What the heck do coaches do?

You might be thinking, “Coaching. Sounds cool. But what exactly is it?”

Ok, I've got you.

Coaching is 3 things.

🪞A mirror, 🔦 a guide, and ⚡a catalyst.

Let me break it down for you:

🪞Coaching is a mirror.

A coach serves as a mirror, assisting you in gaining a clearer understanding of yourself.

It could sound like this:

• You’ve mentioned getting really drained once you start setting a goal because suddenly there’s a lot of pressure. Where is the pressure coming from?

• I’m seeing you light up when you talk about a past coworker and how fun it felt to collaborate together. What felt fun about it?

We can get so caught up in our own thoughts without allowing space to really know what we want.

We forget to know ourselves. To hear ourselves.

As a coach I’m here to hold space for these reflections and point out what’s helpful.

Coaching is like catching a glimpse of yourself in the mirror, being surprised, and saying “oh, is that what I looked like today?” 🧑‍🦰🪞

🔦 Coaching is a guide.

• Coaching is exploratory. A chance to expand outwards. It can be physical exploration (moving cities, becoming a mother, taking up a new exercise routine), career exploration (changing careers, creating a business), and always self exploration (what do I really want to do? how do I want to show up?).

With exploration, it’s helpful to have a guide to keep you on track. To thought partner with you and to keep you safe and feeling supported. I’ll keep an eye on the destination and an eye out for roadblocks.

⚡ Coaching is a catalyst.

Ok, this is my absolute favorite!

This is where we accelerate the heck out of what you want.

🧁I like to break this down as a recipe:

• 1/3 cup accountability

• 1/3 cup disruption of unhelpful thought patterns

• 1/3 cup new possibilities

• large dollop of support and cheerleading

• sprinkles of celebrations for experimentation, progress, & revelations

This recipe forms the ultimate catalyst for breaking through and moving ahead.

Think about something you’ve been wanting to do for ages.

And think about the merry-go-round of thinking about it

over and over and over (and then over and over and over),

without making much progress.

Coaching catalyzes you to move forward.

🪞A mirror, 🔦 a guide, and ⚡a catalyst.

Which aspect of coaching resonates with you the most?

Rooting for you,

Sarah

p.s. Words from past clients who can explain coaching far better than I can.

❤️currently loving

Async voicenotes! Not just for WhatsApp, but for feeling more connected in our regular workflows. 👋 I’m saying hi! Send me one back.

 🎵 This Jason Mraz performance of his song “Sleeping to Dream.” Jason Mraz was the very first concert I attended, wide-eyed and teenage-girl-infatuated. I love these lyrics and the stage of life they represent.

Dreamy, nostalgic indie perfumes. Who wants to smell like “a whiff of waffle cone” or “every storm a serenade?” I do, I do.

Start With Hello is a letter of quips, tips, and stories for the always curious. It’s written by Sarah, a coach, engineer, founder, and Sushi Go aficionado. I offer 1:1 coaching for women in tech and if you’re in a rut, I’ve got you - book a complimentary consultation. Please pass this along to a friend if they’d find it interesting AND have a brilliant day⚡️.