This year marks my twenty-sixth year as a coach. I knew when I came upon coaching that this would be my lifelong career. It's an honor and pleasure to serve the smart, soulful people I call my clients.
This week, I want to share a peek behind the scenes of my work with clients. Once, my dad, with a puzzled look, asked me, “What do you do?”
I get it. As a coach, a lot of my work is not visible. Recently, I shared about my client Donna Erickson’s newly published book. Not every day is a pub day, and the labor of our creative efforts make up the moments of our days. I believe they deserve attention.
You may wonder what Cynthia does with her clients and how she might help me. I want to share what my other clients are up to and how I am helping them.
Come into my coaching studio to see the magic that happens!
Synthesizing a message for a keynote
Since her book launch two years ago, Paula has been busy speaking and publishing her new newsletter. Recently, she was in Mexico City to give a keynote and an all-attended workshop at a Montessori conference.
She worked hard to get her talk right but was still frustrated. She had too much in there! (Sound familiar?)
After hearing her out and acknowledging her frustration, I helped her shift her thinking about what to include so it would be easier to trim the presentation.
After we did this, I restated how we’d made this shift so she now has those skills to edit anything she writes more easily.
Making the most of an in-person event
Paula had a blast, and we debriefed afterward. Hearing her stories was so inspiring. I pointed out that she had at least six pieces she could write as a short series about the Mexican Montessori community and what she took away from the conference.
I am always on the lookout for ideas that my clients may miss. Highlighting what is of interest to others is one of my gifts.
Developmental editing for novels, non-fiction books and memoirs
Several other clients are writing their books. My role is to help them shape their ideas into a cohesive message. We talk about organizing their ideas. No matter how smart and articulate we are, it’s super hard for us to get to the essence of an idea and communicate it succinctly. Even for clients writing a book based on a model they’ve worked with for years, it can be hard to shape that into a book.
This work is called Developmental Editing.
I well know the challenge of this work, both mentally and emotionally. Then there's the work of organizing our materials. Documents, spreadsheets, outlines, drafts...this really is at least half of the work of making a book.
Crafting a compelling message for a book proposal
I’m helping another client with his book proposal. This is similar to developmental editing, and it’s also about thinking about how our books will sell. It’s incredibly hard work to shift from author to seller of your idea.
I hold space for the thrash that we all endure when we are trying to crystallize our ideas into something compelling and saleable. I'll often feel bad that it's so hard for them. I have to be tough. Sometimes I think - am I too tough? Then I realize it's not me that is being hard on them. The work is hard. I hold my clients to a high standard that equals their dreams and goals. I would expect the same from my coach.
A book coach is more than an editor
Speaking of emotions, a lot of my work with clients is helping them navigate all the emotional churn that accompanies our creative work. You know what I mean, TET. The doubt, the insecurities, the overwhelm and confusion…that stuff is real. The emotional churn is the real thing that keeps us on the sidelines of our creative dreams.
Everyone, no matter how smart and accomplished, feels the full range of creative ‘crazy’.
As a trained and certified coach, I have skills to help people navigate the ever-shifting terrain of their inner lives. Beliefs, feelings, and thoughts can work in our favor when we are aware of them and make choices.
As someone who has created and launched books, programs and creativity workshops in Europe, I know full well this rainbow of emotions. I bring empathy and, when useful, brief stories from my own creative work to help normalize the challenges.
Thank goodness I discovered coaching all those years ago in a magazine article. Thank goodness I trusted my instincts to follow this path. I continue with ongoing training and development, and I continue to love this work that brings so many of my skills and gifts to bear.
Do you have a project you could use an ally on? I’d love to help. I am accepting new clients this month. If you want to get me on your team, book a discovery session now to see how I can help you bring your ideas to life.
Get a sense of how I work with my book, The Busy Woman's Guide to Writing a World-Changing Book.
