My Journey to Coaching-2015 and Beyond.

Becoming a Coach
My journey to coaching 2015 and beyond.

Planting Seeds
Shout out to my Mom, without whom none of this would be. I am grateful for that conversation we had so many years ago.

Looking back, I can see the threads of my life and work that led to my current vocation as a personal and business coach. What started in my early twenties with jobs as a Personal Support Worker, Educational Assistant for special needs kids, Supply Teacher, years as a renovation carpenter, then opening a Martial Arts Club and a Gym, and finally, the founding of Insight-Based Coaching as a personal and business coach.

Change is Coming
By 2015, I had been in the Gym business for nearly 10 years and was also experiencing the most turmoil of my life. In September 2015, I had what some might call a dark night of the soul experience; others might describe it as an awakening, a coming to God moment or maybe just a second chance. Regardless of what we call it, it appeared in the nick of time.

I was listening to an audio of Sydney Banks, an enlightened man from Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, Canada when my world changed, and I awoke to something. I don’t know what. There was much laughing, crying, and sobbing, and I remember distinctly thinking, holy f*ck, I’ve been making it all up. Over about five minutes, my life changed irrevocably, and I knew I was done with the fitness industry. Something was brewing, and the only thing I was clear about was that I wanted my work to continue to support people to become the best versions of myself, but this time, I wanted to do it from the inside out.

Like many who have had a transformational awakening experience, the desire to shout it from the rooftops was strong, and I did. Of course, with minimal impact. When you have your transformational experience, say thank you and carry on. Like they say in Zen Buddhism:

“Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water; after enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.”

I was not enlightened, but I was awake for the first time.

Finding My Life’s Work
After my awakening, I intuitively understood that I had found what everyone was looking for, that it was available to all and had massive implications. Everyone is looking for their personalized version of Happiness, Joy and Ease. For the first time in my life, I felt the profound freedom of knowing I was responsisble for my experience and that I was not a slave to my thinking nor a victim of my world. I was much more than the content of my thinking, and so was everyone else. Through this new perspective, I became the creator of my experience and began to see potential and possibility everywhere, not just for me but for everyone. The fact that I could wake up to more of my best became the greatest equalizer I could imagine. Syd Banks had shown me that we could all awaken to more of our best selves and become better players in the game of life. The only catch was that we had to look inward for insight. I felt the power of this shift in perspective in my work, relationships, and life, and I continue to share the inside-out nature of experience with individuals and businesses through coaching. I founded Insight-Based Coaching in 2015.

I had been a Caregiver, Support System, Big Brother, Teacher, Carpenter, Sensei, Subject Matter Expert, Trainer, Counsellor and Entrepreneur, and now I was becoming a coach.

I am grateful to my mentors, one of whom stepped in shortly after my experience and suggested that if I wanted to become a coach, I should probably understand what coaching is and is not—big thanks to ICF Master Certified Coach Dominic Scaffiid and Cathy Shaughnessy.

Between 2015 and 2022, I immersed myself entirely into the world of professional coaching, and it all began with a weekend workshop with Haesun Moon and the world of Solution Focused Brief Coaching, my first exposure to the science and art of coaching. I had a lot to learn.

Over the following years, I underwent mentoring, supervision and coaching with various coaches and institutes:

1.  Haesun Moon, Ph.D., PCC and Peter de Jong, Ph.D., the man who wrote the textbook on Solution-Focused Brief Coaching, were my first teachers, mentors, and coaches. From them, I learned the art of Solution Focused Coaching, which originated as an offshoot of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy created by Steve DeSazer and Insoo Kim Berg in the late seventies. Their realization that using positive pointing language and focusing on creating solutions, not solving problems, ushered in a new approach in therapy and coaching. I am grateful that my earliest exposure to coaching came at the hands of true Masters. 
2. Cathy Shaughnessy (MMC) and Dominic Scaffidi (MCC) helped me learn the science of coaching, distinguish coaching from other helping modalities and see the value and rigour around ethics, coaching competencies and continuous coaching development. Dr. Jack Pransky taught me the value of staying grounded, showing up fully, listening without assumption from my intuition and staying curious on my client’s behalf.
3. I earned coaching certifications from the Canadian Centre for Brief Coaching and the University of Toronto between  2019 to 2022, attending The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education as a way to formally learn the art and science of coaching as well as to distinguish myself from the majority of ‘Coaches’
4. I am accredited as a Professional Certified Coach (PCC), one of about 1600 Canada-wide by the International Coaching Federation – the standard of Excellence, Ethics and Development for Coaches worldwide. 
5. The interplay between marketing and coaching from Martha Chan, a coach and a marketer

Harvest time
I learned compassion, empathy, patience, overcoming obstacles and dignity from my work as an Educational Assistant. From my time as a Personal Support Worker, I learned about grit, courage, persistence and equality. As a Martial Artist and Karate instructor, I learned precision, respect, discipline, perseverance, and mindfulness. I learned about effort, determination, possibility, and realizing potential from my Gym ownership years. I am also a Father of two successful and capable children who taught me about love.

Coaching is where the true learning and growth are. Each coaching hour shows that a coaching conversation and approach is the most honourable, respectful and helpful way to interact with anyone. Not just holding clients as Creative, Resourceful and Whole but knowing they are makes anything possible. Coaching taught me to look to the core of my client’s being, see more in them than they see in themselves, and gently nudge them back to their best.

Today, my work is informed by a lifetime of learning and experience. I coach Professionals, Leaders and Managers Internationally and, through my Joyful Life Project, support individuals to realize their potential and uncover what is possible.

At 50ish, after decades of nurturing the garden, it is thriving, and for my clients and me, it is time to eat.