Resiliency

Thought I’d share what I’ve been doing during ‘stay-at-home’ to support clients, colleagues and essential workers

Week 1 – Numbness.

Did absolutely nothing, but eat, organize a few drawers, watch endless news segments and experience fear, sadness and a bit of nausea. The nausea somehow didn’t curb the constant eating.

Week 2 – Ideas.

I began reaching out to clients to find out about their health, family and work status. My daughter, Alison who works for SoulCycle came home from Philadelphia. On day two of her homecoming, she required me to ‘show up’ every morning for class with her fitness pro friends. These amazing, very energetic instructors had already taken to Instagram Live with free/donation based workout sessions. They were doing something!

Thankfully, I was included on email lists of top industry experts and group texts with my coaching colleagues, eager to figure out what we could be doing to help. I quickly realized the word ‘resilience’ took on a new meaning. I prepared to begin offering current and past clients no cost ‘Resiliency Coaching Sessions’. I drafted the email but failed to hit send, imagining the sessions quickly escalating above my ‘Life & Career Coach’ credentials, into something much more complex. I assumed people would want (and need) professional therapy sessions.

How could I expect everyone to remain positive and practice gratitude, when we were in the midst of a global pandemic? My initial email outreach to clients had resulted in 35% of them now unemployed/furloughed. Friends in various industries were laying off staff and contemplating business bankruptcy, while racing to apply for government loans. My own business was already seeing significant rescheduling and cancellations.

Week 3 - Motion.

I’ve always been a firm believer in ‘When you GIVE BACK, you GET BACK.’ Much of my career has been focused on corporate philanthropy, social responsibility, and creating corporate volunteer programs. I’ve shown my kids that this is how the world works (or is supposed to work).

And yes, I finally hit ‘Send’ on that email – alerting past and current clients that I was now offering pro bono coaching sessions focusing on resiliency. My hope was (and still is) to provide a place to simply ‘check-in’; share positivity strategies, and enhance ‘Forward Thinking’ as we move thru this crisis and prepare for the future.

Week 4 – Energy.

So I gave back. I felt good about it. But what I gave, is nothing compared to what I received. Clients from across the country, including some of the hardest hit regions, responded. Our sessions were filled with dialogue about healthy families, gratitude, shopping for elderly neighbors, updating Linkedin/resumes, newfound time for upskilling, free online classes at Ivy League universities, outreach to past colleagues and Zoom interviews with companies, continuing to fill meaningful positions during COVID-19. Each session left me feeling more positive. The sessions allowed me to move forward, and by the end of the week, I was transformed. Thank you to all of the amazing people who accepted my offer. Thank you for all you gave to me.

Week 5 – Expansion.

The International Coaching Federation reached out to member coaches seeking volunteers to offer support through NYC’s Covid Care Network. Services including therapy, life coaching, and spiritual healing for essential health care workers, members of the media, grocery store, food production, sanitation, and public safety workers, transportation and emergency personnel, among others.

I am waiting to be assigned my first ‘heroes,’ and I hope I can give them something they need and deserve or perhaps, just simply listen.