Kerri Richardson

I was having tea with a Twitter friend and coaching colleague, and we were talking about how we don’t adhere to a lot of the old school coaching training, such as “Don’t offer your client advice. Simply help them pull the wisdom out from within.” Or “Never share anything about yourself during a session.” The conversation got me thinking. For the eight years that I have been coaching, people have asked if they could do “as needed” coaching with me. My answer has always been no — that coaching is about establishing and building a relationship to work on laying a solid foundation and not about putting out fires. While I still firmly believe that, I also have opened up to the fact that sometimes people just need a skilled coach to offer a fresh perspective on a specific situation from time to time.

As it usually happens, as I was contemplating this, I received a phone call from a woman inquiring about my services. What did she want? As needed sessions. OK, Universe. I get it.

So, I’m happy to announce that starting immediately, I’m now offering 45-minute Laser Coaching Sessions!

• Have you ever found yourself in a particular situation and you can’t seem to find a doorway out?

• Do you need to have a difficult conversation with a friend or family member about a specific subject and you could use some help with the language?

• Has it become clear that you need to set a boundary, but you don’t know how to go about it?

Then a Laser Session is for you.

In our 45-minute session, I will help you step back from your situation and suggest some best ways to handle it as well as provide input on how to do just that. We’ll not only handle the particular scenario you come to the call with, but we’ll also touch upon the possible sources, or deeper issues, of what is going on.

The key to these sessions is specificity, hence the term “laser”. A specific, targeted situation with which you could use some objective help is what is best served. When you book a Laser Session through my website, you’ll receive an email requesting a detailed description of your situation, as well as some days and times that work best for you. Please note, Laser Sessions are offered Monday-Friday, between 9 AM and 4 PM, as availability allows.

To book your session,

Do you feel like you need help putting the pieces together? Having worked with hundreds of people, I can tell you that a key ingredient to any success is having the right support. When you partner with a coach, you quickly see how much easier your ability to change and improve your life becomes. Through years of experience as a coach, combined with my intuitive approach, I offer fresh perspectives, accountability, evaluation of where you are expending your energy unnecessarily, and support in letting go of blocking beliefs and setting boundaries. Let’s chat and see how we can rock your world!

Life Coaching

Are you living with the nagging feeling that there’s got to be more to life than this? Give yourself the gift of a supportive partner who will help you get back in touch with your dreams and desires. Only when you feel truly nurtured and cared for (by yourself) can you then give freely — out of true joy and surplus instead of guilt and obligation. Your time is now. Don’t put it off any longer. Get in touch for a complimentary exploratory conversation. I’m here to support you, challenge you, and guide you. Oh, and we’re sure to have lots of fun, too!

Thoughts from past clients:

“I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciated your talent, devotion, and skill at what you do. What a godsend your clarity is! … your focus was so helpful, and you somehow came up with such helpful, practical/spiritual, strong messages and reminders. I am often agog at the surgical precision of your words, just the right thing at the right time. It can feel like water to someone in the desert. You made a big difference in my life.” — Ruth L.

“Since working with you, my life has changed in so many positive ways. It has been wonderful to have your guidance, support, and wisdom along with your upbeat personality guiding me along this path. I hope you know what an impact you’ve had on my life. I am very excited to see my life unfold.” — Laurie M.

“I know that every professional athlete, business person, creative artist and human being can benefit from working with the right coach and working with Kerri helped my business immensely! I have seen vast improvements in every area – financial, organization, clarity, focus and general peace of mind. Kerri asked my permission to be ‘tough’ on me and we went back to the basics right away. This cleared my head and helped me focus on laying a solid foundation for the future. I know I’m ready for every opportunity that comes my way now. I *loved* having Kerri on my team! “

Sandy Grason, author of Journalution

How I Work

I do all of my coaching via the telephone – during daytime hours (EST). I speak with my clients either two or three times per month (depending on the chosen plan) for 30 minutes each. In between calls, the support continues via e-mail (as needed). Through their work with me, clients find that they are able to see situations in new and different ways, and together we come up with appropriate action steps to move them in a direction that is aligned with their desires and values.

The main components of coaching that clients really appreciate is the ability to work with a supportive partner – someone who will hold them up when they struggle, and give them a gentle “kick in the behind” when they fall behind. Someone who will help them to set better boundaries so they can honor their needs and self-care. The support and accountability are both key components in anyone’s success.

There are many coaches out there who require a minimum three-month commitment to start. I understand why that is the case, as in the coaching world, we are told it takes a solid 90 days to see the far-reaching effects of coaching (although I would like to humbly admit that I find clients I work with see results sooner than that . I don’t require clients to commit to a certain number of months simply because we may find, in a month or so, that I am not a fit for you. I am then happy to refer you to someone else. Conversely, I have an ideal client profile I go by and may find that a client I started working with is not a good fit for me. For coaching to be successful, there must be an energetic match. This is why I offer the flexibility of working on a month-to-month basis. I am proud to say I have yet to have a client ask for a referral, and I credit that to my commitment to only take on those clients who I have a strong sense that we would work well together.

Fees for Private Coaching

Three, 30-minute calls per month, with email support in between, as needed: $400 USD.

Two, 30-minute calls per month, with email support on the off weeks: $275 USD.



This is the column where, each week, I’ll be answering one website visitor’s question in hopes of supporting all visitors through shared (and likely, relevant) challenges, triumphs, and struggles.

Dear Kerri,

My older sister and I are in our 50s and lived together until five years ago when I fell in love and moved in with a man. She had difficulty accepting this, and our relationship steadily deteriorated. Initially, discussing the problem helped, and she was OK for a day; then would revert to silence.

I’ve told her I want both of them in my life, but she tells me I’m dead to her, refuses to speak to me and acts like she doesn’t know me (in public). This hurts, but I realize I need to let the pain go for my benefit. Any suggestions?

Signed,
Estranged in Edmonton

Dear Estranged,

I’m so sorry to hear your relationship with your sister is going through such a difficult time right now. While every challenge is a learning experience, it doesn’t make the lesson any less painful.

It’s difficult to offer specific advice without knowing the full story of how the distance came about, however, I can suggest some things to consider in an effort to take good care of yourself.

If you feel unclear on the complete reasons your sister is not speaking to you, and you’d like to mend the relationship, consider writing her a note expressing your desire to get together and talk. If you do meet, instead of preparing for any kind of “battle”, have your intention for the conversation be more about sharing your feelings and being open to hearing hers. The point is not to declare a winner, otherwise you both lose.

If, on the other hand, you wish to honor her need for space and/or you feel like you need some space and time away as well, you could communicate that to her and invite her to get in touch with you when she feels ready to talk.

In the meantime, I’d encourage you to make peace with whatever option you choose and feels right at this time by being with the emotions as they come up. Journal, meditate, dialogue with your sister in writing (with no intention of sending it to her — simply for you to work through your feelings). As you do, try to get yourself into a compassionate listening place — for yourself and for your sister.

What could be the deeper story behind her pain and silence? Your finding a partner and moving in with him is merely a symptom of her pain. Invite her to explore and share the source if and when she’d be willing and if and when you’d be interested in listening.

Our relationship with our family is so important and so significant, yet can sometimes be quite challenging. So, I’d first encourage you to determine what you’d like your relationship to look like with your sister, and take it from there considering the above approaches.

All the best to you,
Kerri
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To have your question considered for Ask the Coach, simply send an email keeping the following guidelines in mind:

• Be specific. Make sure your question is clearly stated to prevent any misinterpretation. That way, you’ll be sure to have your specific need addressed.

• Keep it under 150 words. Any emails longer than the specified limit will be ineligible for selection.

• You only need to send your question once. While only one of the emails sent in a specific week will be answered, I’ll be keeping eligible emails for possible use in future columns. Be sure to keep checking back each week, not only to see if yours was selected, but to also check out the one that was. Chances are each week’s question can pertain to your life in some way!

• Only emails selected for publication will be answered. Due to the volume received, I am only able to answer the weekly selected question.

• By submitting a question, you are authorizing its use on this website.

• Submissions may be edited and/or shortened for content and length purposes.

To read the archive of Ask the Coach, click here. To submit your question, go ahead and send an email



This is the column where, each week, I’ll be answering one website visitor’s question in hopes of supporting all visitors through shared (and likely, relevant) challenges, triumphs, and struggles.

Dear Kerri,

I have reached a point in my life/career were I want to do something else. In the past when this has happened, I’ve always known what my next step would be. What’s challenging for me this time is that I don’t. I am exhausted of the toxic environment I am in and wish to be free from it. How to do I start figuring out what my next step is?

Signed,
Miffed in Miami

Dear Miffed,

What an exciting time to be on the verge of change! While you’re unsure of your next step, what you are clear on, it seems, is that you want out of your current environment.

When a desire to escape a situation is a main motivator to initiating change, we need to be careful about possibly jumping from the frying pan into the fire. To help yourself get clear on what it is you’d like to do next, I’d first encourage you to find ways to emotionally detach from the drama and toxicity of your current work environment. How can you take care of yourself, energetically, so you are not depleting your spirit’s resources by “tolerating” or “surviving” at work? How can you leave work at work? By not exploring these avenues, it’s likely you’ll find yourself in a similar, if not worse, environment next.

Consider this: When you feel aggravated or your buttons get pushed by something at work, vent in a notebook, take a walk, or close your door and do 60 seconds of deep breathing. These exercises can help bring you back to center and re-ground your energy, putting you more in a position of power in regards to your life and situation. And the bonus? Once you detach yourself from the toxicity as much as you can, you’ll be much more likely to identify your next steps, and have it be from a place of power instead of desperation.

By feeling tangled up in an unhealthy environment, you don’t have the space available to pursue or welcome in new directions or opportunities, so it’s no wonder you don’t feel clear on your next move. Focus your actions on creating that space to effect change. Start by taking care of yourself where you are in order to discover where you want to go.

Cheers,
Kerri
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To have your question considered for Ask the Coach, simply send an email keeping the following guidelines in mind:

• Be specific. Make sure your question is clearly stated to prevent any misinterpretation. That way, you’ll be sure to have your specific need addressed.

• Keep it under 150 words. Any emails longer than the specified limit will be ineligible for selection.

• You only need to send your question once. While only one of the emails sent in a specific week will be answered, I’ll be keeping eligible emails for possible use in future columns. Be sure to keep checking back each week, not only to see if yours was selected, but to also check out the one that was. Chances are each week’s question can pertain to your life in some way!

• Only emails selected for publication will be answered. Due to the volume received, I am only able to answer the weekly selected question.

• By submitting a question, you are authorizing its use on this website.

• Submissions may be edited and/or shortened for content and length purposes.

To read the archive of Ask the Coach, click here. To submit your question, go ahead and send an email



This is the column where, each week, I’ll be answering one website visitor’s question in hopes of supporting all visitors through shared (and likely, relevant) challenges, triumphs, and struggles.

Dear Kerri,

About a year ago, I left a regular corporate job and went into business for myself. I work out of my home as the only member of my company. Things are going really well, however, I find myself second guessing my decision. Financially, business is very successful, and I love the flexibility in my schedule and the independence. Sometimes, though, I find my motivation and energy level dipping. Now that the somewhat frantic pace of getting the business established has mostly wound down, I’m often slow to get going and procrastinating a bit; even occasionally missing my old job, which to my logical mind, seems nuts since I couldn’t wait to get out of there. Do all new entrepreneurs go through this dip and what can I do about it?

Signed,
Perplexed in Poughkeepsie, NY

Dear Perplexed,

Congratulations on making the successful transition to entrepreneurship! That is quite a feat, and you should be proud!

It sounds like now that things have settled a bit, the quieter energy is allowing you to be with yourself more and with the busyness less. Depending on your personality, that can be a blessing or a curse.

When you’re feeling low energy, do you like to refuel with quiet alone time or by being around people? Some really need solitude to rejuvenate and feel “clicked in” again. Others, and this happens a lot with solopreneurs like yourself, the isolation that can come with running your own business out of your home can be a bit daunting.

My guess is that it’s not your old job you are missing, but the social connection of having co-workers. Give this a shot: Over the next week, choose two days when you can spend a couple of hours working from a local coffee shop or your public library. Try to stay at least two hours there, and while you’re there, as well as after you’re home, take a few moments to check in to see how you feel. I bet your mood will be lifted and you’ll feel much more motivated. Sometimes we just need to be in the energy of others without needing to engage in chit chat or conversation.

If you find that this “dip” that you’re feeling persists and begins to interfere with your daily get-up-and-go, you might consider seeking the support of a good therapist. You can ask for referrals from your primary care physician (if you really connect well with him or her), friends, family, or your insurance company. Giving yourself this gift of a full hour where you get to talk things through with an objective professional is invaluable. Take some time to write down your ideal qualities in a therapist, and be sure to interview a few to find a good match.

Best of luck to you in your business and in your ongoing self care!

Cheers,
Kerri
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To have your question considered for Ask the Coach, simply send an email keeping the following guidelines in mind:

• Be specific. Make sure your question is clearly stated to prevent any misinterpretation. That way, you’ll be sure to have your specific need addressed.

• Keep it under 150 words. Any emails longer than the specified limit will be ineligible for selection.

• You only need to send your question once. While only one of the emails sent in a specific week will be answered, I’ll be keeping eligible emails for possible use in future columns. Be sure to keep checking back each week, not only to see if yours was selected, but to also check out the one that was. Chances are each week’s question can pertain to your life in some way!

• Only emails selected for publication will be answered. Due to the volume received, I am only able to answer the weekly selected question.

• By submitting a question, you are authorizing its use on this website.

• Submissions may be edited and/or shortened for content and length purposes.

To read the archive of Ask the Coach, click here. To submit your question, go ahead and send an email

This is the column where, each week, I’ll be answering one website visitor’s question in hopes of encouraging and inspiring you all through your shared (and likely, relevant) challenges, triumphs, and struggles.

Dear Kerri,

I have been training with someone to be a life coach for a few months now. I only have three more one-hour calls left, and I don’t feel like I’ve learned anything! I tell her that I feel stuck and that I need more one-on-one. I’m suppose to get certified by October, and don’t feel anywhere near ready. What should I do? I can’t afford to dish out more money!

Signed,
Disillusioned in Detroit

Dear Disillusioned,

I’m so sorry to hear you are not getting the kind of support you need. What you are getting, however, is several opportunities for growth with this situation!

As a future coach, you’re benefiting greatly from having the experience of being a client. In light of that, consider what you would want clients of yours to do if they felt like they weren’t getting what they had hoped from the coaching relationship. This, in and of itself, is a great learning opportunity for you, and wonderful practice for your future career.

I’d encourage you to evaluate your initial expectations of this coaching arrangement. Where you are training with this person in an effort to get certified, was the relationship set up as instructor/student, where the coach is consulting with you on specific areas of coaching to help you with your certification, or was the intention for you to see what it is like to be a client?  Make sure your expectations match the intention of the relationship when formed.

There’s also an opportunity to set some gracious, yet firm, boundaries in this situation. I understand that you have expressed your need for more one-on-one time, and I assume by your frustration that this need has not been met. I’d encourage you to consider a direct conversation with the coach, describing what you had hoped to achieve through your partnering when you first started versus what you feel you’ve received. Follow that up with the specific needs you’d like to cover in your final sessions with her — and be open to her input. Any professional and established coach should be more than willing to hear this kind of feedback.

It’s important to remember that coaching is a client-driven process. With three more one-hour sessions yet to be held, you have a choice here to either get exactly what you need from the relationship (considering the coach is equipped to provide it) or you can cancel the remaining sessions and request a refund, if you’ve paid in advance. Then, you could use that money on subject-specific training that you feel you are lacking. You can check out a la carte classes through a reputable training organization, such as CoachU or Coachville.

It is ultimately the client’s responsibility to make sure you are getting what you need, and if you’re not, to address it or end the relationship. Just be sure to be open to a different opinion and a fresh perspective as that’s where a lot of the magic of coaching happens.

I wish you all the best!

Cheers,
Kerri

To have your question considered for Ask the Coach, simply send an email keeping the following guidelines in mind:

• Be specific. Make sure your question is clearly stated to prevent any misinterpretation. That way, you’ll be sure to have your specific need addressed.

• Keep it under 150 words. Any emails longer than the specified limit will be ineligible for selection.

• You only need to send your question once. While only one of the emails sent in a specific week will be answered, I’ll be keeping eligible emails for possible use in future columns. Be sure to keep checking back each week, not only to see if yours was selected, but to also check out the one that was. Chances are each week’s question can pertain to your life in some way!

• Only emails selected for publication will be answered. Due to the volume received, I am only able to answer the weekly selected question.

• By submitting a question, you are authorizing its use on this website.

• Submissions may be edited and/or shortened for content and length purposes.

To read the archive of Ask the Coach, click here. To submit your question, go ahead and send an email!

This is the column where, each week, I’ll be answering one website visitor’s question in hopes of encouraging and inspiring you all through your shared (and likely, relevant) challenges, triumphs, and struggles.

Dear Kerri,

My spouse and I have been trying to sell our house for a few months now. We feel like we’ve done all we can — staging, minor repairs, retained a great agent, etc. Because we are relocating at the end of the summer, we really need this to go soon! How can I maintain my sanity during this stressful time while also staying present for the task at hand, which is finding buyers for our home?

Signed,
Impatient in Idaho

Dear Impatient,

I can really appreciate your frustration. While the housing market may seem tough right now, there’s a key piece to selling your house that you may be forgetting.

I hear that you’ve done a lot of the necessary preparations — cleaning, fixing, staging, etc. Although your house is ready for sale, I wonder how available it is for sale.

When we are tied to the outcome of a situation, the stressed energy we are embodying can actually keep us stuck to the situation we most want to let go of or move on from. In your case, the strong desire (and need) for your house to sell sooner rather than later could be just the reason it’s not moving. Your energy is still so tied into your current house that, when buyers walk in, it may be difficult for them to feel themselves living there. Sure, with the great staging they most likely can envision themselves moving in, but do they feel like there is space not only for their belongings, but also for their energy?

What I would suggest for you is whenever you feel the stress come up about your home not selling fast enough, begin thinking about how wonderful it’s going to be to live in your new location. By doing this, you are shifting your energy to your new residence and, as a result, releasing your current home. The bonus? Not only do I believe this will help your house sell faster, but you’ll find your stress diminishing, too!

Good luck!

Best,
Kerri

To have your question considered for Ask the Coach, simply send an email keeping the following guidelines in mind:

• Be specific. Make sure your question is clearly stated to prevent any misinterpretation. That way, you’ll be sure to have your specific need addressed.

• Keep it under 150 words. Any emails longer than the specified limit will be ineligible for selection.

• You only need to send your question once. While only one of the emails sent in a specific week will be answered, I’ll be keeping eligible emails for possible use in future columns. Be sure to keep checking back each week, not only to see if yours was selected, but to also check out the one that was. Chances are each week’s question can pertain to your life in some way!

• Only emails selected for publication will be answered. Due to the volume received, I am only able to answer the weekly selected question.

To read the archive of Ask the Coach, click here.