Leadership and Executive Development for women of all races, cultures and backgrounds
Issue link: https://diversitywoman.epubxp.com/i/385684
Lin remembers. "And I said, 'It's great. I love it. And at times, it's scary.' Her whole body language changed, and in that moment, my intuion was that she was going to sign with me because I was being real and authentic." Having a coach in your corner who will tell it to you straight—and then work with you to set goals and blast through the barriers— can spur you to exciting new heights. "Some of the most successful people have coaches," says Connie Tanasoulis- Cerrachio, a partner at SixFigureStart (sixfgurestart.com). "Derek Jeter has a hitting coach, a felding coach, and a sports psychologist. Tat's why he's a top performer." Te concept of career coaching is nothing new. At the height of the Great Depression, for example, a group called the Tursday Night Club formed to help new grads from Harvard Business School defne their uniqueness and bet- ter sell themselves in a ferce job market. Today, scores of people are seeking the services of a career coach, whether they want to fnd a new job after a layof, spring to the next level in their career, or (like Tami Blake) make a dramatic ca- reer change. But unlike back in the Depression—or even in the 1980s—today's career coach- es are taking a more holistic approach to their work that recognizes our shifting priorities. "We live in an age where people are be- ing asked to work longer, harder, and fast- er than ever before, and the title and the money are no longer enough," Lin says. "People are looking for something that's soul satisfying. Te question they're ask- ing themselves is, 'What am I going to do with my life that's going to give it mean- ing?'" Research conducted by Paul Fairlie of the School of Human Resource Man- agement found that the desire for mean- ingful work has increased in the past 20 years among people in all age groups. Digging Deep To create a fulflling work life, career coaches like Hayya Lee start by helping clients pinpoint their core val- ues. "A lot of people will say, 'Oh, I have values,'" says Lee, CEO of HayyaLiv- ing LLC (hayyalee.com). "But if you ask The strategic use of a career coach can take your career to new levels By Kimberly Olson Accelerate T ami Blake's corporate job was paying the bills, but she wasn't happy. She felt herself being tugged in a new direction. "I really wanted to make the leap to entre- preneurship," she says. She knew that would be a challenge, so she decided to hire a career coach to help her navigate the waters. Blake found her way to coach Jenn Lin, chief dreamer at 10 Tings U Dream of Do- ing! (10thingsudream.com), who quick- ly earned her trust. "Tami asked me, 'What is it like to be an entrepreneur?'" We Mean Business > d i v e r s i t y w o m a n . c o m Fa l l 2 0 1 4 D I V E R S I T Y W O M A N 31 THINKSTOCKPHOTOS Flying Coach to First Class