“The summit is what drives us; but the climb itself is what matters”

The delightful quote comes from Conrad Anker, the American rock climber, activist, author and mountaineer who climbed Mount Everest three times. Anker, known for his visionary approach towards hardship, also tackled challenging routes across the Americas, Antarctica, and the Himalayas.

I’ve thought of Anker’s views on the journey of learning often whilst securing my final goal of MCC certification: Finding a second viable coaching recording to submit to my ICF evaluators.

In this week’s episode I’m airing (with my clients encouragement and permission) a coaching call that came once I refocused my mind to love and trust the climb vs. the summit. (This nay meet the mastery level ICF evaluators look and listen for.)

Why? Because I felt SOOO anchored and present in this call for the entirety vs. moments throughout. I encouraged and witnessed my coachee’s empowerment without pouring in ideas. The results? Massive clarity, awareness and truly a joyous human experience requiring trust in the journey of learning–for us both. Listen in.

For Anna Damsma, maintaining presence was not much on her radar when working as a consultant. Work was more about pouring in excellent advice and building profits.

But when later training to become a coach with the prestigious Co-active Coach Training Institute, Anna, based in the Amsterdam area, discovered three levels of listening existed. And level three listening—a universal level of listening which requires listening on a deeper, more full-sensory level, brought her extreme presence. “This felt so wonderful,” she recalls. “I’ve been hooked ever since.”

In our delightful conversation on how we both define and strive to maintain presence, even when the mindset and feeling feels unattainable, we hear of a woman who now builds her very day around creating moments of presence.

For Anna, that feeling of calm and bold intuition comes from setting her intention in the morning, visiting her garden often (and between calls). Presence comes from coaching, being with her family, and from immersing her hands in clay as a potter.

Whether we’re busy or not, we can learn lessons on maintaining presence as we coach, lead, and live our lives from our interview with Anna.

You can find Coach Anna Damsma on LinkedIn by clicking here. Find me, your show host, via my website, or find me also on Linkedin. Join my first workshop on Maven, Listen Like a Boss, here.

I’ve not mused about my certification efforts with the International Coaching Federation as a master certified coach for a good while. Much has happened, and not happened since my January update. Here’s where we’re at.

To certify as an MCC coach, coaches must submit for thorough evaluation two recorded coaching calls of at least 25 minutes in length. These conversations must resemble pure coaching, not a smidgen of consulting nor therapy, and at a level of coaching the ICF, the world’s largest non profit organization for coaches, deems as “exceptional” even “beautiful coaching.”

If you’ve been following my Competency No 5 show, you’ll know I’ve secured one recording I deem as “beautiful” and my MCC mentor coach Ben Dooley agrees. Oddly, I’m struggling to secure the second.

In this episode, I share my struggles lest it helps fellow coaches striving for MCC, that top 4% of ICF globally certified MCC coaches. My musings may also help other deep listeners who also find asking “how are you?” opens floodgates. That very genuine inquiry, especially in these troubling times, allows us to ask with heart, but then risk losing the thread of the conversation, or even creating one.

Reach out to me, your show host, for keynote speaking engagements, coaching, and training via my website, or find me also on Linkedin. Join my first workshop on Maven Learning, Listen Like a Boss, here.

Amidst world chaos, uncertainty, and a lunar eclipse, I felt a guided meditation from my Wisconsin prairie would make a nice gift for my dear listeners this week.

Thank you to Dotun Ayeni for the lovely edits and to Positive Intelligence, CEO Shirzad Chamine for the meditation.

Reach out to me, your show host, for keynote speaking engagements, coaching, and training via my website, or find me also on Linkedin. Join my first workshop on Maven Learning, Listen Like a Boss, here.

We’ve a rare treat this week in sharing a coaching call in its entirety, with my client’s blessing and encouragement. The topic? Staying calm and grounded as we grow our business and dreams—a timely topic for entrepreneurs and anyone wanting to create positive life and career change. This often starts within ourselves, our relationship with time, and looking (with blameless discernment) at the flow of our day.

Marie-Louise and I wanted to share this conversation for the rich learnings—and there are many, as she’s so inspired and empowered in this call. Also, with the growth of AI coaching, we want to show vs. tell the special role that humans have (and will always have) in coaching.

Our conversation, a deep, slowed-down, beautiful conversation, shows what’s possible when two humans trust, connect, and actively listen to one another. Powerful awareness, epiphanies, and changes happen with the deep inquiry and spaciousness that no bot (we suspect) can ever bring.

Reach out to me, your show host, for keynote speaking engagements, coaching, and training via my website, or find me also on Linkedin. Join my first workshop on Maven Learning, Listen Like a Boss, here.

Experts at the World Health Organization estimate around 4% of the global population experience an anxiety disorder. The National Alliance on Mental Illness finds anxiety the most common mental health concern in the U.S. with 19.1% with anxiety, over 40 million adults.

Victoria Torno, based in the Philippines, decided a fresh approach to her own anxiety. (Anxiety affects 12.5 million Filipinos, around 12% of the population.) Her anxiety grew gradually and ultimately culminated into panic attacks and hospital visits to cope. She found, after therapy, her own hyper achieving mind was part of what drove her responses. And rather than minimizing the anxiety, she decided to partner with it. Embrace it. Even give the anxiety a name.

In this touching interview, Victoria tells us that meeting with her anxiety (she calls hers “Deborah”) daily for an hour and allowing herself to hear her anxious thoughts has helped her see they’re not so bad after all and worthy of listening to. Troubles feel smaller. Achievements bigger. The worries helpful—a prompt for positive change. And with that, she’s renamed herself Victoria, because after all, she is victorious, over her own mind.

You can reach out to Victoria on LinkedIn here. Reach out to me, your show host, for keynote speaking engagements, coaching, and training via my website, or find me also on Linkedin.

San Diego based technology project leader Limei Wang loved the Lunar New Years from her past. Growing up in a small rural village in Northern China, the incoming lunar year brought the best food, clothing, and gatherings for the year.

Little sleep punctuated the festivities, which lasted all week. Children received beautifully, hand-stitched clothing made just for them and red envelopes of money. They could spend it however they wanted. But in the generous spirit of Lunar New Year, Limei remembers children buying things for each other.

In our ad hoc interview, Limei remembers the calm and peace from this centering time with fondness and nostalgia. She’s also reminded that while life has more abundance today, community can take a backseat. Prioritizing connections with others can become a renewed focus in this Year of the Wood Snake, a time to embrace change, make thoughtful decisions, grow, transform, and stay wise.

Reach out to me, your show host, for keynote speaking engagements, coaching, and training via my website, or find me also on Linkedin

Over the last year, I’ve listened to 35 different coaching calls I’ve conducted and recorded with a quest to submit one recording (a beautiful recording) to the International Coaching Federation (ICF). I’ve created a self-imposed deadline of Lunar New Year, January 29, Wednesday. (I know my critical mind. With no deadline, my Avoider and Stickler saboteurs will prevail.)

If you’ve followed this podcast and mused with me on Medium, you’ll know what this is about: I’m attempting to join the top 4% of coaches globally to certify as a Master Certified Coach. Evaluators at the ICF, the world’s largest nonprofit of coaches determine this fate. And I’ve done (almost) everything to prep, except find a viable recording. So far, none make the cut.

Reading from my essay on Medium, this week humor me as I discern the competencies to better honor to help me get there. And follow my musings on what’s going on when I don’t honor these well-intentioned ICF rules very well at all. I’m ready, you see, to make the final cut. And coaching at the MCC level (or at least trying to) becomes the world's best possible training in brevity, trust, confidence, and mindfulness. The activity brings beaucoup training for coaches, but also leaders and anyone wanting to communicate efficiently and listen at a depth you may never have felt before.

Reach out to me, your show host, for keynote speaking engagements, coaching, and training via my website, or find me also on Linkedin.

Follow other episodes on MCC certification here, here, and here.