Discovering Purpose: My Evolution from Retail manager to Certified Life Coach
In 2015, I was nine years into my career at Target. Whenever I mentioned where I worked, people would respond with, "Oh, Tar-jay?!" It was exciting.
"I love shopping there! It must be amazing to work there!" Their enthusiasm would rub off on me.
Sometimes.
But mostly, it was a lot of hours, really high expectations, and lots of flavors of the week. Most of our priorities depended on the economy or the time of year. In short, it was a lot of pressure, but it was the norm for retail. However, it paid well, making it easy for me to buy things, go on vacations, and receive congratulations when asked about my career.
It provided enough comfort to tolerate, but also enough discomfort to brush under the rug.
At that point in my journey, I started to have a feeling that this career wouldn't be where I'd retire from. I knew I would be miserable. I was 31, and the thought of doing this for another two to three decades was too much to bear. Imagining feeling stuck and brushing the discomfort under the rug for that long felt overwhelming.
Then came the next thought – what would I do? I had very little clarity. I knew I wanted to help people, have time freedom, and maintain a certain level of comfort in my lifestyle. But could a job really provide all three?
I spent some time just getting curious. I often get asked how long it took – about three months of radical permission to just imagine, with zero pressure to decide. Truthfully, it might have taken much longer if I had any pressure on it.
And then it hit me. One random day in August, I was listening to a life coach speak at an event, and I realized he had all the pieces I was looking for. Becoming a life coach seemed like the answer.
Once I made the choice to become a life coach, I knew certification was the route I would take. Not everyone who calls themselves a life coach is certified, as it's not a regulated industry. Due to the nature of coaching conversations, I wanted to ensure I followed ethics.
I started my search with the International Coaching Federation and looked for programs that aligned with their standards.
That's when I found IPEC.
IPEC provided me with the tools I knew I needed to help others who were feeling stuck. They taught me how to deepen my listening skills, keep the client as the primary focus, and ensure that my personal experiences wouldn't influence sessions with my clients. They emphasized that life coaches don't give advice; it's all about helping clients get to the root of what's holding them back, especially if they're feeling stuck. Their proprietary technique is called Core Energy coaching, which goes beyond just the story to explore the emotions driving the story.
The program lasted about nine months and equipped me with many valuable tools for those who were feeling stuck. The training was a beautiful blend of in-person and virtual sessions, allowing me to complete a module in New York and the final two modules in New Jersey.
Not only did I learn a lot about coaching and how to hold space ethically for those who were feeling stuck, but I also learned a lot about myself through IPEC. They ensure that all the tools coaches will bring to their clients are first used on themselves.
This journey began in 2015 through 2016, and looking back, I can see what a firm foundation it set for both my coaching practice and my life. I remember telling a friend that even if I didn't coach anyone after the program, it would still have been worth every penny.
But here I am, eight years later, with four years of a full-time coaching practice under my belt, helping others who are feeling stuck.
If you're curious about how coaching can support you or if you're exploring becoming a coach yourself, set up an exploratory session with me here. IPEC's comprehensive training helped me immensely, and I'm here to guide you if you're feeling stuck.
With joy,