Why I’m A Coach

Why I’m A Coach 

I am a coach.  

When I tell people that I coach now instead of practice law, they are often surprised.  What is coaching?  

Here is what I do as a coach: I help people get clarity about what is most important to them and what they really want for their lives, and then I help them figure out how to achieve that.

I have always wanted to help people in my career but figuring out exactly how I was best suited to do that hasn’t been easy.  I first thought medicine would be my way to help people (I was pre-med in college), but after spending time shadowing doctors, it didn’t feel like a good fit for me.  After exploring many more options, I landed on law.  But even when I was helping people with hugely important legal issues, something was still missing for me.   

Then, a few years ago, I was tremendously fortunate to be able to participate in a coaching program offered for female attorneys at my former law firm. Once I experienced coaching as a client, I knew I had to learn more. I researched and enrolled in several different coaching programs and was hooked. I knew that coaching was the way that I most wanted to help people.

For me coaching is in (what Gay Hendricks calls) my “zone of genius.”  Everyone has a zone of genius.  It’s work that invigorates you, that allows you to really shine, and that feels amazing to do.  It’s like a sweet spot that combines what the individual loves doing and what the world needs.  When you’re working in your zone of genius, it can feel almost effortless.  It can feel like play.   

When I’m coaching, I get to show people how to live their very best lives by helping them find the work they love, to do that work confidently, and to balance that work with the rest of their lives:  their families, their creativity, their hobbies, their relationships.

Looking back, I can see that I’ve been coaching my entire adult life.  I didn’t call it coaching and I didn’t always have the tools that I have now, but ever since I can remember I have always loved helping people figure out what they wanted and live at their highest potential.  I was coaching my peers in high school when I was leading church retreats.  I was coaching in college when I was a Resident Assistant and a camp leader.  I was also coaching when I was practicing law at a large law firm by mentoring junior associates as they developed new skills and confidence.  

Now in my coaching practice, I get to work in my zone of genius every day.  

I see in others the potential that they can’t always see in themselves and I help them overcome obstacles (most of which are in their own minds) so they can do the work they love and show up as the people they want to be.  To me, it’s the most exciting work on the planet.  

How Is Coaching Different From Therapy? 

People often ask me how coaching is different than therapy.  

Others can tell you about therapy, so I will stick to describing the type of coaching that I do.  Coaching is helping people who are already healthy and functioning to live at a higher level. People seek coaching to improve and evolve towards their ever-expanding potential.  It’s the equivalent of a personal trainer for personal growth.  

I never tell clients what they “should” do.  They’ve heard enough about that their entire lives.  

I never tell them what to do.  They always decide.  They are always in control.  

My job is simply to show them why they have their current results and how to create the results they want instead. It’s a practical approach using cognitive science-based tools.

Each coaching session is impactful and transformational.  The client leaves the session seeing their issue from a completely different perspective and with practical tools they can apply to progress between sessions.  

They learn how to feel better in their current circumstances.  They also learn how to take action to change their results.  

My one-to-one coaching programs are designed to teach clients how to manage their own minds so that they can self-coach going forward, for continued benefit and impact.  I do most of my coaching via video conference or by phone, which makes scheduling easier because there is no travel time.  

It’s an amazing process.  It’s life-changing for those who try it.  

What do you want to do with your one, precious life?  Whatever it is—or if you don’t know yet—I can help.  I love to help.  

That’s why I’m a coach.    

Go forth, grow, and bloom.

XO

Charise