How This Career Coach is Helping Others Get Unstuck in Their Careers

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your entrepreneurial journey.

Going back to when I was 5 or 6, I started my first entrepreneurial venture by collecting rocks from the driveway. Not just any rocks, but the shiniest rocks, we had a long driveway to the little pink brick house on a hill in Atoy, Texas. I picked up rocks that looked like they had glitter on them and other rocks that were smooth brown cubes and looked like caramels. I was the rock seller.

That was my first business.

Unfortunately, no one wanted to drive up the long drive to buy my treasures and standing at the end of the driveway in the curve of the road trying to wave down buyers was too distracting for the drivers, or so my parents said. My parents insisted that I stop. I was so mad; I threw the rocks out of the nice decorative box that I had held them in right then and there. A couple of days later, I picked them up, but I lost a few of my favorites.

Later when I started group coaching, I used some of the lessons I had learned to gather people at my house around a pot of gumbo, I used some the lessons I learned then to make myself a resilient entrepreneur.

• Don’t be afraid to start with what you have.
• Don’t be afraid to take a risk, although I can’t recommend standing in a blind curve waving your arms.
• Don’t be afraid to put everything into what you do, kind of like gumbo; sometimes it takes a bit of everything and time to make things work.
• Don’t be afraid to be ignored, mocked, or fumed at by some who just don’t get it.
• Don’t be afraid to feel frustrated, when something needs to be adjusted. Don’t be afraid to try again.

Fast forward to my business now and with others that I mentor. Since starting my coaching business, I have launched many things, individual coaching programs, group coaching programs, speaking gigs, and a newsletter, to name a few. Some of these have gone well from the get-go, and some have been big learning experiences, or what I call “MARKET RESEARCH,” but they all have been worthwhile and part of my journey to success.

Do you have any special training?

I have a degree in Educational Psychology with an emphasis in counseling. I have worked with Job Seekers and Businesses for over 15 years with the Texas Workforce Commission, Lee Hecht Harrison (one of the world’s largest outplacement and talent solutions firms) and now with my own company, Deliberate Careers, LLC. I am also a certified coach with the International Coaching Federation.

What types of services and products do you offer?

My primary service is coaching individuals to be more successful in their personal, career and business lives. My writers, editors and I support clients in getting really clear about what they want and creating the marketing and messaging needed to achieve that goal. I also offer workshops and give talks about leaving doubt behind and creating your best life.

Some of the titles include:

• Balance is for Ballerinas
• I Hear Voices In My Head Don’t You?
• Burn Your Resume

Give us an example of how you landed one of your first coaching clients.

My first coaching clients literally arrived on my doorstep. Let’s call her Laura. Laura is the sister of a neighbor, and she was coming up on a big birthday, you know the one that ends in a 0. She wasn’t happy with her career, needed a change and didn’t know where to start. My friend told Laura, you are stuck and DeAnne unsticks people. So, there she was on my doorstep. We chatted a few minutes, set up a series of appointments, she got clear, created an action plan and 12 years later she is working at a job that fulfills her much more and makes life much brighter for herself and her family.

What do you believe has contributed to your success?

I am very thankful to God for this gift of seeing worth, purpose, and talents in each person. Personally, I believe we are all unique and special in our own ways, that sometimes we need people to the point that out, hold us accountable and cheer us on. I am also thankful to my clients for showing up ready to work, share and trust the process of creating a life, career or business that they love. It is such an honor to be a part of the unfolding of someone’s success through the coaching relationship.

How are you currently growing your business?

I currently grow my business mostly by referrals from clients. I have been coaching and consulting for over 15 years, and people tend to have great results during our time together. My clients apply for more challenging and satisfying positions. They ask for more salary and benefits. Entrepreneurs who work with me become clearer about what they do, who they serve and how to communicate value the difference they make in the world. Many of the people I work with value themselves in their personal relationships more as the result of coaching together and deepen the relationships that contribute to their happiness, the ones that truly matter.

What advice do you have for other women who want to find their dream career or business, but don’t know where to start?

Just start. You could treat any idea, product or service like a “lemonade stand” and give it a try even for a couple of hours. I don’t believe there is a wrong way to start, and wrote an article about how I started group coaching using a cookie jar years ago.

On those “don’t feel like it days,” what motivates you to keep going?

The wonderful thing about working from my home office in my own business is that I can flex my day. I can start later and take a walk on nearby trails, spend time working on some metal sculptures in the garage while it is cooler or take a long lunch and picnic with my husband. That seems to reset my “feel like it” button. From a coaching perspective “don’t feel like it” is often a sign of a time that needs compassion … when you really need to be gentle with yourself and ask, “What do you feel?” Dealing with what is really going on for you with compassion and asking for help when needed, will help prevent the burn out that many entrepreneurs experience. As your life unfolds, your business evolves and the world’s demands change then how you deal with your business needs to transform, and it all requires a fresh approach and new perspective. Those changes often benefit from the support of a really great coach.

Thanks to DeAnne Pearson for sharing her story!