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Hello Friends – I am Coach Jen!

Business & Life Coach – Helping Clients live their Best Professional and Personal Lives

I knew from the beginning my business degree wouldn’t complete my education – life and years of experience would.   What I didn’t know was it would take me over 20 years to finally get to know me, recognize my skills and talents and to understand what I really wanted to do with my life.

Of course I would have preferred to have figured it out earlier – fast track per se…but then what fun is that? In order to be really educated – formally and informally – you need to experience life.  You need to experience the good and the bad – the bumps, the hills and the good times. 

My Story

In early 2017 I started to mentally and physically drown – and fast. I was falling so fast that I couldn’t even stop or slow myself down…I had no idea what was wrong, or how to fix me. 

Throughout my career I prided myself on being resilient, in control, very creative and the person who could / wanted and would to do it all — including being a rock star partner/wife, amazing mama, career driven, work-a-holic, friend to all, cook/baker, and putting on a good show that I had my shit together.

Faking It to Make It.   I could have won an Academy Award my performance was so good. 

My Reality

I couldn’t recover from any conversation (personal or professional) – everything I said felt wrong, or I feared judgement and shame.

The signs were everywhere and i ignored them all. For example – driving my own car was becoming more and more of a challenge – I would be driving down the highway and wouldn’t remember how I had gotten there.  Directionally challenged was a thing – and I was good at it. I had stopped eating – I was never hungry….and I love food!  Even wine had lost its appeal.  Socializing was pure torture – I avoided it at all costs. 

Fits of tears in the bathroom were a daily routine – with self-talk to get my ass out the door.  I was sooooo unhappy – but didn’t feel I deserved or was entitled to be.  I needed to suck it up and get to work – and parent, drive kids, laundry, cook, and survive one more day.  Just get through the day was my internal mantra.  Smile. I was not surviving – the idea of thriving was a hoop dream that I didn’t have time for.

This was my new normal – I was just whining. Get over it Jen.

Sounds depressing right? 

Well it turned out that is exactly what it was!  With all my education, my friends/family support, and common sense I didn’t see the writing on the wall.  I was mentally hurt – and I really did need help.  

Depression

I finally got help when the Husband pushed me (yes made me) go to my Doctor.  He was scared for me – and us.  

It still took me months to finally walk through the Drs door. 

The day finally came when I sat in his office wearing the most trendy sky blue paper dress, white plastic belt, and the feeling of dread – I was trying to convince myself it’s not that bad. I am an entitled spoiled bratt that needs to told to ‘grow up’. Seriously – fwak.

He walked into the room, his head down into my file, and asked the standard starter question ‘How’s it going?’

Please – Help me.  I NEED HELP

That’s all I said.  He looked up and the pity came pouring out.  He put down my file and started to talk to me.  

I ugly cried, I was shaking uncontrollably, snott poured out, I felt sooo exhausted, and then to top it off I almost threw up over my beautiful blue paper.  Definitely not my sexiest or professional or human moment – I was vulnerable, ozzing shame and was desperate for help…..oh and half naked. 🤦‍♀️

My Doctor immediately diagnosed me with extreme depression and a touch of anxiety...it was so bad they didn’t understand why it took me so long to get here. 

I was assigned blood work, immediate time off work, second & third appointments, and a referral to a therapist.  Medication eventually was added to the list.

Wow okay so I may have over shared — but really this is my story, this is who I am, and I am so damn proud of me.  Which of course sounds conceded – but if I hadn’t gone through the drowning I wouldn’t have found me.  I like me.  BUT i know i am not alone – so many others have the same or similar story! 

Today

It may have taken me over twenty years to learn the importance of looking after me first – I can’t stress enough the importance of self-care to so many.  But I don’t want anyone to get to the point of what happened to me – it really was terrifying and so internally/mentally lonely.  No one should go through that alone – and I was grateful that I wasn’t ever alone (once I figured even that part out). 

So here I am today – almost two years later!  Stronger, older, wiser, empowered and fwking HAPPY!  Not dorky OMG happy – but enough to just be me!

I now know who I am and what I am capable of.  I am capable of so much more that I have ever been.

My number one fan
First and Most Important Qualification to be YOUR Coach

Here’s the thing – in order to be able to help others as their Coach and Leader I had to take care of myself first.  I needed to be confident in me.  I needed to trust in me.

It took me over a year to find me, work on me, and whole-heartily believe in me.  I have to continue to work every day on me. The journey has been hard, but I have learned so much about me – it really has been fascinating – not conceded fascinating ….  more like empowering fascinating!

I am still not perfect – perfection is boring!  Nor do I ever want to be perfect

Additional Qualifications to be Your Coach / Mentor / Advisor
  • 20 Years of Corporate Experience – all the good and bad experiences
  • Recovering work-a-holic (yes it is a thing)
  • Depression Survivor – is that a thing?? 
  • Certified Life Coach
  • Trained in Cognitive Behavior Therapy
  • Marketing and Strategic Planning guru (B.Comm Degree’d)
  • Excel Dork – i love love a messy spreadsheet
  • Mom of two boys (Con and JZ) – and Crazy Daisy (Golden)
  • Sister to two amazing women; Sister-in-law to five others!
  • Tribe member 
  • Undocumented Self-Care Guru
  • Professional organizer – no certification required, I am just really good at it
  • Self-proclaimed writer & Blogger x 3
  • Hockey Mama – or uncertified Uber Driver
Meet My Family – Husband, Con, JZ, and Me

Coaching Goals in Working with YOU

My Goal in working with my one-on-one clients is to see them succeed!

My goal in working with Companies or Leaders is to see their teams flourish – professionally and personally. Happy People make shit happen!

My first order of business is helping YOU identify road blocks and then working to find the right strategies to knock them down…one by one. By working with me – we are now a team. I am your number one fan – I will hold you accountable, be your cheerleader, and push you to push you (make sense?)

I have Coached …..
  • The Entrepreneurs
  • The Overachievers
  • The Exhausted Corporate Boss Ladies!
  • And also those who are looking to…..
    • Redefining their career path
    • Making career changes
    • Setting up tools to better coach their team
    • Self-care & wellness
    • Return to work
    • Teaming up with therapists and case managers – team support is the best!!
    • Resume and Interview prep
Let’s Chat

Photo Credit: the talented Michelle Blais