“Who are you?”

I mean it, really. Pause here and think about what your answer would be…

Got it?

I routinely find my clients defining who they are based on what they do. When we’re coaching and I ask the million-dollar question, most often the answer is something like: “I’m a mom, a wife, a manager…” And I come back with, “Great, that’s what you do, but who are you…really?”

You are not your job. You are not what you do. Those are only pieces of the big-picture.

I know, I know–it can be a tough question to answer!

Trust me, I’ve been there. When Bill and I embarked on our professional coaching training over seven years ago, I’ll never forget our first class. There were about 20 of us, and our assignment was to get up out of our chairs and Read more »

This past weekend we had some dear friends over for dinner; a couple that we are very close to, and we even have the honor of being godparents to their youngest son. The four of us had a great time catching up on the latest and telling funny stories, all the while enjoying each other’s company immensely.

After we sat down at the candlelight dinner table, the conversation turned to work. Brad started off by saying to Bill: “Tell me again what you do.” And I could tell that Bill was about to give his spiel including the title on his business card and what, specifically, he did for his company.

But before he could get started, Brad surprised all of us—especially Bill—and said, “No, I don’t mean for you to tell me about your job; I know what you do.” He continued, “Tell me what you’re passionate about; tell me what you love to do.”

Woah. Since when has a “work” conversation focused on what you love? What you’re good at? What you’re passionate about? For many of us in business, we are used to spelling out Read more »

What’s the secret to being happier at work? Career Strategist and fellow blogger, Karl Staib, has a great blog called Work Happy Now with tips, advice, and stories that will help everyone from employees to CEO’s improve their work environment.

I had the pleasure of writing a guest post for Karl and hope you’ll take a moment to check it out: Happiness At Work With the Help Of a Coach. You’ll see how my client, Lisa, began to realize that her unhappiness at work was impacting her #1 priority: The happiness of her family. See how she got clear on priorities, re-shifted her focus, and began to feel happier in her work…and at home. Yay, Lisa!

Wanna be happier in your job?

Need clarity on a career direction?

Ready to make a change?

“Today is not a day for barbecues and parties,” our Congressman bellowed at the podium. “Today is about reflecting on and honoring the service of our Veterans.”

As I looked around the crowd, I figured my Grandpa Jerry (“Papa”) was there smiling down on all of us. He always had such a tough time seeing our country celebrate Memorial Day with a “day off” or getting great deals at mall department stores.

Papa and I occasionally attended Memorial Day services together. During the holiday, he was always pensive, thoughtful, and full of somber reflection. You can’t blame a guy for being serious; he was in the Army and endured some of the worst of World War II in the Battle of Guadalcanal in the Pacific. He earned a Silver Star and a Purple Heart, and it was rare that he’d share stories from his horrific battle days. When asking him a question, he’d usually respond with: “I just can’t talk about it.”

We kids always wanted to hear the story about why he walked with a limp. I do remember Papa recounting how he was wounded by shrapnel, then sent home on a hospital ship in a full body cast. He was told that if anything happened Read more »

Have you seen The Bucket List? I know that everything crosses my path exactly when it’s supposed to. Bill and I had seen the movie a couple years ago, and it magically ‘showed up’ again last night. So with pizza on our TV trays, we headed downstairs to relax on our puffy brown leather couch and let the movie sweep us away and inspire us.

Briefly, the movie follows two terminally ill men (Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman) on their around-the-world adventure with a wish list of things to do before they “kick the bucket.”

If you haven’t seen the movie, see it! And if you have seen it, see it again. It’s a movie that will take you out of the ‘details’ of your life—and whatever drama you may have created—and connect you with what’s most important to you and what matters.

I was incredibly touched by a part in the movie when the two are sitting in wonder, gazing at the Pyramids in Egypt. Morgan Freeman’s character talks about the ancient Egyptians and their belief about death. He goes on to explain the belief by saying that when Egyptian souls got to the entrance to heaven, the gods asked them two questions. Their answers determined whether Read more »

This morning I woke up agitated for no particular reason. It was a beautiful sunny spring morning and the birds were singing. I had a great night’s sleep. It was Saturday. I have an amazing life. What more could I want?! Regardless, something was bugging me. Nothing special came to mind; it was just a rare mood I happened to be in.

So poor Bill woke up with a perma-smile as he usually does. We had our breakfast together in our usual spot, but we were having trouble connecting (of course we were, because I was in a “mood”!). Whatever he would say, I didn’t understand. Whatever I would say, he didn’t get.

Not connecting

We proceeded to go upstairs to get ready for the day ahead. And then I laid it on him: “I don’t like how our morning is going” and “I don’t like the way we’re connecting.”

Now, I did feel a little silly for saying that because we both knew that I was basically the reason for the disconnect between us! The two of us have this crazy relationship where 99% of the time we’re Read more »

Have you ever been to Sedona, Arizona? After my first visit there, I vote that it’s one of the most beautiful places on earth. Bill and I recently returned from a long weekend there with my cousins, our dear friends.

Before the trip, the four of us shared our intentions for vacation with each other. They mostly included exploring and adventuring, hanging together, laughing (which is always a given with us), freedom from schedules, and just “being.”

Sedona is known as one of the world’s spiritual centers—complete with healing retreats, alternative therapies, and metaphysical influences. Even knowing all that, the four of us still unanimously voted that our first stop after we landed in Phoenix would be—not a mud bath or a massage—but lunch at In-N-Out Burger! If you’ve had one of their burgers, you know what I’m talkin’ about! Bill mapped it all out ahead of time and found the perfect spot for our lunch that was between the airport and Sedona. We don’t have the luxury of In-N-Out in Minnesota; it’s all about priorities!

One of the things about Sedona that intrigued us was the four main vortex sites. Their Chamber of Commerce website describes these vortex areas as “enhanced energy locations that Read more »

We recently honored the 20th  anniversary of our little buddy’s transition to heaven. My godson, Tommy, was born with a rare disease of the immune system and died before he reached his 8th birthday.

* * * * * * *

For seven years, there were four of us. And we were “the grandkids.”

Lucky me, I got to be the babysitter for Tommy and his sisters, Kristin and Maren. We’d play house, doctor, school, hide-and-seek, build forts, read books, walk to the local store, watch movies, and just hang out and laugh.

Tommy was a goofball. I remember one time playing school and Tommy was one of the students. As soon as Read more »

Next time you’re out and about, be sure to check out the May 2010 issue of our favorite magazine, Caribbean Travel + Life. An edited version of a previous Following Your Joy blog post is one of the features!

You may remember a blog favorite from last year: Just Another Day On The (Nude) Beach. It’s a great honeymoon story about the adventure with my hubby on a nude beach in St. Martin, almost 16 years ago! The entertaining tale certainly lives on…

It’s fun to see our story featured in a big-time magazine; the one and only publication we’ve been subscribing to for years! It keeps us in touch with what we love: the Caribbean and everything the region represents. Turquoise waters, laid-back vibe, soft white sand, palm trees blowing in the warm breeze, sun on the skin, lush landscape, groovy music, an abundance of time, simplicity, and friendly attitudes. Ahhh…

Are you a fan of the Caribbean? If so, what’s your favorite spot?

I launched my LifeShine^® business almost seven years ago. And what a great ride it has been! As a Professional Coach, I work with women who have the courage to roll up their sleeves and do the work it takes to live a more purposeful and joyful life. I’m honored to introduce you to them!

The cool part of working with my clients these last few years is that I’ve discovered the foundation for living a life of purpose, fulfillment, balance, and well-being. It centers around following the things in life that make you come alive; the things that bring you joy. If you’ve been reading the blog posts here, you understand the utmost importance of following your joy.

My lovely clients

In my coaching, I work with these women to look objectively at what’s working in their life and what’s not. I help them identify where they’re getting stuck and begin the process of releasing old habits and patterns that no longer serve them. We lay out a customized action plan to help move them forward in a way that is aligned with what’s important to them.

LifeShine coaching helps my clients build the skills to go from where they are right now…to Read more »