Lenora Edwardstag:www.lenoraedwards.com,2012://252012-03-07T22:45:37ZMovable Type 4.23-enAnd the hits just keep on playing...tag:www.lenoraedwards.com,2012://25.112882012-03-07T22:37:15Z2012-03-07T22:45:37ZHey everyone - Just a quick update to let you know that video number three in my nine-part video presentation Make Your Game Bigger, How Entrepreneurial Thinking Builds Your Business and Personal Success is now available for viewing on YouTube....Lenorahttp://www.lenoraedwards.com/
Make Your Game Bigger, How Entrepreneurial Thinking Builds Your Business and Personal Success is now available for viewing on YouTube. The subject is one that is particularly near and dear to me, as it informs a major part of my personal business philosophy as well as many of the key recommendations I make to my clients. The title is Talk Your Walk. It can be viewed here.]]>
Why Marketing Tactics Don't Drive a Sound Strategytag:www.lenoraedwards.com,2012://25.112842012-02-29T18:30:00Z2012-02-29T18:31:33Z The response to my latest newsletter and video postings has been phenomenal! Thank you so much for your support. Three weeks ago, I invited viewers to watch Episode 1 of my presentation to the Washington State chapter of Meeting...Lenorahttp://www.lenoraedwards.com/
The response to my latest newsletter and video postings has been phenomenal! Thank you so much for your support.
Three weeks ago, I invited viewers to watch Episode 1 of my presentation to the Washington State chapter of Meeting Professionals International (MPI). It is titled The Difference Between Sales & Marketing. View it here.
This week, I encourage you to view the second video in the series. It's called Why Marketing Tactics Don't Drive a Sound Strategy. It can be found here.]]>
Video - The Difference Between Sales and Marketingtag:www.lenoraedwards.com,2012://25.112772012-02-07T22:57:24Z2012-02-07T23:33:04Z Every entrepreneur with whom I've worked is absolutely unique. No two are the same, even if they're in the same field. Even when their core service offerings were similar - the way they marketed themselves, how they interacted with...Lenorahttp://www.lenoraedwards.com/
Every entrepreneur with whom I've worked is absolutely unique. No two are the same, even if they're in the same field. Even when their core service offerings were similar - the way they marketed themselves, how they interacted with their clients, their aspirations for job and life satisfaction - were all very different.
Accordingly, I have always tailored my consultation programs to fit the individual. One size definitely does not fit all.
Just because I customize each program doesn't mean there are not fundamentals that I bring to nearly all of them. Although I'm always learning, always seeking better ways to help my clients, I seem always to find value in a relatively short list of consistent lessons I developed a number of years ago.
In 2009, I was given the opportunity to present descriptions of these fundamentals to the Washington State chapter of Meeting Professionals International (MPI). The presentation, Make Your Game Bigger: How Entrepreneurial Thinking Builds Your Business and Your Personal Success, was videotaped. I have edited the presentation into short-form videos, each segment focusing on a specific lesson. The videos are now available for viewing on YouTube.
I invite you to watch the first segment, The Difference Between Sales and Marketing, at this link.]]>
The Money Madness Cure Workshop with Tresa Leftenanttag:www.lenoraedwards.com,2011://25.112202011-09-13T16:22:38Z2011-09-13T16:48:00ZWith the stock market acting like a bipolar hummingbird and the generally frazzled state of the economy, it's hardly a wonder that many of us are feeling more stressed than ever about money. If you or yours are looking for...Lenorahttp://www.lenoraedwards.com/
May.
Tresa, a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and owner of My Financial Design, an independent financial planning company, is offering a five-session workshop beginning in October. This series, "The Money Madness Cure Workshop," will help you understand more about your core motivations, limiting beliefs and emotional challenges around money and to create real solutions to move you from where you are today to where you want to be.
The sessions are centered around group exercises and workbook lessons designed by Tresa and based on her observations from over 30 years of helping clients. She incorporates (with permission) bestselling author Jack Canfield's "Success Principles" from the book of the same name. The exercises are designed to reveal unconscious blocks and teach new habits to help create a successful life and improved financial health.
She says she came to realize later in her career that the inner mind is a key motivator to financial success. "If I truly want to help people refrain from making the same mistakes over and over, I have to help them bring their hidden beliefs and behaviors to their consciousness," says Tresa.
"You may have this burning desire to buy yet another new pair of shoes and before you know it you've messed up your whole financial plan, " says Tresa, "But by learning why you have 52 pairs of sandals, and whether that's in alignment with what you really want long-term, you can create a new level of financial stability and success that is far more fulfilling."
"Everyone has aspects of their lives where what they do is out of alignment with their stated values," she says. "For instance, a couple may say they want to save to retire by age 65. Yet it turns out they can only spare 3% of their income because they both spend liberally using their credit cards on the sly."
Tresa promises participants will leave the workshop with clear goals and concrete plans as to how to improve their lives and financial situations, as well as a buddy system to keep them accountable once they get home.
I encourage you to sign up for this workshop if you want to learn how to:
Make empowered financial decisions
Take 100% responsibility for your relationship with money
Clean up messes that block your progress
Write a plan to accomplish your life goals
Use powerful techniques for taking action
Release the brakes and achieve financial success
The workshop consists of five sessions, held on Wednesday evenings from 6:30-9:00 p.m. at Friends Philosophy and Tea.
Here are the dates: October 5, October 12, November 2, November 16 and December 7. Parking is easy, and appropriately, there are lots of ways to save - by signing up early and/or bringing a friend. See below for details:
Please call 425-830-6328 for a reservation.
Fee Schedule (includes all five sessions and workbook)
--$129.00 per person after 9/20 (and at the door)
--$99.00 per person, early bird registration by 9/20
--$89.00 per person "bring a friend" and register by 9/20
--$79.00 per person, groups of 5 or more, register by 9/20
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Client Profile: Ken Carson: The Power of a Good Laughtag:www.lenoraedwards.com,2011://25.112172011-09-06T15:17:05Z2011-09-06T18:14:40Z If Ken Carson's face looks familiar, you're probably right. You may have seen him holding a microphone at a Sounders game, your company's annual retreat, or even the Northwest Regional Emmys. You probably don't know his name, but that's...Lenorahttp://www.lenoraedwards.com/
Ken Carson's face looks familiar, you're probably right. You may have seen him holding a microphone at a Sounders game, your company's annual retreat, or even the Northwest Regional Emmys. You probably don't know his name, but that's OK with Ken - his happy clients do.
Just don't ask Ken what he does for a living. Asking Ken Carson to define his work is like trying to grab a pinch of zephyr for your pocket. Good luck.
"I'm the worst elevator speech-giver, is what I am," he says.
When pushed, Ken throws out the word "entertainer," which calls to mind a song-and-dance man, but that's not it.
"I can't sing, play an instrument, and I don't really dance well," he says. Early on he realized "I don't have any talent, but everyone's laughing at the things I say."
Over his 20+ years-career he has been a successful broadcaster, actor, and a standup comedian - but he now feels he's found his niche performing as emcee, host, and even auctioneer at live corporate events.
While he may not be his own best publicist, his clients, including the Seahawks and Sounders franchises, who have hired him as their on-field and special events host, keep asking for more.
Ken customizes television newscasts and game shows to help break the ice in product rollouts or employee appreciation events, which puts audience members at ease.
He sees his strengths as twofold: "I have a built-in sensor for the audience....a real ability to scan the room read the room and get them to laugh," which lets him suss out how far he can tease the CEO or lecture the audience on the new teamwork initiative; and a facility for quicksilver improv that keeps the party going when the power - or a skittish executive at the mike - fails.
Ken came to me in part because he needed help getting the word out. In the competitive 80s and 90s he only allowed himself to be hired through entertainment agencies - to stave off concerns from colleagues about "stealing clients." Then he says the dotcom bust and the economic downturn weeded out many agencies. When his Seattle agent finally moved shop to L.A. a few years ago, he knew he needed help getting more clients.
"I never had to talk money to clients, and I always had someone else to talk about how great I am," he says, so referred by another performer client, he told me "I have to start selling myself."
Ken says the key learnings he gained from our work together, are:
Being able to assess my own value - "I always make fun of myself in social situations. I used to tell people 'I'm a professional goofball,' and (Lenora) would help me catch myself.
Not under price myself - "I've learned to tell people flat out this is what I charge and leave it."
Pursuing some things I otherwise wouldn't have done -"She gave me the confidence to try new projects."
Overall, he says "I certainly got more than my money's worth and value worth in hiring her."
Lastly, I want to point out that Ken is an excellent example of our last post, "Change your Business, Change Yourself." He's done a lot of work getting out of his comfort zone and learning to promote himself.
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No Entrepreneur is an Islandtag:www.lenoraedwards.com,2011://25.112032011-08-16T15:41:57Z2011-08-17T12:58:37Z On road trips when I was a kid I remember passing RVs wearing "Good Sam" stickers; My fantasy was that this was a way for travelers to signal they could be counted on to be helpful. (I was so...Lenorahttp://www.lenoraedwards.com/
People, entrepreneurs should not need stickers. Should I say that again? In our community, helpfulness should be a given. We may be independent, but that's all the more reason we need each other.
Times like these can bring out the worst in people. It's all too easy - especially in this economy - to sink into the "every man for himself" mindset; but when you cut off others' requests you also cut off untold opportunities for expansion. Alone you are likely to run circles in your self-made Habitrail until you (or your resources) are exhausted. Do you really want to be the island without a ferry?
When I see these red flag behaviors in potential (or active) clients, I drop them from my contacts faster than a recalled packet of turkey dogs:
Picking the brains of a fellow consultant without compensation and literally profiting by it;
Scheming to get another entrepreneur to unwittingly do you a favor; or
After seeing at fellow consultant's proposal, intentionally underbidding it.
The highest and best value we can have with one another is to be good referral partners. What does this mean exactly? We should:
1. Make thoughtful introductions with the intention of solving problems and putting people to work;
2. Make sure that those introductees know why they're meeting and precisely how it's a win-win for them;
3. When you hear of a misunderstanding or witness a mishap, act as you would if you witnessed a car crash- -be a witness and verify the facts so that people can resolve their issues and get on with their lives; and
4. Help brainstorm win-win deals--even if you're not involved.
Karmic benefits aside, I promise your efforts will be rewarded exponentially with the help and support of grateful colleagues. We're all smart, resourceful people - we don't have to reserve all of our savvy for our clients. Contributing in our community counts too.
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Change Your Business, Change Yourself tag:www.lenoraedwards.com,2011://25.111762011-07-26T13:01:00Z2011-07-26T14:28:02Z When you hit a snag, scan recent memory banks and ask yourself: has this happened before? If you keep getting surprised by the same pothole, it's time to look for the reason. Of course everyone's first instinct is to...Lenorahttp://www.lenoraedwards.com/
His need to explain, to make the sale happen, is running counter to the business' need. So to succeed, that person must learn how to rein in that instinct and adapt his technique to suit his business.
Many entrepreneurs-myself included!- are so client-focused they forget to make time for their own business development. They put themselves last, giving reasons like "I can't tackle that speech/newsletter/blog post until I respond to my client emails," for example. Happy clients = good. But say that enough times, however, and you're walking backward off a cliff. Development, which fosters growth, brand awareness and new clients, is a crucial lifeline for your business.
Others may shy away from self-promotion because it feels uncomfortable. They need to learn to get out of their comfort zone or hire someone to promote their business for them.
So keep in mind: in order for your business to successfully respond to an ever-changing market, you may need to make some changes yourself first.
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Sound Like a Leader: Radio interview with Anna Bernsteintag:www.lenoraedwards.com,2011://25.111432011-06-28T13:34:10Z2011-07-01T01:40:59Z This week: tune in as I flub my own elevator speech - on the radio! I had a great discussion with client graduate and voice coach Anna Bernstein. Anna used to coach entertainers, and today she helps professionals fine-tune...Lenorahttp://www.lenoraedwards.com/
Anna Bernstein. Anna used to coach entertainers, and today she helps professionals fine-tune their communications skills.
We talk about what characteristics are identified with leadership, and then, in a fun game-show-like exercise, listen to three professional speech clips, and play "identify the leader." I think the answer may surprise you (as it did me!)
Anna then deconstructs the strengths and weaknesses of each speaker. You'll get a window into your own communication style that can make your speeches - from elevator to boardroom - more compelling. You can hear it all here on her podcast.
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Jessica Hickey: Does Your Process Need a Tune-up?tag:www.lenoraedwards.com,2011://25.111182011-06-14T13:54:56Z2011-06-14T15:55:27ZDo you spend so much time "putting out fires" in your business that you have no time left for things like strategic thinking, long-term planning, or just checking in with various departments on how systems are working? If so, says...Lenorahttp://www.lenoraedwards.com/
1029 Consulting it may be you've taken your processes for granted. Like the proverbial old shoes, they've grown so comfortable, so molded to the company's idiosyncrasies, that you may overlook their loose threads.
She often hears clients say, "I am so busy running the business, I don't have time to lead it."
"Our mission," Jessica writes on her web site, "is to give time back to company leadership so they can focus on the strategic, longer-term challenges the company faces."
Jessica, a client of mine, is a woman of many talents. A registered engineer in the State of California with a degree in Civil Engineering, she has extensive background in both business consulting and project management in the construction industry, which she now sees have a lot in common.
"When you are building projects it's a little bit like starting a new business each time - set a budget, hire new staff, develop a process, communicate the process to the staff, finish the project, and then start all over again," she says.
"I help people with problems but it's also about making really good businesses better. It's a little bit of organizational development, a little bit of processing systems."
Although her client base centers on architecture, engineering and construction, Jessica calls herself " an industry agnostic."
She says for her focus the amount of revenue is not as important as the number of employees in the company.
"What I do is so enmeshed in culture. Culture is king - or queen," she says. Either way, she finds culture to be profoundly altered by the scale of the company.
"When you have 50 people the business starts to go from a family to a company. It means you're really starting to grow, and you have to be ready for those changes. For example, free snacks for a staff of 20 costs a lot less than free snacks for 75. What happens to the snacks part of culture when it starts to impact cost? My sweet spot is around 100 employees. That said, I have worked with companies as large as 90,000 people and as small as five."
She looks at how each of the business' three operations: sales, production, and administration/support interact. She looks closely at administrative and support because this is where the money goes out.
"It's a matter of 'How do we talk to each other?' and 'Who talks to who," which can illuminate ways various departments can work together to support the company's goals."
"I might need to get finance and IT talking to each other so they could set their own mini-strategies to support where the company is going," she says. For instance, if IT has a set policy to replace computer hardware every three years, how does that impact Finance, and does Finance even know about it? "I'm getting the network manager a little more business educated and the finance manager a little more IT educated," she adds.
Her style is very interactive. "A lot of what I do is getting people to talk. I may ask: 'Is this a problem? If so , why? What would happen if you did nothing?
A lot of times people don't realize realize what the culture is driving," Jessica says. " A great one was a company that had a very charismatic longtime president. He was the primary marketer. When he got ready to retire, he wouldn't share his contacts with the new leadership team!"
Without changing that culture, Jessica points out, any future growth - not to mention the president's retirement funds - could come to a screeching halt.
After conducting an assessment, she makes recommendations on changes and how to implement them or will if needed sit in as an interim. She says both options have their challenges but she prefers the former. "Being a consultant is tough when you're not an employee on the other hand when you're a consultant and not an interim you can avoid some of the systemic issues and maintain a separate view."
When we met through another client, Jessica was at a "I just built my web site - now what?" point.
Jessica was so happy with our work together she's in her second cycle.
"I'm a re-graduate. I got a bachelor's and masters in Lenora. I signed up in beginning of 2009 and due to circumstances beyond either of our control we went a little longer than planned, and I felt I had more to learn. So when we finished, I signed up again right away.
"It does take some discipline," she points out, explaining that I sometimes ask tough questions, like "You're doing that for your clients, but are you doing it for you?" or "If your business was that business, what would you tell you?"
"She's forced me to really focus on stuff I didn't really want to focus on," says Jessica. "I mean, I kinda get all this, but you need someone to translate into the way you're going to hear it best. She has a real knack for that."
Overall. she says. "I signed up and never looked back. It's been wonderful."
Back atcha, Jessica!
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Living the Entrepreneur Lifetag:www.lenoraedwards.com,2011://25.110882011-05-31T14:00:00Z2011-06-06T17:04:51Z What does it take to be an entrepreneur? What is the "Conquistador Theory of Small Business?" How are entrepreneurs like great athletes? What does it mean to live your life "on purpose"? Who made me cry in my first...Lenorahttp://www.lenoraedwards.com/Mary Anne Dorward interviews me for her online radio show"Business Off The Beaten Path" in which we discuss everything from proposal dos and don't's to creating that life/work balance as an entrepreneur. Spoiler alert: there's also a peek into my early days in retail.(60 minutes.)
2. Here, Podcaster Michael Surkan and I talk on his radio blog "Entrepreneurs Northwest" about personality traits and special skills I've seen help my clients succeed, and the importance of long-term thinking. (20 minutes.)]]>
Todd Clarke: In-Yo'-Face, Full-Tilt, Extra Spicy Organization and Software Developmenttag:www.lenoraedwards.com,2011://25.110772011-05-16T16:48:09Z2011-06-06T17:04:42ZTake one look at Todd Clarke's web site, and you know you're not in Kansas anymore, philosophically speaking. The language practically grabs your shirt, screaming, "Wake up! This isn't your standard snoreworthy altar to the gods Appropriate and Prudent. We...Lenorahttp://www.lenoraedwards.com/
Todd Clarke's web site, and you know you're not in Kansas anymore, philosophically speaking. The language practically grabs your shirt, screaming, "Wake up! This isn't your standard snoreworthy altar to the gods Appropriate and Prudent. We are here to make change!"
For instance, "butt" is mentioned numerous times, even in place of the other "but". As in, butt you'd expect nothing less from an entrepreneur whose business tagline is:
Todd, a graduate client, actually attributes that tag line to an exercise we did together. I ask him to come up with a statement comparable to Bill Gates' famous "A Computer on Every Desktop," and this is what I get? I'm just kidding; it's great. It announces, loud and clear, Todd's extroverted personality, and the energy he both brings to and expects from his clients in making positive change for themselves and their businesses.
Todd has dovetailed his considerable experience in software IT and business to form GetLIT which launched about six months ago.
His site says,
"I'm on a quest to enhance lives by integrating people, processes and technology to achieve business and personal success while creating highly effective workplace-civilizations yielding epic results by operating with clarity, conviction and focus."
He works with organizations to develop leadership in software development with a program he calls getting LIT (pun intended, I'm sure). It stands for Leadership IT, but also a
"punk-rock, straight-ahead, let's get some giddie-up-in-our-butts-and-go approach to apply bold practices to get more done of what really, really matters."
Todd also works with individuals to help them organize their time, their information, and their priorities to help them pave the way for successful results.
"It's about creating art each day at work no matter where you work" he says. "Speak your mind. Give yourself permission to be big, rather than being a pawn."
How do we do that, exactly?
Productivity Pitfall # 1: E-mail
Todd considers e-mail an archenemy of productivity. A useful tool, yes, but one that is too easy to drown in.
"It's one of the biggest time-wasting, brain-twitching devices we have. It must have been developed by Al Qaeda to diminish our effectiveness," he jokes.
"Don't start your day with e-mail. When you check email you start your day reacting. You may never get to the stuff you really need to do."
He recommends you get real work done for two or three hours first, then check your e-mail- while using a timer to keep yourself honest.
Productivity Pitfall # 2: Too Many Choices
Ever feel like you worked hard all day, with little to show for it? That probably means you're working on the wrong things, says Todd.
Sometimes you just don't know where to start. "One client said to me 'I feel so overwhelmed by all there is to do,'" says Todd. "I was able to show her through task management and being organized that she wouldn't need to feel that way."
It's easy for lists to become a cyclical system - as you cross off tasks, you also add more. At some point, your subconscious has to shut out surplus input. A better way is for you to limit those choices consciously, starting with writing your day's tasks on a 3 x 3 sticky note. That's all you get - nine square inches, so you have to prioritize.
The result? "You're not overwhelmed because you gave yourself permission to limit yourself to what you really, really care about today."
Another place where creativity is ambushed is while implementing ideas. For fear it will not be "perfect," the project is endlessly tinkered with, never completed. What good is a half-done project?
"Good is good enough," says Todd. "It's often better to focus on completion over quality. Quality gets in our way. If you string a bunch of average things together you can achieve greatness."
Productivity Pitfall # 3: Where the Heck did That Go?
Todd hardly ever has to say that. He has worked out a system that allows him to:
Be more than 90% paperless. No kidding.
Access info anywhere from any handheld electronic device short of his ignition key - phone, laptop, I Pad; it's all in the cloud.
Carry nothing in his wallet but his driver's license, ATM card and credit card.
Todd says we are all easy prey to what he calls "Datablur" - literally, TMI. The massive quantities of information streaming in from all directions means it's so simple to forget - was that face mentioned in an email? An attachment? A fax? He recommends Evernote, a product that keeps it all in one place. Take a picture, clip a web page, scan a document, or get an emailed receipt and Evernote organizes it for you - without sticky notes, file folders or day planners. He can then search, say, "REI receipt" and call it up in an instant.
Productivity Pitfall #4: Does Anyone Remember What This Meeting Is About?
Groups can get sidetracked with busy work too. Think of all the hours you have clocked in meetings - yet how many do you remember having strong results? The simple cure, Todd says, is to state the objective before the meeting, remind people throughout as needed, and ask at the end whether you've addressed it.
Using these strategies to get "LIT", learning to choose your projects and streamline your processes can be a matter of a few meetings for individual clients, or over time in ongoing project management. The results are something Todd loves to see. "The net effect is so great; it's so exciting."
He credits our work together with helping him fuse his passion and talents into the business he drives with that "rump-roasted" gusto.
"Working w/ Lenora was awesome. She has helped me blaze new trails in bundling up my interests, skills, experiences and ambitions to redefine and package myself as an entrepreneur. I went from corporate employee to fire-under-every-butt consultant with a plan for my future. She also helped me tremendously by introducing me to her network of other graduates and clients where I developed many valued relationships. Some of these people have since turned into my own clients and more importantly...friends. The 'Lenora Net' rocks!"
I have to agree with that last part!
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Tresa Leftenant: You Really Can Have the Life You Wanttag:www.lenoraedwards.com,2011://25.110692011-05-10T14:00:00Z2011-05-20T20:24:40ZFind Your Bliss First, Then The Money The typical financial planner has only two questions: how much money do you have, and do you want to invest it long-term or grow it? Happily for her clients, Tresa Leftenant, of My...Lenorahttp://www.lenoraedwards.com/
Find Your Bliss First, Then The Money
The typical financial planner has only two questions: how much money do you have, and do you want to invest it long-term or grow it? Happily for her clients, Tresa Leftenant, of My Financial Design [Link http://www.myfinancialdesign.com] is anything but typical.
"Most financial planners focus on the money - and in particular, the investment - and what I focus on with my clients is their life and what truly matters to them, says Tresa.
Tresa herself was trained in the traditional "build the money, your life goals come later" philosophy - but in recent years she became convinced that the other way around makes much more sense, i.e., define your dreams and core needs, and then form a plan to attain them.
"I want to know what gets them up in the morning, what drives them to do things that are difficult. In our initial meetings I really help my clients connect with that. Then I help them realize that every financial decision has to support their life goals."
This is easier said than done, however. In her 30 years in financial planning, she has found that the majority of her clients are stone-cold terrified of their own money. Some let their money lie untouched for years rather than risk making a wrong move with it.
Who, Me? Scared?
While people feel that, as adults, they "should" be on top of managing their money, they may feel insecure about their lack of financial training, or the state their finances are in, and so they ignore them like an aching molar they're afraid to show to a dentist. And, like the toothache, waiting to address the problem not only delays improvement, it may even make it worse.
Her main message to those of us still ignoring our money is:
"The most important thing is to stop judging yourself. Whether you're a multi-millionaire or in a lot of debt -look at where you are right now - and get advice. "
"My clients often tell me 'I don't have any control about this - my bills make the decisions for me,'" Tresa says.
"The pure goal is to reach a place of peace, empowerment and understanding of your money. You want to shift from fear-based decision-making to being proactive and confident. It's financial management, but also life management," she says.
She chooses her clients carefully, because it is a shared time commitment. The client needs to honestly examine and work toward his/her goals, and Tresa is offering unlimited meetings and support until the work is done.
Her Process
Naturally, if you are afraid to handle your finances yourself, and don't understand the rules of the game, there is a real possibility you can be taken for all you're worth by the Bernie Madoffs of the world. Since a lot of this fear is based in the lack of personal control, Tresa talks clients through each step, and lets them steer the decisions.
"I never tell anyone 'You should do this.' I explain why it matches their goals, make sure they understand it, and we make a decision together, "Tresa says.
"I'm asking clients, 'What do think it's going to take to realize your expectations?' When they say it out loud it makes them think it through" she says.
When realization does dawn, it's a great moment.
"Every single time they get to a point where they realize why I suggest they make a certain financial move -you can just see the relief and happiness - it's unbelievable," she says.
Getting Here
Tresa was reactivating her private practice when she came to me in 2008.
"I needed someone to help me get clear about my value, my gifts, what I bring to the table," Tresa says. "Lenora's process helped me get straight in my thinking and learn how to communicate it. "
Here's how she describes the prime benefits of our work together:
"Lenora has a broad network of people who work in different industries, and she introduces her clients to each other. She brings significant background from her corporate experience and the many years of advising business owners. Her experience is so vast. This not only allows her to give advice on what to do, but what not to do as well. There have been several times when I wanted to go down a certain path that I was convinced was right for me, and she stopped me "No, that's not going to work and here's why". I have been so grateful for the time and money that she has saved me."
But perhaps the main benefit was Tresa getting the confidence she needed to build up her clients'. "Lenora's process made me change. She helped me become the person who can run a successful business. I'm confident about what I'm doing and people respond to that.
"Under Lenora's coaching, I have improved all aspects of my business and she has surpassed my expectations."
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Jason Omens and Leslie Schneider: Bringing Coworking to Bainbridge Island tag:www.lenoraedwards.com,2011://25.110582011-05-03T14:00:00Z2011-05-06T18:38:38ZHave you heard of coworking? It is a phenomenon rising to meet the challenge of growing numbers of entrepreneurs or remote workers who need a more professional environment to work with and meet clients in than their home office or...Lenorahttp://www.lenoraedwards.com/USA Today.
There had to be a better way. Two of my clients, Jason Omens and Leslie Schneider, co-owners of OfficeXpats, have something much more comfortable and collaborative in mind. They are currently seeking a space to support 50 or more people at one time on Bainbridge Island, where they plan to open in August. And here "support," means not just office support, but yoga classes, workspace treadmills, and networking events that will help build a community of people primed to do their best work.
"OfficeXpats looks at the whole person and the life you want to lead," says Leslie, who is also a health coach. "You're going to want a place to prepare food, chat on a cell phone, and take care of your body," she added.
Unlike your home office, which can suffer from either too many distractions -like the demands of toddlers, the guilt of pending laundry- or too few, as the deafening sound of silence or the lack of outside influences stifles inspiration. At OfficeXpats, Leslie and Jason say, members can choose interaction or solitude to suit their needs - and with various levels of membership, it's cheaper and more stimulating than renting an office on your own.
"We've heard over and over again the isolation from home can be deadening," Leslie says. "Humans are social animals; they want to be part of something bigger, and Office Xpats provides that," Jason adds.
As proof, they point to surveys in which a majority of coworkers say that they are more motivated, have better interaction with people, do more collaborative work, and manage their time more efficiently in their coworking space - which adds up to greater relaxation in their personal life and in 42% of cases, increased income.
Jason and Leslie, who are partners in life as well as in business, learned about coworking in 2010 and were instantly inspired. Jason has IT management and network administration experience for small to midsized companies that spans two decades, and Leslie is a marketing and communications consultant for Microsoft. The coworking concept dovetailed nicely with an idea Jason had been working on for virtual workers' IT support; he even had a registered name:"9to5Jammies". As they talked, the couple realized they were heading more towards serving people outside their homes and creating a communal meeting space. The word "expats" emerged when Leslie was brainstorming with a friend, and a new name was born.
Like expatriates in a foreign country, they say, virtual workers have made a conscious decision to forge an independent culture on their own terms, supporting each other as they develop it. (Jason hasn't forsaken his first name idea, however - he still wants to institute a pajama night featuring actual "9-to-5 Jammies".)
OfficeXpats will also offer reserve-able conference rooms. "Bainbridge Island has a lot of working professionals who need a nice place to bring clients. The de facto place lawyers meet right now is Roosters Cafe. So, it's possible they may come for conferencing and stay for the atmosphere," Jason says.
The pair came to me through a referral from graduate client of mine, Linda Lybert. Although both had entrepreneurial experience, neither had ever started a brick-and-mortar business. Asked about the main benefits of our work together, first they mention the counseling - personal and professional.
"We've never had to invest in a long-term lease, " says Leslie. "This is really scary stuff. We end up with differences of opinion because we don't know what's standard or optimal in this situation, and we get to a standstill. Lenora sometimes facilitates our differences and helps us come up with solutions we wouldn't have come up with on our own. Lenora adds information, gives us a perspective of what to expect reality-wise. Like negotiating, these aren't things you can just Google and get an answer, they are based on experience and relationships," adds Leslie.
"We call her 'Dr Lenora'," Jason pipes in.
- "I don't," counters Leslie.
- "I have," says Jason.
Finally Leslie concedes that either way, "I use Lenora to get him to see common sense."
Another positive impact, they say, has been through finding them resources to legal or professional services. "She comes up with great resources for us," says Jason.
"She's also very creative," Leslie adds. "We were spinning our wheels trying to make a spreadsheet for our expenses and projected income, and she was able to access services from an expert to get us what we needed."
"All of these connections we'd like to provide for our members, we are getting now through Lenora," says Jason.
They also appreciate that I help them see their strengths and remind them to fight for their needs. "In negotiating with landlords, I have a tendency to propose a compromise before I need to do that," says Leslie.
"Lenora shows us our position with the perspective of an outsider and it's usually stronger than we think. She pointed out that what we wanted to do on Bainbridge Island, and the amount of space we're looking for in a down economy is a big deal - we are in fact a hot commodity." (Their real estate agent agreed, by the way.)
Jason had one more thought. "Lenora has this uncanny ability to really relate to people to kind of know what they're thinking. I have a hard time doing that. Sometimes I even ask her what Leslie is thinking."
"He doesn't do that enough!" says Leslie, with a laugh.
]]>
Entrepreneurship as a Team Sport: Helping Your Relationship and Your Business Live Togethertag:www.lenoraedwards.com,2011://25.110142011-03-31T19:15:14Z2011-03-31T21:14:00ZMy experience as an entrepreneur is that life is a bit different for those of us who chose this unmarked path. While we enjoy the autonomy and flexibility of working for ourselves, it comes with a lack of predictability that...Lenorahttp://www.lenoraedwards.com/George Brewster and Melissa Wood-Brewsterin their respective practices last year. George, founder of Gimbal Systems, provides consulting services for organizations and individuals on Sales Effectiveness, Decision Quality and Emotional Intelligence. Melissa is a psychotherapist counseling adult individuals and couples. We decided that self-appointed "captains of industry" like us would benefit from acquiring tools that will make our personal partnerships more fun and resilient - especially when packaged and delivered by two fellow entrepreneurs.
That's just what George and Melissa's April 30th half-day public workshop for couples is all about: It's called, "Having Your Own Business Is A Team Sport: How entrepreneurs and their mates can stay together and play together." This experiential workshop will address key issues like setting and maintaining boundaries, and defining roles and expectations in relation to each other. Here are the details as described in their flyer.
Participants will gain:
Increased awareness and appreciation of the numerous roles you and your partner fulfill
Understanding of the dynamic nature between roles and the potential conflicts that arise
Tools to help maximize efficiency and effectiveness in your primary personal relationship
Access to a community of professional peers with similar relational experiences
When: Saturday, April 30th, 2011
8:30am Continental breakfast
9:00am-12:00pm Workshop
Where: Talaris Conference Center
4000 NE 41st St., Seattle, WA 98105
http://www.talarisconferencecenter.com
Cost: $200 per couple includes parking, breakfast, the workshop and materials
To Register:
Register here at George's blog. For more information, contact him at (206) 313-2567 or george@gimbalsystems.com.
I wholeheartedly endorse this endeavor and am proud to present the opportunity for you to participate with your mate. Feel free to forward this to other entrepreneurs you know.
I hope that you'll join us. Who doesn't need more fun and resilience?
]]>
CASE STUDY- Karin Schenkel: People Whispering (with Help from a Herd of Coaches)tag:www.lenoraedwards.com,2011://25.109912011-03-15T14:01:00Z2011-03-31T21:18:41Z I just had to share my experience with a new client named Karin Schenkel, a therapist/life coach. Karin's process is definitely one the most unique (and enjoyable) methods I've encountered. You see, while Karin holds a M.Sc. in Clinical...Lenorahttp://www.lenoraedwards.com/
So your next question is probably "why horses?" Here's Karin's answer from her website :
"As prey animals, (horses) have a highly developed ability to sense changes in the stance, intent, and emotions of other beings. Horses recognize the difference between how a person is trying to appear versus how they are truly feeling. They reflect, through direct and immediate feedback, what they sense is the truth from their handler. Through working with a horse without halter or saddle in a round pen, participants become more aware of how they relate to people. Emotions that may have never been recognized before might be discovered. With discoveries come answers to immediate questions and the possibility of exploring deeper into the self or the situation."
Karin finds that "working" with the horses saves a lot of time in the therapeutic process, as clients are often less guarded and more relaxed when interacting with animals than when talking with a human therapist.
"I ask the client to connect with the horses and just meet every single horse like you meet a person for the first time, " says Karin. "I tell them to try to connect, try to learn as much as you can from that personality, and figure out with what horse you connect the most. Just watching the person interacting with the horses tells me more than if that person would talk to me for two hours."
Also, the horses' instinctive responses give clients an instant "read" on their behavior, which clients can see and possibly learn from. An added bonus: horses are hard to fake out. "The horses know if you mean it," says Karin.
Karin gives her four-footed coaches a lot of credit for her success with clients. "It might sound weird, but these horses are as skilled and talented as I am. They are as open, as engaged, as focused on the relationship to the clients that come here as I am. And we, as a team, make that incredible combination of something that is hard to find."
Having ridden since she was seven years old, Karin's love of horses goes way back. When she moved to the U.S. in 2001, she had to rebuild her career from scratch, and decided at the same time to take the opportunity to learn about owning horses. " I had a lot of learning to do and bought books about horsemanship and horse care. That was when I discovered the book "The Tao of Equus" by Linda Kohanov, " says Karin.
Kohanov is the founder of the Epona program , which Karin describes as "a journey to self discovery, facilitated by horses." Karin found the idea of combining her psychological knowledge and expertise with my passion for horses irresistible, and became a certified Epona instructor in 2005. She is also certified in Eagala, another horse-assisted therapy.
Equine Facilitated Coaching/Counseling became her main focus, and then last year she decided to augment her practice with life coaching, which led her to pursue certification as a life coach, now ongoing, and about a month ago, to become my client.
Our roles were reversed recently when I had the opportunity to be personally evaluated by Columbo, Little League, Lucas and Gina at Karin's "Energy Drainer/Energy Gainer" workshop, which was quite illuminating.
I discovered my biggest energy drainers are wearing different masks for different situations and people, which typically comes from the need to set healthy but effective boundaries. In one exercise I had to defend my personal space (marked with fence rails in the center of the ring) and some succulent bales of hay from a hungry "Coach Lucas".
To my surprise, I learned that I need a lot of space around me to feel comfortable. In order to preserve my space, I realized I have to be assertive and guard it before it is invaded - which I did. Lucas held no hard feelings, however - he let me give him a hug at the end, which showed me that it's probably all right to have boundaries with creatures on two legs as well. Thanks, Karin. Thanks, Lucas.
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The response to my latest newsletter and video postings has been phenomenal! Thank you so much for your support.
Three weeks ago, I invited viewers to watch Episode 1 of my presentation to the Washington State chapter of Meeting Professionals International (MPI). It is titled The Difference Between Sales & Marketing. View it here.
This week, I encourage you to view the second video in the series. It's called Why Marketing Tactics Don't Drive a Sound Strategy. It can be found here.]]>
Every entrepreneur with whom I've worked is absolutely unique. No two are the same, even if they're in the same field. Even when their core service offerings were similar - the way they marketed themselves, how they interacted with their clients, their aspirations for job and life satisfaction - were all very different.
Accordingly, I have always tailored my consultation programs to fit the individual. One size definitely does not fit all.
Just because I customize each program doesn't mean there are not fundamentals that I bring to nearly all of them. Although I'm always learning, always seeking better ways to help my clients, I seem always to find value in a relatively short list of consistent lessons I developed a number of years ago.
In 2009, I was given the opportunity to present descriptions of these fundamentals to the Washington State chapter of Meeting Professionals International (MPI). The presentation, Make Your Game Bigger: How Entrepreneurial Thinking Builds Your Business and Your Personal Success, was videotaped. I have edited the presentation into short-form videos, each segment focusing on a specific lesson. The videos are now available for viewing on YouTube.
I invite you to watch the first segment, The Difference Between Sales and Marketing, at this link.]]>
Tresa, a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and owner of My Financial Design, an independent financial planning company, is offering a five-session workshop beginning in October. This series, "The Money Madness Cure Workshop," will help you understand more about your core motivations, limiting beliefs and emotional challenges around money and to create real solutions to move you from where you are today to where you want to be.
The sessions are centered around group exercises and workbook lessons designed by Tresa and based on her observations from over 30 years of helping clients. She incorporates (with permission) bestselling author Jack Canfield's "Success Principles" from the book of the same name. The exercises are designed to reveal unconscious blocks and teach new habits to help create a successful life and improved financial health.
She says she came to realize later in her career that the inner mind is a key motivator to financial success. "If I truly want to help people refrain from making the same mistakes over and over, I have to help them bring their hidden beliefs and behaviors to their consciousness," says Tresa.
"You may have this burning desire to buy yet another new pair of shoes and before you know it you've messed up your whole financial plan, " says Tresa, "But by learning why you have 52 pairs of sandals, and whether that's in alignment with what you really want long-term, you can create a new level of financial stability and success that is far more fulfilling."
"Everyone has aspects of their lives where what they do is out of alignment with their stated values," she says. "For instance, a couple may say they want to save to retire by age 65. Yet it turns out they can only spare 3% of their income because they both spend liberally using their credit cards on the sly."
Tresa promises participants will leave the workshop with clear goals and concrete plans as to how to improve their lives and financial situations, as well as a buddy system to keep them accountable once they get home.
I encourage you to sign up for this workshop if you want to learn how to:
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Just don't ask Ken what he does for a living. Asking Ken Carson to define his work is like trying to grab a pinch of zephyr for your pocket. Good luck.
"I'm the worst elevator speech-giver, is what I am," he says.
When pushed, Ken throws out the word "entertainer," which calls to mind a song-and-dance man, but that's not it.
"I can't sing, play an instrument, and I don't really dance well," he says. Early on he realized "I don't have any talent, but everyone's laughing at the things I say."
Over his 20+ years-career he has been a successful broadcaster, actor, and a standup comedian - but he now feels he's found his niche performing as emcee, host, and even auctioneer at live corporate events.
While he may not be his own best publicist, his clients, including the Seahawks and Sounders franchises, who have hired him as their on-field and special events host, keep asking for more.
Ken customizes television newscasts and game shows to help break the ice in product rollouts or employee appreciation events, which puts audience members at ease.
He sees his strengths as twofold: "I have a built-in sensor for the audience....a real ability to scan the room read the room and get them to laugh," which lets him suss out how far he can tease the CEO or lecture the audience on the new teamwork initiative; and a facility for quicksilver improv that keeps the party going when the power - or a skittish executive at the mike - fails.
Ken came to me in part because he needed help getting the word out. In the competitive 80s and 90s he only allowed himself to be hired through entertainment agencies - to stave off concerns from colleagues about "stealing clients." Then he says the dotcom bust and the economic downturn weeded out many agencies. When his Seattle agent finally moved shop to L.A. a few years ago, he knew he needed help getting more clients.
"I never had to talk money to clients, and I always had someone else to talk about how great I am," he says, so referred by another performer client, he told me "I have to start selling myself."
Ken says the key learnings he gained from our work together, are:
She often hears clients say, "I am so busy running the business, I don't have time to lead it."
"Our mission," Jessica writes on her web site, "is to give time back to company leadership so they can focus on the strategic, longer-term challenges the company faces."
Jessica, a client of mine, is a woman of many talents. A registered engineer in the State of California with a degree in Civil Engineering, she has extensive background in both business consulting and project management in the construction industry, which she now sees have a lot in common.
"When you are building projects it's a little bit like starting a new business each time - set a budget, hire new staff, develop a process, communicate the process to the staff, finish the project, and then start all over again," she says.
"I help people with problems but it's also about making really good businesses better. It's a little bit of organizational development, a little bit of processing systems."
Although her client base centers on architecture, engineering and construction, Jessica calls herself " an industry agnostic."
She says for her focus the amount of revenue is not as important as the number of employees in the company.
"What I do is so enmeshed in culture. Culture is king - or queen," she says. Either way, she finds culture to be profoundly altered by the scale of the company.
"When you have 50 people the business starts to go from a family to a company. It means you're really starting to grow, and you have to be ready for those changes. For example, free snacks for a staff of 20 costs a lot less than free snacks for 75. What happens to the snacks part of culture when it starts to impact cost? My sweet spot is around 100 employees. That said, I have worked with companies as large as 90,000 people and as small as five."
She looks at how each of the business' three operations: sales, production, and administration/support interact. She looks closely at administrative and support because this is where the money goes out.
"It's a matter of 'How do we talk to each other?' and 'Who talks to who," which can illuminate ways various departments can work together to support the company's goals."
"I might need to get finance and IT talking to each other so they could set their own mini-strategies to support where the company is going," she says. For instance, if IT has a set policy to replace computer hardware every three years, how does that impact Finance, and does Finance even know about it? "I'm getting the network manager a little more business educated and the finance manager a little more IT educated," she adds.
Her style is very interactive. "A lot of what I do is getting people to talk. I may ask: 'Is this a problem? If so , why? What would happen if you did nothing?
A lot of times people don't realize realize what the culture is driving," Jessica says. " A great one was a company that had a very charismatic longtime president. He was the primary marketer. When he got ready to retire, he wouldn't share his contacts with the new leadership team!"
Without changing that culture, Jessica points out, any future growth - not to mention the president's retirement funds - could come to a screeching halt.
After conducting an assessment, she makes recommendations on changes and how to implement them or will if needed sit in as an interim. She says both options have their challenges but she prefers the former. "Being a consultant is tough when you're not an employee on the other hand when you're a consultant and not an interim you can avoid some of the systemic issues and maintain a separate view."
When we met through another client, Jessica was at a "I just built my web site - now what?" point.
Jessica was so happy with our work together she's in her second cycle.
"I'm a re-graduate. I got a bachelor's and masters in Lenora. I signed up in beginning of 2009 and due to circumstances beyond either of our control we went a little longer than planned, and I felt I had more to learn. So when we finished, I signed up again right away.
"It does take some discipline," she points out, explaining that I sometimes ask tough questions, like "You're doing that for your clients, but are you doing it for you?" or "If your business was that business, what would you tell you?"
"She's forced me to really focus on stuff I didn't really want to focus on," says Jessica. "I mean, I kinda get all this, but you need someone to translate into the way you're going to hear it best. She has a real knack for that."
Overall. she says. "I signed up and never looked back. It's been wonderful."
Back atcha, Jessica!
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Todd, a graduate client, actually attributes that tag line to an exercise we did together. I ask him to come up with a statement comparable to Bill Gates' famous "A Computer on Every Desktop," and this is what I get? I'm just kidding; it's great. It announces, loud and clear, Todd's extroverted personality, and the energy he both brings to and expects from his clients in making positive change for themselves and their businesses.
Todd has dovetailed his considerable experience in software IT and business to form GetLIT which launched about six months ago.
His site says,
"Most financial planners focus on the money - and in particular, the investment - and what I focus on with my clients is their life and what truly matters to them, says Tresa.
Tresa herself was trained in the traditional "build the money, your life goals come later" philosophy - but in recent years she became convinced that the other way around makes much more sense, i.e., define your dreams and core needs, and then form a plan to attain them.
"I want to know what gets them up in the morning, what drives them to do things that are difficult. In our initial meetings I really help my clients connect with that. Then I help them realize that every financial decision has to support their life goals."
This is easier said than done, however. In her 30 years in financial planning, she has found that the majority of her clients are stone-cold terrified of their own money. Some let their money lie untouched for years rather than risk making a wrong move with it.
Who, Me? Scared?
While people feel that, as adults, they "should" be on top of managing their money, they may feel insecure about their lack of financial training, or the state their finances are in, and so they ignore them like an aching molar they're afraid to show to a dentist. And, like the toothache, waiting to address the problem not only delays improvement, it may even make it worse.
Her main message to those of us still ignoring our money is: 
"OfficeXpats looks at the whole person and the life you want to lead," says Leslie, who is also a health coach. "You're going to want a place to prepare food, chat on a cell phone, and take care of your body," she added.
Unlike your home office, which can suffer from either too many distractions -like the demands of toddlers, the guilt of pending laundry- or too few, as the deafening sound of silence or the lack of outside influences stifles inspiration. At OfficeXpats, Leslie and Jason say, members can choose interaction or solitude to suit their needs - and with various levels of membership, it's cheaper and more stimulating than renting an office on your own.
"We've heard over and over again the isolation from home can be deadening," Leslie says. "Humans are social animals; they want to be part of something bigger, and Office Xpats provides that," Jason adds.
As proof, they point to surveys in which a majority of coworkers say that they are more motivated, have better interaction with people, do more collaborative work, and manage their time more efficiently in their coworking space - which adds up to greater relaxation in their personal life and in 42% of cases, increased income.
Jason and Leslie, who are partners in life as well as in business, learned about coworking in 2010 and were instantly inspired. Jason has IT management and network administration experience for small to midsized companies that spans two decades, and Leslie is a marketing and communications consultant for Microsoft. The coworking concept dovetailed nicely with an idea Jason had been working on for virtual workers' IT support; he even had a registered name:"9to5Jammies". As they talked, the couple realized they were heading more towards serving people outside their homes and creating a communal meeting space. The word "expats" emerged when Leslie was brainstorming with a friend, and a new name was born.
Like expatriates in a foreign country, they say, virtual workers have made a conscious decision to forge an independent culture on their own terms, supporting each other as they develop it. (Jason hasn't forsaken his first name idea, however - he still wants to institute a pajama night featuring actual "9-to-5 Jammies".)
OfficeXpats will also offer reserve-able conference rooms. "Bainbridge Island has a lot of working professionals who need a nice place to bring clients. The de facto place lawyers meet right now is Roosters Cafe. So, it's possible they may come for conferencing and stay for the atmosphere," Jason says.
The pair came to me through a referral from graduate client of mine, Linda Lybert. Although both had entrepreneurial experience, neither had ever started a brick-and-mortar business. Asked about the main benefits of our work together, first they mention the counseling - personal and professional.
"We've never had to invest in a long-term lease, " says Leslie. "This is really scary stuff. We end up with differences of opinion because we don't know what's standard or optimal in this situation, and we get to a standstill. Lenora sometimes facilitates our differences and helps us come up with solutions we wouldn't have come up with on our own. Lenora adds information, gives us a perspective of what to expect reality-wise. Like negotiating, these aren't things you can just Google and get an answer, they are based on experience and relationships," adds Leslie.
"We call her 'Dr Lenora'," Jason pipes in.
- "I don't," counters Leslie.
- "I have," says Jason.
Finally Leslie concedes that either way, "I use Lenora to get him to see common sense."
Another positive impact, they say, has been through finding them resources to legal or professional services. "She comes up with great resources for us," says Jason.
"She's also very creative," Leslie adds. "We were spinning our wheels trying to make a spreadsheet for our expenses and projected income, and she was able to access services from an expert to get us what we needed."
"All of these connections we'd like to provide for our members, we are getting now through Lenora," says Jason.
They also appreciate that I help them see their strengths and remind them to fight for their needs. "In negotiating with landlords, I have a tendency to propose a compromise before I need to do that," says Leslie.
"Lenora shows us our position with the perspective of an outsider and it's usually stronger than we think. She pointed out that what we wanted to do on Bainbridge Island, and the amount of space we're looking for in a down economy is a big deal - we are in fact a hot commodity." (Their real estate agent agreed, by the way.)
Jason had one more thought. "Lenora has this uncanny ability to really relate to people to kind of know what they're thinking. I have a hard time doing that. Sometimes I even ask her what Leslie is thinking."
"He doesn't do that enough!" says Leslie, with a laugh.
]]>
So your next question is probably "why horses?" Here's Karin's answer from her website :
"As prey animals, (horses) have a highly developed ability to sense changes in the stance, intent, and emotions of other beings. Horses recognize the difference between how a person is trying to appear versus how they are truly feeling. They reflect, through direct and immediate feedback, what they sense is the truth from their handler. Through working with a horse without halter or saddle in a round pen, participants become more aware of how they relate to people. Emotions that may have never been recognized before might be discovered. With discoveries come answers to immediate questions and the possibility of exploring deeper into the self or the situation."
Karin finds that "working" with the horses saves a lot of time in the therapeutic process, as clients are often less guarded and more relaxed when interacting with animals than when talking with a human therapist.
"I ask the client to connect with the horses and just meet every single horse like you meet a person for the first time, " says Karin. "I tell them to try to connect, try to learn as much as you can from that personality, and figure out with what horse you connect the most. Just watching the person interacting with the horses tells me more than if that person would talk to me for two hours."
Also, the horses' instinctive responses give clients an instant "read" on their behavior, which clients can see and possibly learn from. An added bonus: horses are hard to fake out. "The horses know if you mean it," says Karin.
Karin gives her four-footed coaches a lot of credit for her success with clients. "It might sound weird, but these horses are as skilled and talented as I am. They are as open, as engaged, as focused on the relationship to the clients that come here as I am. And we, as a team, make that incredible combination of something that is hard to find."
Having ridden since she was seven years old, Karin's love of horses goes way back. When she moved to the U.S. in 2001, she had to rebuild her career from scratch, and decided at the same time to take the opportunity to learn about owning horses. " I had a lot of learning to do and bought books about horsemanship and horse care. That was when I discovered the book "The Tao of Equus" by Linda Kohanov, " says Karin.
Kohanov is the founder of the Epona program , which Karin describes as "a journey to self discovery, facilitated by horses." Karin found the idea of combining her psychological knowledge and expertise with my passion for horses irresistible, and became a certified Epona instructor in 2005. She is also certified in Eagala, another horse-assisted therapy.
Equine Facilitated Coaching/Counseling became her main focus, and then last year she decided to augment her practice with life coaching, which led her to pursue certification as a life coach, now ongoing, and about a month ago, to become my client.
Our roles were reversed recently when I had the opportunity to be personally evaluated by Columbo, Little League, Lucas and Gina at Karin's "Energy Drainer/Energy Gainer" workshop, which was quite illuminating.
I discovered my biggest energy drainers are wearing different masks for different situations and people, which typically comes from the need to set healthy but effective boundaries. In one exercise I had to defend my personal space (marked with fence rails in the center of the ring) and some succulent bales of hay from a hungry "Coach Lucas".
To my surprise, I learned that I need a lot of space around me to feel comfortable. In order to preserve my space, I realized I have to be assertive and guard it before it is invaded - which I did. Lucas held no hard feelings, however - he let me give him a hug at the end, which showed me that it's probably all right to have boundaries with creatures on two legs as well. Thanks, Karin. Thanks, Lucas.
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