And this is what I love about the work we do around our environment and our vision. I just keep going back to, why am I doing this? And my why answers my question every time. So, we say that if the why is big enough, the how will work itself out. And that's ... I'm living that. I'm absolutely living that.
So, Wendy, how long have you been with us for now?
Coming up 10 months now, actually. It feels like a lot longer...
I immersed myself, very much, and I just, I love connecting, I love coming, I love being in here.
“And you learn so much more. And then you go home in your own head space and you do stuff, but being here and applying the learning is what has really made the difference. . .”
So, Foundations of Coaching Success. When you first did that training ... if you maybe back up just a little bit before it, where were you and what were you searching for?
Before I did foundations. So, I was looking for something that would help me discover my purpose in life.
And when I found The Coaching Institute and it ticked all my boxes in the original information I got.
And so, I came to a weekend and signed up. And I actually did Foundations of Coaching Success two weeks after I joined, so I was really quick into it.
And it just reassured me even more, that I was definitely doing the right thing for me. Even though I felt like a deer in headlights at Foundations of Coaching Success weekend.
What was your experience like to be in that world of emerging into learning how to discover your purpose?
I didn't realize that signing on to learn how to be a coach was actually going to be a personal journey.
And so, when I came to the first day, I remember it because it was the 30th of June, last year.
And I decided ... I hope it's okay if I share this. I decided to do dry July.
And so, I knew the next day was I was gonna be alcohol free.
So, I went home that night going, "Oh my God, what have I got myself into?"
Because it was so unbelievably amazing, that I wasn't sure whether I was ready to cope with it 'cause it was so different to what I had experienced for the last however many years you'd like, of the last 40.
But, I woke up the next day and went, I'm here, I'm just gonna do it. And that night, on Saturday, I went home and registered my business name.
Which was just you know ... I went, I'm here, I'm gonna do this
I can absolutely do this.
By the end of Sunday, I went, oh my God, this is just gonna be such an exciting journey.
What's been one of your biggest key learnings about you?
Gosh, where do I start. Probably the importance of just keeping on showing up. Just keeping on doing it, being consistent.
Like so many of people I come across in this community, and we're all like-minded, which is what I just absolutely love. It's in the doing, it's in the taking action.
And look, it did take me a while to get my head around that and I sort of did a lot of information gathering in the first few months, which I think is probably normal.
'Cause I went, oh yeah okay this is pretty crazy, I'm just gonna tick all the boxes and do everything.
But, when I realized that nothing was gonna shift unless I showed up, and took action and did something with what I was learning, that was an amazing absolute aha moment.
And that's why I love coming in to the face-to-face trainings, because we connect on a real personal level. It reinforces the learning so much.
And you learn so much more. And then you go home in your own head space and you do stuff, but being here and applying the learning is what has really made the difference.
And that's really come home to me in probably the last three months, even more so.
"Like so many of people I come across in this community, and we're all like-minded, which is what I just absolutely love. It's in the doing, it's in the taking action. And look, it did take me a while to get my head around that and I sort of did a lot of information gathering in the first few months, which I think is probably normal. 'Cause I went, oh yeah okay this is pretty crazy, I'm just gonna tick all the boxes and do everything...”
Tell me a bit about that, like what are you loving about being a coach and is delivering the coaching service, and that experience around that. 'Cause I know that you're loving it, but share with us, like what's key for you?
So, I suppose if I go back to Foundations of Coaching Success weekend, I went, 'Oh yeah, I can be a coach. I've coached people for 25 years.' Based on whatever I knew at the time. But, nothing compared to what I know now.
And I went, 'yeah, yeah, I'll get a client.' But, I didn't put any effort into getting a client, 'cause I went, that's a bit scary. When I'm ready.
So then I went, okay that's not gonna work. Okay, I've got to get a client. So, I actually just started talking with people and people just said, "Yeah, I'd love to work with you."
So now, I've got five clients at the moment, three paying clients, two pro bono.
Thank you. Just did my first $1,000 month.
So excited. Looking forward to doing more.
It just validated that I can do it, and so now, I've just got to keep getting out of my own way.
And now that I'm doing more, I've realized actually ... I'm not gonna say how easy it is. I mean, it's not easy.
I'm not gonna say it is easy, but it's certainly easier than I thought it was six months ago.
Because I'm doing it, and therefor, the more I do it, the more confident I get.
What has this journey and all those achievements you've had so far, I know you're just getting started, what has this journey meant to you so far?
It's given me my roadmap for the rest of my life, to be honest. Because, I see this as something ... I was never someone who was going to retire.
I was always gonna do something after I stopped doing what it was I was doing. I didn't know what the something was.
And what I love about this, is because it's about people, and human behavior, and mindset, and how we actually build relationships and how we actually use the knowledge we've got to help and support and assist other people, including my family. I can do this for 20 or 30 years.
And what I've learned about the importance of physiology meeting psychology and vitality and health, which I was always on that path anyway.
I can see now the difference that it actually, my vitality, my health contributes to me ability to actually do what I'm doing, and do it for another 20 or 30 years. I mean, I will be coaching when I'm 90.
And I've learned that I've actually ... 'cause I've learned about modalities, I've learned that I'm actually a very visual person. I wouldn't of put that word to it before. And I can visualize myself as a 90 year old coach.
ABOUT WENDY
Wendy's major learning from her journey with The Coaching Institute is to dive in and take action. She feels this is the perfect community to it with and she's incredibly proud (as she should be) with her results.
There’s So Many Opportunities Moving Forward