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My coach challenged me to a 50-conversation Challenge.
You see, I’m struggling to fill my coaching practice. Since I’m a newer coach, I don’t just want to enroll clients, I also want to get better at coaching and to learn who my ideal clients are. My biggest desire of all is to share this powerful work with more people. But I can’t do that without your help. As with any challenge, I need a community to help me see it through. Before you agree to spreading the word and encouraging people to have a conversation with me, here are some things that may help you decide:
I know it’s summertime and schedules are full. It’ll take 5 minutes to share this letter with the first 5 people you can think of and/post on LinkedIn. Ready? Go! If you want to have a powerful conversation that’ll get your non-conscious mind working on your future while you enjoy the gifts of summertime, book 55 mins with me before mid-August (cause that’s when I go on vacation). Are you as fired up as I am? Click here to book your 50-conversation Challenge Session Thank you, very much and happy summer. Love, Kate
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How are you? If your world is anything like mine, you’re in a time of quickening. Experiences are deep, rich, agonizing, wonderful, and going so fast it’s hard to keep up with all of the things. I hope you’re able to find the sweetness in all that is happening with you, for you, to you. I have a share for you below. And if you have a share for me, please reply to this email or schedule a chat. I’d love to hear how you’re doing and what you’re up to. One of the things that I’ve been up to in the last couple of years is training to be an EQUUS Experience Certified Facilitator. The EQUUS Experience is an award winning equine assisted coaching experience. Here’s a link to the EQUUS Experience creator, Kelly Wendorf’s, page about the EQUUS Experience. I’m working on making it available in the Bend area. If when you read this, you know in your bones that want to do a retreat in Santa Fe, let’s design an experience for you at Buffalo Spirit Ranch! (This link gives you an idea of what we can create for you in Santa Fe). But let me back up. This letter is titled, “Redefining Leadership : No Horse Experience Required.” What does leadership have to do with horses? The horse is the second most successful mammal on the planet, second only to the platypus. At 56 million years and counting, horses have not only survived but thrived through tectonic shifts, climate change, periods of mass extinction, drought, and famine. Their secret to millions of years of existence? Their sensitivity, resilience, agility, and sociability. The EQUUS website states, “the herd is governed by a sophisticated lateral ‘moveable’ shared hierarchy that serves the whole…They value connection, clarity and authenticity, and trust those who are congruent with their intentions. (In other words, those who say and do what they mean and mean what they say and do). Their leaders are those who demonstrate care, responsiveness, clarity, presence and charisma.” When I’m asked, “Why horses?” My answer is this: They have a lot to teach us about surviving and thriving. And unlike the platypus, they are willing to partner with humans. But how do they do it? What are the qualities of horse culture that have made them so successful? The answer: a unique culture modeled as the 5 pillars of Thriving. The Five Pillars of Thriving: Safety, Connection, Peace, Freedom, and Joy held by the tenets of Care and Presence.  The five pillars of thriving held by the two tenets of care and presence and time in the arena teaches us how to become the kinds of leaders and community members that horses are. They are the kinds of leaders and community that have built-in shared values. Together, they create a culture that ensures survival of the species and a life that’s prioritizes thriving of the mind, body, and the spirit. Put another way, they prioritize life. The leaders lead from behind with care and presence. This stance cultivates a robust culture that can continue on should the leader step down or perish. In healthy herds, the leader is not the exuberant stallion as typically depicted in movies. Rather, the leader is either a mare or in domestic herds, a mare or quieter gelding. You can spot them by how still they are and by their subtle movements that send the rest of the herd into motion. You can tell by the way they keep watch. This alertness gives the rest of the community a feeling of safety that allows them to become fully who they are. The community members don’t lead lives of rule following, doing what they’re told by the powers that be. They have voice and choice within the context of the 5 pillars and two tenets. Their roles are critical to the well-being of their herd. They bring humor, curiosity, care, comradery, mischief, and they teach the 5 pillars and two tenets to the youngsters so that everyone is safe and connected to themselves and to the herd. This is a culture that survives and thrives. Let’s take it off the range and into human professional and personal leadership. Where does personal agenda over community show up in your life? Conversely, where does community over personal agenda show up in your life? Are there places in your life where you’ve found the sweet spot of individual and community needs? What roles do you play in your community/communities? Where do you look out for others? Where do others look out for you? Where do you naturally take a more permanent leadership role? And where does your leadership show up by playing a different role from your standard leadership role? Have you been in a group that has a moveable hierarchy that serves the individual and the overall wellbeing of the group? How does that work? What conditions are present to cultivate this dynamic culture. There are no right or wrong answers here. Context matters. Bring your curiosity and look at it from a horse’s ‘pillars of thriving’ perspective. There's a phrase, "How we do anything is how we do everything." The horses show us how to do things in a safe, connected, joy filled environment. They teach us a new and ancient way to lead and to organize ourselves. To lead from behind, embodying power with versus power over. A way that is the foundation of 56 million years of surviving and thriving. While we humans know a lot about how we can make things better in the world and in our lives, the dominant culture has a long history of being out of sync with a surviving and thriving mindset. We need teachers and guides to help us remember this part of ourselves. To teach us what has been lost from more than a century of disconnect from being in sync with natural processes. Is equine assisted coaching therapy? Nope. When I share what I’m up to, I often hear, '“Equine therapy is so cool!” And that’s true. It is really cool. Here’s the difference. While time in the arena can feel therapeutic, the focus is on your self-development with the horse as your teacher and me as the facilitator. EQUUS Experience horses have a voice and choice about their work. They get to say how they feel about working that day. They get to choose how to engage with their student that day. They get to be the dynamic beings that they are. They are not on a rigorous therapy schedule holding session after session until they burnout*. They are respected partners and teachers who lead by example, giving you an immersive experience of safety, connection, peace, freedom, and joy held by care and presence. Wanna learn how to lead with the wisdom of a 56-million-year-old? You can learn this in and out of the arena. I bring equine teachings to you by proxy through
To have a direct experience with 56-million-year-old wisdom, book a
Coming soon
You won’t find information about any of these offerings on my website. (I still need to write the copy). Reading this post gives you the inside track on a new and ancient way to lead in your work and life. If you want to learn more, book a chat with me. It’s just a short chat. Not a long sales call. It’s a chance for you to learn about each offering and to ascertain if you want to talk more about any of them. I look forward to talking with you. Before you move on, please do me a quick favor. Who do you know that would be interested in learning about the 5 Pillars of Thriving and implementing them into their lives? Please share this post with them. Thank you very much. Love, Kate *Not all equine therapy programs lead to horse burnout, but many are more focused on the human experience than the experience of the horse. P.S. When booking a chat, if you can’t find a time that works for you or want to talk sooner, reply to this email with your phone number. We’ll figure out a time that works.  Photo of Artemis, the EQUUS herd’s lead mare, enjoying a rest as we watch over her.
Could things be changing any faster?
This week has been wild. It’s the kind of week where plans change rapidly. The kind of week with new information that might bring a small change in the moment but implies a tectonic shift in the way life was going just a few minutes before. Changes in money, in life situations, in commitments. I’ve heard, “Enough! It’s time to do something about this!” Changes that require personal or professional growth to navigate them. I wasn’t going to write a letter today. And here I am, sitting down writing to you because I know that this isn’t just happening in my world or in the worlds of the people I’ve talked with. It’s happening to everyone. How’s it playing out for you? What changes, insights, and oh sh*t moments have you had this week? How are you doing with it? You can reply to this email, post on the blog, or schedule a chat with me. I’d love to know. Since it’s a week of change, I’m throwing my own announcement into the swirl because I have some exciting news to share too. Drum roll… I’ve created a 4-month coaching program for solopreneurs and small business owners called: Animate : 120 Days to the End of Struggle in Your Business Here’s a little background as to why I created this program. I created this program for me. You see, I was stuck in some key areas in my business. Stuck isn’t quite the right word. It was more like I was frozen. I was running my business, and I was really holding back in some critical areas, like talking with people about coaching with me. I just couldn’t get my body to take that kind of action. Then I remembered the key elements that I need to succeed in business:
Energy is one of those things that we know is important and that unless we’re daily meditators, yogis or have some sort of energy practice, gets overlooked. Energy is subtle. Energy is both ethereal and practical. Energy is everything. Working with the way energy flows through the structure of your business is revolutionary. But…an experience of one isn’t enough to create a 4-month program. So, I’ve been playing with this. In my own business. And with a few folks who were curious. And all I can say is, “Whoa.” I know. This may be getting a bit over the top. It’s that kind of week. And it’s true! Energy work combined with practical action changes the playing field of possibility in your business. You’ll have insights you’ve never had before. You’ll see yourself and your business in new ways. You’ll get those problem areas handled for good. Wanna end the struggle in your business? Click Animate Your Business to learn more and then, let’s chat. If you can’t find a time that works for you or want to talk sooner, reply to this email with your phone number. We’ll figure out a time that works. Because here’s what I know. There will always be rapid changes and unexpected announcements in business and in life. And when we can be in flow with the energy of it, things go better. Let’s chat. Lots of love, Kate Today I’m reflecting on the Greek mythological character, Chiron. There’s a total solar eclipse in the U.S. tomorrow and the planet Chiron is conjunct this cosmic event at the exact degree. Kind of wild, weird, and exciting. To get a backdrop to this letter, watch this 1:50 video.
So, who is Chiron? And why am I reflecting on him? A (brief and simplified) story of Chiron: Chiron was a centaur – half horse, half man. The son of Kronos and Philyra, he was the first centaur. I want to pause on that. He was the first of his kind. The first. Before him, there were no centaurs. He was rejected by his mother because of his strangeness. Apollo later found him and taught him the art of music, medicine, art, archery, and prophecy. He became a gifted healer, teacher, mentor, warrior, and seer. Pausing again. Chiron is the son of Kronos. He’s much older than Apollo. Now, I haven’t researched Chiron’s life before Apollo came along but there’s a lot of time between his abandonment and his mentorship by Apollo. From the rejection of his mother and tutelage by Apollo, Chiron represents our deepest emotional and spiritual wounds. His primary teaching is the gift is in the wound. Without the abandonment of his mother, he wouldn’t have been trained by Apollo. He wouldn’t have become the great healer and teacher of heroes that he became. Why I’m reflecting on him: I’m soothed by Chiron’s story. When I’m exploring my deepest wounds, his story gives me courage, strength, and hope to keep going. To keep doing the work that ultimately gives me access to the liberation that comes from finding the gift in the wound. I’m inspired by Chiron. He’s the ultimate mentor/healer/coach. But there’s something else about Chiron that really draws me to him. As the first centaur, he’s weird! He’s edgy. His animal and human natures co-exist and make a special and gifted being. Someone who all these millennia later is still impacting the human psyche. So much so, that when the planet that’s now named Chiron was given that name it was because of its “eccentric” orbit. It’s like he’s telling us through time and space: “Your gifts are in the places where you don’t fit in. Walk your own path and walk it for the good of all. Let your freak flag fly!” I confess, for me, that’s easier said than done. I hide my healing gifts. Because they’re weird! They’re born of my deepest wound. And here’s Chiron, strong, capable, proud, and wounded, traveling the world healing with his words, his medicine, his presence. Traveling his eccentric orbit. Letting his freak flag fly. Encouraging me to persist in doing the same. How does this story strike you? Let’s play with this a little bit. Are there places where:
What if you were to run your freak flag up your flagpole just a little bit? Enough for you to see your weird self with fresh eyes. How would life be for you? And a little bit more? And more? What’s life like from here? Are you drawn to it? Are you freer? Do you feel slightly afraid? Have you found that combination of freedom and fear that tells you you’re alive? What’s one small step that you can take in your life to let your weird self out? Now, I’m not encouraging you to burn your life to the ground and restart as your weird self. I’m encouraging you to do what Chiron did, heal your wounds as best you can. Share your gifts before you’re healed. Take care. Be gentle and kind to yourself. Know your worth. Be the strong, proud, capable, and eccentric person that you are. Here's what I know about you:
So, my friend, where does that leave us? If you would like to get support and have one-on-one conversations that create your best weird life, book a chat with me. Let’s talk. If you’re in a place where you know you’re on track and are fully supported in your best, weird-life journey, know that I’m cheering you on. And I always love to catch up to hear how you’re doing. You can book a chat with me here. Either way, report back to me. What did you learn from Chiron today? You can reply to this letter or do me a favor and leave a comment on the Intrinsic Potential blog here. Until next time, let your freak flag fly. Lots of love, Kate The time has come for us to stretch ourselves a bit and to share our unique gifts in the world in a bigger way. Here’s a 7-minute video message for you from me as a backdrop for the rest of this letter. Give it a watch or just keep reading to learn what brought me to this point. Or stop here and reply and let me know if there’s something I can help you with.
It’s all coming together: Since I left my career in real estate in 2010 to raise my daughters, I’ve been in the process of reinventing myself. It has been a fascinating, rewarding, and challenging experience that will be constantly evolving. And, I’ve done enough research, work, study, and practice that I’m ready to turn all the things I’ve learned and am learning into service for a more beautiful future for all as a shiny new leadership and life coaching career. I’m bursting with excitement! Here’s how I’m sharing my unique gifts in a bigger way: By starting small. With this one letter. Then adding to them, once or twice a month. Over time, I’ll share stories about my work and invitations to work with me in a variety of ways. I have so much to say and to write about. To get started, Watch the video. Then, read on. For all of my excitement, I promise to keep it brief. I want to give you a taste of the elements I’ve pulled together. You’ve been with me at for a least a few if not many points of this 13-year journey. You’ve been with me through short bursts of me promoting my work followed by a retreat into my shell more than once. And I stand by what I wrote, the time really has come to be bold with our unique gifts. With that, I emerge, and I remain. The Elements for creating, “The more beautiful world our hearts know is possible” (HT Charles Eisenstein): 3.8-billion-year-old wisdom
I want to work with as many people as possible* who are ready and willing to make the change that they seek in their lives. Especially solopreneurs and small businesses (I have something special for you), stay-at-home and career juggling moms and dads who are afraid that they’re not making a difference in the world (you are), college students who want to learn a unique approach to leadership to prepare for entering the world they are inheriting, and the folks who find themselves saying, “I am in the in-between.” Then “What’s next?” I could really use your help with the following:
Let’s help each other to be bold about bringing our unique gifts to the world in service of the more beautiful future that our hearts know is possible. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. With love and respect, Kate *Right now, “as many people as possible,” means 5 people per week. 5 beautiful souls who want to co-create their future with me. Two spots are full. I have 3 remaining. |
Inspiration For You To Bring Your Unique Gifts to the WorldWe are in a time of creating a more beautiful world that our hearts know is possible. (HT Charles Eisenstein). What does that world look like to you? What part will you play in bringing it to life? Who are your unlikely collaborators? How will you support them? How will they support you? ArchivesCategories |
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