Kerri Richardson

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,

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
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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!

Welcome to Ask The Coach! (I feel like I need theme music!) This is a place where I address some of your specific coaching questions in a weekly column. Whether you’re curious about the coaching process itself, or are up against something in your life where you could use some support, simply click here to send an email, and each week, I’ll select one to answer.*

A new question and answer is posted every Thursday, and real names will never be used. If you’d like, you can even come up with a playful signature, like, “Discouraged in Dallas”!

When submitting a question, please remember:

• Be specific. Make sure your question is clearly stated to prevent any interpretation being needed. 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.

Again, simply click here to send an email, and your question could be chosen!

I look forward to connecting with and supporting you.

*By emailing a question, you are authorizing its publication on this website.

How would you like to captivate, inspire, and motivate audiences? Sounds pretty cool, eh?

Many writers speak, and many speakers write. Speaking is a powerful way to not only inspire the masses, but also to build a platform and a following. In honor of that, this month’s writer’s teleclass topic is Creating Powerful Presentations and Building a Speaking Career!

We’ll be covering lots of areas, including:

• How to find speaking opportunities
• How to package your information
• How to best connect with your audience
• How to leave them feeling satisfied, yet still hungry for more
• How to keep them engaged and present
• And more!

As always, there will be time for questions and the opportunity for some on-the-spot coaching.

I hope you’ll join us, from the comfort of your own home and telephone, on Wednesday, July 28, 2010 from 8-9 PM EST.

To register:

Image by p_a_h

Curious to listen in on how a coach works? You’re in luck!

As a guest on two Hay House Radio programs, I talked about coaching and what it’s all about, and also coached callers live. If you’ve been curious to hear how a coach works with a client, here’s where you can get a taste. Enjoy!

I was invited to be a guest on Coach on Call, Cheryl Richardson’s weekly internet radio show with Hay House Radio. Cheryl and I talked with callers and helped them see things in a new way and work through some of their blocks. We had great fun together — a powerful experience helping people far and wide! I invite you to listen in by clicking the play button below.

I was also excited to join Psychic Medium John Holland on his radio show, Spirit Connections with Hay House Radio. Having never had a life coach on his program before, it was wonderful to share with his listeners the deep spiritual benefit of working with a coach. To listen, simply click the play button below.

To request a media interview or invite Kerri to be a guest on your show, please click here.

Photo by Tom Grinsted

When I was a child, my 8th grade English teacher — lovingly named Mr. Devine — had a wonderful and magical way of teaching his students about the power of words. He was the type of teacher you’d see in the movies — he made up songs to help us remember the parts of speech and what their jobs were, and he made us eager to be involved and present for the lessons. During quizzes and tests, we’d all be tapping our pencils, singing his songs to ourselves, to answer the posed questions. When he asked for volunteers to come up to the board to diagram a sentence, arms would be flapping in the air, each of us trying to raise ours higher than our neighbor’s in hope of being selected. I looked forward to his class every day. He was engaging, energetic, eager, and excited. Whoa, he’d be proud of my alliteration right there.

He made me hungry, at that young age, for more knowledge about the power of the written message, the order of words, and the pictures that could be painted with adjectives. Thanks to Mr. Devine, I went on to college to study Journalism and Writing. While working as the Managing Editor of a magazine for just under 10 years, I so enjoyed working with novice and experienced writers alike to help them overcome fears, blocks, and time constraints so they could move toward their goals of making writing more a part of their world.

Today, as a life coach and writing coach, I’m thrilled to be able to continue to do so. And now, it’s your turn!

Have you always dreamed of writing a book? Are you interested in blogging in an effort to share your message? Do you get stuck because you feel like you have nothing to say?

Can anyone really be a writer? The answer is YES! Whether you’re looking to do a blog, write articles for various magazines and other publications, or write a book and have it published, a big part of the process is knowing where and how to start.

I’d love for you to join me for a two-hour, interactive, discussion on Putting Yourself Out There — in Writing, being held on Thursday, March 4, 2010 from 7 PM-9PM ET, at Circles of Wisdom in Andover, MA. During this interactive workshop, we’ll be talking about common writing blocks, identifying underlying beliefs that are stopping you in your tracks, as well as the practical how-to knowledge of getting started, pitching your idea, and pursuing publication.

For only $35 per person, participants will leave with new-found confidence in their ability to share their writing, knowledge on how to do just that, an action plan to get, or keep, things rolling, as well as great resources related to publishing. Oh, and you’ll get a copy of the Parts of Speech jingle, too!

Class size is limited to 40 people, so be sure to register as soon as possible. To do so, visit Circles of Wisdom or call the store at (978) 474-8010. I look forward to seeing you there!

Welcome to my fresh, new home on the Web!

As a spiritual life coach and writing coach, I love teaming up with people just like you to work toward fulfilling your long-held desires. Taking action toward goals that have as-of-yet seemed out of reach, is heading toward a deeply spiritual life. Through our work together, you’ll become confident, and dare I say, comfortable, in making yourself and your needs a priority, and you’ll see that everyone in your life benefits as a result!

When you live a life that honors your spirit, you’ll find, more often than not, you’ll be having experiences where you feel those excited flips or butterflies in your stomach, or you find yourself smiling — a lot. That, to me, is what it means to be living a spiritual existence — one where your soul is soaring. Now, doesn’t everyone (including YOU) deserve that?

It all starts with a simple step of  getting in touch for a complimentary exploratory chat. You may email me at kerri@kerririchardson.com or call (978) 358-7614. I look forward to hearing from you!

Cheers,
Kerri

Image by mckaysavage