Interview with Barbara

  1. What brought you to coaching?
  2. What made you choose wellness as a niche?
  3. Who are you and what are your credentials?
  4. Who are your clients exactly?
  5. What happens if you have not worked with people in my situation before?
  6. What makes you unique from other coaches?
  7. What type of personality do you work with and what is expected of me?
  8. For what type of person is coaching with you NOT going to work?
  9. What exactly is the Power in Choice™ system and what does it include?
  10. Does the coaching process really work?
  11. How quickly can I expect results?
  12. Barbara, based on everything I have read about you, I know you are the one I want to coach me! What are my options for getting started with you?
  13. If I'm not sure I'm ready to get started, how can I sample your work at low cost to see if it's the right solutions for me?
  14. OK, I’m ready to do this for myself and know which program I want. How do we get started?
  1. What brought you to coaching?

    To answer this question, let me share with you the defining moment and resulting “compelling story” that brought me to where I am today, coaching people like you on exactly what to do in order to discover your inner truth and live a healthier, more purposeful life.

    That defining moment took place on April 26, 2006 at 11:15am. Amidst the normal chaos of an ordinary day at the office, I noticed that my right hand was getting that prickly feeling that quickly precedes numbness when I’m getting a migraine. I took my medication and waited for the sensation to subside. When it didn’t an hour later, I took more medication. The migraine never developed yet the numbness in my arm never subsided. Over the weekend the realization set in that the entire right-side of my body was numb and I had lost partial vision in my left eye. My god, I’ve had a stroke! I was terrified.

    The next three weeks were a whirlwind of tests and doctor’s hypotheses. In the end the dreaded words were uttered, “My dear, beyond a shadow of a doubt, you have Multiple Sclerosis.” Did I hear the doctor correctly? Did I really have some illness that would never go away? Could I not be cured with a pill or surgery? How had my life come to this? Was I going to die from this?

    Decisions had to be made, medications chosen and then learned how to administer. The protocol was injecting interferon every-other day for the rest of my life unless modern science came up with a better alternative. I made it my job to learn how to care for myself so my life would not skip a beat.

    Within a year of being diagnosed, new leadership came on board at work and I was laid off. At first I was surprised, and then anger ensued followed by, quite honestly, relief. For the past year I had been treated like someone who was sick even though I had only missed 5 days of work during the entire time my personal health was in crisis. Plus I realized the overall stress of working in a toxic, unhappy environment was not conducive to my staying well over time.

    Thanks to unemployment, I began my journey into self-discovery. During my career I had never really thought about what I truly wanted to do with my life as I had been so busy doing what I thought I should do. Now I had the Power In Choice™!

    After months of networking, the vocation of coaching started to crop up. Ironically at an investment meeting I sat next to a corporate coach who encouraged me to research the industry as she felt I had the right personality, education, compassion and empathy for the profession. The thought of transforming lives and making a difference every day that impact people for the positive really resonated with me. After all, my entire life is based on my father’s premise, “cast bread upon the water and it comes back chocolate cake!”

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  2. What made you choose wellness as a niche?

    Over eleven years of my 23-year career have been spent in the healthcare sector. The exposure I gained to physicians, their research, basic medicine as well as a plethora of patient stories, instilled in me the true meaning of the mind-body-spirit connection. Our biography literally does dictate our biology. We have the ability to control the quality of our lives, yet most of us never realize this. More specifically, I have personally delved into researching the holistic approach of caring for my physical as well as emotional wellbeing. I’ve learned that by finding what are my true desires and passions, I can lead a more authentic, purposeful life. By doing so, I also lead a healthier life. When we suffer from stress, fear, negative thoughts, etc., we literally make ourselves sick from the toxicity we surround ourselves with. By reframing to the positive our perspective and the inner energy with which we show up to our lives every day (Energy Leadership Index), we become freer*, healthier and happier. (*To learn more about my views on Freedom, please listen to My Interview with Darla LeDoux during her Freedom Summit). 

    Most people spend their days worrying about something in the past or counting the days to something in the future. How many of you live in today? I’ve learned that life is a journey, not a race to be won or lost and that time spent looking backward with regret or looking forward with worry is wasteful. The path to discovering my own mind-body-spirit has connected me not only to physical medicine necessary to ensure my health, but to mindset, prayer, meditation, exercise, and healthy eating that will protect my wellness going forward. Remember, “The greatest wealth is your health.”

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  3. Who are you and what are your credentials?

    I live with a chronic illness and understand first-hand turning adversity into an opportunity or a GIFT™. I do my best to walk the talk every day with purpose, integrity, compassion, and empathy. I am a strong advocate and accountability partner who champions her clients to their victories. I am a Certified Professional Coach (CPC), Energy Leadership Index Master Practitioner (ELI-MP), ICF Associate Certified Coach (ACC), MBA, MAT, and seasoned professional with 23 years overall experience.

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  4. Who are your clients exactly?

    I work with people 40 and older just like you who are literally sick from worry, stress, fear and/or anxiety. You may be going through an identity crisis consumed with worry for the future and what it holds for you with the realization that something is missing. You may be working in an environment that you view as stressful thereby making yourself ill every day you go to work. You may simply just be stuck in your life. But today, you’ve made the choice to let me help you bring your potential to life. Congratulations!

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  5. What happens if you have not worked with people in my situation before?

    By definition, coaching is a personalized process. I will be your partner who is 100% invested with your agenda and no other purpose but to help you achieve what you want. While I specialize in working with people who are going through midlife, I have worked with people at all stages of life. The one thing everyone has in common is a desire to change what’s not working into something that is. The only criteria I have for working with a client is that they have made the choice to change. This change can be internal (purpose, wellness, intent) or external (relationship, career, stage in life). You do not have to be clear on what change you want, you just have to be committed to it.

    If you explore coaching with me and do not identify with the goals you have created or they require more of a therapist rather than a coach, I have an extensive referral network to assist you.

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  6. What makes you unique from other coaches?

    Other health and wellness coaches are typically fitness or diet gurus. I differ by coming from a holistic, all-inclusive approach using the technique of Core Energy Coaching from the inside out focusing on core thoughts, feelings and actions. This is all done by following the client’s personal goals. In my opinion, cookie-cutter formats are not beneficial as we are each our own distinct self. Each client gets personalized attention and is treated as the exceptional individual they are.

    I also offer the exclusive Energy Leadership™ Index (ELI) assessment and debrief that point out how a person shows up every day in their life. The ELI is a one-of-a-kind assessment that enables leaders (and we all lead somewhere in our life) to hold up mirrors to their perceptions, attitudes, behaviors, and overall leadership capabilities.  It is a concrete tool which offers a baseline for your current perceptions and situational responses that forms a definitive starting point for coaching.  Whether you proceed with coaching or not, the realizations that you'll gain from the Energy Leadership Index assessment and debrief process alone will change the way you view your world.

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  7. What type of personality do you work with and what is expected of me?

    The type of client that works with me is open and honest about their thoughts, feelings and actions. They have a strong desire to live in the moment; to see life as a journey; to understand that bad things happen and it is our attitude toward them that makes the difference; to discover what is true for them; to focus on decreasing fear and stress so as to increase quality of health and life; to engage, motivate, inspire, educate, enlighten and connect their inner self to their outer self.

    What is expected of you is to be an invested, active participant in the process since you are setting the agenda along with a willingness to set goals, be held accountable and realize your true potential. You will be discovering your own Power in Choice™.

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  8. For what type of person is coaching with you NOT going to work?

    Coaching will not work for the type of person who enjoys feeling tired, sick and/or disgusted all the time (e.g. the constant complainer). Anyone who is more committed to playing the victim, asking “why me?” and expecting others to figure it out for them is not a client who would benefit from my services. Some people find comfort in being stuck as it is a way of life they have learned to embrace. Reaching out for something just out of one’s comfort zone can be frightening and if you’re not willing to take a risk, then you would not benefit from coaching with me.

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  9. What exactly is the Power in Choice™ system and what does it include?

    Coaching is typically done one-on-one or in small group format with individuals or corporate teams who continually ask the age old question, “is this all there is?” My seven-step coaching process offers you Your Power in Choice™ when answering that question among others. In order to create lasting change, the coaching commitment lasts a minimum of three months and can extend for an infinite amount of time depending on the number of topics, issues and/or life circumstances you want to work on.

    The Power In Choice (PIC) program is 7 Simple Steps to Midlife Truth: Your Power In Choice™ that includes:

    1. Assess: evaluate where you are now; take stock, clarify your values and goals; asking yourself what’s really important.
    2. Observe: identify your true passion and life purpose; establish an awareness of where you want to go and who you want to be.
    3. Focus: begin strategic thinking; create an action plan with steps developed to move you forward toward your desired outcome. Choose your steps; choose your goals; awaken to what you really want.
    4. Change: realize your power in choice to live consciously, remove self-imposed obstacles, shift energy from catabolic to anabolic, and believe in yourself. No more excuses!
    5. Celebrate: honor initial behavior changes and recognize there is more work to do.
    6. Go Deeper: focus on your true priorities which include a review of your fears, resistance, inner critic, etc.
    7. Thrive: emphasize new habits to solidify and maintain new lifestyle. Live in the moment, honor yourself, forgive the past, release anger, fear, and resentment; be grateful, purposeful and well.
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  10. Does the coaching process really work?

    Absolutely! But you must put forth the effort. When people live a healthier overall lifestyle, they will be healthier. Remember: one’s biography equates to their biology. If you uncover purpose at your core, you will shift your thoughts, feelings and actions. When you let go of yesterday and learn to live in today, fear and worry will decrease while energy, fun and overall health will increase. Do you ever say, “I know I should do _________” yet you really do not want to? We “should” all over ourselves all day long. Think how refreshing it would be to change that “should” into “I choose to.”

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  11. How quickly can I expect results?

    The answer to this question uniquely depends on you. As with anything in life, results are based on your efforts to make them happen. I am not going to force you to make changes or get results nor will I ever tell you what to do. Clients come to me ready, willing and able to share so they often experience a concrete “ah ha” moment in our first session. That being said, research shows that it takes 21 days to change a habit and 90 days to make it stick. And as I like to say, “Small sustainable choices lead to remarkable changes!”

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  12. Barbara, based on everything I have read about you, I know you are the one I want to coach me! What are my options for getting started with you?

    Congratulations! You are ready to take action! This tells me you are also ready to move forward toward your own success in finding your midlife truth.

    Here’s what you do: just contact us and we’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have, or get you started with the right package for you.

    Take a look at the available options:

    I can’t wait to personally speak with you and get started on your path to wellness and realizing your own Power In Choice!

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  13. If I'm not sure I'm ready to get started, how can I sample your work at low cost to see if it's the right solutions for me?

    If you are new to the concept of coaching and want to learn more before making a commitment, please register for my free bi-weekly ezine and receive your free copy of 25 Insider Secrets Everyone Over 40 Should Know.

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  14. OK, I’m ready to do this for myself and know which program I want. How do we get started?

    If you are ready for one-on-one coaching, or have further questions to determine the right next step for you, please complete the Wellness Assessment today and we will be in touch with you to schedule a complementary “get acquainted” session.

    “In order to change we must be sick and tired of being sick and tired.”  So, what are you waiting for? Make today the day you discover your Midlife Truth: Your Power in Choice!™

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"Take care of your body - it's the only place you have to live."