Meet Coach Clare Lee

Clare Lee

Age: 66

Tell us about your background.

I live in York, England, UK. I have a BSc in Biology from Bristol University, a Postgraduate Certificate in Education and a Masters in Education from York University. I am a Certified Professional Coactive Coach (2006) with the Coaches Training Institute and a graduate of CTI’s Leadership program. I’ve been a biology teacher, a personal assistant to a corporate executive and have worked in national government organizations. I launched my own small company in 2010, and among other work have provided leadership and team working and coaching to over 800 doctors in the UK.

I love travel, visits with family and friends, cooking, reading, and Pilates. I sing with a wonderful women’s harmony group called ‘Track 29’ based in York UK. I’m interested in art and fabric, including lace-making and collecting lace bobbins.

People are amazing, and however tough
the challenges are that face us at different times of life, it is clear that we can each find what suits us and come through changes and challenges in ways that are positive and contribute to the world brilliantly.

Are or have you been married, and what’s your view on marriage?

I am very fortunate in being happily married for 39 years. We were both school teachers for many years so even though miscarriage meant that we didn’t become parents ourselves we each have good understanding of the joys and challenges involved in parenting, and love to be a ‘great’ aunt and uncle to our delightful nieces, nephews and their wonderful children.

In my extended family and friendships and from coaching over the years, many people I care about have been through relationship and partnership break-up, are single parents, or have lost a child or partner, and then have found satisfying new paths through new partnerships, remarriage, adoption, or choosing to remain single.

People are amazing, and however tough the challenges are that face us at different times of life, it is clear that we can each find what suits us and come through changes and challenges in ways that are positive and contribute to the world brilliantly. I love to coach people at times of transition and change as they explore possibilities for themselves and make newly enlightened choices to achieve what’s next for them, what will support them in thriving!

What brought you to coaching?

While consulting for one national government organization, I had the opportunity to be coached for three months. The coaching helped me make some difficult life choices I faced at that time.

The experiential and action learning resonated with me because I already knew how effective those approaches could be for young people’s and adult learning, so the first chance I got I enrolled with CTI, gained my professional coach qualification and later on completed CTI’s wonderful leadership program. In 2008 I also became a team development coach with Team Coaching International.

What is your mission as a coach?

My business and coaching mission is to invite one million people to engage in delightfully creative conversations in the clear direction of THRIVING!

We need well being! I want all of us to learn more about how we can ‘revive’, by which I mean ‘come alive – wake up, bring light’ and how we can ‘thrive’ in our lives – and to practice what we learn. There is a grand aspect of that, too, in that if each of us can make and celebrate some progress, however small, as individuals and in our relationship with each other and the environment, then that has a positive impact worldwide and for all life. Wow!

Are there any particular life experiences that inform your coaching?

Yes, a recent example is how our father, now 100, looked after our mother, who had Alzheimer’s, until he was 97. My two married brothers and I helped support them. This time of illness and bereavement, as well as competing demands of life and work, was a period of immense learning.

Coaching helps us develop positive ways to move forward, so I look at the example I give here and I remember my father talking about his ‘stalwart’ children. Dad was always resilient and I practiced being resilient through this experience of emotional upheaval. I gained new wisdom from it that I wanted to share, so I developed my new ‘Revive and Thrive’ program.

Who are some famous women you most admire?

Hilary Clinton, who could become President of the United States in her sixties; Tina Turner for how she turned her life around and just goes for it on stage with such aliveness, sensuality and immense energy and Wendy Cope, the poet, for her ironic sense of humour and unusual poetry.

How do women most sabotage themselves?

We sabotage ourselves by limiting our thinking and beliefs—which may not always be entirely conscious—and preventing ourselves from either seeing possibilities or making changes. Coaching helps us shed habits that don’t serve us. It helps us move on and to feel good about ourselves as we make changes and create new contributions.

What kind of client do you most enjoy working with?

Anyone who is experiencing transition or change in her life, is facing major change or challenge, or who is overwhelmed. I unravel tangled threads. I enjoy supporting my clients as they choose and weave what’s next. This could include helping a working woman decide whether to go back to work after having a child; a woman who feels sad or lost because her children are about to leave home or she’s about to retire, or a woman coping with elderly parent care. I love women who want to dare something different.

Where and how often do you meet with your clients?

Most of my coaching is by phone or Skype. The first introductory meeting, a ‘discovery session’, is designed to explore and answer questions and to find out more about the person, what she requires and what pattern and frequency of coaching will best work.

Tell us about your workshops and presentation.

My new 8-week “Revive and Thrive” course will be offered online starting January 2014. We all know we can learn great things, yet we don’t always know how to put what we learned into practice in our own lives. “Revive and Thrive” is a chance to alter that!

What is the most important thing a new client should know about you as her coach?

I want you to gain the benefits of coaching in a gently enjoyable way. Great coaching can take us where we want to be faster, as well as help us practice and sustain what we’ve learned. It’s all about growth. The coaching relationship is vitally important so I provide free introductory 30-60 minute conversations by phone or Skype so that you can make a no-obligation choice.

Clare currently provides 30 minute free no obligation online consultations.
Please email clare@reviveandthriveuk.com to set a mutually convenient date and time,
checking the international time differences in advance.

Meet Coach Rosanne Leslie

Rosanne Leslie

Age: 52

Are you married?

I’ve been divorced for 12 years. I was married for 13 years and have three children. My marriage taught me what love is and, most importantly, what love is not. Raising my three children alone showed me how our society views single women and mothers and gave me the freedom to stand autonomously outside of that paradigm. Recognizing the dysfunctional dynamics of my marriage I was able to (slowly) extricate myself from it.

What did your parents do?

My father was an engineer for an international company and my mother was a stay-at-home mom.

Why did you become a coach?

I became a life-coach as a result of coaching myself through several years of single parenting. I discovered some of the perennial answers to questions I believe we all have when faced with life challenges and changes. Who Am I? What is love? Why am I here? What is my purpose? How can I be happy?

Happiness is found at our core and so long as we have hope and dreams we can find joy in any day.

What kind of Fab over Fifty women can most benefit from your coaching?

Any woman can benefit from coaching if she is ready to make a change and is earnest. However, the woman who will most benefit from my style of coaching is one who would like to redefine herself and still believes that she has dreams left in her and that she possesses the power to make them come true. I work a great deal with women who have teen-aged children and parenting challenges. One of my greatest strengths is guiding women through the process of divorce, especially those involving domestic violence issues. These women have special needs and because I lived this kind of marriage, I understand them. My empathy and compassion runs very deep for them.

What is your mission?

My mission is manifold. We all suffer and complain too much. There is a certain camaraderie and “acceptance” in the conversations between women in their complaining and suffering and I would like to show them that they can be happy now, in this very moment. Happiness is not contingent upon anyone’s external world or life circumstances. Happiness is found at our core and so long as we have hope and dreams we can find joy in any day. My mission is to guide individuals to autonomy in a society that does not readily embrace that. My greatest mission is to show women how to love and be loved and to celebrate their femininity as a gift and not a weapon against men or themselves.

Tell us about your typical client.

I don’t have a typical client. Everyone is different and comes to me when they are either excited about changing their lives and careers or they are devastated and traumatized and don’t know where or how to begin their day.

What is the greatest piece of advice you can give women?

To recognize that they are alive and what alive really means. The pulse of our society and the world is extremely fast and prevents many from understanding and feeling that they are “here” and that being “here” is precious and a gift.

What woman do you admire most?

I don’t have a particular woman I admire. Perhaps it is she, the silent and nameless one, unrecognizable in the crowd and the world, that I admire most. She is not famous or rich by society’s standard, but she knows how to give and love selflessly. She silently struggles every day to get by and has boundless compassion, integrity and humility. I think she is in every woman. She is my hero and I look for her, every day.

What is your favorite quote?

“Imagination is more important than knowledge.”–Albert Einstein.

Meet Coach Mike Halsey

Mike Halsey

Age: 46

Tell us about your background

I’m 46 and live in New York City. I have a B.A. in Economics from UCLA, was in the U.S. Navy for 10 years, and have been a pilot for a major US airline for 14 years. I love travel, visits with family and friends, surfing, reading, guitar, and live music.

Are or have you been married, and what’s your view on marriage?

I was married for over 18 years to an extraordinary woman. I did and always will love her from the core of my soul. It was the most harrowing challenge of my life to finally accept that our best selves simply were not well-suited to flourishing together as husband and wife. Divorce tore me to pieces emotionally, and then allowed me to put myself back together in a much more authentic and full form.

I believe committed partnership can be a uniquely life-enriching gift, or a crutch for our saddest insecurities, depending on how we design and live into it each moment. Marriage is one possible structure in that design. I feel we should champion devoted love in all forms, but never burden couples with an expectation that marriage is some kind of cure-all, end game or societal “stamp of approval” in and of itself.

What brought you to coaching?

The end of my marriage shook up many stuck habits and latent dreams, and also a ton of pain and fear. Sitting on the couch one gorgeous spring day in my cool new Georgetown bachelor pad, I was shocked to suddenly realize I had no absolutely no idea what mattered to me! I knew that I loved my family and friends dearly, but that was about all I was clear on. What was my purpose? My contribution to the world? Did it matter at all what I did, or even what I thought? My lack of answers scared the heck out of me.

Airline flying was what I did, but had never been who I was. People, relationships and creative possibility captivated my imagination. In spite of the “doing” stuff I had filled my life with, my heart always ached for richer experience, more meaningful happiness, and deeper understanding of why we’re all here. My brain recognized this calling–fulfillment–as the ultimate end goal of everything we humans do, but I had only the foggiest dreams of what it could look like in my real life.

As I know now, a foggy dream is a good enough place to start.

I was told I needed to write, I needed to speak before groups–those were my clearest gifts. Lovingly worn and notated books on psychology, spirit and self-development filled my home, fueling my dreams while silently chiding my stagnation. But it wasn’t until I worked with a skilled and perceptive career coach that these inklings crystallized into a clear vision and a concrete conduit for my gifts and values. I soon found myself enrolled in over a year of intensive coach training and certification. Since then, Mike Halsey Coaching has grown into the centerpiece of my inward and outward life purpose.

I best serve those who feel a deep sense of some important calling–even if they can’t yet name it–and who hunger to answer it.

What is your mission as a coach?

My mission is helping people to live the really cool lives of their dreams. I believe this is important in the grandest sense imaginable.

I believe happiness is more than a selfish indulgence with transient rewards. To the contrary, it seems that if we have any purpose at all in this universe, it is naturally steered and motivated by the spark which shapes our deepest wants and curiosities. In my estimation, the clearest sign that we are “doing what we are supposed to” is when life feels thrilling, juicy and deeply satisfying. Why else would Nature wire us this way?

The path to fulfillment looks different to each of us, of course, but its rewards are shared by all. Joyful and purposeful living is contagious, and I would like to see it become epidemic. My commitment–what thrills and motivates me–is to help others access the vision and energy already inside them, to blow past or straight through useless fears, and then transform life into an experience even greater than they could have imagined.

Are there any particular life experiences which inform your coaching?

My childhood spent “in the middle” between two wonderful sisters, divorced parents and step parents, gave me an appreciation of how good people can vary so widely in their perspectives and struggles. This shakes up any tendency (in myself or with my clients) to buy into any reflexive judgement or rigid world view, thus opening up a playground of possibility in which to experiment.

Flying Navy jets from aircraft carriers and then instructing the next generation of tactical aviators taught me a ton about shattering self-limiting beliefs, and what amazing stuff lies on the other side of fear. The incredible sailors and Marines I led and followed opened my eyes to the unique capacities we each have, and how a spark of motivation can be nurtured into miracles of performance. I’ve learned this to be true of individuals and teams of any size or complexity.

My richest lessons of all, though, have come from a goldmine of personal and family relationships which continuously point me toward life’s highest meaning.

What famous women do you most admire?

Rock stars come to mind: Janis Joplin, Joan Jett, Madonna, Lady Gaga. These ladies hung their inspiration, sexuality and wild creativity way out there, with no guarantee at all of approval or acceptance, and virtual certainty that many would judge and chastise them. Fearless, genuine and vividly alive!

How do women most sabotage themselves?

My gut answer is easy: Women sabotage their greatness by looking outside themselves for the rules of how to be, for validation, and for love. Strong, brilliant women commonly waste valuable energy looking to society, romantic partners, mothers–anyone but themselves–to let them know they are getting it right, that they are simply OK.

As a coach, the most important thing I can do is help my clients move away from such pointless habits as wholly and rapidly as possible. They resist, of course. (There is a certain comfort in hiding from choice, right?) Fortunately, the thrill of finding and following one’s own internal compass is irresistible once tasted, so my prodding role usually morph’s quickly into one of smiling support and applause.

What kind of client do you most enjoy working with?

I best serve those who feel a deep sense of some important calling–even if they can’t yet name it–and who hunger to answer it. Whether in career, relationships or self/spiritual development, this usually appears as a nagging little voice which whispers (or screams) something like, “There is untapped richness here. Life could be so much better. Make it happen!” Eagerness to explore non-linear solutions and powerful, creative shifts in perspective is a major plus, too.

While I’ve chosen not to limit my practice to a specific topical or demographic niche, the vast majority of my clients are women who are either contemplating or in the middle of major life transitions. They are often torn between a knowing heart thrilled by life’s potential, and a mix of fear, guilt and obligations to others.

I simply love helping these wonderful ladies to transform what may have seemed like selfish, unrealistic or downright crazy dreams into wholesome and utterly fulfilling new realities.

Where and how often do you meet with your clients?

Almost all of my coaching is done via phone or Skype with great clients around the world, but I am also available for in-person sessions in New York City. We generally meet for three 40-50 minute sessions per month, or two longer sessions of 60-75 minutes each, depending upon your situation and preferences.

Tell us about your workshops and presentations.

This is a great new adventure for me, a natural extension of both my personal journey and professional mission. Unlike individual coaching, which requires that I constantly clean my slate of personal opinions, priorities or expectations, keynotes and workshops allow me to create fun and valuable learning from all that this rich life has provided — bloopers, heartaches and “greatest hits” included.

Whether in a high-impact talk of 15 to 60 minutes or an interactive workshop of a few hours or days, my goal in group work is to jumpstart big, positive and lasting change. I tailor my message to the unique makeup and priorities of each new audience, leveraging the most powerful themes which have shown up time and time again in my own life and through my clients’ shared journeys.

I’m not big on scripts, lectures or one-way preaching; but I do have great fun smashing false mental barriers. So if you invite me to work with your group, expect to be shaken (with a smile, promise), awakened, and challenged to play well outside of any comfy confines or boxed paradigms.

What is the most important thing a new client should know about you as their coach?

That I love them. Seriously. We may never meet in person, but when you invite me to partner with you in the most important venture of all–your life–I consider it a great honor and responsibility. You enter the fabric of my thoughts 24/7. During and between sessions, I challenge myself to abandon comfort zones and constantly reevaluate what is possible in the service of your.

Since I may often hold you in higher regard than you do yourself, I will ask you to try ideas and actions you might never ask of yourself. When you stumble, I will champion your courage and effort. When you succeed, we will celebrate. I will support your vision of what your best life, and I will never judge.

It thrills me to witness a life transformed, and I’m well aware that such a shift sends positive ripples far out into the world we all share.

Meet Coach Amy Cohen

Amy Cohen

Age: 54

Are you married?

Yes, my parents rented the downstairs apartment to the man who is now my husband. Funny enough, after lots of breaking up and getting back together, I practically forced him to move out so he wouldn’t be privy to my dating life, lol. Well, we ended up together and have been married for 24 years!

What does your husband do?

He is an entrepreneur as well and we have recently joined forces.

Kids?

Our daughter is 22 and our son is 17.

Where did you grow up and what did your parents do?

I grew up in Brooklyn, NY. My mother worked in a bank, but really had an entrepreneurial spirit and helped my father, who created costume jewelry in his own business.

What did you do before becoming a Practitioner for Emotional Health, Naturally?

I call this my second half of life! My first half was in corporate America as an office manager for a law firm in NYC and in credit management.

What made you choose your current field?

A number of years ago, my life was in turmoil. I was making medical decisions for my sick father, my marriage was failing, I needed to move and get my kids out of the schools they were attending. Usually a strong woman, I was falling apart, mentally and physically!

One evening, on my way back from the hospital to my father’s apartment, I suddenly couldn’t think or concentrate. That night, I could barely function or sleep. When I asked my doctor to prescribe something to help me to get through this period, she suggested that I take a flower remedy blend she would custom create for me. I had never heard of this before and it sounded odd. I wasn’t interested, but the doctor assured me that it would help me move back into balance emotionally, so I could handle all I was going through, make decisions with clarity and get back control. The blend was natural, powerful and would work quickly, she said. Honestly, natural was the last thing on my mind, but I took her recommendation.

Believe it or not, I had come back to life within two days, and was able to take the ‘bull by the horns.’ Was it really the flower remedy blend the doctor gave me? I wanted to learn more! After doing a great deal of research and experimentation with remedies for family and friends, I became a believer.

My path is to let women know that they don’t have to live in anxiety, but can move forward in their lives.

There is nothing, except negative thinking, that can get in our way.

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