Why
I Became a Coach... a personal note from Erin
Looking back on it now, I would have to say
that I have been coaching before I was coaching; probably my
entire adult life. During my career in the entertainment industry,
I interviewed and evaluated over 100,000 people, all searching
for validation or guidance. As I stood before packed rooms full
of parents, teens, and adults looking for the “answers”
to their quest, I remember being repeatedly inspired to use
the opportunity to connect with these people on a much higher
level. I found myself more interested in a kid’s grades,
and whether or not they were a productive member of their family,
than in their potential for success in modeling, acting, singing,
or the like. When a beautiful woman in her 40's would come in
to finally pursue her lifelong dream of modeling or acting,
I would be more interested in what circumstances had kept her
from pursuing such dreams earlier. My employees would joke that
my businesses were only a front for what I really wanted to
do, as I was constantly creating programs, summer camps and
workshops that I myself wanted to teach, which had very little
to do with my industry, but instead were about developing people
as a whole.
As an agent, I found myself expanding my management of my clients
into other areas of their lives, helping them break through
personal obstacles and facilitating their juggling of school,
career, and personal life, as well as tackling their financial
planning, and discussing ethics and integrity. Before I knew
it, parents were calling me when they were having issues and
felt I was the only one their child would listen to. People
would approach me after my speaking engagements, commenting
on how inspired they felt by my words. Additionally, I was inspired
by them. We were exchanging positive energy; an amazing feeling
I felt I had just discovered, and I wanted more of it. I found
myself checking in with my friends, to see what their progress
was on a particular goal or project, offering advice and encouragement.
I would awake in the middle of the night with a message or idea
I needed to relay to someone. And as an employer, I couldn’t
resist mentoring my team. The running joke was that our staff
meetings were more like church, and that I was Reverend Williams.
Although I enjoyed a successful career in the entertainment
industry, I started with very little relevant knowledge or skills.
And yet, my businesses flourished despite overwhelming obstacles
and odds. Customers and clients didn’t work with me just
because my companies outperformed most of my competitors; they
worked with me because my passion and desire to realize their
visions were contagious.
In many ways, even my parenting style mirrors my coaching. Since
I have always been both a single parent and a businesswoman,
I created tools and strategies with which to enhance and protect
that parent-child relationship; to help empower my son to become
the best version of himself that he can be. I have been asked
by many people who have met my son what the secret to a well-adjusted
child is. My answer is that a lot of it is the luck of the draw,
but that there are other contributing factors we can be a part
of as parents. I have mentored countless young people who had
more unrealized potential inside of them than they could ever
imagine. Watching them expand their horizons and greet their
futures with enthusiasm rather than fear… to be a part
of that process, even as a witness, is a privilege and an honor.
So, this is what makes me tick, what drives me. This is WHO
I AM.
The question is… are you ready to begin
your journey?
CLICK
HERE To Contact ERIN NOW
