One year ago I retired from 15 years as CXO to transition my 8 year private practice as a coach into a full-time career. On the eve of this change, my live-in partner revealed to me that he had an apartment, moved out and wasn’t faithful. I had no idea. I had been very distracted by other betrayals that year. Friendships and partnerships in my hometown had become entangled much like a favorite necklace. I was deciding if I should untangle it or melt the metals and start over. His “hard news” gave me immediate clarity. I left town to find myself in a bigger story. I traveled coast to coast to heal away from all that hurt me.
“You can be lost and still be heading in the right direction. ”
As a coach, someone who “reads” people for a living, the revelation of such betrayals was a shock to my system. Not only had I lost trust in my partner, I lost trust in those close to me. More importantly, I lost trust in myself. How would I build a business without believing in myself?
By the grace of God, I intuitively hired a business coach the previous month. We met virtually every week as I traveled, including a Culvers in Tennessee. I propped my laptop up on the dash of my car and shoved down a grilled chicken GF sandwich as Elena led me through the exercise of identifying my ideal client. She asked, “What’s their name?” I didn’t have an answer so I blurted out, “Bob! His name is Bob!” I ate another fry and sipped a Coke. Next, we identified Bob’s potential issues and how I could help guide him as a coach.
The call ended and I got back on the expressway. As I merged into traffic, I got a call from “Bob”. Not kidding. The caller ID read, “Bob.” I rolled my eyes and wondered if my coach had arranged this as a prank to prove manifestation worked. I let it go to voicemail assuming that “Bob” wasn’t real. Then, to my surprise, he left a voicemail, “Hi Shea. My name is Bob. Someone suggested that I might need a life coach. I thought I would give you a call. Maybe we can talk about whether or not you can help me. I have a lot going on.”
I immediately called him back. He was real. It wasn’t a prank.
A few years prior, Bob had lost his wife Cindy to a rare cancer. After years of caring for her, grieving the loss of her and attempting to DIY life on his own, he needed a coach to partner with him. As I dodged semi’s and watched Google maps direct me, Bob signed up to begin the 6 month coaching experience I now call “The Holy Sh/ft.” Together we redesigned the systems Cindy was good at and right-sized them for Bob’s new reality. A lot of conversations involved her - how wonderful she was and what an incredible marriage and life they had. It’s what set him up for success on his own. New dreams, pursuits, locations and adventures became a reality in retirement.
I am forever grateful for meeting Bob. I believed in him and he believed in me. That’s where the magic of coaching shows up. Or as Cindy always said, “All good.”
He became a certified ski instructor last winter in Vail, near his daughter.
Be like Bob (and me).
Take what has happened TO you and make it FOR you.
EXPERIENCE THE HOLY SH/FT
