I hope you don’t mind if I selfishly reflect on ten years (this month) since my life transformed and I began the work of an executive coach. In a way, this is my way of celebrating and recapping the freedom and joy I’ve felt in that time; not to mention the opportunity to work with some amazing leaders, regaining my faith that our organizations are on the right path. Will you celebrate with me?

Earlier this week, I wrote a post about embracing mystery. My life in these ten years has been nothing short of mysterious, beginning with the choice to leave the comfort of a regular paycheck and head out into the unknown as solo entrepreneur. So many things came together to support this journey, that I have no other way to explain it:

The preparation: In my 25 years in the corporate environment, I always felt as if I were being prepared to take on something that I would have passion and conviction for and that would make a difference in the world. It was often frustrating as I became impatient to know what that was. Yet every position I’d had prepared me for what I do now; they were all entrepreneurial. Never once did I take a job that had been vacated. Every position I had was new and required the skills I’ve used to start and sustain my own business.

The choice to start: I was the one who was not ever going to start out on my own. “Too risky”, I believed. When I knew I’d be leaving the organization I worked for, I was stymied. What could a “generalist” (I never specialized in anything – my knowledge and skills were broad, not deep) possibly do? Once I let go of the idea that starting a business was too risky, the right work found me- in the biggest “aha” moment I’ve ever had.

The ability to practice: My final year at the company allowed me to take some coach training and to practice within the company. I was able to coach senior VP’s and individual contributors who were struggling with their roles as the company was acquired by a much larger organization with a completely different culture. I was able to hone my skills and to develop some processes that would be helpful for my clients before I went out into the world and charged real money for what I did.

The first clients: My first paying client hired me on the spot after he asked what I did (p.s. in our part of the world, executive coaching was not a familiar entity) when we met at a networking event. He was a high profile and very public leader whom I learned many lessons from. A large and growing organization found me and completely trusted me to provide coaching services to the high potentials in their organization who were going through a leadership development program. This required a lot of business savvy I’d learned in my previous life – subcontracting other coaches, communicating and tracking progress.

So today I celebrate success; but more importantly, I celebrate the amazing people I’ve met and learned from. If you are one of those – thank you. Even if you aren’t: where are your current experiences leading you?

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