Crow Hill Conversations

Leadership.

Allison Crow — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 16:11:51 +0000

I had the honor of facilitating a weekend leadership retreat with national reps from the Epilepsy Foundation Youth Leadership group.

I am touched, and educated by these young leaders. Please educate yourself about seizure first aid and find out the truth about epilepsy.

These 18-24 yr olds came up with this leadership poster.

renewal on a saturday morning

Allison Crow — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:00:31 +0000

Back from a vacation. What is it about vacations…that bring on illness for me? Finally, after a few days in bed, I felt well enough to draw and doodle a little… around the theme of RENEWAL.

Fitting, since I had to cancel a coaching call on abundance energy today– no energy and a hacking cough left over from the travel–gave myself the gift of rest and renewal.
Fitting since I just turned 40 and have been contemplating this turn in age…what do I leave behind..and what do I renew with profound power and pleasure.
Fitting since the content for the Spring Renewal Retreat is stirring in my heart.
Fitting since I’ve been playing with mixed media and doodling in my journals and inspired by creations found on Pinterest.

Randomness: I love this travel watercolor kit and self cleaning brush and I must order a few more non bleeding outliners from Guido at Neuland….wonder if they have a SUPER FINE version.

Here is the doodle I came up with today….

the month of LOVE

Allison Crow — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:27:55 +0000

Ahhh…February. The month of Love. I have always had an affection for this month…after all, I am a February baby. As we will no doubt, be surrounded with messages of Valentine’s, chocolate candy and obnoxious jewelry commercials, this month, I’d like to call your attention to your own inner voice.

Is she critical and harsh? Is she always comparing and hating on you? Ask the inner critic, and her posse fear and shame, to vacate for a while…and allow the inner voice of love to speak most this month. Tuning in to the loving voice can be truly transformational. It connects us with our higher spirit…and with our true nature. Hearing her voice…allows us to disconnect from the voice of shame and unworthiness (voices who hold us back and quench our spirit)….

So for FEBRUARY …and hopefully beyond…I encourage and gently nudge you to ALLOW LOVE to SPEAK.

If you have trouble tuning in…here are a few of the things she has been overheard saying before:

I love you, and I’m here for you.

It will be ok.

I trust you.

It feels good to be with you.

You are worthy exactly as you are.

You are so kind and caring.

Wow, look at the contribution you make to this world.

I believe in you.

You are enough.

Life supports you.

You matter to me…even the tiniest detail.

You are stonger than you know.

You’ve GOT this!

I feel you.

You were born to shine.

I love you, and I’m here for you… <3

draw out your vision

Allison Crow — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:29:26 +0000

…Loved this video of Patti Dobrowolski- a fellow visual facilitator who also specializes in neuroscience and thinking. What are you dreaming about? Watch to see the value and how to draw out and color your own dreams in to reality!

HOW TO EFFECTIVELY SELECT A VISUAL PRACTITIONER

Allison Crow — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:46:05 +0000

…by my mentor Christina Merkley.

I received my Graphic Recording training with Christina… and recently, my Visual Coach certification. She is renowned in both the Graphic Recording/Facilitation world, as in Transformational Coaching.

This post is printed with permission!

If the rise in my web traffic and email inquiries over the years is any indication (and I think it is) then appreciation and interest in “Interactive-Visuals” is exponentially rising.

As a senior Visual Practitioner (my love affair with the visual way of working began in grad school in San Francisco in the mid 90s) … I get all sorts of emails and phone calls from potential clients wanting to book me and/or ask me to recommend quality referrals in their area. As such, I think an article on how to effectively select the right Visual Practitioner is in order (and it’ll act as a handy resource to make my client responses easier too!).

WHAT’S IN A NAME:
Susan Kelly, a colleague of mine from back in the day, did a wonderful chart that I use in my Fundamentals of Interactive-Visuals workshop called “What’s in a Name”. In it she lists the many, many different terms that Visual Practitioners use to describe their work … varying from Graphic Recorder, Visual Scribe, Graphic Facilitator, Visual Facilitator, Visual Synthesis, Corporate Graffiti Artist, Mindmapper, Meeting Doodler and the like! While this diversity is fun and entertaining … it does make it a little challenging for people new to the field (especially new potential clients) to weed through the confusion to find the right professional practitioner to meet their needs.

KNOW YOUR TERMS:

Which Kind of Visual Practitioner
Do You Really Need?
The first thing I do when I receive a new inquiry is to clarify terms. What kind of Visual Practitioner does this client truly need? If they are an individual seeking coaching assistance in a visual way, then they need a Visual Coach. If they are with a group or an organization, then the questioning becomes a little deeper. Do they need a scribe who subtly and quietly takes summary notes off to the side (called a Graphic Recorder or Visual Scribe)? Or do they need a facilitation professional called a Graphic or Visual Facilitator who not only designs an appropriate intervention (based on their process expertise) but also leads it in a visual way (either doing the visuals themselves or working in tandem with their visual team). These are two very different roles … with different skill sets, backgrounds and education.

For a more thorough examination of terms and roles, please see previous article: The Four Ways to Work Visually.

FINDING QUALIFIED PRACTITIONERS:
My Preferred Partners Network and Visual Coach Directory:

I myself no longer book out on Graphic Recording or Scribing gigs these days as I’m a lead Graphic Facilitator who creates and facilitates strategic planning forums (in addition to the training, mentoring and coaching I do). However, we do have a global Preferred Partners Network of seasoned colleagues and mentees. So, if I’m not available or the right fit, we provide inquiring clients with names of professionals I recommend depending on the specifics of the engagement.

If it’s a Visual Coach that is needed, I direct clients to my services and my Directory of Visual Coaches. If it’s a Visual Recorder or Visual Facilitator that is needed, I give the names of three professionals in their general region that I feel would be a fit. (FYI, if you are a Visual Practitioner interested in being on my referral list, contact us at admin@shift-it-coach.com to discuss qualifications and terms).

IFVP Directory:
Other great resources for finding Visual Practitioners (although you’ll have to sort out the Illustrators & Scribes from the true Visual Facilitators) are a couple of geographical directories. The first is the directory for The International Forum of Visual Practitioners (IFVP). Their newly refreshed site is http://ifvpcommunity.ning.com (although it seems to be missing the handy geographical directory that it used to have).

Neulands Network Area:
The second listing of Visual Practitioners is over on the Neuland company’s site. Neuland creates beautiful training and facilitation resources and is increasingly supportive of the Visual Practitioner community. They have a recently launched a “Network” tab to their site, which is beginning to list trainers, facilitators and scribes: http://www.neuland-world.com/US/dialog/index.htm

The Grove Consultants International:
A third place to find Visual Practitioners is via my old stomping grounds, The Grove Consultants International in San Francisco, headed by my earliest visual mentor, David Sibbet. I worked for Grove in late 90s and highly recommend their products and courses (especially The Strategic Visioning Process). See list of associates, partners and consulting colleagues: http://www.grove.com/site/abt_netwrk.html

Peter Durand’s Blog:
Finally, colleague Peter Durand (in addition to his WONDERFUL blog) has an eclectic collection of practitioners listed at: http://graphicfacilitation.blogs.com/pages

WHAT TO LOOK FOR:
The volume of folks hanging up a Visual Practitioner shingle has multiplied several times over the last few years as appreciation, interest and respect for the work is going through the roof (even though the work has existed for going on 40 years now!). With all the new entrants, if you are a client its important to test out a few things to make an informed choice. Here are the things I suggest you ask about:

What is the professional’s defined role (scribe, facilitator, coach, etc)?

Level and length of experience?

Training and educational background?

Experience with your type of company or content area?

Do they LIKE/ENJOY that type of work?

Portfolio and examples of work ? (styles do vary)

Availability and willingness to travel and requirements?

Availability for exploratory and design calls?

Contracting details (agreements in writing in professional manner)

Back up in case of emergency?

Cancellation or rescheduling policies?

Ability to expand team if necessary (add more scribes, bring in illustrators for custom charts or videos)?

HAVE FUN!
Working visually can be VERY rewarding if you have the right professional for the job — and are using the medium intelligently. While awareness about Interactive-Visuals is growing, it’s still a niche field. As such, you have the opportunity to be a pioneer in bringing this effective methodology into your own company, organization or environment and being on the leading edge of doing GREAT meetings and events. May the marker be with you!!!

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Author’s Bio: Christina Merkley, “The SHIFT-IT Coach” and creator of the SHIFT-IT System®, is a Visioning and Strategic Planning Expert specializing in Visual Thinking and Law of Attraction techniques. Based in charming Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, she works deeply with individuals, partners and conscious businesses to define and manifest what they truly want. And, trains other helping professionals in her innovative ways of working. For more information visit: www.shift-it-coach.com and www.visualcoaches.com

Something to look forward to

Allison Crow — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:07:12 +0000

Something to love, something to do, and something to look forward to. Maybe Elvis said it first, and one of my early mentors told me that while I was in high school. Something or someone to love was easy for me to remember. And the DOING of life, well not that easy to escape. This final one….something to look forward to– seemed to take more planning and effort.

My mentor had told me that in giving me a stash of cash to pay for an after graduation trip. I just had to book the tickets NOW with the cash…. a gesture of bringing the action to the desire. Since then, I’ve made a habit of planning and BOOKING my “something-to-look-forward-tos” early.

Sometimes these were vacations, sometimes they were classes, even planning massage a month out… and my 40th birthday…. well I planned and booked that 6 months in advance. In a week, I will be on a plane to a deserted beach with 12 other friends…. 5 days in the white sand… a long time in the planning and paying for stage and NOW this event I’ve been looking forward to for months, is now almost upon me. I’m so thankful to myself, for making it happen 6 months ago…No excuse, no pushing the desire aside….I made it happen a long time ago…and now IT IS!

You can do the same thing….and YOU DESERVE IT. What do you have to look forward to? I’m not talking the natural life event things…. I’m talking…what have you desired, created, and booked in advance…giving you not only the gift of the actual THING/EVENT….but also the anticipation and KNOWING along the way…that it is coming.

It is in this spirit…something to look forward to…. that I’ve created a special event for coaches and other helping professionals (yes– pretty much anyone that supports other people most of the time). I’ve been looking forward to this retreat for a year. As helping professionals, we often push and push and can be prone to self-neglect and getting out of balance. We spend time helping our clients, learning our craft, working on the business and in the business– and like any thriving organism– we’ve got to have renewal. This professional retreat is designed just for that renewal and I’d like to invite you.

The retreat is in April….yes…it feels like a long way away. Like a fresh, spring breeze…the place and time of year have been specifically chosen to recharge, rejuvenate, restore, refresh, re-spirit, and renew you professionally and personally from the inside out. The time to choose this for yourself in NOW. Give yourself the gift, not only of the much needed renewal…but also the gift of SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO.

Click here for more details and information….and if it feels or looks appealing…book now. Often we wait until the last minute… and then opportunity gets away from us. There are only 14 spots left…. and in the coming month, those will fill up quickly. Choose now, for you, to join us! A gift for you, for your business, for your spirit– from you.

Thirteen tips for building your coaching practice

Allison Crow — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:34:51 +0000

As promised here is a list of the Outer work tips to grow your coaching program.

Grow your list organically- no spamming!
Make sure your marketing is in language you would actually have come out of your mouth! Be authentic.
Narrow your niche and your offerings. What is the ONE thing you do really well?
Have an inviting and informative web page.
Update your website or blog with new content at least 3 times a week.
Be PROACTIVE in person! Host a class, workshop, or event at least once a month.
Be PROACTIVE online! Host a class, workshop, or event at least once a month.
When you are talking with a possible clients and you know you want to work with them– ASK! Not everyone will come out and ask to work with you directly.
Get support! hire a virtual assistant for a few hours a week, an intern. e-lance out projects that aren’t your primary talent (coaching is your primary talent)! Basically, don’t try to do everything yourself.
Take a coaching course – you might find your ideal client sitting next to you in class.
Work with a coach to identify, clarify and establish your vision, goals, and plan.
Don’t be a secret coach. Let people know what you do…but BE the coach…not so much a broadcaster or walking billboard.
Use site like twitter, facebook, slideshare, and Linkedin to build community, and participate in meaningful conversations.

Listen to your inner whisper

Allison Crow — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:57:07 +0000

Lots of coaching lately, helping clients tune in to their inner wise whisper. We all hear the voices of the world, the voices of the inner-itty-bitty-shitty-criticizing-committee…we hear our mothers and our fathers and our teachers..we hear all the ‘shoulds’…and over time…we tune out our intuition, the voice of love inside us that is connected to the Divine.

Take a breath…feel your being…and tune back in to your inner whisper….

is crazy good?

Allison Crow — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 18:53:20 +0000

I think so too.

Renewal Retreat for Coaches this Spring in Austin, TX

Allison Crow — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 19:18:47 +0000

**Coaches* Renewal Retreat with Allison Crow**

Spring 2012 April 22-25
Travaasa, Austin, TX

Do you spend your time and business taking care of and coaching others? Have you pushed and pushed and planned and worked and coached all year long. Have you teetered somewhat out of balance making everything happen? Are you ready to honor yourself, and your business with just a few days of personal and professional renewal? This exclusive, luxury renewal retreat is just for coaches—it is just for you. *There are many informal coaches out there….other people who support their clientele not just with their services, but also with their energy and spirit. You are welcome at this renewal retreat as well.

Recharge Rejuvenate Restore

In appreciation of you, your business, and your hard work, these few sacred days have been set aside for you.

During our time together you will:

Reflect on and honor your path over the last year in appreciation of YOU and your work and the journey of your practice and business.
Re-connect with and re-commit to your 2012 vision in a creative and soul-full way.
Release resistance and overcome barriers that could be holding you from your complete potential in 2012.
Relax and enjoy the beauty of the hill country, a stunning and peaceful retreat location, and luxury accommodations.
Recharge your being to carry out 2012 well in body – mind – spirit – and business.
Have the opportunity to indulge in spa treatments, naps, hikes, or chill during a “free time” each day.
5 content packed group sessions focused on personal and professional renewal.
Connect and mastermind with other powerful coaches from around the world- each bringing their own unique spirit and story to the conversation.
Be free to be YOU!

Our retreat schedule will allow for a nice balance of free time, group time and optional renewal activities.

More details will be posted in the coming months. To be included in an early bird invitation that includes discount pricing enter your information below.

Early Bird for Spring Coaches Retreat

I would love to be on the PRIVATE early bird invitation to this retreat that will entitle me to a discounted package rate!

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