Executive Coach and Executive Coaching Articles

Did you know that the number one desired outcome of communication skills coaching is to increase self-confidence speaking? Whether the situation is to speak to the boss, a roomful of people or a large massive crowd, having the self-confidence to deliver the message in a way that resonates is priority. Leaders know ...

Just like a fingerprint, you have a unique sound. You vocal cords developed during puberty to a certain length and mass which gives you the pitch that you use. The shape and mass of your vocal tract (the back of the throat, the tongue, the lips, etx) is where the sound is configured. You are limited in how much you ...

Click here for the MP3 audio version of this article. What is the one thing that every success story has in common? It is, “I was here in this circumstance and I went to there in a new circumstance.” From here to there has a thread that you can follow. Successful people think a certain way. Not every one gets from here to there the same way but they know the path. Even the current science explains how and why from here to there is the success formula you must embrace to get what you want…and more.

Click here for the MP3 audio version of this article. Behind every good success there is a story. You may know some of the “BIG” ones, such as, Richard Branson’s approach to success is based on his personal experience with something he thinks can be improved – usually a service or product that didn’t do the job for him. From there he thinks creatively about how to build a better airplane, train, or entertainment company.

A New Take on the Couch Potato Making a Living in Your Living Room “To be successful, all you have to do is give up everything you know”. Asara We have a little saying, ‘living in your living room’, which has to do with doing what you want to do and if you choose, do ...

If you have been trying to use The Law of Attraction, but somehow, no matter how hard you try, it doesn’t seem to be working, maybe as Yoda says, “There is no try, there is only do.” We have all had situations where we tried, tried, and tried again, and what we were trying to do, just wouldn’t ...

Hi I’m Asara Lovejoy, the number one problem solver in the world who guarantees results. I can make this promise because I have discovered something quite amazing about who we are as human beings – that within our brain and our mind we have the capacity to change any idea, limitation doubt or ...

We are so filled with mis-beliefs. We think we are filled with just ‘beliefs’, or maybe, ‘disbeliefs’, but in fact, we are loaded to the gills (as it were), with mis-guided beliefs, many that we are completely unaware of. How does this happen? How do we spend our lives loading up with beliefs ...

What if you could not only retrain your brain, but change your physical neurology as well? How about replacing the blueprint for health that has produced an overweight, overtired, overstressed you, for a slim, strong, vibrant you? We are all actually masters, we have simply forgotten how to ...

“To be successful, all you have to do is give up everything you know.” Asara Lovejoy The foregoing quote might sound like the very last thing you want to hear about your life and making it everything you want it to be. But remember the popular quote from Einstein, “The definition of insanity ...

Have you ever felt that there is something major missing in your affirmations? Are they working for you? Well, what if there was a missing link? A friend of mine and I spent a number of years from 2004 to 2006 complaining about our frustration with the outcome of our affirmations. In 2004, ...

We would appear to be in a time of economic crises, there would seem to be a lot of evidence for that belief. Our legislature seems to be in turmoil, confusion and ineffective and inefficient processes. So what in the world can we do? How can we influence the ‘powers-that-be’? How can we ...

When I was a young girl I lived on a ranch with sheep, cattle, pets and especially my best friends, our horses. I was cautioned many times “to be careful” as an eight year old of the danger around horses, at the same time I was taught how to ride and brush, curry, clean and feed these glorious ...r

We know from the experiences of our lives that what we need comes to us at the most critical times and what we need appears, why is that? Usually what we need comes because we have finally reached that place where we are completely focused and completely relaxed at the same time. Often the ...

It shouldn't surprise me anymore, but it does. When a potential coaching client contacts me, I often ask two questions, "How did you find me?" and "What made you interested?" Ninety percent of the time, the answer to the first question is "I Googled 'career coach.'" No surprise, I work hard to make it easy for people to find my business and me. It's the second answer that's shocking, "Well you were the only person who called back." What?

Smile. Have you ever noticed how easily puppies make human friends? Yet all they do is wag their tails and fall over. ~Walter Anderson, The Confidence Course, 1997 In 1931, a Merry Melodies cartoon had "Smile Darn Ya, Smile" as its title and the lyrics of the background song. You can watch this on YouTube if you'd like. It makes me think about smiling in general. Smiling is such an enjoyable activity. Can you think of anyone who's sad who can continue being sad and smile at the same time? I can't.

"Maturity includes the recognition that no one is going to see anything in us that we don't see in ourselves. Stop waiting for a producer. Produce yourself." ~ Marianne Williamson

Malcolm Gladwell made a name for himself by writing three bestselling books “Blink,” “The Tipping Point,” and now “Outliers.” His latest is currently number 5 on the bestseller list. The word outlier refers to “a statistical observation that is markedly different in value from others of the sample.” Gladwell’s focus is on extraordinarily successful people (Bill Gates, the Beatles, NHL players to name a few), and what it is about them, their environment, and the luck that made them what they are today.

“Every form of addiction is bad, no matter whether the narcotic be alcohol or morphine or idealism.” ~ Jung Addictions can take many forms, and each of them is detrimental. We are all ready to admit that drugs and alcohol are addictive and if you stretch your thought a bit further, you might also see some other addictions that affect your life in one form or another, like having to be in control, reading books, watching sports, amassing money, listening to music, etc. I’m not saying that last group is all detrimental, but they can all create addictive behavior.

Laughter is the best medicine. ~ Proverbs Laughter is puzzling. We don't know where it comes from, but we do know that we like it. Babies like to laugh, we like to laugh at them laughing, don't we? We certainly don't work to discover in a scholarly way what laughter is or the benefits of laughter. We just enjoy the power of laughter and accept it as part of our life experience. We like it and when we haven't experienced it for a while, we miss it. We feel so good after a good belly laugh that makes tears come out of our eyes.

Who wouldn’t like to get more done in less time, have excess hours and energy to devote to family, hobbies, and rest? If you looked at the actions and habits of the average worker, you would wonder. We seem to be increasing productivity to levels formerly seen as impossible, lengthening our commutes and expanding our hours in the office at a price of 25-40% less sleep than our grandparents. Are we healthier or happy because of it, studies says “no.”

I decided autumn was a great time to clean out the garage. Thought, while I was at it, to get rid of the things that had been replaced or whose time had come. The answer was clear—sell it at my first ever yard sale. Here’s what I learned and how I think we can all apply some of the lessons to other parts of our lives.

Since the Great Depression, a commonly held perspective on the good life is that we can all look forward to retirement, when we didn't have to work any more. We would be more relaxed and healthier away from the stresses of work. There's a couple of flaws in that argument. For one thing, retirement, like pensions was an invention of the depression, intended to deal with the problem of unemployment. Prior to the depression, and in past ages, the concept of retirement didn't exist. AARP in the U.S.

Do you think leaders are liars? A recent PBS show investigated the question - "Are leaders good liars?" According to psychologist Carrie Keating's experiments in human behavior - "the findings seem to demonstrate a correlation between persuasive abilities and dominant behavior." From the corporate world, to the curious gene pool that makes good politicians, the case can be made, according to Ms. Keating, for why leaders are good liars.

Life is the lump sum of our choices. ~ Albert Camus A successful person does not drift through his or her days. They focus their mentality on what they believe to be important, they take the time to make deliberate choices and they are disciplined in their emotions. They are living by design. A person who lives by default is less focused, accepts whatever comes his or her way, doesn't have a master plan, and allows their emotions to run rampant. Which are you? Deliberate or Default? Here's an illustrative quote from Alice in Wonderland.

Social Networking gets your job search noticed When I speak of social networking I am referring primarily to Facebook.com (growing the fastest) LinkedIn.com (I call it the Facebook.com of business), My Space.com (huge globally) and Twitter.com (getting the most buzz). Not to say there are not other locations but if you used only these you would be well into the game. Why would a sane adult want to enter into the social networking arena, during a job search?

Throughout my life, I've encountered scores of people who don't appear to love themselves. They say negative things about their appearance, their lack of success at work, not being a good parent or child, or not making the right choices in life. While it is true that we all grapple with issues related to any of these items, we should spend more time on itemizing and being grateful for our positive attributes and successes, and less time on what we feel is wrong with us, negative experiences, or perceived failures.

In thinking about how many people these days are looking for support, I put myself in the shoes of someone considering working with a coach for the first time. I imagine I’d feel intimidated. It’s a huge world out there with so many people using the term - life coach, career coach, personal coach, executive coach… How would one know where to find someone who’s a good fit for them? How do you judge and choose? After doing this job informally and formally for over 20 years now, I have thoughts about how to find a coach that’s right for you. Important factors to consider:

"Start a Profitable Global International Trade Import Export Business". Become licensed as a Customs Broker. What is a Customs Broker? Glad you asked. Customs Brokers are private individuals, partnerships, associations or corporations licensed, regulated, and empowered by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to assist importers and exporter i meeting Federal requirements governing imports and exports. Brokers submit necessary information and appropriate payments to CBP on behalf of their clients and charge them a fee for this service.

The start of the New Year is often the perfect time to turn a new page in your life, which is why so many people make New Year's resolutions. Researchers have looked at success rates of peoples' resolutions: the first two weeks usually go along beautifully, but by February, people are backsliding and by the following December, most people are back where they started, often even further behind.

Top 4 Resume Writing Mistakes Smart People Make (and how to avoid them) 1. Underselling Accomplishments. You would be amazed how many people either forget or minimize their achievements. Some managers are too quick to give, rather than take credit, and often couch their successes in qualifying terms such as “possible,” “assisted,” “worked with,” “generally.” Solution: Work with someone who can help you harvest those accomplishments. Keep files throughout the year listing contributions and results. It is easy to forget and or assume everyone knows.

Many years ago I met a lady who did something brave and adventurous (at least in my eyes). She saw a certain city in her dream and felt quite urged to move there, in spite of the fact that this particular city was on the other side of the world and she was not much of a traveler. However, she did an honest evaluation of her life, ended her unhappy marriage of 25 years, kissed her grown-up kids goodbye and set off for the city she’d seen in her dreams.

If the 80s was the decade of the manager (remember The One-Minute Manager?), and the 90s focused on leaders (sometimes more like celebrities), the 00s is the time of team leadership. No longer are companies relying on a single person to drive the vision. The risks are too high, the talent thin. The needs demand depth and breath of knowledge as well as skills. Only a highly qualified leadership team can meet the challenge. In addition, evidence shows that successful teams produce greater results and happier employees.

Every nonprofit organization should conduct strategic planning on a regular basis, as strategic plans outline what action steps the organization will take in the future to sustain and grow their operation, while adhering to their mission. Many organizations focus attention on conducting the strategic planning session and developing a plan, but don't allocate sufficient time to prepare for the planning retreat. Taking time to adequately prepare for a strategic planning session can help the actual event to run much more smoothly and efficiently, resulting in greater productivity.

Alte ative Stress Solution #1 Breathe for Your Life “Stand up straight, suck in your belly, chest out”, these are the instructions most of us have filed away in the folder marked good posture. When we are told to take a deep breath we instinctively contract our bellies back towards our spine. These are the roots of the poor breathing habits we developed in childhood that have marched us staunchly into adulthood.

A woman in her twenties pulled me aside after I finished a speech for a corporate client. Lizelle was newly married and was nervous that with her demanding job she wouldn’t have the energy to have a child. Wait a minute here. She’s 26 years old and she is so tired she doesn’t ...

Success is achieved by developing our strengths, not by eliminating our weaknesses.” Marilyn vs Savant Do you know your strengths? Are you able to name them? Are you using them? I find in working with people that they are not very aware of the strengths that lie inside of them. Most people do not realize that they possess a variety of strengths that have helped them to overcome adversity, to carry on in spite of other people’s views, or to take action that benefits others.

I had a coach who told me I was much better tha I thought I was, and would make me do more in a positive sense. He was the first person who taught me not to be afraid of failure. ~ Mike Krzyzewski Have you ever experienced any event in your life where someone was behind you, supporting and encouraging you, and pointing out the pitfalls that would keep you from getting where you said you wanted to go? Have you always had to rely only on your own best judgment along with the mistakes you’ve made? Would you enjoy a different way to success? Does Using a Coach Mean I’m Not Capable?

It is always exciting but sometimes a little daunting to start work with a new client. After all, you have yet have yet to build up rapport and trust. There can also be a nagging conce about whether you will fit and work well together. Even the most experienced coach can feel this way but ...

From Paper to Podium: Rehearse your way to prime time Think back to the last conference you attended. While an event’s keynote or session speakers may be subject matter experts, most are not professional speakers. If you’ve ever wondered what makes one presenter sparkle while others fall flat, I’d bet you the difference is the time each speaker spent rehearsing. Many speakers believe that their presentations are ready for prime time the moment the toner's dry on their PowerPoint printout.

“The future is not a result of choices among alte ative paths offered by the present, but a place that is created--created first in the mind and will, created next in activity. The future is not some place we are going to, but one we are creating. The paths are not to be found, but made, and ...

How motivated are your employees? Are they fully engaged and passionate about their work? In challenging economic times it is natural for most people to lose some level of enthusiasm. When we cut costs and people around us lose jobs and even their homes, our desire to take on the "biggest and baddest" challenge at work can falter. But in these times, the last thing we need is lost productivity and less passion. In fact, what we really need is to raise the bar and get more productivity and creativity from our people. Can you motivate your employees to do more?

While visiting a friend recently in Chapel Hill, NC, we attended a lecture on the University of North Carolina campus. When the speaker started presenting, I noticed that the audience — which ranged in age from 6 to well over 60 — was completely enthralled (including me!) from start to end. Intrigued, I decided to take a step back to see exactly how this presenter was creating such a powerful experience for his listeners. To tell you the truth, he wasn’t doing every single thing right — and somehow it didn’t matter.

If you want your resume to get noticed, open doors and land you the job you want and deserve … 1. State accomplishments - what have you done in past positions that has made the company money, saved them money, found them time, saved them time or brought prestige to the organization or the brand? Do Now! List your three biggest accomplishments.

Are you at Risk of Career Burnout? Career burnout or job burnout syndrome is a state of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion caused by long-term exposure to demanding, stressful, and pressure filled work situations. Burnout is the cumulative result of persistent stress at work. What Factors Affect Likelihood of Suffering from Career Burnout? There are many reasons why a person can end up suffering from burnout syndrome. These are some of the most common ones. 1) Lack of control.

Recently I was engaged to provide speakers’ training for a group of prestigious physicians launching a groundbreaking new therapy in Europe. Each member of the group was extraordinarily committed to the success of the launch, and their approach made an indelible impression on me. Why?

A question: “People who know me say I’m a different person at work vs. in the rest of my life. Is that bad?” Maybe, maybe not. How, if at all, does it get in your way? Does your team say that about you? Where does your data come from? Is this a recurring theme?

In my consultations with clients I hear many complaints about the challenge of getting teams to work together well. There is recognition that teamwork offers huge rewards but also frustration with the personal experience of working within teams. One of the ways to improve teamwork is to leverage the power of creativity.

Times are tough. It is hard to avoid the challenges of the day whether it is your job, wallet, optimism or health that has been impacted. Earlier in the year I was redoing my kitchen. Clearing out twenty years of accumulation was a bigger task tha I expected. I was shocked at how much food I had amassed. I decided to take the challenge announcing we were “eating from the cupboard” for the next two weeks. It was truly amazing how many wonderful things we found and the new dishes created. Rather than feeling deprived or restricted it became a creative and delicious process.