  As women, we often feel pressure to conform to certain expectations and roles. Society tells us how we should behave, what we should be interested in, and what we should strive for. But in reality, every woman is unique, with her own set of strengths, passions, and goals.
That's where the CliftonStrengths assessment comes in. Developed by the Gallup organization, Clifton Strengths, also known as StrengthsFinder, is a tool designed to help individuals identify their unique strengths and talents. By understanding our strengths, we can better understand how we are naturally wired and how we can use our strengths to excel in our personal and professional lives. So why is this especially important for women? By understanding and leveraging our strengths, we can focus on what we are naturally good at and pursue opportunities that align with them. This can lead to increased job satisfaction and career success, as we are more likely to feel energized and engaged in work that utilizes our strengths. Identifying our strengths can also help us communicate more effectively with others and build stronger relationships. When we know what we are naturally good at, we can more easily delegate tasks and collaborate with others. This can be especially helpful in the workplace, where understanding our strengths can help us navigate office politics and build strong, productive teams. But the benefits of understanding our strengths go beyond the workplace. By focusing on our unique abilities and passions, we can lead more fulfilling and meaningful lives. We can pursue hobbies and activities that bring us joy and use our strengths to make a positive impact on the world. So if you're a woman looking to thrive in your personal and professional life, consider taking the CliftonStrengths assessment. Understanding and leveraging your unique abilities can lead to a more fulfilling and successful life. Embrace your strengths and let them guide you on your journey to greatness! And if you are a Woman over 50, consider joining us May 23rd for a chance to learn about your Strengths in a community setting: https://fromwithincoaching.com/may23.html And make sure you sign up for our emails to learn about upcoming Strengths Events coming to FromWithin Coaching by emailing us at [email protected]! - Coach Megan Flanagan  🍋🍋Don’s Lemons are our Lemonade 🍋🍋
On February 16, 2023, CNN anchor, Don Lemon, in making a comment about 51-yr old presidential hopeful, Nikki Haley, stated she wasn’t in her “prime,” and went on to say, “…a woman is considered to be in her prime in her 20’s, 30’s, and maybe 40’s.” At FromWithin Coaching, we firmly dispute that statement; in fact, our experience shows “Women Over 50” are undisputedly hitting their stride, fully stepping into their wisdom and power! To that end, we’re inviting Women over 50 to join us at a webinar on March 18th to learn more about their Strengths and how to leverage them for a more fulfilling life. It's a pretty cost-effective experience: who wouldn’t want to spend a mere $47 to spend two hours learning more about their natural talents, focusing on using them to create their optimal future? Show Don Lemon how wrong he is; if you’re a Woman Over 50, come join us on March 18th to hit your stride! Register here!  "To Know Thyself is the Beginning of All Wisdom." -Socrates The journey inward to find one’s true self is one of life’s most rewarding undertakings. As a Self-Leadership coach for FromWithin Coaching’s Women Over 50 What’s Next Program, I am passionate about supporting women as they begin this journey of self-discovery and for many of us, the return to self. In my early 50’s, I was at a very uncomfortable crossroad in my life. I was stuck. I find many of my clients come to me also stuck and:
If you are a 50 something woman and this sounds like you, know that you are not alone. When we focus on our Strengths, our doubts take a back seat. The team at FromWithin Coaching is here to help you take a step into developing the self-awareness necessary to boldly take aligned and meaningful action in this next chapter of life. And put those doubts where they belong...in the back seat. On November 10, 2022 we are hosting a Clifton Strengths live Zoom event for Women Over 50. Research indicates that finding and understanding your Strengths has been proven to increase self-awareness, self-confidence and self-trust. We are able to tap into our inherent creativity and make better decisions that are more in line with our true needs and talents. Understanding our Strengths helps us increase communication skills and form better relationships. Come join us our community of like-minded women as we share this time together. There will be opportunities for laser coaching and for a follow up coaching session if you choose. Details are below! I hope to see you there, Coach Augusta Good WOMEN OVER 50: WHAT’S NEXT?
CliftonStrengths 2-hour Zoom Event November 10, 2022 12 pm EST/9 am PST  About 5 years ago, I got tired of trying to fit myself into a box that I created. It looked something like the photo above... Though this fella looks fairly comfortable, I was not. I was cranky and tired and angry and overweight. I was short-tempered with my kids and even though I wanted to take care of myself on weekends and go for hikes, do fun things, and create art, I was utterly drained by my work week and unable to enjoy myself or my kids. The box I created was partially made of the need to prove to my father that I was a valuable human in this world by doing what he approved of (yup, even in my late 40s!) rather than what I wanted, and fear. I had built a massive fear box. You see, like many humans, we have strengths and interests that bring us an enormous amount of joy, but these strengths often get tampered down by society or by our families who generally have the best of intentions, but their fear gets in the way and is what encourages them to tell us what we ‘should’ do in our lives….and we sometimes believe it. I was a joyful child of dreams, ideas, and creativity. I was always thinking up new games and creating secret forts in the woods which of course were all wrapped into a giant web of stories of protecting the land from made-up enemies. I was always starting a new project and I always had a pencil in my hand designing my future homes….er uhhhh….castles and dreaming up plans and businesses for my life. At one point I was going to become a dolphin trainer and bring inner city kids to experience their gentle beauty (no idea how…I didn’t live by the ocean….I mean I was only 9). Some called me flighty, a space cadet, or in the clouds. I went to art school and then got a master’s in education taking me closer and closer to the ‘should’. Life took some unplanned and traumatic turns, and I made choices so that I could feed my children as a single mom while slowly building my fear box. AND THEN….AND THEN….I took the CliftonStrengths Assessment and the world opened up to me! My strengths validated me and the ways that I thought and went about my days. I realized why it was so easy for me to see patterns and connect the dots in ways that many others couldn’t. Finally, I knew in my core that it was ok to be dreamy, full of ideas, positive, and always ready to try something new because my top CliftonStrengths are: 1. Ideation 2. Positivity 3. Strategic (seeing patterns and connecting dots) 4. Futuristic 5. Adaptability Once I took a deep dive into what my strengths meant and what happens when you’re not using them (cranky and tired and angry and drained), my life changed. I am not joking. I got out of a soul-sucking work situation, that paid well but was killing me, knowing that I’d land on my feet because I always had I just was unable to see that because I had built my fear box out of bricks. Understanding that my different interests, dreams, and strengths changed from something I was ashamed of to my superpower. I became a career and trauma coach, refurbished my garage into my art studio, and with the energy I had from doing what I truly wanted and not doing what I didn’t want to do in the first place, I started hiking, running, and playing sports again. My kids were happier because I was happier. Yep, I still am always thinking of what’s next, creating proverbial forts wound up in storylines, being creative in my studio and in the world of podcasting, and I invite all women over 50 to allow their strengths to change their lives if they want, or to simply feel the stunning validation that CliftonStrengths can offer you to get you out of your brick box. - Coach Mary  WOMEN OVER 50: WHAT’S NEXT?
CliftonStrengths 2-hour Zoom Event November 10, 2022 12 pm EST/9 am PST  Are you familiar with the phrase, “hitting your stride?” What does that mean to you? For many women, they are just hitting their respective strides, both personally and professionally, when they are also just hitting their 50’s, 60’s, and on into their 70’s. Unfortunately, for some, that stride, described by the dictionary as “to walk with long steps, as with vigor…,” is tentative, unsure, and maybe more like a slow, plodding cadence. Certainly not vigorous, maybe more like going through the motions. At FromWithin Coaching, we want all Women Over 50 to stride boldly and with confidence. To help make that happen, we’re offering a special 2-hour event on November 10 th : “Women Over 50: What’s Next?” Because we know there’s a “next;” and we want any woman over 50 to fully embrace that “next” with energy, knowledge, and awareness of their talents…their Strengths. By using the CliftonStrengths assessment, participants will learn more about what they excel at and how they can leverage that information to enliven their pace and embrace the future. Life is too short to go through the world without ever experiencing hitting your stride. Join us for two hours to invigorate your trajectory and blast you off into your optimal future, whatever that may be. Wherever you’re headed, with your Strengths in your pocket, you’ll be striding boldly forward, embracing the decades ahead. The link listed below has information about the event, how to register, and the cost (very reasonable!) -Coach Lu Setnicka WOMEN OVER 50: WHAT’S NEXT?
CliftonStrengths 2-hour Zoom Event November 10, 2022 12 pm EST/9 am PST  I am a woman over 50. I do not like to be labeled, unless of course that label is biker chick or awesome mom. Labels like extroversion, sensing, thinking, etc. feel so superficial to me. And don’t even get me started with the acronyms. ISTJ, ESTP, ENFP?
I mean WTF? But five years ago, I acquiesced to take the Clifton Strengths Assessment mainly because it did not have acronyms. Upon completing the test, I promptly put my results in a manila folder on the shelf for two years. There is no way in hell a behemoth like Clifton owned by Gallop (and aren’t they all about TV ratings anyway?) could tell me who I am. I was so very wrong. Clifton labeled me Positivity, Connectedness, Learner, Intellection, Empathy. B-I-N-G-O. Once I learned my strengths, my life got easier. This light of understanding made my path so much more comprehensible and straightforward. I understood why I suck at some things and accel at others. I felt and still feel a little bit like Harry Potter in the Triwizard Tournament. His coach and mentor Mad-eye Moody counseled him to “play to your strengths, Potter.” Harry is a wizard who is an ace broom flyer. When he finally understood what Moody was telling him to do, he flew like the brilliant wizard he is and slayed the evil dragon. My strengths have helped me slay my own dragons. As a woman my age, there seem to be more dragons out there than there were even just a decade ago. Knowing my strengths, I am better equipped in all aspects of my career and my life, which is why I am thrilled that my colleagues at FromWithin Coaching are offering an online Clifton Strengths Worship this fall just for women. November 10th, 2022 12pm EST/10am MTN/9am PST Join us for 2-hour live discussion that will help you engage your strengths for a more fulfilling life beyond 50. See you there! - Jane Taylor, former CliftonStrengths Doubter, Current Believer  A friend asked me yesterday, “What all goes into writing a good resume?” This is such a huge question, I had to laugh. It’s like asking Serena how to play tennis or asking Billie Eilish, “How can I sing like that?” I don’t know tennis and I only sing in the shower, but I do know what goes into a good resume—especially for women over 50 who are in transition. The short answer is that the resume portrays what it is like to work with you. And more than a history of past work experiences, I think of the resume as a roadmap to the future that opens the door to what is possible. I do this by presenting not just accomplishments but the skills, qualities, and characteristics that made the accomplishments possible. My resume writing process is deeply introspective. I ask clients to complete an in-depth questionnaire about what they’ve done, why it makes a difference, and how it’s relevant to their life goals and dreams. The resume-as-roadmap factor is why I like to recommend that people keep their resume current. If you are looking for change and growth or wondering what it is you’re actually doing in your career, maybe it’s time for a look under the hood? Why are you so good at what you do? What accomplishments are you most proud of? Why? How did you get to where you are today? What makes you You? How do you want potential employers/colleagues to perceive you? How do you want to perceive yourself? Answering such probing questions can either reassure you that you’re in the right job or start to inform your path to the right job.   I feel lucky to know people with so many different personalities and interests. If I need help with my taxes, I can go to an accountant who loves numbers, if I am hurt, I can see a doctor committed to healing and if I feel stuck, I can talk with a coach who will encourage and guide me through finding the answer I am searching for. I have been coaching others most of my life, but I didn't have a name for my actions until meeting another amazing coach. The thing in life that fills my cup more than all else is to truly see someone and be with them through the tough moments. I am a coach because I see the possibilities when someone can't find even the first steady step and am there to guide, push, challenge and cheer them on through their journey. One of the beautiful things about coaching is it can be used to support people through so many different aspects of life. My coaching is built around helping others to slow down, declutter and simplify whatever situation or space they want to work through. Creating calm is a central part of my own life and through coaching, I am able to help others find how intentionality can change the way they walk through their own journey. Life can be beautiful when you are willing to slow down and breathe it in. Today and everyday, I am thankful that we live in a world of complex and interesting people that devote their time and energy to different things and am especially thankful for the coaches in my own life that have cheered me on, held up a mirror when I needed to see things more clearly and helped me to find a place to help others in living more intentional lives. Asking for help isn’t always easy, but when you let someone with expertise assist you, you will get to your results faster and easier than you may have on your own. You may even end up with a result you didn't know was possible. So whether you need a plumber, mechanic, lawyer or a coach, know that there are amazing people with a variety of interests and experience available to help you. As a Coach, I work with clients who are ready to set boundaries, simplify their lives and clearly understand their top priorities in their professional and/or personal lives. They want to learn to say yes to what truly matters and stay focused on those priorities. Let's set up a time for a complimentary exploratory session to discuss your priorities. And if you think that asking for help makes you "weak", think of it not as "help" but as an efficient way to get to your goals! -Amanda Lau, Clarity & Professional Development Coach    "Finding your true north doesn’t have to be a long and winding road. That’s why I do what I do. I’ve been there and I bring a personal perspective and motivation to my work. My passion is helping you achieve your career goals." - Tim Birmingham, Certified Career Services Provider (CCSP) Next Cohort Starting June 2nd! This Zoom based group coaching program provides career support to a small group of students and graduates who want to gain clarity, understand their strengths, and stand out among their peers. Each participant will walk away with the most up-to-date job search strategies and tools delivered by a certified career development coach and resume writer who specializes in career coaching college students and new graduates. This program is ideal for:
Attendees will achieve the following by the end of the program:
  The unknown is where all outcomes are possible; enter it with grace.
This wisdom I found on a Yogi tea label when I poured myself a cup of tea. Reading the sentence over and over I compared it to coaching. I think you can compare to life as well since the unknown has a magical ring to it. And this we can explore another time, for now I would like to connect the unknown to (career) coaching. Stepping into the unknown as a coachee and coach might feel like sailing unchartered territory. Both bring experience, expectations and the unknown. The coachee would like to work on career development, personal development or ‘how to change jobs/careers’. Your coach can help you with this and is equipped for this process. But both do not know in advance what the process will bring, the unknown. What will you uncover about yourself that helps you develop as a leader, ready for a new career challenge? All these insights you might call outcomes, ready to be yours and to be used in life and your career. In such a process it is not about putting a square in a round hole but to be open to all there is. Maybe you would like to be coached on getting ready for a new job and during that process you found out that the environment and organisation you work is such a good fit that you consider staying. I would call that stretching your playing field, asking yourself, “have I covered every corner of that field that is my current career or job?” The other way around is also possible. Wanting to stay and then during coaching, coming to the finding that you see more opportunities outside of your current employer. All is good as long as you permit yourself to be open to any possible outcome. This attitude is also important to have as a coach, in my opinion. To be open to any outcome that is possible. Although there is always a question before you start a coaching cycle with your client. This question is about, what brings you here and what would you like to solve? All the answers to this question are personal and different all the time. And as a coach you do not have all the answers. So then, together with your clients you work towards answers that are right for them. Both coachee and coach do their dance with grace so that they can become aware of all the possible outcomes. Now back to my tea and possibility, LJ Nieulant Career and Leadership Coach I Coach on the Job |
AuthorThe authors of these blogs include incredible Coaches and Writers at FromWithin Coaching who are inspired to share their thoughts, ideas, comments, and possibilities with YOU, the reader. Archives
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