An Interview with a Life Coach

Last Monday I did something I never really thought I would in a personal setting, and it was honestly an eye-opening experience.

I sat down and had a 90 minute coaching conversation with a professional coach.

The coach was my good friend Shannon from Miami.  She is one of my favorite girl bosses and the CEO of her own company, Ishiki Insights. More on Shannon in a minute!

In early January, Shannon shared that she was offering free 90 minute coaching sessions to anyone who was interested and willing to open her mind to the possibilities.  I decided to sign-up for a few reasons.  One, when I lived in Miami, Shannon was (and still is) one of my favorite people to have “deep conversations” with.  She has a knack for asking really good questions and listening.  And two, I know how passionate she is about helping other people live authentic lives.  I had a few questions I wanted to dig deeper on and figured a 90 minute session with Shannon would get me answers.

Well, the session went differently than I imagined it to but in the best way possible!  I went in with a specific work related goal, shared it with Shannon, and told her that I would like to uncover ways for me to achieve said goal.  Shannon listened, asked me a few questions, and we were off. We started with the work stuff, but as Shannon asked questions and I talked, the conversation went much deeper than I thought it would.  Not only that, but Shannon helped me think through ways to use the new insights in a positive and helpful way that is 100% authentic to me.

Coaching is very powerful if you go in with an open mind!  Very powerful.

I was so impressed with our coaching session that I asked Shannon if she would like to do a Q&A on MIS.  While I could go on and on about my experience, I figured it would be more helpful to hear more from Shannon herself!

Shannon’s background
Shannon is a Certified Professional Coach and an Energy Leadership Index Master Practitioner.  She received her coaching certification after a seven month intensive coach training program from the Institute of Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC).  Additionally, Shannon graduated from Penn State University with a bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management and Japanese.  For the first seven years of her career, Shannon worked in two Fortune 500 companies in finance and analytical roles.  Shannon is now a passionate entrepreneur as CEO of Isihki Insights, her own coaching business based out of Miami, FL.

Why did you decide to become a certified coach?
In 2014 I was at my career rock bottom after relocating from Washington DC to Miami and taking a job that was unfulfilling and underpaid.  I decided to hire a coach and the entire experience completely changed my life.  I became empowered to take action towards creating the life I had always wanted but never felt like I deserved.  Once I learned about the power of coaching through that firsthand experience, I knew I wanted to become a coach so that I could help other women live up to their full potential!

What is coaching and what is it not?
The best way to sum up coaching is: inner work + outer action = sustainable results.  So many times when we want to make a change in our lives, we look to taking new action or adopting new habits.  These techniques may give us short-lived results but soon enough we find ourselves hitting the same road blocks and can’t seem to actually make the big changes we were hoping for.  Coaching combines both the inner and outer work so that you can first address who you are at your core and then integrate that new version of yourself into your life to get the sustainable results you’ve been looking for.

What are the 3-5 most common misconceptions about coaching in your opinion?
The one I hear most often is about coaching and therapy.  Both are great depending on where you are in life.  Therapy is focused on your past and processing your feelings around traumas from your past.  In coaching, there is no ‘fixing.’  We focus on how to get your from where you are today to where you want to be in the future.  The second most common misconception is that a coach gives you advice.  While I have many hours of coaching experience and training, I don’t have all the answers and I certainly don’t have your answers (sorry to disappoint!).  The truth is, you have your answers.  But you aren’t able to see them yet because you’re living with a system of beliefs and rules about how the world works that may not be serving you.  Coaching shines the light on what’s really keeping you stuck and gives you the space to re-write your story so that you can see all the possible answers that are available to you.