#stakeholdercenteredcoaching

Starting My Own Business

This year is already off to a significantly different start than any other year in my life.  When January 1st rolled around, I found myself in the unfamiliar position of being an entrepreneur owning my own business!  Some who know me and are reading this may have no idea I have navigated on to my own, so I thought the perfect way to kick off my blog in 2015 is to tell the story of how People Evolutions came to be.

Over the last sixteen plus years I have been in various Human Resources roles and I always knew at some point I would become an executive coach fulltime.  Coaching and engaging with professionals and executives throughout my career has always been an area that was a natural fit for me and where I found personal fulfillment.  Over the last 18 or so months I started giving this plan more and more thought and as so often does, things started falling into place. 

In late 2013 a personal acquaintance began casually asking my perspective for some executive coaching clients who were feeling stuck in their careers or had lost confidence due to the environment at work.  I used my experience in seeing so many of these situations firsthand and began rattling off ideas and specific steps they could do to move forward.  After a few of these conversations she shared her belief there is a significant need out there consulting people in these situations and threw out the idea I start a business.  I was apprehensive, but decided to give it a shot as a side venture from my fulltime Human Resources job. 

In February 2014 I started working with clients with a need for someone understanding where they are at in their current position, where they want to go and help coach them to take steps to get there.  From there, things started to snowball.  Referrals kept coming in.  I quickly realized there was an opportunity to make this endeavor more formal and include these services under a broad umbrella that could eventually include my original plan of executive coaching. 

People Evolutions came to life in May 2014.  In forming People Evolutions, I wanted to encompass areas I am passionate about and am confident I can make a difference.  These areas include Professional/Executive Coaching, Professional Development through Emergenetics, and Professional Branding/Career Coaching.  Towards the end of 2014, an opportunity presented itself that facilitated my ability to move People Evolutions from a side venture to my fulltime job.  Although the timing of this change wasn’t in my original plans, there are times in life where things happen and the only right thing to do would be to ride the wave.  So, here I am, riding the wave!  There's no doubt that taking a risk is scary, but as the saying goes: no risk, no reward!

To help familiarize you with People Evolutions, here is a deeper dive into the services provided:

Professional / Executive Coaching: Through Marshall Goldsmith’s Stakeholder Centered Coaching methodology, I engage with executives and high potential individuals and leaders with a strong desire to further improve and become even more successful.  Stakeholder Centered Coaching is different than most coaching models as leadership growth and behavioral change is measured every three to six months through stakeholder observation and feedback. 

Professional Development through Emergenetics: I have never been more excited about a professional development tool than I am about Emergenetics.  As a certified Emergenetics Associate, I help individuals, teams and organizations increase efficiency and improve communication through solutions that center on the Emergenetics profile.  Emergenetics is the building block of strong organizations.  It’s a way of thinking.  A new approach to developing employees and leaders.  On a practical level, Emergenetics represents a clear framework of seven easily recognizable and useful factors that apply to work, communication, and interpersonal relationships to maximize human performance.

Professional Branding / Career Coaching: This encompasses so much and is really the catalyst for People Evolutions coming to life.  There are so many people out there wanting to make a change in their career or job, but feel stuck for a variety of reasons, possibly including: being in an environment where confidence is a thing of the past and are convinced no company would hire them; have been with the same company for a long time and have no idea where to start in looking for a job; haven’t updated their resume in years, if ever, and have no idea how to use professional social media platforms to help with their job search.  I have taken my real life experience being in Human Resources, as a hiring manager, as an interviewer, as a job seeker, as a person being actively recruited by a company or headhunter and have turned that knowledge into a step-by-step individual coaching series to help anyone prepare and begin to look for their next opportunity. 

The most popular service amongst my clients is the Career Transition Coaching Series which includes 12 – 50 minute coaching sessions that cover topics like defining, communicating and publishing your professional brand, identifying your job market, creating your job search strategy, using social media, networking, interviewing, etc.  I also offer professionally written resumes, LinkedIn profiles and cover letters to ensure you are putting your professional best out there.  Because everyone is starting from a different place and has unique needs, I can customize to meet your needs.  The best part about this piece of my business is that it can be done 100% over the phone which allows me to connect and help individuals literally anywhere!

I think we all have moments where we debate taking a risk and doing something completely different than we've done before and it can be scary.  It is scary.  As I am navigating through this process on my own, it has reaffirmed my belief that we will only regret the things we didn't try in life.  So, if you're debating taking your own risk, do it! 

Going forward, my intention with this blog will be to regularly write about leadership, coaching, career transitions, and other exciting topics that come up during my interactions with clients. 

Now that you know what I am up to, please also feel free to connect with me on social media! 

www.PeopleEvolutions.com

LinkedIn.com/in/LeshaReese

Facebook.com/PeopleEvolutions

@PplEvolutions

 While this is an exciting time in my life, I am acutely aware I would not be in this place if it were not for the people I have been blessed to be surrounded by over the last many years.  Thank you for teaching me, coaching me, providing me an example to look up to, calling me out on my crap, and most of all for having confidence in me and my abilities. 

Happy New Year!