INSPIRED LIFE CAREER DESIGNS
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INSPIRED STORIES
"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow." | |
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LISA SUTTONWRITING THE NEXT CHAPTER
After a rewarding career as a counselor in the non-profit sector, Lisa surprised herself and her colleagues by making the leap to self employment. Now a Certified Professional Coach and the owner of "The Rest Is Still Unwritten" Life Coaching Services, Lisa shares with us her journey into this new chapter of her life.
Q:What is a Life Coach?
The short answer is that a life coach is a person who works with you as you achieve your goals. I help you decide what your goals are, articulate why these goals are important to you, design an action plan, and then I provide motivation, support and accountability as you work towards those goals.
Life coaching is a weekly or bi-weekly telephone appointment that’s like a “check-in” for you. We discuss what you’ve accomplished, where things didn’t go quite as planned, and we design an action plan for the next week or two.
For instance, I had a client who came to me for another issue but one of the things that was taking up a lot of mental energy was the fact that she had shelves in the basement that were so cluttered they were unusable. Every time she looked at those shelves she felt guilty. Every time she had an item that would have been better suited to be kept on those shelves she felt angry because she was wasting space. We designed a plan that would help her get those shelves cleared off within a month, doing a little bit every few days. It was so exciting for her when she finally got those shelves cleaned. The sense of accomplishment continues to this day because every time she uses those shelves she feels proud of herself for her accomplishment.
Deciding what your goals are, making an action plan, following through on that plan and celebrating your accomplishment. That’s coaching.
Q: What kind of work were you doing before you became a Life Coach?
I have worked as a counselor in non-profit agencies for the past 14 years. Most recently, before starting my practice, I worked as a Project Coordinator for the Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work, an agency that works with people who have physical and mental health disabilities who are seeking employment. I conducted assessments around employment and training, provided referrals, and facilitated workshops on topics such as self-esteem, self-care, assertive language, creating a great first impression, and establishing work/life balance.
Q: I love the name of your company. What inspired you to call it “The Rest Is Still Unwritten?”
I was looking for something that was somehow a reflection of me and the type of person I am. I absolutely love to read so I was tossing around ideas around some sort of book theme. I was playing with the idea that our lives start out as a blank book and we have some choice as to what is to be written on those pages. What’s been written up until now is less important than what you’ll write today and on all those remaining blank pages. Your life can turn into a best seller starting today if that’s what you choose to write. I was mulling this theme over when one day I was driving and listening to the radio and Natasha Bedingfield’s Unwritten came on the air.
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten
And there you have it.
Q:Had you always wanted to be an entrepreneur?
No, no, no, most emphatically no. I had never, ever considered it as a possibility. I had always imagined myself as working for non-profit agencies. I am not a risk-taking kind of gal. I’ve been to Las Vegas three times and the most I’ve ever gambled is a quarter I found on the floor. I liked the security of full-time pay with holidays and benefits. After many years, though, I began to realize that working for an agency was perhaps not the best for me and that I could do more of the work I love if I were self-employed. Yes, you give up the safety of a regular paycheque but I’ll tell you that at this point I’m so glad I made the choice I made. I’ve learned that I have skills and interests I never knew I had in areas like marketing, networking and writing. There are costs and benefits to every choice and you have to weigh your own personal priorities.
Q: Can you describe how you felt the moment you decided to start your own business?
Scared, excited, terrified, anxious, energized….I think I had every emotion. It took a long time to come to the decision and there were many milestones along the way. The day I paid the tuition for certification as a coach, the day I actually started my coaching course, the day I resigned my paid position, my supervisor asked me stay on at reduced hours and I agreed so I worked a 20 hour week and went to school, the day I resigned my position again. I’m still reaching milestones and feeling all those emotions each time.
I know you are not only a career woman, but the parent of a 3 year old. Did having a child change your career path or influence your career decisions?
I think so. When I was on maternity leave I started to brainstorm all the ways I could work from home and have her with me. I didn’t find anything that I felt was really suitable. I knew that I didn’t want to continue working 8:30 to 4:30 at the agency I was at because that job drained the energy that I wanted to save for my daughter, especially if I was going to see her only 2 or 3 hours a day. I’ve found that working from home allows me the flexibility to do some things during the day I wouldn’t ordinarily be able to do (like laundry), and it allows me to give her my full attention in the evenings.
Q:Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
On the Oprah show. :) When I’m not doing that I see myself doing a mix of workshops, seeing individual clients and writing. I also have a happy, grounded eight-year-old who knows her mom considers her to be a first priority. My husband will be feeling pretty important too.
Q: Do you feel that you have achieved a life-work balance?
I look at work/life balance as being a process rather than a goal and, yes, I do feel as if my process is working for me, at least right now. It took a while to figure out the “rules” I wanted to establish for me and my family but I think we’ve come to a healthy agreement. I work from my home so, of course, the work is always there, calling out to me. For example, one of the boundaries I have set is that I stop work at 5 pm when my husband and daughter come home. Even though some of my clients would like evening appointments, many have said they admire me for putting my family at the top of my priority list. Some of them have even applied the same principle in their own lives! As a coach, this is what I love to see. People living a life that reflects their values. My work is very important to me and I absolutely love it but my husband and daughter are even more important and I try to act in a way that reflects that.
Q:What do you consider to be your personal motto?
Hmmmm…good question. I’ve not really thought of this before. I really like the Nike slogan of “Just Do It.” Often, this is what life comes down to. Do it or don’t. At some point, you need to make a decision.
Q: What advice would you give to someone considering self employment?
Research, research, research. Find out about all the resources there are for entrepreneurs. There are many agencies out there with tons of information regarding financing, marketing, taxes, etc. Set a timeline for when you expect to become self-employed. It’s so easy to keep thinking about it and suddenly you realize you’ve been in the contemplation stage for years. Set a timeline, do your research, make a business and marketing plan, have a business counselor review it and then….jump.
Q:I love a good quote. Do you have a favorite one you would like to share?
One of my favourite quotes is from Maya Angelou. “You did then what you knew how to do. When you knew better, you did better.”
Stop feeling guilt for all the things you could have/should have/would have in your life. Today is your chance to know better and do better. Start right now.
HEATHER DECKSHEIMERFROM HAIR TO MATERNITY
Happy with her career as a hairstylist, young and newly married Heather thought she had it made. After the arrival of her first child however, something started to nag at her. She felt she was destined to do something else, something more. Heather shares the story of her journey from hairstylist to obstetrical nurse...
(Photo - Heather arrives at her pinning ceremony with proud supporters - husband Karl, and son Ethan.)
Q:When you were in high school, if someone had told you that you would one day be working as a nurse in a labor and delivery ward, what would your response have been? Did you envision that you would one day be where you are now?
No, I would never have thought I would be here today. I still cannot believe I have a degree. University is somewhere I never wanted to go or be! I have loved my jobs in the past but I am so fulfilled working as a nurse.
Q:What is it about your work that inspires you? Why do you love what you do?
I love being around babies and new moms, it’s the reason I was interested in nursing to begin with. I love the teaching aspect of my job. I love the fact that I am able to be there for other women at a time when they are starting a new chapter in their lives.
Q: As a hairstylist, what skills did you develop that now benefit you in your present career?
It may sound strange, but so many! While other nursing students found it so hard to all of a sudden have so much physical contact with their patients; I had no problem with it. My communication skills helped me immensely as well, as you know everyone loves to tell their hairstylist their life stories and nursing is no different.
Q:What life events have had the most influence on your work and your career journey?
The birth of my first child is what first sparked my interest in nursing. It was the first time I had ever been a patient in a hospital. Watching the nurses and seeing what they do really inspired me. Also, I thought it would be nice to make a little more money now that I had this baby and it was no longer just Karl (my husband) and I.
Q: Can you describe how you felt the moment you decided to return to school to work towards becoming a Registered Nurse?
Nervous, scarred, excited, happy…pretty much every emotion. I was worried I would not be able to do it even before I started.
Q:What challenges did you face when you decided to make this career change?
Going to University full time with a child. Homework and studying at home with a husband and a child. Keeping up with the fast-paced, high-demand courses. It was very difficult at times, but there was always someone who had it worse than I did so I did not have much time to feel sorry for myself. There were mothers of three, 45-year-old women, people working two jobs and the list goes on. Everyone had his or her own issues to deal with.
Q:Did you find that the people in your life were supportive of your decision? How did you approach the idea? What were their reactions?
My family and friends were all very supportive from the day I brought up the idea. In fact, at times they went overboard with support and encouragement. I thought to myself, wow I’m just going to school, what’s the big deal? They were all so proud of me and in turn I was proud of myself! If they ever thought I couldn’t do it, I never knew!
Q:Now that you are the parent of 3 young children (7, 2, and 1), are there times when you find it difficult to balance career and family?
Very much so. I am still on maternity leave with my third child (I will be returning to work in August), but I am sure there will be even more hurdles then there were with my first two. I know that as a family we will deal with it. I have a wonderful family and a supportive group of friends. I enjoy working and could not stay home full time, financially or mentally; it’s just not for me. I think the fact that I enjoy it helps greatly.
Q:What strategies do you use to help you achieve a life-work balance?
I work 12-hour shifts so I have more full days off with my children. Since I do shift work, my husband just changed jobs from working retail to an office setting so his job would have set 9-5 hours. My children also attend a daycare in my best friend’s house. It is a team effort between my husband, my girlfriend who has my children in her daycare, and myself.
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Still nursing in the obstetrical area. When my children are all in school full time I would like to get into public health nursing. I might consider going back for my Masters. Who knows.
Q: What do you consider to be your personal motto?
Go for it! Need I say more? I say it all the time.
Q: What advice would you give to someone considering making a career change?
If you think it will make you happy, please do it. It is so scary and exciting and nerve racking but it will be worth it.
Q: I love a good quote. Do you have a favorite one you would like to share?
No, I would never have thought I would be here today. I still cannot believe I have a degree. University is somewhere I never wanted to go or be! I have loved my jobs in the past but I am so fulfilled working as a nurse.
Q:What is it about your work that inspires you? Why do you love what you do?
I love being around babies and new moms, it’s the reason I was interested in nursing to begin with. I love the teaching aspect of my job. I love the fact that I am able to be there for other women at a time when they are starting a new chapter in their lives.
Q: As a hairstylist, what skills did you develop that now benefit you in your present career?
It may sound strange, but so many! While other nursing students found it so hard to all of a sudden have so much physical contact with their patients; I had no problem with it. My communication skills helped me immensely as well, as you know everyone loves to tell their hairstylist their life stories and nursing is no different.
Q:What life events have had the most influence on your work and your career journey?
The birth of my first child is what first sparked my interest in nursing. It was the first time I had ever been a patient in a hospital. Watching the nurses and seeing what they do really inspired me. Also, I thought it would be nice to make a little more money now that I had this baby and it was no longer just Karl (my husband) and I.
Q: Can you describe how you felt the moment you decided to return to school to work towards becoming a Registered Nurse?
Nervous, scarred, excited, happy…pretty much every emotion. I was worried I would not be able to do it even before I started.
Q:What challenges did you face when you decided to make this career change?
Going to University full time with a child. Homework and studying at home with a husband and a child. Keeping up with the fast-paced, high-demand courses. It was very difficult at times, but there was always someone who had it worse than I did so I did not have much time to feel sorry for myself. There were mothers of three, 45-year-old women, people working two jobs and the list goes on. Everyone had his or her own issues to deal with.
Q:Did you find that the people in your life were supportive of your decision? How did you approach the idea? What were their reactions?
My family and friends were all very supportive from the day I brought up the idea. In fact, at times they went overboard with support and encouragement. I thought to myself, wow I’m just going to school, what’s the big deal? They were all so proud of me and in turn I was proud of myself! If they ever thought I couldn’t do it, I never knew!
Q:Now that you are the parent of 3 young children (7, 2, and 1), are there times when you find it difficult to balance career and family?
Very much so. I am still on maternity leave with my third child (I will be returning to work in August), but I am sure there will be even more hurdles then there were with my first two. I know that as a family we will deal with it. I have a wonderful family and a supportive group of friends. I enjoy working and could not stay home full time, financially or mentally; it’s just not for me. I think the fact that I enjoy it helps greatly.
Q:What strategies do you use to help you achieve a life-work balance?
I work 12-hour shifts so I have more full days off with my children. Since I do shift work, my husband just changed jobs from working retail to an office setting so his job would have set 9-5 hours. My children also attend a daycare in my best friend’s house. It is a team effort between my husband, my girlfriend who has my children in her daycare, and myself.
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Still nursing in the obstetrical area. When my children are all in school full time I would like to get into public health nursing. I might consider going back for my Masters. Who knows.
Q: What do you consider to be your personal motto?
Go for it! Need I say more? I say it all the time.
Q: What advice would you give to someone considering making a career change?
If you think it will make you happy, please do it. It is so scary and exciting and nerve racking but it will be worth it.
Q: I love a good quote. Do you have a favorite one you would like to share?
"Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through. Where people fail is that they wish to elect a state and remain in it. This is a kind of death.” - Anais nin.
