! And you can see a few of their great testimonials here.

What results can I expect to see?

As I’m sure you know, what you get out of anything depends on what you put in to it. My clients are known for giving the coaching program their all…and then seeing results quickly. These results can show up in all kinds of ways, including:

New and fresh perspectives
Improved relationships
Increased confidence
Greater joy and overall happiness
Better self-care
Being proactive vs. reactive
Clarity on life purpose and direction
Releasing old habits and patterns
More fully enjoying life
Present moment focus
A greater awareness of strengths
Being better able to tune into intuition
New healthy behaviors
Better follow-through
Clearly defined priorities
Taking action more easily and effortlessly
Choices that are better aligned
Understanding the right professional fit
Better work/life balance
Being more organized
Less stress, overwhelm, and frustration

While some results you achieve through coaching will be tangible, there will also be a myriad of results that are intangible…or priceless. What you’re regularly getting with this program and my coaching is a series of “aha’s!” that will move you forward faster than you would on your own. Expect to get a lot of these “aha’s,” as well as the tools and guidance you’ve been looking for and haven’t found until now.

How can I guarantee myself that I will actually make the changes?

Of course, you are fully responsible for the actions you take (or don’t take), along with the results you achieve. Because of this, coaching results can’t be guaranteed. The best way to experience success is to be fully committed to the process, as all of my clients are, and take meaningful action.

So, set aside time during the week to make your coaching sessions – and the homework – a priority. Show up prepared for each session. Do all of your assignments and homework. Be totally focused on this important phase of growth and development. Understand that it’s not a “quick fix” or a magic pill. Think of it like a garden, where you take the necessary time to plant the seeds, water them, and tend to the garden in order for beautiful things to bloom. You can count on me to be there with you every step of the way! I can’t do the work for you, but my clients will tell you how happy they are that they did the work for themselves.

All of my clients who have carefully applied every step of the Positive Change System^TM have successfully made important and lasting positive change in their lives. Working with me will help you make changes in less time, and with less effort, than you would on your own.

During our coaching, I encourage my clients keep a journal of wins, successes, and accomplishments. This helps to serve as a reminder of all the great things to celebrate!

What can you tell me about the initial Discovery Session and subsequent coaching sessions?

After you’ve completed the extensive pre-work which prepares you for the best experience possible, each coaching package begins with a 60-minute Discovery Session. If you live in the Twin Cities, MN, area, we’ll do this session in-person (and if you live in another area like many of my clients do, we’ll have our session via phone). This initial session will lay the foundation for our coaching, and we’ll identify your main areas of focus and clarify the goals you want to achieve. The Discovery Session is what sets us up for success.

From there, coaching sessions are conducted over the phone – usually three times per month – to keep you focused, on-track, and acccountable as you keep moving forward. Those sessions are 30-minutes in length and there will be homework assignments in-between. To get the most out of each coaching session, you’ll complete a “Call Prep Worksheet” in advance of each call to help us maximize our time together and get focused on your most important issues at-hand.

How does coaching work over the phone?

What I love about phone sessions is that they are a convenient way for you to call from wherever is most comfortable. And so that it fits into your day, the logistics of the drive time and meeting location are taken out of the mix. Clients often call me from a private conference room, their own office, or even from a couch at home with their feet up!

As a Coach, the beauty is that I’m trained to listen on a much deeper level when we’re on the phone. And often, you’ll find that I “hear” things that aren’t even being said.

I see that a couple of the coaching options include a Mastermind Session. What does that entail?

A Mastermind Session is separate from the series of coaching sessions we’ll have. It’s your free time with me to brainstorm, bounce ideas around, discuss business, ask advice, tap into my network of resources, pick my brain, etc. Consider it more of a “consulting” session. These meetings are always fun and our number-one goal is to get you the results you’re looking for.

How is coaching different from therapy?

There is definitely a time and place for both services. Counseling might focus on past issues and how to “fix” them or on how to heal past trauma. On the flip side, coaching understands that everyone has things in their past that are less than desirable – and our focus is that nothing is broken or needs to be fixed. Our work is focused on forward movement and positive action. Coaching takes you from where you are right now (regardless of the past) and helps you move toward where you want to be.

A good example is a client who was in the process of going through a divorce. She was seeing a therapist for the deep, emotional relationship wounds she experienced in her marriage. At the same time, she hired me as her Coach to figure out how to best take care of herself and stay focused on her dreams and goals. The two modalities worked beautifully hand-in-hand. I’ve also had counselors refer their clients to me in addition to the work they’re already doing together – particularly when there’s a desire to uncover life purpose and gain clarity on a personal or professional path or direction.

Just like therapy, though, coaching is a safe space to explore whatever it is that’s most important to you. And what we talk about is strictly confidential. If I feel that a referral to a therapist is needed, I will bring it up right away.

What is coaching not?

Coaching is definitely not a place to “vent,” complain, or get deep into “stories.” Instead, coaching is a place to be focused, have meaningful conversation, take action, and see results. It’s important that the timeframe of each coaching session is honored, so you’ll see that when our calls begin, we dive in and get right to the point. You will be amazed at how much we accomplish in a half-hour!

Do we only talk during our regularly scheduled sessions?

I’m your Coach throughout the journey. I’m here to support you, cheer you on, share resources, and hold you accountable. I encourage my clients to share successes, challenges, and updates with me in-between sessions via email.

What are my options for getting started with you?

I’m glad you asked! To get started making your own positive change, here are the different programs I’ve created:

Change Your Path: If you’re involved in major transition or in the process of re-evaluating your life direction, this all-inclusive package is carefully customized for you.

Find Your Way: If you feel lost in the busyness of life with obstacles or distractions continuously getting in your way of moving forward, this in-depth package is designed for you.

Get Back on Track: If you already know what you want and where you’re headed but have temporarily lost your focus, this no-frills package is created for you.

Jump-Start: If you want to test drive coaching, this quick-hit tele-session is for you.

Learn more about each package here.

What if I’m unsure about which program is right for me?

All you have to do is contact me for a free 20-30 minute “Get Acquainted” call, where I’ll walk you through the different options to see which one will be the very best for you. This is also a great opportunity to make sure we’re a good match before working together.

What happens when we’re done with the coaching relationship?

At the end of the coaching program, we’ll talk about the most effective ways to help you stay focused, on-track, and continuing to move forward. A maintenance plan is key here, and two of the coaching packages include follow-up. For some clients, ending where we do is perfect timing for them. Other clients choose to take a break and ask me to check-in with them at a later date. And then some clients decide that signing-up for another package is what will serve them best in their journey if they feel there’s more work to do. Regardless, you decide what you want to do next.

How does payment work?

Once we determine which program is best for you, each coaching package is easily purchased via PayPal. You can either choose to pay in-full or in three installments. Clients who pay in-full enjoy a bookkeeping discount – not only will you save money, but you’ll be fully invested and ready to go. My clients tell me over and over again how good it feels to make this important investment up-front, ultimately making the precious investment in themselves.

Can I sample your work to make sure it’s the right solution for me?

Yes, please feel free to register for the one-time Jump-Start session as a way to “try out” coaching. Or if you’re in the Twin Cities, MN, area, you can check out my Coffee With The Coach.

Be sure to sign-up for the inspirational LifeShine ezine, the Following Your Joy blog, and get your free “How to Find Balance and Embrace Joy” audio workshop at the top of the page (coming soon).

Okay, I’m ready! How do we get started?

Great! Simply by your decision to take action, you are obviously someone who is invested in yourself and in living your best life. Often times, people make decisions based on their gut instinct. So, if this feels right for you – go for it! I can’t wait to see you succeed and am honored to be the one to help you.

All you have to do is contact me to get started. I’m excited to meet you in person or on the phone to get you moving on your path to positive change. Let’s get going!