Margarita Rozenfeld

You have HUGE dreams, goals and aspirations. You possess unlimited potential, amazing skills and a thirst for discovery. You are ready to make a leap into the future of your dreams. So what's holding you back? Perhaps you're not quite sure what this dream is, or not quite certain how to make it a reality, or maybe you just don't know how to get started. It could be that you're hearing those sneaky little (or big) voices inside your head whispering, "What are you thinking?" "You can't do that" "You're too old, too young, too (fill in the blank)" "You don't have enough skills, experience (fill in the blank)" "You should (fill in the blank)." Deep down you know these voices are wrong and that you can do and be anything — if you only knew what it was and how to get it! If one or all of these statements apply to you, the answer to your dilemma may be just around the corner (or next paragraphs in this case).

I must admit that up until two and a half years ago I fell into every category described above. I was in a wrong-for-me job and was worried I'd never find my "calling." I was desperately trying to channel my creativity, energy, and enthusiasm into jobs that brought me little satisfaction. I had enormous dreams but didn't know what they were. I was passionate but didn't know what I was passionate about. I wanted transformation right then and there but didn't know where to start.

What finally enabled me to change my life was coaching. In the past decade coaching has gained tremendous visibility and demand. You have probably read articles in the Washington Post and other publications that discuss the field. If you are not familiar with coaching, visit the International Coach Federation to read a fantastic FAQ section and countless article references. What I really want to share is my personal experience with coaching. I hope my story brings you a fresh, personal perspective, and an understanding of how coaching can help you fulfill your own dreams. I write this article as a coach and as someone who credits much of my success to the phenomenal coaches who supported, stretched and cheered me on along the way.

People frequently ask me how I became a coach. I had a somewhat unusual start — I was mistaken for one! In the midst of my "soul search," a stranger at a party asked me after a brief conversation whether I was a life coach. "No, I am not much into sports," I replied only half-jokingly. Up until this point, I had only heard of coaching in the sports context. "Well, you sound like my coach, perhaps you'd like to talk with her?" he suggested, thus unknowingly changing the course of my life. Several months later I was enrolled at the industry-renowned Coaches Training Institute. The first day of class it occurred to me why that man recognized me as a coach. Coaching helps clients realize their potential, explore passions, and fulfill dreams. Coaching helps clients get to where they want to be in life, both professionally and personally. During class, it dawned on me that all the skills and techniques I was being taught, I'd instinctively known my whole life and had been using them with friends, co-workers, and even strangers at parties. How validating it was to know that I was ahead of the learning curve, that coaching was already in my bones! What my coach helped me do is to take something I was born to do and turn it into a successful, profitable business that has helped countless clients fulfill their own dreams.

After two and a half years, hundreds of coaching sessions and dozens of workshops later, I can't imagine being happier with what I do or whom I work with. I get to coach and train my ideal clients — individuals and organizations committed to making radical, extraordinary and fulfilling changes. My clients come from diverse backgrounds but share similar characteristics: an entrepreneurial spirit, openness, curiosity and a desire to grow personally and professionally. They are committed to achieving goals that are in line with their unique values, priorities and definition of success. I feel incredibly fortunate to attract such amazingly fascinating, motivated and inspirational people. As an extension of my work with business owners (and dreamers), I also founded YES!Circle, an organization that helps entrepreneurs thrive professionally and personally by connecting them with like-minded people, educational resources and business opportunities in a positive, supportive environment. I had talked and obsessed about this project for months before my coach finally said, "Enough gremlin talk, now DO it!" and held me accountable for making it happen. Over the past year, YES!Circle has taken off beyond my wildest expectations and has become a leading entrepreneurial organization in Washington.

My whole world has been transformed because my coaches believed in me and because they empowered me to stretch, grow and overcome the defeating voices you met in paragraph one. I can say with confidence, gained from my own experience and that of my clients, that hiring a coach is a life-altering decision. The investment that I made in myself has come back to me a hundred-fold financially, and more importantly, emotionally. At the risk of sounding like a credit card commercial: a business doing what I love — good living; a new home earned doing what I love — great living; waking up with a smile on my face daily — priceless!

If you have huge dreams, goals and aspirations and are ready to make them happen, coaching may be the vehicle to propel you there. A few parting words of wisdom and advice from the trenches: To find the right-for-you coach, ask for referrals and take advantage of the free sample sessions most coaches offer. These will give you a sense of what coaching is like and give you both an opportunity to feel out each other's personality, style and compatibility. Just like the mysterious "they" say about relationships, chemistry is essential and "when it's right, you'll just know." Trust your intuition; it will always lead you in the right direction, especially in hiring your perfect coach. Please don't ever give up on your dreams! Whether you move towards them alone or with a coach, know that it's all within your reach and all you need is to believe and make the leap!

Margarita Rozenfeld is a sucess coach and chief visionary of ofEssence and YesCircle!. For more information, contact her at 703-989-8016 or margarita@ofessence.com.