Do you wonder what it would be like to pursue a life and career that excites you?
I did and it took me a long time to figure out what that was. Below is my journey towards finding that being a life and career coach was my calling.
How did you become a life coach?
That defining moment in my life happened in 2013.
I quit my “secure” job as a teacher. I loved teaching but I had enough of the horrible managers, the 14-hour days that were eating away at my relationships and left zero time for a social life.
I was under intense pressure to do even more work when I was already giving all I could. I was stressed out and suffering from anxiety at the thought of going to work every morning. I had disrespectful managers who made me question my self-worth.
I was torn and confused. I questioned what I could do for work since teaching was all I knew. I felt stuck. So, I sat and waited for a sign. That sign came in the form of a colleague encouraging me to move to Texas.
After months of inaction, I decided to move across the country from New York City to Houston after one phone call and said I’d figure out the details later.
Well, that took months of part-time work, living in someone else’s home office, and starting over in a new city with no friends.
One year after quitting my job I landed a position I wanted as a school leader. For three years I gave the position my all. Unfortunately, I was still saying yes to everything my supervisor asked of me. I was still working 12-hour days six days a week, still had no social life, and was breaking out in hives from the stress. I was repeating the same cycle as before just in a new location.
That’s when I said ENOUGH!
Again, I quit. I started freelancing using the skills I had. As my own boss, I got to say goodbye to all the things I hated about my job, I got to work from home and set my own hours, I got to take control and finally developed a social life.
It was everything I said I wanted except…
I built a business around something that felt safe. It was a skill I knew I had, but not something I cared to do. Each day I had to give myself a pep talk to complete the work. I didn’t think about the fact that I would have to market my skills and make offers to do more of this work that I wasn’t excited about. I spent a year wishing I was doing something else.
The real issue was that I repeated a pattern of working myself to the point of burn out and would quit thinking another job would be the solution. But I was the constant in all of those jobs and could track this habit of overworking back to the age of fifteen!
Never had I considered what I was passionate about that I would enjoy doing. Had I spent time thinking about what I really loved and where I ultimately wanted to be before quitting my job I would have saved myself a lot of stress, time, and energy.
I eventually got clear on what I really wanted out of my career and life. And it wasn’t only about my career success but real fulfillment. I went full force in making my internal desires match my external reality. I did the deep mental work on identifying my purpose. I learned to say no, valued my time and made others respect it, I made doing the things I enjoy and spending time with those that matter a priority. I transformed my relationship with work and went from feeling like it was something I had to do, to something I woke up excited to do each day.
Just to prove that the internal shifts were real, I went back to the school district I left. But this time I chose a role that allowed me to be in my purpose, coaching teachers, while working fewer hours, negotiated a raise, and an extra month off!!! Most importantly I went back with a very different attitude. No longer would I play the victim. I set the standard of what I would tolerate from others early on; I respected me, so others had no choice but to do the same.
The more teachers I coached the more I knew that they needed the help beyond just how to manage their students and deliver a strong lesson. So I offered them life coaching. I wanted to help them experience the shifts I had and move up in their careers.
Today I manage to fill my days with meaningful work, a complete social calendar and make a positive impact on those I encounter. I found my purpose, learned to maintain a better work-life balance and experience more joy and peace of mind because of it.
As a career and life coach, I now teach others how they can do the same. I’ve watched their confidence and outlook on their jobs transformed and watched their social lives skyrocket too! I have since made a commitment to dedicate the rest of my professional life to helping other overworked and stressed out professionals achieve success in the areas they most desire, change careers or regain the love and passion they once had for their profession.
Since then, I’ve worked with many private clients, spoken in front of countless groups: I live my dream of waking up inspired to do work I love and live my purpose; and I have created Purpose, Balance & Bliss, a series of seven steps every busy professional can apply to achieve a more fulfilling and balanced life.
What makes you different from other “life coaches?”
Although we will occasionally touch upon time management and other “business coach-y” things, you have me as a Purpose, Balance & Bliss expert and consultant. I work on the inner and outer principals for success and look at your life and your relationships from a holistic perspective. What that means to you is that you get a wise-sage-meets-kick-butt authentic life and career coach. I’m also very spiritual and I don’t pretend to hide it either. Because I’m not delicate, you’ll always get a straight to the point quick and honest response from me.
I’m concerned with how to get you in a better mental state fast and improve all aspects of your life while helping you reduce work stress and enjoying life more. You may not like what I have to tell you – but you can be sure I will always tell you the truth. The truth about what’s standing in the way of your success and how to get rid of it FAST so you can start getting results in record time (and I throw in a healthy dose of humor and inspiration, which always helps!).
What type of personality do you work best with and what is expected of me?
The Purpose, Balance & Bliss ™ workshops, products, and programs were created for people who are absolutely excited and serious about transforming their current relationship with their jobs and seek a more fulfilling life in and outside of work. This means not running around all day long, beating yourself up anymore saying: “I have no control of that” or “I can’t because I have to work.” They were created for you to put systems in place within a few months (sometimes weeks!), which will eventually lead you to loving your job again or transitioning out to a new one, a deeper sense of self-worth and better relationships.
Being an action taker myself, I’m known to work best with other determined go-getters, people who are committed to their success no matter what, who are super-ready to implement change and just want to know exactly what steps to take to create more balance in their lives. My clients often tell me – “just tell me what to do and I’ll do it!” Consider what you’ll do with me to be a high-octane crash course on everything you need to know to make your work more enjoyable and conducive to the lifestyle you want. You will be expected to take serious and consistent action. No excuses anymore, just a very different way of thinking and full support while you achieve this incredibly exciting goal: enjoying work and loving life again.
How can I guarantee myself that I make the shift to a fulfilling life, in record time?
Do all your homework. Be totally committed to your success. Understand that this is a process, a proven one, that works if you take action and implement all of the steps. All my clients who have diligently applied every step of Purpose, Balance & Bliss ™ have successfully regained control of their careers, established new standards for themselves, transitioned into new positions or entrepreneurship, strengthened their relationships, increased confidence and experience more joy, in much less time than they would have on their own AND have truly found what it means to live a fulfilling life on their own terms.
Jeneffer, based on everything I’ve read and heard about you, I know you’re the one I want to learn from. What are my options for getting started with you?
Congratulations on making a decision for success! I’m happy to work with you to achieve your business goals… To learn how I can customize the Purpose, Balance & Bliss™ program to meet your unique needs, schedule a FREE consultation call with me.
I can’t wait to see you succeed and am honored to be the one to help you.
Let’s get going!
To Living Your Purpose,
Jen