Success Stories

You can create success in life, livelihood & leadership
in tune with your true spirit.

I hope the following true slices of life from coaching and group clients encourage you to go for what inspires YOU. - Marian

Anita had been dancing with the challenges of creating a fulfilling life, blending her leadership role at work, motherhood, personal passions and other demands and desires. To finally attempt to work part time was a huge step of clarity and courage for her. We’d been coaching to prepare for this. Her email is an example of the client celebrations that we get to applaud:

“I did it! I am receiving what I asked for! He said we will work out a win/win and I can reduce my schedule! Thank you for all your support!! I used the formula you gave me yesterday. The conversation couldn't have gone better! The stars were aligned and the universe held me!

Thank you!! A big kiss and hug to you!
Anita

One Woman’s Experience with Wake Up Inspired

Barbara approached me with a big smile and hug, saying “Thank you for your gift.” What do you mean? I asked. “My life is more full than ever!” she shared, attributing this to the Wake Up Inspired program. Seeing the lasting impact in Barbara was such a joy. She looked radiant (and not from cosmetic changes). “It’s hard to put in words,” she continued. “I’m taking better care of myself. I’m also taking care of other things in the world in a new way. ” She also emailed:

“Last fall I signed up to take Marian's Wake Up Inspired course. At the time I didn't have a clue as to why I was enrolling. My life was great. I was in a relationship that was going well and enriching my life, I worked in a job that I loved, I had a social circle that I enjoyed, and my family life was wonderful. So why in the world did I need a life coach? I didn't have a clue but that tiny voice in me said, spend the money and find out. It is now six months later and I know why. I still have all those things but they are even better and more fulfilling. It is hard to articulate what you will gain from this experience. Marian has developed a manual that helped me fine tune various aspects of my life and at times gave me a different lens to view what went on day to day.

Marian is probably one of the most upbeat, positive, insightful, nonjudgmental people I have ever met. Each week I came to class knowing that I would walk away with something new. I felt that I could put into the class as much or as little as I wanted without feeling judged. The class helped me to see ways to give to myself and to my community so that I ended up having even more time. Don't ask me how that can be, because I still don't know. I just know it was the best financial investment that I've made in a long time. Although the class has ended, a group of us are continuing to meet monthly to rework the stations. We have a lot of fun together and I hope you all will come out of this as blessed as I feel I have been from the experience.”

- Barbara Woodbury

Ken is 53, a retired executive and really ready to make a difference in a new way rather than being on the golf course and donating money. He’s a wonderful example of why I like to encourage people to pursue true joy rather than enjoyment. I believe authentic joy comes from knowing who you are meant to be and sharing your true gifts. Ken has gained insights about his core values and purpose. We’re making progress on identifying “what if” scenarios for his contribution to the community- exploring his passions and talents crossed with needs and feasibilities. His face lights up when we’re opening new possibilities for him to pursue his next joyful mission.

Jill was in a phase of being very focused and rewarded by her career, so most of our coaching has been supporting her strategic planning work and professional relationships. She started to notice cravings for body movement, but hesitated in making this a coaching topic, as it naturally seemed to fall into the category of “personal self care” which wasn’t a front burner priority. However, when we discussed body-mind connections and seeing her body as a resource for her work success, it made sense. We incorporated body health in coaching sessions as an integral part of her pursuit of fulfillment and excellence in her career. Jill continues to integrate her body into her life priorities. She’s lost weight and feels lighter in multiple ways, including empowering her team at work more and having renewed energy for creating whole life success beyond the office.

Linda is a successful speaker, author and business owner with a busy lifestyle. She always says she loves to hit the pause button with her coaching sessions. Coaching supports her strategic planning, preparation for key meetings and presentations and productive, profitable, satisfying professional relationships. She values insights gained from having a fellow “life watcher” to support her ongoing awareness, future outlook and optimal choices for her business as well as family relationships, self-care and personal fulfillment.

Alice: Recreating Real Success

As a talented high-achiever, Alice had landed a dream job at a large company. After several years, the honeymoon was over, and work stress was consuming her. She felt out of balance and began to lose confidence in herself. The ticking clock from TV’s 60 Minutes became her ticking bomb for another Monday morning. One day she looked in the mirror and thought, "I’m going to go crazy or I have to leave." In spite of a hefty bonus coming up, she handed in her resignation and thought she’d walk away from her career field forever. Smart management didn’t want to lose her. They asked her to take a leave of absence and offered her professional coaching to help her sort things out. She was very bright and ripe for transition in her life. We looked at what she was tolerating, what was in the way of her fulfillment and sustainable success. We focused on clarifying her core values and how she might create a life in sync with these, including her work. We reminded her about being 100% responsible for creating her own happiness, self-management and burnout prevention strategies. She realized that she needed to change, not just change jobs. Time management tips and a zippy motivational course were not the answer. Coaching encouraged her to rejuvenate her spirit and enjoy life as a human being, not just a human doing. She spent some time taking long walks, listening to an inner voice that was growing stronger. In the career zone, we explored her satisfaction and performance factors--what would bring out her best and give her a sense of contribution. At first, we both felt the odds were low for her to return to her company. However, part of coaching is to expand your options, being open to "anything’s possible." She knew that, as her coach, I was not attached to talking her into anything. I was her confidential advocate, champion and sounding board. We were able to brainstorm, "Under what conditions would you possibly return? What could become a win-win somehow?" She reflected, we played "What if?" some more and then prepared her to make a powerful request. Today, she’s back at the company, in a position she designed, and thrilled to be creating a new life more aligned with her real values and deliberate choices. Everyone wins. Alice says that identifying and understanding her core values made all the difference in the world. Her personal life is richer as she lives out her commitments to take a stand for important boundaries. She says coaching also gave her effective tools and an approach to decision making/planning that continue to add value to the quality of her life. People see her and remark, "Hey, you’re not the same person you were before!" Within a year, Alice joyfully became a mother to a beautiful baby boy; something she didn’t feel was possible in her stressful life before.

Alice’s last word for the rest of us: Figure out who you are, what you want and don’t be afraid to ask for that...or at least work toward getting it.

As I witness each client filling up with aliveness and satisfaction, they naturally contribute more positive energy to their workplaces and the rest of the world. Imagine that.

Working Smarter Success Snapshots:

Client Examples: Coaching has fueled…

Neil, Executive
(Seeking improvements in work relationships, growth into next level of leadership) - New heartfelt vision and chosen legacy.

• Promotion to higher responsibility.
• Best review and financial increase of his career.
• Junior employees asking to work on projects with him (100% turnaround from previous feedback).
• Feeling stronger, pleased and proud of his leadership and role modeling.

Mark, Small Business Owner
(Seeking focus, improved time/workload management, quality of life)

• Clarity on core values, authentic priorities.
• Insights about how he was sabotaging his own success and fulfillment.
• New systems for more effective daily triage.
• Deeper understanding of inner drivers.
• Clear contracting with staff and others.
• New work habits for optimal energy management.

Sheila, Corporate Executive
(Ongoing support for her leadership role, vision in action, career development) - Enhancing her leadership role in the organization.

• Improved boundaries and whole life balance.
• Cultivating powerful professional relationships.
• Performance Plus Leadership Inventory helped identify key strengths, growth edges.
• SWOT analysis helped clarify how to move forward with her vision in action.

Sharon: A New Perspective on Making a Difference

Sharon wanted to be able to speak her truth more, to step out of a meek, nice, quiet shell and express herself with greater confidence. She felt she was playing small, as if her powerful gifts were kept secret. Sharon was stuck in resentment about some of the tasks of her job at a health center. After all, she was working on an advanced degree at the same time (her inner critic- Gremlin wanted to make a big fuss of this). The chip on her shoulder was growing, and this was naturally an energy drain. She wanted to be able to enjoy her day more plus feel valued and respected at work. We played with a co-active coaching technique I call "shopping for perspectives." We identified that the perspective she experienced most was "This job is beneath me." What’s eye opening about this perspectives tool is that we realize our belief is simply one perspective. We don’t have to live with it. So, we brainstormed several more. Ultimately, Sharon chose to live out of the perspective "I can really make a difference here." We coached further about what this meant in actual practice and she committed to next steps. Soon, Sharon was in an important meeting about the vision of the health center and how they all worked together. Her gut was churning as she heard things that struck her as hypocritical. With great courage, coming from her new perspective, she spoke up. She invited them to see how the team all talked about being caring, supportive and positive with the patients, and yet did not treat each other with compassion and support. The culture among co-workers had too much negative energy to create the healing space they had in the vision statement. Her boss acknowledged that this was true, and the meeting opened up wide for more honest discussion about how they could improve things. Sharon didn’t feel small anymore. Her contribution clearly made a difference. Boy, when she came out of her shell, she really did it with grace and boldness, hmm?! We celebrated this breakthrough at our next coaching session, and Sharon continued to gain strength in reclaiming her personal power in her life.

"John": Reinventing his life

John had been tolerating "endless stress," a toxic work environment with a control freak boss and craving more quality time for himself, his wife and friends. He kept moving up in his career, yet was enjoying it less. John wanted to enjoy day-to-day satisfaction vs. waiting for someday. When asked about obstacles to creating the life he really wanted, his response included, "Money. I wish I could quit my job, but I don’t think I can." John bravely worked through candid talks about prosperity beliefs, fear of failure, self-love and confidence. 18 months later, we celebrated an extraordinarily different life picture—a successful transition to a brand new career, enhanced self care and quality of life, faith that the money is fine and flowing, and a party to launch going full time with his own business born out of a true heart’s desire. John says coaching helped him to have the courage to leave that job, (and another interim job that fueled learning for his new business) trust himself and make effective decisions sooner. It also gave him insights into "what makes me tick—values, what motivates and fulfills me." He says coaching really helps with awareness about self-care, time management and thinking things through. Most of all, John is thrilled with how empowered he feels and the great pride he senses when looking at life now and new choices he’s making. He’s not waiting for someday!

Note: Most names have been changed in the above stories to honor confidentiality.

Often more important than the nuts & bolts results or tangible outcomes, is the "being" that comes out of coaching work. Clients report feeling more aligned with their values, enthusiastic about creating satisfying, whole lives. They experience a pride in overcoming obstacles, trusting themselves to make effective decisions with more insight into what’s really important. Life becomes more fulfilling with increased confidence, enjoyment and gratitude. Clients develop a sense of their own balance, how to be "at choice," to live more effectively with less struggle. Imagine feeling like you would not have any regrets about how you lived your life. It’s like moving toward that all the time. There’s a flow, a peace of mind, a renewing positive energy to living more deliberately with coaching support. What’s a possible new story we could inspire and support for you?