Coaching grew out of a desire to move beyond the sales training I was doing in the mid 1990’s.
I needed something that could leverage the skills and strategies I was teaching with a strong personal development model that would break through many of the barriers to success with which my clients were dealing. My first coaching client hired me in 1996, and I have been coaching ever since.
Training
The coach training I have received has come from three main sources:
CoachU
CoachU was one of the first training companies that focused exclusively on the skills needed for life and business coaching. I graduated from their program in 2002.
CoachVille/Graduate School of Coaching (GSC)
Coachville is the invention of Thomas Leonard, the “father” of modern coaching. Thomas wanted to create a body of ongoing training that would continue to develop experienced coaches as well as start out aspiring ones. I was one of the first 1000 members of the GSC when it was launched and regularly return to them to upgrade my coaching skills.
Myriad Coaching Clients
The real training field for a coach is ON the field with real players. Since 1996 I have worked with countless people as their coach. Each one has made me a little better for the next client. (And yes, you will help make me better for the next player.)
Pre-Coaching Experience
I entered the direct sales world in 1982, starting out in B2B financial services. For most of the 80’s and early 90’s I was one of the top producers nationwide. I was national champion in 1984 and afterwards continued to sell as well as manage a sales team in the DFW area.
In 1994 I joined a national sales training company where I both trained and sold training, with a particular emphasis on the “non-selling” professional, i.e., people who either were defaulting into the sales role as the owner or senior leadership of their company or who were at their core “techies” but whose job had a strong sales requirement. I left in 1996 to start my own company, focusing more on the coaching side while still developing the sales training aspect.
In addition to my coaching, sales, and training business, I lead a team for a large international direct sales company specializing in relationship marketing products.
Other Pertinent Training Received
I have a Bachelor Degree in Music and Dance Performance from UT El Paso.
While in University I was involved as a participant and co-leader in the I-Group program, which was a form of encounter group to increase self-awareness and social sensitivity and to change behavior through interpersonal confrontation, self-disclosure, and strong emotional expression. I also learned and taught meditation practices.
I have been trained in and have had certifications in DISC Behavior Styles, Personal Interests Attitudes and Values (PIAV), and TriMetrix® Index.
I received NLP training through my sales training company in the mid-90’s,
