What Results Would You Expect From Coaching?

There are many different types of coaching in the self-development space. Coaches can be either a career/business coach, executive coach, or life coach. So depending on the path you are embarking on, you will choose the correct type of coach who will guide you in the direction you are going. It is important to find the right one for your particular needs.

But the decision goes even deeper. What part of your career/business do you need help with? Are you looking for a niche or a passion, are you a start-up, do you need help with planning or motivation, performance, laser coaching, skills such as sales, goal attainment, success achievement, motivation, leadership, mastermind, or are you in transition? The answer would lead you the right type of coach.

Life coaching is huge so getting really specific helps. Are you looking to work on more emotional intelligence, empowerment, co-dependency, parenting, managing life changes, personal development, self-esteem, self talk, mind adjustment, targeted behavioral changes, financial, debt management, abundance, prosperity, wealth, health and wellness, diet, nutritional, weight loss, fitness, help with a specific illness, health recovery, retirement, spirituality, relationship, marriage, engagement, lifestyle or personal issues?

Coaches have distinctive styles. No two business coaches, for example, would coach the same way. Some coaches use a model-based approach, some work with measuring, some work with plans, or work with delegation, focus on solutions, are non-directive, values-based, are goal focused, and some are accountability coaches, etc.

Other coaches (typically called transformational coaches) go to a deeper level. They usually have a working knowledge of the mind especially the conscious and subconscious mind. They are usually employing various disciplines such as neuro-linguist programming (NLP), transactional analysis, hypnotherapy, psychotherapy, and psychology, etc. These coaches usually have a more formal educational background.

Good coaches are dedicated to being facilitative, not imposing or prescriptive. They have excellent active listening skills, strong communication skills, show a genuine interest in their clients, are supportive and act in the best interest of their client, create an atmosphere of trust, stay up to date, and know how and when to ask the right questions.

Many coaches employ typologies to help strengthen the coaching process.  Typologies help gain insight into the dynamics of relationships with others and self and create a sense of understanding and more harmonious communication.  Some typical typologies are DISC, Myers Briggs, the Enneagram or social styles.

The other aspect of choosing a coach is their background. If you are an entrepreneur, for instance, then you would want a coach who had experience in this area. You would want the life experience to be there and also the success in that area. Likewise, with a weight loss coach, you would want a coach who had both the experience and the success with weight loss. Every coach tends to bring his or her own unique perspective and expertise.

Then you have to decide, do you want face to face coaching or coaching over the phone. You also have to consider, do you want group coaching or individual coaching.

The ways and means by which you can receive coaching are many and varied. This brief overview oversimplifies the complex coaching marketplace.

Hopefully, this blog has provided a synopsis.  Call to discuss and simplify your options.

To your success!

Charlene

B Vitamins – B Complex

The B vitamins are also known as the “happy vitamins” or – the “cope-ability vitamins”. The B Complex vitamin usually delivers eight of the B vitamins: B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine), B7 (biotin), B9 (folic acid), and B12 (cobalamin). The most important thing to remember is that all B vitamins should be taken together in a “Complex” form.  Taking them separately can cause imbalances.

B vitamins are destroyed by light, intense heat, slow cooking, baking soda and baking powder. In addition, sugar, alcohol, caffeine, sulfa drugs, sleeping pills, infections, estrogen, and stress all destroy B vitamins. It is found naturally in leafy greens, dairy, beans, peas, and whole or fortified grains. B Complex supplements are water-soluble and do not stay in the body for long, thus, need to be taken through the day.

The most effective way to tell whether you have adequate B vitamins in your system at any given time is to check to see if your urine is bright clear, almost fluorescent yellow. The B2 causes the color but it ensures that you have enough B Complex in your body. You want evidence 24 hours a day that your level of B vitamins are 100% to maintain proper balance.  Since the use of B vitamins varies drastically each day based on stress (emotional, physical & chemical), how much sleep you’ve had, your dietary intake, etc., and since only a slight deficiency can cause metabolic and blood chemistry imbalances in the body, you always want clear evidence of slight overflow.

B vitamins are essential to many reactions in your body that convert food and fats into energy. B Complex aids in digestion and is chiefly responsible for the health of the digestive tract, the skin, mouth, tongue, eyes, nerves, arteries, and liver. B Complex vitamins help the body metabolize carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and hormones and help in tissue formation, normal growth, and development. It forms red blood cells, produces productive antibodies and helps bring balance to many systems in the body. It is frequently recommended for nerve injuries and carpal tunnel syndrome and is necessary for normal functioning of the nervous system. B vitamins can regulate homocysteine levels in the blood, and help clear arteries for cardio patients. B vitamins help support adrenal function, help calm and maintain a healthy nervous system, and are necessary for key metabolic processes.

Folic acid in the B Complex is critical to maintaining good health. The body needs it to make new cells. Up to 75 percent of serious birth defects of the spine and brain could be prevented if women consumed adequate daily amounts of folate in their diets, especially in the crucial months before pregnancy. The Shaklee corporationincorporates folic acid into the coating of the B Complex making it more accessible to the body and providing the minimum of 400 mcg per day with 2 tablets a day. You will see uniform quantities rounded off in the ingredient list when it is not derived from food. When it is food based the amounts of the eight B vitamins listed on the label should be a variety of numbers.

If you are deficient in B Complex then you will feel tired, irritable, nervous, or even depressed. People deficient in B vitamins quickly become anemic, are nervous, do not sleep well (insomnia), crave sweets, and have high cholesterol levels. B Complex alleviates PMS, menopausal symptoms and morning sickness. A slight deficiency can cause abnormal heart action, constipation, and mental depression, even suicidal tendencies. Gray hair, falling hair, baldness, acne or other skin problems indicate a lack of B vitamins. As do cracks at the corner of the mouth, tender gums, burning feet, burning and dry eyes. It is even used to control migraine headaches, improve cases of shingles, and postoperative nausea and vomiting (resulting from anesthesia) and it is essential in calming hyperactivity in children.

Make Vitamin B a priority in your day and you will notice a difference in your health.

To your good health.

Charlene

Your Second Act – Lifestyle Freedom, Financial Prosperity and Impact

For the past 15 years, Boomers (born between 1946-1964) have had a higher rate of entrepreneurial activity than any other demographic. Since 60 is the new 30, they have a lifetime of experience they want to share and they are not afraid of hard work. Many have worked “traditional” jobs and either have been let go or have left on their own accord. So now they are ready for their second act.

Now Boomers are looking for lifestyle freedom and work schedule freedom,  as time is seen as the most valuable resource at this point in their lives. For many, there is also a need for more financial prosperity as the pensions are not quite enough to live on.  They also want to make an impact.

Whether you are a boomer or not, you may need another paid part-time job at the same time as you start up what you are passionate about.  You’re living the dream but you’re paying the bills too.

With the internet now, you can run your business from your laptops from anywhere in the world. You just need a WordPress website, a Facebook presence – and it’s free. You can also have a presence on Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or Tumblr.

There are so many advantages to being self-employed as an entrepreneur. One of the main ones is the tax advantages. You can write off a variety of expenses and lower your taxable income allowing you to actually keep more of what you earn.  You have the option of working out of your home office which means no more rush hours and additional gas expenses.

Here are some of the benefits:

• Greater earning potential with no salary cap, no glass ceiling. You can earn what you are worth.
• You could become rich. If it takes off, the person who’s going to get all that profit is you.
• Your income directly relates to your productivity.
• You can create a built-in retirement income stream,  the potential for unlimited income.
• A sense of control over your future.
• Time flexibility. Setting your own hours, taking more vacation days. Enjoying the world in a way 9-5ers can’t.
• You get the freedom of being your own boss. No-one to tell you what to do. No need to ask permission.
• You control how your work is done. You choose your own customers/clients.
• Your work area is truly yours. You can buy new equipment when you want or need it.
• You chose what to wear each day.
•  You spend less money on expensive daily lunches.
•  You don’t have to go to nonproductive meetings. No more co-worker drama.
• You do work that makes sense, something that you are passionate about.
• Allows you to focus on providing a product or service you believe in and are good at.
• You enjoy the variety of continually adapting, learning, and updating your skills while developing way more confidence.
•  You can tap into your creativity and can be yourself, more fulfilled.
•  You can create a legacy and make a difference.

Whether you are a Boomer or not, these benefits may be appealing to you. Now’s your chance to explore the possibilities of your second act.  Book a complimentary strategy session at  http://charleneday.com/.

To your success,

Charlene

Have You Been Wondering About Fat?

Fat is one of the most misunderstood nutrients. Fat is one of three nutrients that supply calories to the body. The other two are protein and carbohydrates. Fats belong to a group of substances called lipids and come in liquid or solid form. All fats are combinations of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. Fats (namely omega-3 and omega-6) provide essential fatty acids, which are not made by the body and must be obtained from food.

The unsaturated fats are the raw plant, nut and seed oils. They are fresh pressed and liquid at room temperature. There are two types of “good” unsaturated fats:

1. Monounsaturated fats are found in high concentrations in Olive, peanut, and canola oils, avocados, nuts such as almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans, seeds such as pumpkin and sesame seeds.
2. Polyunsaturated fats are found in high concentrations in sunflower, corn, soybean, and flaxseed oils, walnuts, flax seeds, and fish. Fish produce EPA and DHA from ALA found in the algae and plankton they eat.

Omega-3 fats are an important type of polyunsaturated fat. The parent fatty acid of the omega-3 series is alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). The long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), can be synthesized from ALA. However, two essential fatty acids, linoleic and alpha-linolenic, cannot be synthesized in the body and must be obtained from food.  One way to get omega-3 fats is by eating fish that thrive in cold environments (not farmed fish)2-3 times a week. Good plant sources of omega-3 fats include flax seeds, chia, walnuts, hempseed oil, canola or soybean oil.

Omega-6 fatty acids are also an essential fatty acid and come from vegetable oils, (palm, soybean, rapeseed, borage, and sunflower) and poultry, eggs, nuts, sesame seeds,  pumpkin seeds, breads, and cereals. Linoleic acid (LA) is an omega-6, not to be confused with alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which is an omega-3 fatty acid. Linoleic acid is converted to gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) in the body.

Omega−9 fatty acids are an oleic acid which is the main component of olive oil, macadamia oil and other monounsaturated fats and erucic acid which is found in rapeseed, wallflower seed, and mustard seed. Unlike omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, omega−9 fatty acids are not classed as essential fatty acids (EFA).

Most people don’t eat enough healthful unsaturated fats. The American Heart Association suggests that 8-10 percent of daily calories should come from polyunsaturated fats.

The other fats are the Saturated Fats. They are the animal fats and solid at room temperature. Saturated fat is also in tropical oils, such as coconut oil, palm oil, and cocoa butter. Foods made with butter, margarine, or shortening have a lot of saturated fat. Saturated fat can raise your cholesterol.

Trans fat is a fat that has been changed by a process called hydrogenation. This process increases the shelf life of fat and makes the fat harder at room temperature. Harder fat makes crispier crackers and flakier pie crusts. Trans fat can also raise your cholesterol. Basically, you will find this kind of fat in most processed foods.

So in this very basic understanding of fats, we see that it is important to ingest the good essential fats and decrease the trans fats or avoid them all together.

To your good health.

Charlene

Are you Happy?

I went away for the weekend to chill with a girlfriend. On Friday night we decided to watch a movie and we chose Collateral Beauty as neither of us had seen it yet. The movie is about a successful advertising executive played by Will Smith, who is reduced to a clinically depressed loner after his young daughter’s tragic death. During this time he writes letters about abstract concepts of Love, Time, and Death.  I won’t spoil the movie but suffice to say, since it dealt with time, love and death, it got us thinking.

After the movie, my friend asked me, “Are you happy”? The question took me by surprise as I was not displaying any unhappiness, so I wondered why that question. It was a question I had pondered when I wrote my last book, The 30 Laws of Flow. So since I knew the Law of Polarity, that was how I answered. The Law of Polarity shows us that in order to know happiness, we have to also know sadness. In our dualistic world, you can’t know happiness without experiencing sadness. This goes for all of our emotional states. It is one of the privileges and greatest challenges of our human experience.

We can choose to be happy as an adopted attitude but I propose that what we are looking for is more appropriately described as flow or harmony, serenity, joy, bliss or love. Flow seen in this way is an acceptance, a receptive state of being. So when asked, am I happy, I described the state by using the word serenity instead of the word happy.

The word happy has so many connotations. The state of happiness will be triggered by completely different circumstances for everyone. The greatest teachers and sages throughout time have said that only the urge to find your real Self can make you truly happy.

When we start the transformation of expressing our inner selves in the external world, we become more open, removing the filters and masks and letting spirit move through us. A sure sign of this is when we are happy for no reason, feeling content, peaceful—it is coming from within us, we are no longer separate from it, and we are in a different state of consciousness, in the flow.

So when my friend expressed that she was not happy, we explored her inner world to discover the reason. What became clear is that a book project she had been passionate about had been left behind and she was not having fun doing what she was currently occupying her time with. As soon as she spoke about her book project, her energy changed and there were an aliveness and a joy back in her voice. So it became clear that rekindling this project would connect her back to her soul’s work.

Fascinating how after that conversation we saw in the village a placard saying “Happiness is not a destination, It’s a way of life.” Also, Denis Waitley said, “Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude.” So two great reminders that happiness is an inside job.

So I will leave you with the question, “Are you happy?”

To your success,

Charlene

When You Need More Energy – Naturally

Sometimes we need more energy to do a particular task. This week I needed more energy when I got the call from my granddaughter that she was in labor around 11 p.m. So as her Doula, instead of preparing for bed, I prepared to go to the midwives’ clinic where we were meeting for the birth. So I had to switch gears and rev up my energy instead of preparing for a quiet night’s sleep.

So how can we get that extra boost naturally?

Many people turn to drinks like coffee and Red Bull type energy drinks. But these are not natural and overall are not healthy for you.

I am going to share what I did to get through the night without any sleep and to have enough energy to be there for my granddaughter as she went through the birthing process.

The first thing I did was get a few water bottles filled up with purified water. Enough for her and me. Then I grabbed a can of Performance. This is an electrolyte balancing powder that prevents dehydration. It bypasses the stomach and contains three types of carbohydrates for energy and stamina. This was added to the water. It was especially important for her as she needed that extra energy between contractions.

I took a bag of Shaklee Energy Chews to pass around to all of us at the birth. I gave extra to the father of the baby as he had to go to work the next day. Each chew contains a scientific blend of caffeine from natural green tea extract associated with energy and performance, plus key amino acids  L-tyrosine, L-theanine associated with mental alertness and focus, energy-releasing B vitamins and vitamins D and C. So each chew boosts your energy naturally.

I also packed a bottle of B Complex. The B Complex promotes cellular energy production and converts food into energy for your cells. This Shaklee B has a unique folic acid coating that makes the nutrient more accessible to promote absorption. So the B Complex was available all night to give an extra boost when needed. Since B’s are water soluble, we could just take them without food.

Speaking of food, when you want to stay awake all night, you don’t want to eat foods heavy in carbohydrates, like those found in sugary drinks, cookies, and processed foods. They provide a fast boost of energy by spiking your blood sugar and then dropping it quickly, followed by a crash. So it best to stay away from those if you want to keep your energy up.

I also brought some 180 Energizing Teas sticks. They are a safe and natural way to get a quick pick-me-up.  They contain an exclusive blend of antioxidant-rich green, white and red teas, as well as taurine, which naturally boosts your energy and enhances alertness. Since they are in a powder form and can be added to cold water, that is how we drank it during the night.

The last item in my bag of goodies was Stress Relief Complex.  The Stress Relief Complex formula contains ashwagandha, a traditional adaptogenic herb used to help the body adapt to heightened stress. Adaptogens help your entire body gently cope with stress, anxiety, and, of course, fatigue.

So we all went through the night with great energy, thanks to my bag of natural goodies. My granddaughter gave birth to a healthy baby boy (featured in the picture when 2 hours old) completely naturally. Natural birth and natural energy aids, what more could you ask for.

To your good health!

Charlene

Experiential Selling

First of all, what is the meaning of sales? The dictionary says, “the exchange of a commodity for money; the activity or business of selling products or services; persuading someone of the merits of buying the product or service that will benefit him or her.”

The Old English definition of sales is “to give, furnish, supply, lend, surrender, give up; deliver to; promise,” and Old Norse is “to flow” and what I was taught is that the root word for sales is “to serve”.

The” experiential” definition is “relating to, derived from, or providing experience; involving or based on experience and observation.”

So putting the two words together means that we can serve the best through offering an experience. Most people are wired to believe what they experience, not what you tell them they will experience. It engages multiple senses at the same time and focuses on an emotional connection.

So our job, if we have a product or service to sell, is to create memorable events and meetings, and engage our prospect emotionally so they can make their own judgments about the product or service. Also, the process of gaining knowledge from direct experience has more of a meaningful and lasting impact. There is a motivating spark that happens when a prospect suddenly “gets it.” And it can be a physical sensation as well.

The most important aspect of the selling process is asking key questions to set the stage for the experiential experience. It’s when you ask the right questions that get the prospect to really think something through, to visualize, to see themselves as the desired outcome, and come up with the solution on their own. When this happens you will see it in their physiology.

Experiential selling is all about the prospect: Putting them in the picture with the product, in their mind. Solving the problem they have and improving their life. You cannot provide a solution until you identify the problem. You must dive deep into the discovery process, and when you do, you get to the right solution that will feel right to your prospect.

Every person is unique. Each prospect is coming from different circumstances, with different experiences and will have different expectations. So our job is to find out as much as possible about the problem that needs solving.

Look for ways to give prospects more hands-on experiences with your product or service, whatever it may be. You may offer either a complimentary service or a product, so the prospect can experience the benefit for themselves and become enthusiastic ambassadors.

Stories can be very powerful sales tools. A well-told story with emotion draws the prospect in, and allows the prospect to put themselves into the story, and take away lessons or ideas that they can use to solve their own challenges. Stories can also help your prospect to experience your expertise and problem-solving abilities.

Ultimately sales are about serving and developing a relationship with your prospect. Keep in mind, people don’t remember what you said, they remember how you made them feel.

So here’s to good sales relationships!

Charlene Day