Category: Career Enrichment

Transition Tales – Erin Payton

Career Discovery

10/29/18

Nicole Wood

Erin had a career in Hollywood for many years, and in 2011 she decided to leave it behind to pursue something new. She wasn’t really sure what she wanted to do, but she moved to Chicago in 2012 and started working for a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) who needed help marketing his business. Even though she hadn’t had any prior experience in marketing, Erin helped him successfully grow his business using various marketing strategies that she intuitively implemented. She continued on with her career following the role with the CFP and became an administrative assistant at a law firm. It was a well-paying job, but she had enjoyed the marketing work she had done and could see herself making that her long-term career path. She wanted to learn more about the field of marketing from an academic perspective. Erin was intrigued by Northwestern University’s Master’s in Integrated Marketing Communications and decided to apply. She got in! She was on her way to an exciting new career path, but she had to navigate some tricky situations back at work. ALV: Was there anyone at your organization you spoke to before deciding to go back to school? Erin: “I kept it a secret from my bosses for the first six months I was in grad school (I attended class at night twice a week), because I didn’t want them to think it was affecting my job performance. Also, once they found out that I was in school, they would be made aware that staying at that company in my role was not in my long term plans.” ALV: What were the most important things you were looking for in a new company? Erin: “I wanted to work for a company that made a real commitment to its employees to invest in them and help them grow. My current company has won various awards for being one of the world’s most ethical companies, one of the best companies for LGBT equality and one of the top companies for working mothers. These values were very much in alignment with my own.” *** Erin was in the throes of the job search process for months, having gone on about 12 different interviews. She wanted to be sure she found the position that was going to be the right fit and a great strategic step in her career. During this time, Erin turned to ALV for support with her career transition, and she worked with Coach Teague Simoncic through the “Get That Job” program. ALV: What made you decide to work with ALV to help you achieve your career transition goals? Erin: “I was frustrated that I had been going on interviews, but not receiving any offers. I felt I was doing all the necessary things to get another job, but nothing was clicking.” ALV: What were some of the benefits of working with your ALV coach? Erin: “Between working with Teague and going through the modules, the “Get That Job” program really helped me think through the job search process in a way that I wasn’t necessarily able to do on my own. I enjoyed the assistance on my resume and the tools to jazz up my LinkedIn profile (funnily enough, I discovered my current role via a LinkedIn job posting!), as well as the weekly check-ins with Teague.” *** The hardest part of Erin’s career transition was getting prospective employers to see that while she didn’t have very much experience in marketing, her education had properly prepared her to transition into a marketing role. She found that it was important to tell her story effectively about the reason why she wanted to transition her careers and to be patient. Erin knew that she really wanted a career in marketing and she believed that persistence would eventually get her to where she wanted to be. Erin has successfully transitioned her career from an administrative assistant to a Senior Associate of Integrated Marketing Communications at a large commercial real estate firm. She applied for her current role after seeing a job posting for it on LinkedIn. It took around 6 months from when Erin started the job search process until she received her offer. ALV: Do you have any advice for other people looking to transition their careers? Erin: “I think it’s important to note that it’s not easy making a career transition. I think as business professionals, we all want to appear that we’re confident and we have it all figured out, but it is challenging! I think talking to other people about these challenges is the best way to work through them. There’s no need to be ashamed or embarrassed because we’ve all been there!” *** We could not be more excited for Erin as she continues to establish herself as a skilled marketing professional. She put in a lot of hard work to land her dream job, and we know this is just the beginning of her success story! If you’ve been considering making a career transition and want to work with Coach Teague like Erin did, you can book a free introductory consultation with her here!  

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How to Find the Right Program TO BECOME A CERTIFIED COACH

Career Enrichment

10/24/18

Katie Bennett

The coach training world is confusing, convoluted and extremely difficult to navigate. We get questions all the time from coaches who would like to join the ALV team but don’t yet have their coaching credential. We are happy to provide guidance to help explain the industry and help you find the best coaching training program for you. There are a couple things for you to think about before you start diving into the specific training programs: What are your goals? Are you looking to start your own coaching practice? Or perhaps you want to join a larger coaching organization like ALV? Maybe you want to be an internal coach within an organization or you simply want to utilize coaching skills to be better at your job. Your vision for the future and how you plan to utilize your coaching skills will impact which training program you should select. For example, some programs teach skills to build a coaching practice for those who want to have their own coaching business. If you want to do this, you may seek that type of program out. If you want to work internally in a company, this may not be as relevant. Is it ICF accredited? Unlike some of our sister fields like counseling, there is very little governance and regulation of the coaching industry. For example, to call yourself a therapist, you legally need to have a certain level of training and hold an official credential. There is no equivalent regulation for coaches. Anyone can call themselves a coach, whether or not they have been through a coach training program. However, there is an organization called the International Coach Federation (ICF) which accredits coach training programs and ensures they meet a certain standard. This can be an effective vetting process as you evaluate prospective training program. There are still plenty of fantastic training programs which aren’t ICF accredited, so you’ll need to determine if this is a priority for you based on your goals. If you are attracted to a program which is not ICF accredited, I would encourage you to do a thorough review of the curriculum to ensure it is comprehensive and covers the skills you want to learn. You can compare it to the ICF core competencies which are listed here. You can view the database of ICF accredited programs here. Does it have a specialty? Perhaps you know that you want to focus on career coaching or you have a particular interest in coaching executives. Many coach training programs have a specialty they are aligned with, and others have multiple tracks which you can choose from based on your area of interest. What is the time frame? Most coach training programs span six-months to one-year. There is no right or wrong length; it is simply what works with your timeline and commitments. However, the ICF requires that you complete a minimum of 60 hours of training and 100 hours of coaching to meet the lowest credential level. Even if you decide not to register your credentials with the ICF or go with an ICF accredited program, this is still a good baseline to ensure your program is thorough enough to teach you the skills you’ll need to be successful. What is the format? The majority of today’s top coach training programs involve a combination of in-person and remote training. Some, however, are purely online. Make sure that as you do your research and narrow down your list, you think about how you best learn. Is it important to you to have face-to-face interaction? Do you like the flexibility of completing work online in your own time? The other important structural factor to consider is type of cohort. Are you aligned with a cohort of 6 or 60? Are you aligned with a cohort at all? What is the tenure and demographics of the other students in this program? Are these people you can learn from and who will be additive to your network? Understand the different formats included in the programs you’re considering, and select a program with a format that works for you. Who are the instructors and coaches? The best coaches are also self-aware and coached themselves. So does the coach training program give you a coach for you to work with? Who are these coaches and what is their experience level? Make sure the coaches you are working with and the trainers involved with the program are people whose careers you respect and would like to emulate, since they will be the ones helping you pave your own coaching career path. What does it cost? Cost may also factor in here. Most coach training programs cost $8-$10k. It is good to be aware of these costs up front so you can begin to budget for the program of your choice. Here are some coaching training programs which we highly recommend based on our own research and where we have hired coaches from to join the ALV team: Coaches Training Institute (CTI) Description: A 12 month, ICF-accredited program, consisting of five in-person experiential workshops, followed by a six-month virtual certification program. Why we like it: CTI is one of the oldest and most reputable coach training programs, having trained over 55,000 coaches. It takes a holistic approach to coaching which will successfully prepare you to coach in a variety of contexts from health to career to leadership. Visit website to learn more. iPEC Description: The iPEC coach certification program consists of 3 phases. Each phase launches with a 3-day in person training followed by 8-12 weeks of virtual training. The program spans about 9 months in total and is available in 20 different cities throughout the US and Europe. Why we like it: iPEC is a well-respected, comprehensive program with different tracks depending on your preferred specialty (e.g., executive coaching, relationship coaching, career coaching). It trains you on not just coaching skills but also what you will need to build a successful practice, so it is great for those interested

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people drawing on a whiteboard to get to yes and

This six-letter phrase could change your daily life

Leadership Coaching

10/23/18

Teague

Have you ever been to an improv comedy show? The nature of these performances is that the entire scene is on the fly, and the actors continue to deliver no matter how absurd or unbelievable the content or scenario becomes. The troupe works collaboratively as they dive fully into their work, not letting denial or hesitation get in their way. It’s not uncommon for companies to have their teams trained in improv techniques (I went through a nerve-wracking 6-session training a few years ago!) as this ability becomes more and more necessary to manage our ever-changing work landscape. One of my very favorite improv rules is the simplest – “yes, and.” This powerful statement banishes denial and invites adventure and possibility. Imagine (yes, pull out your creative caps) that I say to our CEO Nicole, “Hey! Don’t you love flying in this alien spaceship? Look out the window – a two-headed unicorn!” As we roll through the scene she might say something back like, “Yes! And, we better speed up – that two-headed unicorn looks like he’s trying to crash our ship!” By saying yes (acknowledging the value of my thoughts) and and (building upon what I provided and adding richness to our journey) the scene is able to progress. Contrast that with a response like, “uh huh…” or even worse, “nah, we’re just in a regular car,” and the scene is a total dud. That’s how “yes, and” works in an improv setting – but how can it translate to your daily work? Easy. Think about the next time you’re problem-solving a particularly tricky situation. Instead of shooting down ideas that aren’t immediately feasible, or even just acknowledging solutions and then moving on without properly digging in, try saying “yes, and” as you build upon the idea and explore the opportunity presented. Or, consider the last time you were meeting with a colleague or stakeholder. When presenting as part of a team, the pressure can be on – you want to make sure you’re representing yourself well and that your team does the same. So what if a team member says something you don’t agree with, or brings up a topic you don’t want to focus on during this meeting? Instead of shutting them down (this is awkward and makes you look like you’re not on the same page as your colleague), sprinkle in a “yes, and” – “Yes, Nicole, we are preparing something exciting for our ALV clients and their loved ones in the new year. And, we have a meaningful opportunity for our investors to consider in the here and now.” This quick phrase can provide powerful reframe and direction during meaningful conversations. Bet you never thought you’d be getting an improv lesson in an ALV blog post! Yes, and…bet you’re glad you did. If you are interested in learning more, here are some of our favorite resources: Read: Yes, And … 5 More Lessons In Improv-ing Collaboration And Creativity From Second City (5 min) Place a hold at the library: Bossypants by Tina Fey (get the audiobook if you can; she references her improv training throughout) Watch: Getting to Yes, And with Brené Brown (39 min) Read: Five Things that Kill the Scene in Improv and in Life (4 min) Read: When it Comes to Ideas, Fuel Them Don’t Dilute Them, by ALV CEO Nicole (4 min)

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Using the Ikigai Approach to Identifying a Fulfilling Career

Career Discovery

10/16/18

Niteesha Gupte

I love learning about words from different languages that have no direct translation in English. Although we fit the translation into simple terms, the meanings go much deeper and always offer such rich information about a culture. For example, the word, fika, in Swedish, translates to “a coffee and cake break” but it refers to a concept about making time during the day to stop working and socialize with friends and colleagues while having a coffee or tea and something to eat. This ritual is a critical part of Swedish culture and demonstrates its value on community. A couple of years ago, I learned about the word, ikigai, and it changed the course of my career. Ikigai translates from Japanese, to “reason for being” or “what gets you out of bed in the morning”. Ikigai is not a concept solely tied to career fulfillment. In Japan, it is a life practice or pursuit that makes a life worth living. It encompasses a balanced view of what it takes to achieve a fulfilling work life, which when realized, should provide a purposeful life, happiness, and longevity. For me, ikigai gave a framework that I could connect with at a time when I felt stuck in my career as a lawyer. It seemed like I was always searching for the right position – one in which I felt engaged and excited, challenged and supported by colleagues and supervisors, and was contributing in a meaningful way. Finally, a sense of dread came over me when I realized that maybe a career in law wouldn’t provide me with what I wanted out of my work life. As a lawyer, I had been trained to think analytically. I took only calculated risks. The idea of changing my career after more than a decade in it, seemed overwhelming (what would I even do?), unwise (how would I make sufficient money?), and unattainable (how would I even do it?). Ikigai offered me a logical approach in exploring a career change. During my first attempt at leaving law, I focused on my interests. Everyone says, “Follow your passions and you will be successful.” But I couldn’t figure out how to translate my interests into a meaningful, paid position. The ikigai framework for a fulfilling life is a balance of four elements: Your interests or what you love Your strengths or what you are good at Your contribution or what the world, society and community needs, and What you can be paid for The goal is to find a balance of all four elements in your work. If you’re doing work that you’re passionate about and that you are good at, but it’s not meaningful and you aren’t paid at a sufficient level, you will not feel fulfilled in the long run. If you’re doing work that you’re good at, that is meaningful, and you’re paid well, but you don’t really have any interest in it, then you will not ultimately feel fulfilled. So how do you become clear on how the four elements play out for you? Here are some ways to help get you started. Your interests It seems easy enough, right? What do I like? However, if you went from school to work, with your head down and following the path of success that was drawn out for you, it’s not surprising if you don’t know what you like anymore. So here are some questions to ask yourself: What websites or social media sites do I visit regularly? What did I like to do when I was around age 10? What do I get excited about doing? What would I do even if I am dead tired or super busy? Your strengths Similar to interests, you may not know what your strengths are. You may have started studying for a career early in life, building skills for a particular subject, but never spent the time to understand what you’re good at. You can develop and nurture skills, but what are those strengths that come naturally to you? Here are some questions to get you started: What do your friends and family come to you for when they need help? What were you good at when you were around 10 years old? What do your work colleagues come to you for when they need help? What have your teachers or supervisors indicated as strengths in your work? Your contribution This one was a big one for me as I was considering my career change. I wanted to make a meaningful contribution and be able to see my impact. This can seem like an overwhelming concept, but here are some questions that may help focus you: What do you want your legacy to be? How would you want to be remembered? What does the world need that you want to contribute to? How would you like to make a difference in society? Your income You may find that when you get to the point of wanting to make a career change, the biggest hold up is the financial issue. And at times, it’s because you may be considering a career that doesn’t take into account the fact that you still need to pay the bills. When I learned about this element of ikigai, I was actually relieved. I thought that leaving law would mean leaving my only avenue to make money. Ikigai holds a place for it and made it acceptable for me to include making money as an integral part of my search for a new career. It made my decision much easier to navigate. When you land upon some career options, ask yourself: Would the work serve a need for a specific audience? Would the audience pay for the services or product? Are there others who provide this product or service and do they get paid for it? How much are my expenses and what is my goal income? I found that when I spent time in exploring the four elements of ikigai and how

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7 Things to Change When You Become a Manager

Leadership Coaching

10/15/18

Foram Sheth

Congratulations! You’ve been promoted to a manager because you’re a rockstar, you did your job really well and you nailed it at being a subject matter expert. You’ve outgrown your role, and the next step up is being a manager. This is probably the biggest career step most people will make – the promotion from being an individual contributor to a manager. But now comes all of the responsibility. You’re responsible for managing a group, and what got you promoted will not be the same skills you need to succeed as a manager. Here’s what needs to change: 1. Your definition of success When you were an individual contributor, your definition of success looked in the form of “I need to do X really well and show results.” Your success revolved around tactical work and your personal contributions. As a manager, it’s a whole new ball game. Your definition of success is no longer about you; it’s about your team. This leads us to reframe our mindset and think about success through the performance and development of others. Your success is directly linked to helping your team members excel individually and bringing the team together to collectively work towards a common goal to advance your organization. 2. Invest in yourself Managing people is hard. There’s no manual, rule book or a one size fits all approach. Each individual is different, complex and has his/her own motivators, derailers, strengths, and opportunities. In order to navigate the people side of managing (which is 97% of managing), think about investing in yourself to learn the skills and build the confidence on how to cultivate effective leaders within your team and help them thrive. Seek out a coach to develop yourself so that you can coach others. The best way to teach is to be taught. 3. Step out of the details As an individual contributor, you were responsible for every single detail of your work. It was your job to be in the micro, and that’s what made you successful. Now that you’re managing other people, it’s nearly impossible for you to be in that level of detail. In fact, it’s dangerous for you and your team if you’re in that type of detail. A key part of your role is to keep a pulse on what’s going on with each team member, how it’s impacting the organization, communicate that to your boss and course correct as needed. Now that’s a lot to remember and keep moving forward. This is why you’ll have to take a step back and think about the bigger picture. Ask yourself, what’s the organizational goal and strategy right now? What’s our function’s role and strategy to support the organizational goal? What is my team’s part in supporting the function and organization forward? Once you have those questions answered, every action should support it. At any given time, you should be able to answer and frequently communicate how your team fits into the bigger picture and how your team is contributing to the bigger mission. 4. Don’t be the hero (or the martyr) It was nice as an individual contributor to be recognized for providing your manager a much needed analysis. Your manager saw a need for the analysis and recognized the impact it could have, so you stayed in the office until 10pm to get it done and save the day. That’s no longer your role. So now it’s your job to identify what the team, the customers or organization needs and identify the best person in your team who can deliver that. You are now supporting the hero and creating opportunities for your team to shine. It’s no longer about you burning the midnight oil for fame and glory but instead to allow your team to step up to have opportunities to learn and grow and to be recognized for their contributions (hopefully not at 10pm). 5. Recognize and celebrate every success and failure In this economy, people are wanting more for less. It can be hard to see the immediate impact or satisfaction, so remember to celebrate success every step of the way. Recognize others for their efforts, their strengths and for a job well done. And when things don’t go the way you originally planned, use that as an opportunity to learn about how to improve next time around. In safe environments, encourage taking chances as it will allow your team members to stretch themselves and innovate. 6. Know when to coach and manage There’s a big difference between managing and coaching. When you’re in a management position, it might seem natural to give out commands and let your team members know exactly what needs to be done and how. While this is appropriate sometimes, don’t let this be a default. Instead, think about coaching your team members to think the way you’re thinking about problem solving and empower them to come up with their own solutions. At Ama La Vida, we follow the RISE methodology for determining when to coach and when to manage. If there is a Right or wrong answer, if a team member is Inexperienced, if there is a Specific course of action that needs to be taken or if it is Essential to complete the task perfectly, then it is appropriate to manage and give clear instruction. In all other situations, do your best to coach your team member instead of manage. 7. Work yourself out of your role This might sound scary at first. You’ve just been promoted, and now I’m asking you to work yourself out of your role. An indicator of a good manager is how many people the manager is able to develop into new managers. Your manager helped you step into the management role by providing you with the opportunities you needed to step up. Now it’s your turn! Start with thinking through how you succeeded. You first had to master your role as a subject matter expert. Help your team members do the

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How to Find the Right Life Coach for You

Achieving Goals

10/09/18

Nicole Wood

These days it seems like every third person on Instagram is a coach of something. It can be incredibly difficult to discern which online life coaches are high quality coaches and which ones are just trying to make a buck. On top of that, how do you know which coach is the right one for you? How do you find an online life coach who will work best with to help you reach your goals? These are common questions we get asked as our clients do their research and try to find the perfect life coach for them, and so we wanted to share our guidance to help demystify the process and help you not just find a life coach, but the right life coach for you. 1. Make sure a Life Coach is actually what you’re after Before you do anything, it’s important to make sure that a life coach is what you actually need. Coaching is often confused with other related disciplines like mentorship or therapy. However, it is actually quite different, and each of these has unique characteristics. This graphic pinpoints some of the key differences between life coaching, mentorship and therapy. Therapy has a past orientation, helping you understand why you are the way you are. Coaching is much more future-oriented. Your life coach won’t spend much time digging into your past experiences. There is still certainly a self-awareness component, helping you understand who you are and why, but all with the intention of using that self-awareness for the future. “Okay, I know these things about myself, how can I create strategies and habits to help me progress toward my goals given all I’ve learned?” Additionally, it should also be noted that only a therapist is qualified to support you with mental illness, significant trauma, or other me Unlike a mentor, a life coach is not there to offer guidance and advice based on his/her own experiences. Sure, they might occasionally offer a suggestion or two, but for the most part, your life coach will ask powerful questions to help you find the right answers and solutions for you. It’s important to note that none of these disciplines are better or worse than any other – you simply need to understand the differences and have appropriate expectations for what will be accomplished with each provider. Now let’s talk about how to get a life coach! 2. Figure out what type of coach you want to work with Once you’ve determined a coach is what you’re looking for, it will help your search to narrow down what type of coach you want depending on your coaching goals. Many people jump straight into looking for a life coach, but if you can narrow down the area of your life you want to focus on you may be able to hone your search for potential coaches. Different types of coaches include career coach, leadership coach or executive coach, relationship coach, business coach, or wellness coach. These coaches have narrowed their area of expertise to a more specific field and may have special programs or approaches to how they manage their coaching sessions. Because they focus on one particular area of coaching, they may come with a good understanding of your particular challenges and be able to provide better insights. For example, if your focus is on personal growth, you may seek a coach who can help you build your self confidence, create work life balance, or identify ways to support your mental health in your daily life. Most successful life coaches will focus in on these areas. On the other hand, if you are starting your own business, you might chose a life coach who primarily works with small business owners. An executive coach or leadership coach will help you navigate the challenges that come with leading a team at work. A career coach may be focused on helping you find a new job, but there are others who can help with larger or ongoing goals like working toward a promotion, creating and realizing a vision for your career, or navigating all the intricacies of your workplace. A wellness coach may focus on your physical health, nutrition, and exercise, but they may also support your mental health priorities as well. All of these types of coaches can bring a positive change into your life. It’s important to know what you’re personally hoping to achieve in working with a life coach so that you can find the skillset for what you need. Once you’ve narrowed down your search, you can then identify a few potential coaches to research further to find the best life coach for you. 3. Determine if they are thoroughly trained and certified Coaching is based on scientific research, and well-trained coaches utilize evidence-based coaching models in their work. In order to learn this research and these techniques, coaches need to go through an in-depth training program. Unlike therapy, there is very little governance and regulation of the coaching industry. For example, to call yourself a therapist, you legally need to have a certain level of training and hold an official credential. There is no equivalent regulation for coaches. Anyone can call themselves a coach, whether or not they have been through a coach training program. However, there is an organization called the International Coaching Federation (ICF). This organization accredits coach training programs and ensures they meet a certain standard. When you begin meeting with life coaches, ask them which training program they completed and if it is accredited by the International Coaching Federation. At Ama La Vida, we only hire coaches who have been through an intensive coach training program; once they join our team, they undergo an additional 3-months of training on our proprietary methodologies and programs. Make sure to ask about their credentials when you choose a life coach. 4. Ask them about their coaching style Each life coach coaches differently based on their personality and training. Some coaches’ sessions are very organized and structured,

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Transition Tales – Lauren Wiley

Career Discovery

09/30/18

Nicole Wood

In 2015, Lauren moved to Chicago to study Art Education at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She had worked previously as an Art Teacher and thought she wanted to pursue a career in the museum field. After grad school, Lauren looked for a museum education job for two years without any luck. She applied for hundreds of postings and eventually heard back from less than five museums with no prospective offers. She took unpaid internships to boost her resume and worked part-time jobs for minimum wage to supplement her income, which at age 29, felt like a step backward for her. ALV: WHAT LED YOU TO DECIDE, “OKAY, IT’S TIME FOR A CHANGE?” LAUREN: What finally pushed me to make a change was realizing that the museum field is incredibly saturated with other really smart, well education people – especially white women. Unfortunately, this often leads to a culture where only people of privilege, who can afford to pursue graduate degrees and take unpaid work, end up in the field. While I know some kick-ass men and women of color that are actively disproving these pre-requisites, it’s definitely a very slow, uphill battle. As a white woman, I just didn’t feel right about breaking my back to perpetuate this system. *** Lauren talked to many empathetic mentors and peers about her experiences, but she wasn’t sharing anything they didn’t already know, which only confirmed to her that she was making the right decision to leave. ALV: WHICH INDUSTRY OR ROLE WERE YOU HOPING TO TRANSITION TO? LAUREN: I knew I wanted to get back to something creative. I have a degree in art and have spent my entire life making and writing things. I thought maybe I would even want to become an art teacher, but the prospect of going back to school again to get my credential made me cringe. So I kept it broad: I wanted to do something where every day, my job involved making something new. *** When she started her search for a new career, Lauren realized she was interested in working with other people who were really passionate about doing their jobs well. She wanted to go to work with colleagues who cared about their jobs and did the best they could, while also being able to talk about other things (beyond work) during happy hour. Lauren had heard of ALV coaching through Brit + Co and after a little research, she was impressed by the way ALV focuses on helping our clients figure out what they wanted to do, rather than helping them land any old job. ALV: WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST BENEFIT OF WORKING WITH ALV? LAUREN: I have some work-related trauma in my past that I really needed to work through. With kindness and respect, my ALV coach, Mandy, asked me to reflect on experiences with a previous boss who made me feel like I was not just a bad employee, but a bad person. Through my reflections, I came to the realization that these accusations said much more about my former boss than they did about me. The imposter syndrome that I experience in my work life is really painful, but if I focus on the things I do well that make me unique – that I can communicate effectively through a variety of mediums, that I care about my work no matter what I’m doing, that I create unity around me – I can overcome those bad feelings long enough to be successful. *** It took 6 months for Lauren to transition into her new career, and it took her just one interview to land her current position as a Content Producer/Strategist for a branding and ecommerce consulting company. In short; she now writes stuff! ALV: DURING YOUR INTERVIEW, WHAT WAS YOUR MOST EFFECTIVE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION “WHY DO YOU WANT TO LEAVE YOUR CURRENT ROLE?” LAUREN: I think it’s really important to sell your interviewer on how this job is fundamentally different – as opposed to better – than your current role. You don’t want them to think that you’re just looking at a grass-is-greener opportunity, but that you’re trying to make a definitive, life-altering decision to switch gears. *** Lauren’s best interview tip is this: Don’t let imposter syndrome make you feel like you don’t have enough experience to be an interesting candidate. By the same token, be honest about your experiences without being overly negative. You can thoughtfully explain why you left your previous field in a way which makes you sound wiser! ALV: WHAT WAS THE HARDEST PART OF YOUR CAREER TRANSITION: LAUREN: It was hard to let go of my seat at the table. I didn’t want to keep my foot in the door of the museum world, I wanted to be able to let go completely, and after four years of obsessively thinking about cultural institutions, that was really challenging. I’m finally getting to a place where I can just be a spectator in the museum world, and I remember that being an enthusiast is fun. ALV: WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR OTHER CAREER TRANSITIONERS? LAUREN: There are two voices in your head that you can listen to. The quieter one says, “I think I might be really good at this other thing.” The louder one says, “you’re not good enough to do that.” Listen to the quieter one.  

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How To Set EPIC Goals

Leadership Coaching

09/25/18

Teague

Here at Ama La Vida, we believe in setting big goals, very big goals. Some may even call them “EPIC.” We wanted to share a little more about the EPIC framework we use (if you’ve heard of SMART goals, it’s similar but more… epic), and how you can apply our proprietary strategy to your next big adventure. ELEVATING. Your goal should connect with your personal vision and purpose (some people call it something like “my why”). By linking your goal to a bigger plan, you’re building in motivation. When you want to give up, having a goal that is ELEVATING helps you to keep your reason for starting in mind. And, if you don’t quite know what your purpose is…well, you know who to turn to for some guidance! PRACTICAL. Sure, becoming CEO is a fantastic goal – but if it’s your first day on the job, you still need to develop skills before getting to that next level. Your goals should be a stretch – perhaps landing a promotion, or negotiating a mentorship with an esteemed leader in your organization – but they still need to be realistic. IMPACTFUL. Your goal should strategically and visibly move you toward your long-term vision. If your next big adventure is running a marathon but the only marathoning you’ve been doing is the latest season of OITNB, you might set a goal of running a 5k or even getting out for a lunchtime walk several times each week. It’s critical for your short-term goals to serve as momentum along your journey of change. CLEAR. This part can be tricky if you’re not careful. The best goals are specific to deadlines. If not, it’s easy to fall short of your original intent but let that slide due to your goal being too vaguely defined. Once you have the individual components of your goal identified, along with the deadlines by which you’ll have them achieved, take your plans a step further and pop them into your calendar. Your future self will thank you. The Challenge Check in with yourself and the goals you currently have set. Where are you falling short? Review your goals and see if they’re EPIC. If not, revise and keep moving toward long-term success. We’re rooting for you. Have a ton of goals and not sure where to start? Our team of experienced coaches can help you create a personalized plan of action! Click here to book your complimentary consult!   If you are interested in learning more, here are some of our favorite resources: Read: 47 Simple Time Management Tips(5 min, to help you get your life together and get focused on your goals) Read: Girls Who Dream Become Women with Vision (5 min) Watch: 23 and 1/2 Hours (10 min, a must watch if your goals are at all health-related) Read: Setting Goals Like a Boss (4 min)

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How to transition into the non-profit world

Career Discovery

09/14/18

Ed Rogan

Having done this now for nearly 25 years, one of the things that has delighted me the most; not too surprisingly, is meeting and working with some of the most talented, dedicated, and awesome people in the world. And these people come to me from many, many different directions. For example, a week doesn’t go by that I don’t get a call or an email from someone interested in switching sectors and changing up their career. I love these calls and emails! I really do. There is no greater joy in one’s work than making a difference in the lives of others. And if I can help someone make a career change and experience that joy for themselves, then what could be better? HERE ARE 5 BITE-SIZED PIECES OF ADVICE & GUIDANCE FOR YOU! Find an issue that you are passionate about. There are so many non profits doing amazing work in a wide variety of  areas. Housing and homelessness. Hunger. Youth development. Education. International development. Music, visual arts, or fine arts.  Global health. Disease Eradication. Poverty alleviation. Animal welfare. Healthcare. This is but a brief listing. There are so many more that you are bound to find something that you truly connect with. Identify the leading organizations in your local area (and beyond) that are working to address this issue. Then choose the one that appeals to you most and research volunteer opportunities with that organization. This is why I suggested starting locally. You will have a far greater chance of success finding a volunteer opportunity with an organization close to home. We’ll return to the organizations outside your area a little later. Board service. If you aspire to take on a leadership role within a non profit at some point, I’d suggest exploring opportunities to join a Board of Directors or Trustees. If you don’t have the time to commitment to full Board service, consider volunteering for a Board committee. Many non profits have non Board members on their Board committees. This can range from Finance to Fund Development to Programs to ad hoc committees constituted for a specific task (event planning, etc.). Some non profits even require committee service before they will consider having you join the Board itself. There is a whole lot more on the topic of Board service, but I’ll save that for another post. Be a good, reliable, productive contributing volunteer. Do the work you are asked to do and do it well. This will allow you to get to know people inside this organization and gain a better understanding of the different roles inside a non profit. As you do good work and are recognized for it, you will be asked to take on more and more important and responsible roles. A brief anecdote, I was working with a non profit a few years ago (not my first project with this particular organization either). Part of the work involved talking with the internal leadership team one-on-one. About 80% of the people I met with told me they started as volunteers. This was the team of Directors, the senior most leaders in the agency, and they had started as volunteers. Set reasonable expectations. While some have done it, you are unlikely to join a new sector at a leadership level. It’s hard to walk into any organization as the CEO. When you throw switching sectors on top of that, your chances are reduced further. You may need to take a step back or – best case – take a lateral step in your career to move from one sector to another. You may very well need to pay your dues in the non profit sector all over again if you wish to make this change.

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Why I’m Happier Making No Money After Walking Away From 6-Figures

Career Discovery

10/12/17

Nicole Wood

I’m now a year into my startup journey, a natural point for review and reflection, and though starting a business has been and continues to be incredibly difficult, the bottom line is I’m happy. I certainly wasn’t miserable in my previous jobs. I had high visibility. Great career trajectory. Amazing friends at the office. The difference is, it felt to me like I was just going through the motions. Like I was working hard day after day but toward something I wasn’t sure how much I really impacted. Or even cared about for that matter. Sure I could afford nice things, and so I’d buy them. And then I’d chat with friends and colleagues, all equally decorated with nice things, and we’d complain again and again about the same stuff. As it turned out, Kate Spade and J Crew weren’t enough to make us happy.  We were an army of well-dressed, highly capable professionals all quickly becoming disillusioned with the life of middle management. My soul craved something more. I had to abandon my post. To me mediocrity is worse than failure. Monotony worse than crisis. I need to feel alive and on a mission. And boy did I set out on one. I left my job and launched Ama La Vida in September of 2016. We are building a business that we hope…know will transform the coaching industry and the way people think about investing in themselves. We are attracting talented coaches from all over the world who are passionate about helping people achieve their own successes and break free from the posts they’ve been scared to leave for far too long. I light up thinking about the future, but I still live in the here and now. We are still tweaking our operations and figuring things out. We certainly aren’t making the big bucks. We have big, bold plans for the future, and so most of our income gets reinvested in the business. I don’t buy nice things anymore. I don’t go to dinner and order the $42 fish. I don’t get pedicures or the new boots at Nordstrom. But I also don’t get sick. I actually get sleep. I get outside in the middle of the day and see the sun. I get excited to face each day’s adventure and challenges. I work on problems I deeply care about, and I get to share my greatest gifts with my team and the world on a daily basis. My toenails have seen better days, but my body, soul and mind are thanking me. I constantly see new studies telling me I’m not alone. That a lot of you are sitting at your desks, wearing and carrying your nice things, but wanting something different. Don’t let your dreams dissolve over time. Don’t let another day go by convincing yourself that your post is your only option. It’s not. You don’t need to be an entrepreneur to be happy or do something as drastic as I did. You just have to do what it is that your soul has been craving. Take the pay cut for the role you really want. Sacrifice a couple month’s salary to go on that trip you’ve been dreaming of. Put up some capital to give your business idea a try. Sacrifice one pair of shoes in your closet to have someone help you figure out what your mission is. I promise you, it’s worth it to feel alive.  

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Six Tips To Help You Love Your Job (Even If It’s Not What You Thought it Would Be)

Achieving Goals

08/28/17

Ngoc Nguyen

Congratulations! You landed a job. Maybe you even thought this was going to be your dream job… but it’s turning out not to be at all what you thought you wanted. Don’t worry, you’re definitely not the only one who ends up feeling this way.  The difference between barely surviving the work day to actually thriving is in your control more than you might think.  Of course there are times when it’s just not the right fit, and you may want to consider a program to help you transition to something else. But sometimes you can make some tweaks to your actions and your outlook that will make all the difference. Regardless of whether you ultimately stay or go, here are some things you can do to make that not-so-great job into something awesome! Change your attitude.  You have to want to make the situation better for yourself; it won’t happen on its own.  Recognize it for what it is, but turn your focus toward what you could still get out of the experience by allowing yourself to see it as a building block to your ultimate career. There are a small number of people who magically will land their dream job after college.  For the rest of us, your first job is the probably best option you have at graduation. Not liking it is normal, what you do with it makes the difference!   Step back and evaluate. Chances are you don’t hate everything about the job.  Take a step back, reflect and make a list of specific things you love about the job, things you could learn to like and things you definitely do not like.  What does your list look like? I can guarantee there are some components you do love or want to like, otherwise you would not be here.  When I got out of school, I got a job as an underwriter at an insurance company. Unbeknownst to me it required a lot of sales.  I had done everything I could while job hunting to make sure I didn’t end up in a sales job because I was such an introvert! Instead of giving up,  I did my own reflection.  I realized I loved creative problem solving, analyzing information, making tough risk decisions and helping others.  I also had a really good boss and was in an industry that was recession-proof. Once I focused on the positive aspects, work became a much better place for me.   Find opportunities to do more of what you love.  Tell your manager and co-workers! They can’t read your mind. Talk about what you love and ask them to keep a look-out for projects where you know you will shine.  You never know what comes out of the woodwork when you let others know what you want.  I turned out to be a really good underwriter (minus the sales part) and because of the expertise I developed focusing on what I did well, I was the go-to person my coworkers approached when they were stuck with their work.   Learn more about the things you don’t like. Often times we don’t like something because we don’t understand it or we just don’t know how to do it well.  There will be parts of your job you don’t like, but you’ll have to do anyway.  Again, this is where attitude comes into play.  Why not commit yourself to learn and understand the task when you’re doing it instead of focusing on how much you don’t want to do it.  This is an area where you will grow the most from! I ended up leaving underwriting to pursue a different position that didn’t require sales.  Many years down the road, I was able to finally make the connection that sales was really about relationship building, listening to the customer and understanding their needs.  If I had given myself time and energy to understand more about how sales is about relationships more so than selling things, I would’ve kicked ass! Turns out it’s not much different than leadership coaching.   Relationships, relationships, relationships. No matter your feelings about a job, it is always important to build relationships with the people around you.  They’re the people you spend most of your time with and you never know when you might need them in the future.  Even beyond your everyday job, find ways to meet people outside your area.  I took opportunities to run the recruiting team at my first job and volunteered through work whenever I could.  It gave me the opportunity to take a break from my desk and also meet a variety of people across the company.  I was able to do things like run a workshop with our top human resources executive.  He was responsible for 30,000 employees, yet he knew me by name after that day. I also met people in other functions and it came in handy when I needed to get things done.  Like the guy from finance who was an Excel master.  (Pro-tip: Always find a friend who knows Excel really well.)   Walk-away. You can only try so much and it’s important to be happy at your job.  If you can’t find ways to make it work, you have to be able to walk-away.  Quitting a job is much harder than you think, even when you don’t like it.  When you’re faced with the choice, it could be easy to justify staying.  The fear of the unknown often prevents people from leaving something they’re familiar with. I know this first hand.  I didn’t leave my first job when I should’ve, I stayed an extra 2 years after I knew it wasn’t right anymore.  My last year there was miserable and it affected all areas of my life leading me to depression.  I often ask myself how far I’d be  in my career if I had the courage to leave earlier. And I’m telling you, it’s not worth it to stay where you know you

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How To Tackle (and even embrace) Your Quarter Life Crisis

Career Discovery

08/10/17

Katie Bennett

I’ve been there. My business partners have been there.  Half of my clients have been there. The majority of my friends have been there too. The qarter-life-crisis is a real thing, and it’s happening all around the world.  But it doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing, and from my experience, in most cases, the quarter life crisis is an important trigger for powerful and positive change (even though it can feel daunting and exhausting at the time).  Here are four key tips for not only dealing with a quarter-life-crisis, but actually embracing (and maybe even enjoying) it! Change Your Mindset When people experience a quarter life crisis, their default reaction is to panic. They often become anxious and overwhelmed and these feelings only work to exasperate the crisis.  In fact, a crisis is a signal that something needs to change and this can be a really positive thing. Sometimes people have been doing something they don’t enjoy for far too long, and this tipping point is just what they need to finally take action. Perceive the crisis as an important prompt – remember, your mindset matters! This is your chance to transform your life and/or career in a really positive way. Focus Inward Before Going Outward When people find themselves in a quarter life crisis, they look everywhere around them for help and guidance. They might bury themselves in distractions, seek the advice of friends (typically over one too many cocktails) or anxiously search job boards for something that might relieve them of their situation.  These are all band-aid solutions. The most important first step is to understand what’s going wrong. Are you doing something you hate? Are you with a company completely misaligned to your values? Are you feeling a lack of passion or purpose? Only once you understand what is going wrong can you take the necessary steps to overcome it. Surround Yourself with Supportive and Empowering people When we are feeling a certain way, our default is sometimes to surround ourselves with others feeling that way so that we feel less alone.  This can be dangerous because it only feeds your negative feelings and emotions.  Find people that believe in you and support you. Attend inspirational events and gatherings.  Think about your most inspiring friends or colleagues and organize coffee with them. Hire a coach who will support and empower you.  Whatever you do, don’t wallow. Surround yourself with people who will help lift you out of your funk. Three Words: Bite Sized Pieces It can be incredibly overwhelming to think about how on earth you are ever going to get yourself out of a quarter life crisis. At the time, you feel in a very dark and confusing place and nothing feels clear.  This can affect your confidence and self-worth which then makes things feel even worse.  The key is to take very small steps each day.  Don’t spend too much time dwelling on the end goal, just think about what you need to do next.  Perhaps it’s something as small as writing down everything you’re feeling. When we break big goals into small pieces, it helps diminish overwhelm and anxiety.  It’s great to have a vision, but focus just on your next step If you’re in the throes of your quarter life crisis, I can definitely relate and understand this can be a difficult and confusing time. But the result of it might be a catalyst to move you forward in your life and career. Look for opportunity in the chaos, and you’re sure to find something amazing.

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