The Life - Changing Magic of Coaching
TL;DR - Coaching truly changes lives. I know because it changed my life.
While my coaching story actually begins in 2016, when I decided to enroll in a Life Coach Certification program, it wasn’t until the end of 2020 that my life was fundamentally changed with coaching. It was the end of one of the most challenging years that the world collectively faced together and I looked back at my end of year reflections that I had been keeping since 2016. Each year, in the "meaning and purpose" category, I wrote something along the lines of-- need to find more purpose. As I continued to climb the corporate ladder, I thought that this itch was being scratched. But as each year ended, I continued to write about the gaps in this area of my life.
What was most frustrating about the entire situation was that I had no idea what would bring me fulfillment and purpose. Having earned a Master's in Counseling Psychology in 2011 and a Coaching Certificate in 2017, I knew that I enjoyed hearing people's stories and being a part of their evolution in an impactful way, but it felt impossible to leave my comfortable job in leadership, with a cushy and consistent pay, to do something that felt like a blurry vision.
The energetic and fantastic Jessica E. Samuels pictured above.
I never really said out loud that I wanted to be a life coach. Only my partner and journal had a vague understanding of my interest in the industry. That was until I decided to hire my own career coach. It was someone I worked with before within my corporate role and someone I admired and trusted. It wasn't cheap. Later I would realize that the financial commitment is part of making change happen-- if it were free or cheap, it would be easy to quit. I worked with Jessica E. Samuels @ Evolve Career Confidence Coaching . I remember our first session as she started to open up space for us to explore my values and what makes me feel most alive-- I interjected and said (for the first time out loud)— I think I want to be a life coach. From that moment on, Jessica referred to me as Coach Jenna and we set the foundation for what would become my coaching business, Coaching by Jenna.
Working with a life coach is life changing. Since working with Jessica, I've made sure that I'm always actively working with a coach. I worked with a coach for a thought partner in my big decision to leave my corporate role after 10 years so I could leave in a way that was aligned with my values. I work with a coach to grow my business. And I am enrolled in a coaching program that inspires me to serve others and be the best version of myself. My year end reviews are much different now.
As a coach, I get to watch people transform into the best version of themselves. I get to be a part of someone's entrepreneurship story, just like Jessica was a part of mine.
I paid almost $1,000 for my coaching sessions with Jessica. As a frugal person, this felt uncomfortable and irresponsible at the time. But looking back, if I were to walk into a store and see my life today as an item on the shelf, as a business owner and life coach, it would be worth a lot more than $1,000 to me.
That’s the power of coaching— to talk through what success looks like with a thought partner. A thought partner who will challenge the limiting beliefs that are holding you back and to be your biggest cheerleader as you embark on unchartered terrain. I’m a very driven and hard working person, but if I didn't need a coach, I would have had my own coaching business back in 2017 when I first got my certification.
Just because that big, hairy, audacious personal goal hasn't been reached yet, doesn't mean something is wrong with you. It just means that you may benefit from a little help along the way. I am so grateful that I opened myself up to coaching and, of course, even more grateful that now I get to be there for others as they open themselves up to coaching.
It's a job that gives me more meaning and purpose than I could have ever imagined.
Interested in learning more about coaching? I’ve recently added an option in my scheduling page that allows you to book a 20 minute “Let’s Chat” session if you’re interested in learning more about coaching and not necessarily interested in a Discovery Session.
I’m happy to talk more about the industry and share insight along the way!
