Note: You will not see testimonials on this page
because every person I coach gets absolute confidentiality and anonymity.
My Philosophy: Regardless of our past experiences,
we CAN create the lives we want to have.
Change equals opportunity and we have the power within us to rise above
any challenge to become the people we want to be.
Areas of Specialization:
Writing:
Life Coach for Published Authors: As a published
author myself (31 books), I know the ups and downs and unique challenges
of this career. In addition, I know the
challenges life can throw at us and the need to find a way to balance our
writing careers with the other demands on our time.
Among other
challenges, I have faced are raising a son with down syndrome, raising an
extremely bright daughter and getting her into Stanford University, helping my
spouse battle cancer, going through divorce and then relocating on the other
side of the country.
I understand the courage it takes to make major life
transitions and also the strength we have inside to help us do so.
Evaluation of Manuscripts for Unpublished Authors: I will read
your manuscript and give you an honest critique of your strengths and weakness
and offer suggestions for how to strengthen your work. If you then choose to continue to have me
work with you, a portion of the fee paid for that evaluation can be applied
toward coaching.
Public Speaking:
General Public Speaking Coach: See my page
on workshops for some of the speaking I have done. I am a member of Toastmasters (ATM-B) and
coach individuals who wish to improve their public speaking skills. In particular, because I have a background in
mathematics (Honors Math,
For Writers:
¨
Know how to pitch
manuscripts effectively to editors and agents
¨
Present workshops
with ease
¨
Handle
booksignings with aplomb
¨
Guarantee
positive interview with reporters
¨
Know how to
handle an interview and promote your books on television
With
more than 20 years of experience doing all of these things, I can show you how
to be at ease and effective. I can help
take the fear out of public appearances that are so essential to success these
days.
An example of my approach to
making changes in our lives:
Two conditions must be met
for change to take place. First, we must
clearly know what the change is that we want to make. Second, we must believe that this change is
possible. Here is one way to see that
both those conditions are met.
Create two index
cards. On the first index card, write
the following:
1) List those people in your life who are truly
supportive.
2) List your strengths, the things you are good at.
3) List some of the things you have accomplished in the
past.
4) List places you like to go where you feel happy when
you do and/or find inspiration.
5) List the things that make you smile, the things you
love to do.
On the second index card,
write the following:
Index Card #2:
1) List one thing would you like to change in your life
2) List the people in your life who could help you make
this change.
3) List the strengths you have that guarantee you can
make this change.
4) List one step could you take today or tomorrow toward
that making change.
5) List all the ways that your life will be better when
you make this change.
Now, carry these two cards with you everywhere you go,
for at least the next 3 weeks. Several
times a day take out the first card and remind yourself of all the good things
in your life. You are reinforcing your belief that you can succeed, you can be happy, you can make changes in your life. Then, when you are feeling good about
yourself, take out the second card and remind yourself of the change you want
to make and how and why you can do so.
Add to your answers as you think of new strengths, new resources, new
steps to take, and new reasons to want to make this change.
An example of my approach to
public speaking:
Five Tips to Effective Public Speaking
1) Remember the audience
wants you to succeed. Unless you do
something which specifically alienates the audience, they want you to succeed—they
are on your side.
2) Before you begin, take a
deep breath and smile. This helps to
calm you down, gives you a moment to focus on the faces in the room, slows your
speech patterns—and makes you look more comfortable and in control.
3) Wear something familiar
that makes you feel good. You don’t want
to be thinking about appearance while you are speaking. You want to be able to focus on your speech!
4) Practice! Nothing will improve your skill at public
speaking more than practice. Use a
tape recorder to hear how you
sound. A videotape will give you even
more information and you can do it in the privacy of your own home.
5) Know your audience. Within the first few moments of your speech
give them a reason to bond with you and show them how what you have to say is
of interest to them personally.
6) Pretend you are talking
to friends in your living room. No,
don’t imagine them naked. Either the
image will be too repulsive or too distracting!
Picture instead that you are explaining something to friends.
Okay,
that’s six tips. Tip #7 is: Always give
more value than your audience expects!