Last week I got sick. I took to bed for three days with body pain, deep cough, throat pain, and – of big impact for a coach – no voice.
It sucked. In large part because going to bed meant I canceled sessions with clients who are doing beautiful and important work:
- One client just created a MASSIVE board trustee opportunity. I canceled.
- One brand new client is getting out of overwork. I canceled.
- One client is working on significant stress reduction after a big pay increase. I canceled.
- One client is headed into a global relocation. I canceled.
- One client is deep into re-imagining who she is and why her skills matter. I canceled.
Zero of my clients complained. In fact, they checked up on me, sending me gifs (I swear this is a love language), and updates on how they used our regular coaching time to coach themselves.
But, me? Oh, I swirled around in my mind, repeating thoughts that drained me and most likely extended the symptoms and my exhaustion. Thoughts like:
- I’m letting my amazing clients down
- Am I really that sick, I could force my way through
Cause, y’all. I’m human. With a human brain. And I am also constantly challenging deep conditioning that my output is more valuable than me, the human.
I also struggle with the ingrained, bullshit lie that every single widget I create is more valuable than my health, my brain, my soul. And the super evil lie that when I take care of myself I am selfish and hurt others.
Yup, my brain can be a real butthead, repeating the lies it has been taught. But I am not my brain. I am me.
Instead, I rebel. I defy these lies.
First, I coached myself and then I got coached (over text, y’all). Within minutes, I replaced those crappy thoughts and lies with my truth:
- Every moment I care for myself is a gift to everyone around me, both as an example and a moment of profound trust in me and them.
- I am far more than any widget or any output. I am the gift.
Then I slept the sleep of the healing for two days. Today, I am back, energetic, optimistic, and ME.
This story is one of many that proves that coaching isn’t a nice-to-have or an optional investment in success. Coaching is THE short-cut to results. It is the most important and valuable investment you will ever make.
My clients experience this shift themselves. They learn the skills to shift the stories they tell themselves and embrace who they are right now as well as who they want to become.
And they do it quickly, with ease, because they are committed to their goal and their coaching.
On average my clients in 2021 5x’ed their investment with me. For every dollar they invested in coaching, they created five dollars in return.
And that is awesome.
Want to know what is better?
My client take time off and are really off, focusing on their hobbies, their experiences, their families.
They work way less, on average 7 hours less PER WEEK.
They sleep more and better, waking more refreshed and peaceful.
You can have all of these results and more.
Start shifting the stories you believe. Start using your time and your energy to create opportunities. Get what you want, with less drama and more fun.
You can start right now. Schedule your consult.
You can enjoy being a woman in tech.
You can earn more money, create more opportunities, and be happy at work.