Twelve years ago, I started working for my current employer. Prior to that, I had been unemployed for about 9 months and was taking medication for anti-anxiety medicine. It seemed that everything in life couldn’t get any worse. I had a couple cars, a nice townhouse, everything a young man could want. In an instance, I was unemployed and even homeless. I had to sell most of the things I loved. Thankfully I had a couch to sleep on for a while at my parents and eventually started staying with a close friend.
A position opened up in a local business and thankfully, I was offered a job! WHEW... 9 months of unemployment had gotten the best of me. I was even able to kick the anti-anxiety meds. Fast forward seven years. I had been promoted several times and felt as if I was in a great position to replace the Director of the department I worked for. I had been preparing for the opportunity to apply/take his position for several years. I was determined. As things progressed, he retired and I, after going through the process, took the job.
This is when things really started to shape for me. As a Director, I was responsible for multiple staff members. Their work…their growth...their sanity. My undergrad in Organizational management did a decent job preparing me for my new position. As prepared as I thought I was, I really wasn't. I had to learn some really hard lessons. Those lessons were taught by my staff. I can’t tell you how thankful I am for their openness and honesty to talk to me about things I did that were not working. What I thought I was doing well, I wasn't even close. I was struggling and didn't even see it. While the lessons I learned through staff were essential to the success of all, it was hard to accept and required a level of vulnersbilty, openness and self awareness I had not known previously!
I did learn early on one very important point. I was in the people business. Yes, I work in IT but my position is more about PEOPLE. As a Director I was responsible for many things including working with staff on performance plans (yearly goals) and development plans (where they want to go) yet I was never trained to do it well. I genuinely want the best for my staff and want to see them excel like they never thought possible. Without proper training, I set out to find training on coaching staff. I really felt I was leaving opportunities on the table for my staff because of my lack of education on the process. I started researching how to coach my staff. What I ended up learning about was Life Coaching.
Within 2 days of finding Life Coaching, I signed up for a certification class from Coach Training Alliance. This is a foundation level course that teaches the fundamentals of coaching which is really neat and not what I thought it would be (more on this in a future post). Part of this program requires you to start a business, I had just heard of Life Coaching and never thought of it as a business before however I do love the coaching process. Within a week, I started a business. I have been working with multiple clients, including some who are homeless, to help them get where they want to go. To help them see things differently by addressing their subconscious mind. I then entered a highly specialized program based around building a new life story. This one really changed my perspective. With proven techniques backed by science using psychology, quantum physics and neuroscience, I help my staff during the day and others at night. I love helping people and offer a variety of options including ways to improve your career, your success story, your relationship, wellness and your ability to master change. I truly love what I do and am thankful for the opportunity to help so many people change their lives. On top of that, raising a daughter as a single father meant I needed to step up my duties. Life coaching has taught me so much about life and allowed me to even start to teach my daughter about things like finding our purpose in life, acts of gratitude and so on..
I tell this story, not to pat myself on the back. Instead, to highlight the endless possibilities life has to offer - if we take advantage. From unemployed to Director and Life Coach, if I can do things like this, you certainly can too! Never give up on your dreams, never give up on what seems impossible. In the end, the only thing truly impossible is what you keep telling yourself is impossible.
Figure out what you want to do, prepare for it so that when your opportunity comes, you take advantage.. This is what is called “Making your own luck!” If you happen to need help along the way. I am here to assist!