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About Lisa Rykert, Life & Career Coach
(Extended bio)
I became a life coach because it allowed me to do what I most enjoy, which is to help people recognize what they truly want, personally and professionally, and to take the steps that will make their dream a reality. I believe that if we listen carefully to ourselves we will discover our true calling. I also believe that we have the strength to achieve our goals if we overcome our doubts and fears and learn how to direct our energies toward success. I believe that we all deserve to realize our full potential and to be well paid for what we do. I’ve come to these beliefs, and to my calling as a life coach, through a rich mixture of personal experience, education, professional training—and more than 20 years of working in human resources, business management, and organizational development. I have always enjoyed working, and I have always wanted my job to provide more satisfaction than what comes from simply being able to pay the bills. As an undergraduate, I studied public recreation. That opened my eyes to how important the quality of life is for each individual, and how this contributes to the health of the community as a whole. Without knowing it, I was already gravitating toward my inner coach. I found fulfillment talking to people one-on-one and within small groups. I learned that, by helping people enjoy themselves, I could bring out the best in everyone. While working a fulltime job, I earned a Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling. Among many other things, this taught me the valuable skill of listening carefully and non-judgmentally to what was being said. I learned to be compassionate about the difficulties that people face in their everyday lives, and to see beyond those obstacles to the rewards that await clients who are eager to change. For more than twenty years, I worked in municipal, non-profit, corporate, and higher education institutions. In each of my jobs, I was attracted to the human element—to helping people align with their purpose and passion, and to motivate them to find ways to put their talents to work. In the midst of my own successful career at the University of California, I found myself at a crossroads. I had a great job at a prestigious institution, fantastic benefits, a secure future, and the respect of my colleagues. Yet I was not completely satisfied. I yearned for more autonomy, for more creativity, for the chance to use all of my talents and experience. I listened to my own frustrations and hopes and realized that starting my own business as a life coach would give my life the meaning and satisfaction I sought. I took the leap of faith, left my previous career, and now do 100% of what I want to do. As a certified Dream Coach® through the Marcia Wieder Dream Coach program (International Coach Federation accredited), I use a proven ten-step process that guides clients toward their goals within a focused and structured time frame. I love to collaborate with my clients. I particularly enjoy working with mid-career professionals who are at their own crossroads—women and men who may be unemployed, under-employed, or dissatisfied with their current jobs. My clients often have a vision for the type of work they’d like to do, but feel stuck where they are, or overwhelmed by the possibility of change. My passion is helping them assess their situations, clarify what they want, and break down the process of achieving their goals into a series of manageable steps. It’s so exciting to see my clients identify and conquer their fears, to watch as they open to life’s possibilities and—instead of doing what they think they should be doing—do what they truly and deeply want to do. Because I’ve worked so extensively in the marketplace, I’m able to match my clients’ unique talents and skills to meaningful jobs they might not even know existed. I understand and sympathize with feelings of self-criticism, discouragement, obligation, and fear. Most importantly, I have definite strategies to deal with those self-defeating emotions. I’ve seen them work. I have faith in the power of individuals to move in a direction that will eventually put them on the path to self-fulfillment. If you are ready to make powerful changes and start achieving big results, I invite you to schedule a complimentary consultation and to sample the transformational experience of coaching. I welcome the opportunity to embark on this exciting journey with you. You may reach me by phone at 415-215-5472 or email at Lisa@KulaCoaching.com. |