Even when I was a
young child I always wanted to help people be happier. My grandfather used to
say that my biggest fault was wanting everybody to be happy. To answer the rest
of this question it’s probably best that I share with you my story and the defining
moments that brought me to where I am today, coaching people like you on how to
design and build the life of your dreams.
From 1991 through
1999 I worked in the corporate world and I was not a very joyful person. I was
waking up in the morning dreading heading off to work. I was living for my
weekends, but then finding that it took me all of Friday night to put the work
week behind me. And when I woke up Sunday the stress started ramping back up in
anticipation of another week. I had a wonderful husband who I loved, but I
wasn’t enjoying my time with him because the tension from my job overshadowed
everything else.
You see, I started
out life as a “good girl”. I wanted everyone to be happy so I followed the
rules. The rules I was given for living a good life said that you go to school,
get good grades, get into a good college, so you can get a good job and support
yourself.
I got straight A’s
on these rules. And when I graduated college I got a good paying job that
allowed me to support myself. Unfortunately, no one ever taught me the rules of
corporate life, and I got fired from my first good job when I didn’t allow my
life to be turned upside down for the political gain of someone else’s career.
That was ok though.
I still had the rules. So I got another good job, worked even harder at the
rules and found success. I was the youngest manager in my department and only
one of two females. I had a great salary and an impressive title. Hooray! Now I
was happy right?... Unfortunately not. As I mentioned earlier, the stress and
conflict that I was dealing with in my good job was draining the life out of
me. And I wasn’t willing to accept that this is what life was supposed to look
like.
My college training
was as a chemical engineer. And what engineers basically learn in college is
how to analyze and solve problems. So I set about to find out why I wasn’t
happy, to find out what I had done wrong when I followed the rules or…, what I
was really wondering…, to find out what was wrong with me. And then to fix it.
I spent over a dozen
years - reading, working with coaches, and taking courses - deciphering the
problem and figuring out how to solve it. And this is what I learned. I learned
that I could create my own rules regarding what worked best for me
and what makes me happy.
Everyone is
different. No wonder one set of rules isn’t the magic formula that works for
every person in the world. Makes sense, right?
I also learned that
it was okay for me to love every part of my life – not just my family or just my
home or just my career. I didn’t have to pick just one or two parts to love and
then live with the rest. I can actually choose to create a life that I love
every bit of! And when I chose to make my life one that I loved, rather than
being at the mercy of a lousy job, or lousy health or my own lousy perception
of myself, then my life began to change for the better.
I have since made a
commitment to spend the rest of my professional life as a Life Architect,
helping other people design and build the life of their dreams, so they can
live fully and joyfully and love every part of their life, just like I do.
Because I believe when someone becomes happy in their life and starts really
thriving it positively affects the people around them. And the way to a more
tolerant, compassionate world is to give each individual the gift of loving their
life, the gift of living the life they really want to live.
Who are your clients
exactly?
I work with people
just like you, mainly corporate professionals and driven entrepreneurs who have
been following "the rules" and achieving "success" in some
areas of their life, and yet are wondering why they still feel unfulfilled,
frustrated, unhappy and often exhausted. They are people who realize they want
more out of life, and are ready to make changes and take action so they can
live more fully, but who don't really know where to start.
How are you
different from a life coach?
There are many
wonderful life coaches out there who are helping people make good
progress toward their goals. What
separates me from these other coaches is that I have strengths in both left-brained
(logical and process oriented) and right-brained (creative and intuitive) skill
sets. I used these skills to design and
create a life custom built just for me.
Now, I use the
logical and process-oriented portions of my engineering background to develop
exercises and content that help people quickly and clearly “blueprint” their
Dream Life and provide them with concrete goals and plans as a guide.
Then, during our
one-on-one coaching sessions, I use the intuitive portion of my
personality to listen for the true
essence of what my clients are telling me and show them how to make progress in
a simple, easy to understand, compassionate and caring way.
What type of
personality do you work best with and what is expected of me?
The Dream Life
Acceleration System™ is designed for somewhat successful corporate professionals and
entrepreneurs who are ready to create the balanced, joyful life they
really want to be living rather than the one that they are currently waking up
to every day.
I have created this
system especially with you in mind. It
gives you the step by step exercises you need to “blueprint” the life you’d
like to create and the skills and mindsets necessary for you to make it
happen. Utilizing the Dream Life
Acceleration System™ will enable you to see initial progress in as little as a
few weeks and significant, positive changes in 6-12 months.
Being a former
corporate employee and current entrepreneur myself, I tend to attract people
who fall into these two categories. The
Dream Life Acceleration System™ works exceptionally well with people who are
willing to be introspective and take on new ways of thinking and new ways of doing
things in order to create a life they love.
Consider this to be
an action-oriented coaching program. By
following the step-by-step instructions within each of the exercises and coming
prepared to each of your coaching calls you will achieve this incredibly
exciting goal – to design and build the life you have always wanted!
For what type of
person is this program not going to work?
Please know that I
am very selective about who I work with.
If I sense that my style and approach will not be a good fit for you, I
will (gently) redirect you to another coach or resources that may be of more
assistance to you and your unique circumstances.
I also do not work
well with people who continue to search for that single “silver bullet”
approach that fixes everything or who only want to talk about what’s wrong with
their life and not engage in the planning and creative problem solving that are
necessary to create the life that they want.
For this program to work, keep in mind that:
- Only you can make this happen for yourself – we can’t do it for you! YOU will create the life you desire by being engaged in the program and doing the necessary work.
- In order for your life to transform, you must be willing to change some (or many!) of the things you are doing now that are not working to the best practices and ways of thinking that we share with our clients that get them the results they are looking for. If you are resistant to change or adopt any of this new thinking and best practices then this coaching program is not for you.
- Only you can define what your Dream Life looks like. There are no universal goals or circumstances that will create happiness for every individual. This may require some experimentation on your part and “false starts” in certain areas. Have the patience to accept that this is all part of the process as you create the life you want to be living.
Finally, and without exception, I will not work with people
who continuously make excuses for why they cannot get their work done and/or
challenge the merits of every single element of the program. It is a waste of our time and your money to
spend our coaching calls either going over the latest crisis that prevented you
from doing your assignments or arguing about the validity of the
coursework. If you recognize yourself as
one of these people, I gently and respectfully ask that you not call and I hope
you understand why. We’ll probably just
not work well together.
I have a good life, so shouldn’t I just appreciate it and
stop wanting more?
This is such a good question – I get asked this a lot! Of course you should feel and express
gratitude for all of the success that you currently have within your life and
for all of the relationships you have with those around you.
With that said, if you have kids you are close to (your own
or a friend’s or family member’s) think about the life that you wish for them
to have when they are grown. Does it
look and feel like yours? If not, what
would you wish to be different for them?
Do you feel guilty wishing for more out of life for these
children? Of course not! It follows then, that you do not need to feel
guilty about wishing for and ultimately creating “more” for yourself.
Additionally, think about how your interactions with the
people in your life will improve as you start feeling better about your life.
Perhaps you will become more patient, more tolerant, more loving or encouraging.
When we feel more joyful and optimistic ourselves we have more to give to
others. Seeing your life improve may even give these other people the courage
to make changes in their own life.
So not only can gratitude and a desire for positive growth
co-exist, but when they combine they can act as a powerful catalyst for
creating the life of your dreams.
My life is so busy right now; I can’t possibly find the time
for this work. Shouldn’t I do this later once my life is more in control or I
have less going on?
EVERYONE who comes to us as a client is busy. It’s just the way things are these days, and
you and your life are no different.
There will always be the next child’s birthday party, the next corporate
deadline or the next all consuming home repair project that will stand in your
way of making this investment in yourself.
Think about it this way.
Suppose one of your kids had a routine doctor’s appointment that
uncovered a rare, chronic disease. You
do some online research and find a specialist in a city that is 90 minutes away
that you need to see every other week for treatment for your child. In addition, you need to have your child see
a local physical therapist once a week as well as do exercises each night with
your supervision at home. Do you think
you would figure out a way to fit all of these things into your current
schedule or would you need to wait for things to “settle down” before taking
this on? Of course you’d be able to do
all of these things now!
The same is true of designing and creating the life you want
to live. You can find the time in your schedule right now if you decide to make
it a priority in your life. And the rewards of making this investment in
yourself are just as great as in the scenario described above.
I’m not sure I can invest in this type of program right now.
What do I do if I find myself in this situation?
We absolutely encourage our clients to make wise money
decisions. One of the roadblocks to living your Dream Life that many people
share is not having enough money to make the changes they desire.
The Accelerate Your Dream Life programs are NOT for people who
have no money coming in and are absolutely, financially desperate, at least not
right away. It’s been my experience that people in financial crisis do not
trust the recommendations I give them and do not do the work (probably because
they are spending so much time worrying about where they are going to get next
month’s rent check or mortgage payment.)
If you happen to fall within this category, it’s absolutely
OK. Many people have experienced times of financial crisis at one point or
another. For now, do yourself a couple of favors…
1. Direct your energy toward climbing out of crisis mode so that you can
ensure peace of mind for yourself by having your basic needs met (i.e. a roof
over your head, food, transportation, etc.). With the pressure partially
relieved, you’ll be able to focus a bit more on what I have to offer and any
assignments I give you.
2. Sign up for the FREE ebook
on the home page “15
Building Blocks to Lay the Foundation for Your Dream Life“. This ebook will get
you started toward your goals until you are ready to work with me one-on-one.
As an additional bonus, when you sign up for the free ebook, you will also be
signed up to receive our free email newsletter which will provide you with
proven strategies and the latest tools to begin making positive changes within
your life TODAY. It is essential reading
for anyone who is ready to begin defining and building the life they have
always wanted to live.
Doing these things will really help you to get ready
for our work together in the future. When you’re ready, call me and we
can get you started. I’m in no rush and I’ll be here when the time is
right.
All that being said,
if your position is not one of financial crisis, but is instead one
of just money being “tight” I will offer this advice. Sometimes we think we
can’t afford something when really all we need to do is shift our perspective
to asking “How can I afford this?”
Set aside some time
to brainstorm how you can make or save the money needed for this investment. Be
creative! What actions can you take to bring in additional income? Perhaps you
can sell some old electronics or jewelry that you no longer wear, or start
charging for products or services that you have been giving away for free? What
expenses can you temporarily or permanently eliminate in order to save money
each week? Perhaps you can pack your lunch instead of buying it out every day,
or cancel the cable service that you never use?
When you empower
yourself to come up with creative solutions, you just might be surprised at how
much money you can “find”.
What is the Dream
Life Acceleration System™ and what does it include?
The Dream Life
Acceleration System™ is the culmination of the last decade of our research on
the strategies, techniques and practical step-by-step exercises that get our
clients the RESULTS they are looking for as they create their Dream Life.
As you work through
the exercises, content and recommended reading and come prepared to your
individual one-on-one coaching calls, you will work through the five major
components of the system:
1.) Create a Blueprint for Your Dream Life
If you wanted to build a new home
– the home of your dreams, the first thing you would do is come up with a
detailed description of your home. You would decide how many bedrooms you want,
how many bathrooms, how big the kitchen should be. Do you need a garage? What
kind of floors do you want? What do your cabinets look like? And you would make
all of these decisions based on how you want your home to serve you and how you
want to feel while you are in it.
To build your dream life,
you also need to go through the design process. We use a proven process that
helps you ask the right questions to drill down into every aspect of your life.
Creating your
blueprint for your life can be a really fun process. You get to dream big and really
spend some time focusing on how you want your life to feel and on how you want
to feel in your life. But you can’t stop there. That’s just Step 1.
2.) Prioritize
Once you know have
your blueprint, then you have to prioritize the areas that you want to work on
first. It can be challenging to prioritize the areas you want to improve
because they are all important. However, it is also a critical step, because if
you try to work on everything at once, you aren’t going feel like you are
making much progress in any area. And when you feel like you are working hard
and not making progress, you lose your motivation and you quit. And I’m sure
you know that if you stop taking action, nothing changes.
So in Step 2 we help
you use your blueprint to create a project plan. When building a new home, you
need a plan for how it all comes together. For example, the basement needs to
be excavated before the foundation can be poured. The walls need to be built
before any cabinets or flooring or sinks can go in. When you are building your
dream life, you need to decide where to start the process. What are the most
important foundational pieces? What needs to change in your life first? From
these decisions you create your project plan, also known as your action plan. The exercises within the Dream Life
Acceleration System™ help you quickly move through this phase so that you can
begin implementing!
3.) Get Accountability & Support
With
your action plan in hand, Step 3 is to ensure that you have accountability and
support to actually carry through with your action plan. It often takes a team
to build a house – carpenters and plumbers and electricians. And you will find
it much easier to build your dream life if you have a team too.
Because, and I’m
just going to tell you the truth here,
your action steps may often take you outside of your comfort zone. There
will be days when you don’t feel like taking the action steps you set for
yourself, days when it feels too hard or when it would just be easier to be
“too busy” to get it done. This is where the accountability and support from
our one-on-one private coaching sessions and Coaching Progress Forms comes in.
It is one thing to say to yourself, “Today I will go to the meeting of the
local writers’ group.” It is entirely different to tell someone else you are
planning to go and have them say, “Great! Next time we talk you can let me know
how it went. I can’t wait to hear all the details.” It is a lot harder to make
excuses for not going when you know someone is waiting to hear how it went.
4.) Take Action
Step 4 is where the
rubber really meets the road because you will begin taking action and making
the changes that are necessary to build your new life. You are your own
construction team. No one is going to build your Dream Life for you. And if
they did it would be the life they dreamed for you, not the one you
want. You need to take personal responsibility and build it for yourself. Within
the Dream Life Acceleration System™, we give you the best exercises, content,
and step-by-step instructions on how you CAN make the time and take the steps
that are required. You don’t have to start with big actions or big changes. You
will be surprised how - if you are consistent at taking action over a period of
weeks and months, even if it feels like you are just taking little baby steps –
how quickly those small changes will add up into meaningful, noticeable
improvements in your life and in how you feel when you wake up each morning.
5.) Remove Barriers
As with any
construction project, once you start taking action, there are going to be
things that pop up that you didn’t expect. So Step 5 is remove the barriers.
When you are
building a house, the barriers might be a zoning law that you didn’t know about
or some material that you chose has been discontinued.
When you are
building your Dream Life, you will encounter two different types of barriers –
practical barriers and intangible barriers. Practical barriers are things like
where do I find the time to fit these new activities into my already full life,
or where do I find the money to take this course or take this trip that I’ve
been wanting to go on for years. The intangible barriers are emotional
barriers. It is the fear that creeps in when you are moving outside of your
comfort zone and trying new things. It is the old thought patterns that need to
be addressed and changed. You need to recognize and move through these barriers
in order to continue to make progress on building the life you want.
Within the Dream
Life Acceleration System™, we have specific, proven exercises and techniques to
help you overcome the practical barriers that pop up. We also help you work through the emotional
barriers that can arise via both our private, one-on-one coaching sessions as
well as through a suggested reading list to keep you inspired and putting one
foot in front of the other as you move toward the realization of your Dream
Life.
Does this really
work?
Absolutely! This is the same process that Dave and I have
used to transform our own lives that were so full of frustration, fear and
exhaustion into a life together that we truly love and look forward to living
each day. Our clients are seeing
similar, wonderful results as they create their own Dream Life. Go to the Success
Stories page on our website to read what that have to say about their
experience.
How quickly can I
expect results?
Dave and I have been
on this journey for the last fifteen years.
We are so excited about our personal results that we took this decade
and a half of reading, learning, training and coaching and distilled it down to
just the things that we tested and found to work best for us. Then we put these
elements, and only these elements, into the Dream Life Acceleration
System™. As you would expect, our most
motivated clients who embrace this system, do the exercises and come prepared
to their coaching calls see the fastest results. Many of our clients begin to see progress in
as little as a few weeks and have established permanent, positive changes in
their lives within 6-12 months of beginning their work with us.
Stacy, based on
everything I’ve read and heard about you, I know you’re the one I want to learn
from. What are my options for getting started with you?
Congratulations on
your decision to design, plan and build your Dream Life!! I’m happy to work with you to create the
magnificent life you have always wanted.
To get started with
creating your Dream Life today, I have three programs for you:
1.) The Accelerate Your Dream Life Program™:
This program is a
great choice for you if you are ready to commit to creating a life that you
love and are looking to take a significantly deeper, more comprehensive
approach to get the support you need to accelerate your efforts. It is the best way for you to say to the
universe, “I’m all in!!!” when it comes to creating a life you love.
Over a twelve month
period, you will blueprint your Dream Life, and put together an action plan to fully
master the habits and practices that are necessary for you to make permanent
changes that transform your life
from the one you have now to one that has you jumping out of bed each morning
ecstatic to start your day. During the course of the year you will be fully
supported as we cover all five steps of the Dream Life Acceleration System™ in
depth.
Each month you will
receive new assignments and content that will enable you to take action quickly
and to identify the practical and emotional barriers that stand in the way of
your success. In many cases, this is a
multi-layered process that first addresses the practical barriers (time
management, money management, healthy living habits, etc.) and then gets to the
root of these practical barriers with the underlying emotional barriers and
limiting beliefs that may be standing in the way of your progress.
You will come to
private coaching calls with me twice each month to reinforce the written
exercises and receive answers to all of your questions. Your private coaching calls will provide you
with ample time to work your way through this process of discovery, action
planning and making real, rapid progress.
In addition, these 24 calls will provide you with maximum support to
identify, talk through, and break down any roadblocks between you and the
creation of your Dream Life.
Finally, between
calls, you will have the benefit of unlimited email support from me as well as
up to twelve Laser Calls which are quick, focused 5-10 minute conversations to
answer a single, specific question or gain clarity on a particular component of
the course content.
2.) The Launch Your Dream Life Program™:
The “Launch” Program
is designed for you if you been thinking about creating a life that you love,
and have had some initial success with new ways of doing things, but are having
difficulty making permanent changes in your thinking and actions. The “Launch” program will provide you with
the accountability and support that you need to start taking action. However, you should be surrounded by a
supportive, loving tribe of people who are also focused on personal growth, and
have a person or a system in place to keep you accountable to do the work
necessary to successfully create your Dream Life once your “Launch” program
ends.
Over a six month
period you will blueprint your Dream Life, develop your action plan and gain
familiarity and begin to master the habits and practices that are necessary for
you to create and live your Dream Life. During the course of the program we
will cover all five steps of the Dream Life Acceleration System™ including
identifying the larger practical and emotional barriers that stand in the way
of your success.
Each month, you will
receive new assignments and content that will enable you to take action and
establish permanent changes in how you think and act that will enable
you to create the life you have always wanted to live.
In addition, you
will come to private coaching calls with me twice per month to reinforce the
written exercises, answer your questions, identify your practical and emotional
barriers, address the most significant of these roadblocks and help you find creative
solutions to make progress toward your Dream Life.
Finally, between
calls, you will have unlimited email support and up to six Laser Calls
throughout the course of the program. Laser Calls are quick, focused 5-10
minute conversations to answer a single, specific question or gain clarity on a
particular component of the course content.
3.) The Jump Start Your Dream Life Program™:
The “Jump Start”
Program is a great starting point for people who want to jump start this
process with our support and then continue on their own. You should be an independent self-starter, be
surrounded by a supportive, loving tribe of people who are also focused on
personal growth, and have a person or a system in place to keep you accountable
to do the work necessary to successfully create your Dream Life.
Over a three month
period you will blueprint your Dream Life, develop a preliminary action plan
and work through several exercises that establish the foundation for the
changes you will make to help you create the life of your dreams. This work will take you through the first three
steps of the Dream Life Acceleration System™ (Create a Blueprint, Prioritize,
Get Accountability & Support) and leave you poised to take action and start
on your journey.
Each month, you will
receive new assignments and content that will provide you with specific,
detailed steps to take to design your Dream Life, prioritize the changes you
want to make in your life and define the preliminary actions you will take to
make those changes.
You will come to
private coaching calls with me twice each month to reinforce the written
exercises, answer your questions, and provide particular emphasis on creating
your action plan so you can take immediate and focused action with the help of
your own support network once you have completed this three month program.
Finally, between
calls, you will also have unlimited email support and up to three Laser Calls
throughout the course of the program. Laser Calls are quick, focused 5-10
minute conversations to answer a single, specific question or gain clarity on a
particular component of the course content.
Ok, I know which
program I want, how do I get started?
Fantastic! This is a huge and important decision for you
because one of the most important characteristics of successful people is that
they take action! They take
educated risks, are decisive and move forward faster toward their goals as a
result of these choices. These people
make decisions based on their intuition and gut instincts. So, go with this instinct and jump into this
program with both feet!
Here’s what you
do: just give me a call at (484)
798-0648 or send me an email at info@AccelerateYourDreamLife.com
and we’ll get started. And if you have
any questions, I’ll be happy to answer those too. I can’t wait to meet you either over the
phone or in person! I look forward to supporting you on your journey to create
and live your Dream Life!
I’m not sure if I’m
ready to get started right now. How can I sample your work to see if it will be
right for me?
The best way to
begin to experience the benefits of the Dream Life Acceleration System™ is to
sign up for our free email newsletter.
“The Dream Life Acceleration” email newsletter provides you with proven
strategies and the latest tools to begin making positive changes within your
life TODAY. It is essential reading for
anyone who is ready to begin defining and building the life they have always
wanted to live. You can sign up for a free copy right on our website, or email me at
info@AccelerateYourDreamLife.com and I will be happy to do it for you.
Ok, I’m ready to do
this for myself, however, I have a couple of additional questions. Can I call
you?
Yes! Once you have read the contents of this
interview, if you still have a few questions, just email me at info@AccelerateYourDreamLife.com
or call me at (484) 798-0648 and I’ll be happy to walk you through the
different options to see which one will be the very best for you.
I can’t wait to see
you blueprint your Dream Life, develop your action plan and embrace the habits
and practices that have enabled me and will enable you to live your Dream Life
– let’s get started!!
