If you’ve signed the Body Warrior Pledge, you know that the grand prize is a month of coaching with Amanda Page of Bold Types. Love Your Body Day is tomorrow. Anyone who signs the pledge and asks for coaching will be entered to win coaching with Amanda (along with other prizes, too). And everyone is welcome to contact Amanda directly (and I HIGHLY recommend that you do) for a free session to see if you are coaching fit. To further introduce you to Amanda before the grand prize drawing, Amanda allowed me to interview her. Enjoy!
What inspired you to become a life coach?
Being coached actually inspired me to become a coach. I was living in a city I’d never intended to live in, and I was working in a nice little job for a quirky little company as it was restructuring. And I hated my job. I really liked everyone I worked with, but I loathed my desk, the spreadsheets, etc. I’d never intended to work in marketing. I was a writer. And, although I was writing web copy and blog articles, I felt like a fraud. I went on a work trip to Alaska and it brought me back to my senses. I rediscovered my sense of adventure. And I realized my life didn’t fit me. I was really uncomfortable. I had no idea what to do or where to start. I did know I needed help. I needed support. I contacted some coaches online and one referred me to my coach. When we started working together, I had a vague notion of what I wanted: to work for myself, from home with my dogs, do some writing and speaking. I worked with my coach for almost a year before I said, “Tell me more about coaching.” We both had AHA! moments about me and coaching right then. I was signed up for training within a week. I’ve had a lot of adventures and I’ve always said I have a lot of frames of reference. Coaching tied all my past educational and work and life experiences together. It was a natural fit. I’m also a good listener, interested in people and especially interested in people’s processes – how they get to where they want to be. That’s always my favorite kind of story. And now it’s my favorite part of being a coach.
Tell us about Bold Types. What do you do and how do you do it?
Bold Types, LLC is the container for my set of coaching services. It’s also a label I love. I coach people toward their biggest, boldest selves. We start where you are and work together to take action toward the life you really want for yourself. It takes a bold person to first admit and then own what they really want for themselves. Too often, we get too tired or too overwhelmed by all the acceptable ways to move through this life. We instinctively know when our lives don’t suit us. And coaching moves you past that. I have a few different packages to choose from. I always recommend at least six months of coaching, though, to really implement changes. I worked with my coach for a year before things really started to click for me. But when they did, wow. Yowza. I work over the phone. Plus, clients have unlimited access to me via email. We start with a one hour “Discovery Session” where I get to know you, what you value, and where you want to go. Then we speak once a week. You’ll have some homework sometimes, too. Oh, and I want to add: I will never tell you what to do. As a coach, I’m not here to give advice or offer my opinion about how you can solve a problem. I’m here to help you discover the answers for yourself.
What is a Bold Type? Can you remember the moment when that concept came to you?
A Bold Type is a person who stands out because they know what they want and they do it. They live it. They make a statement with their lives. My parents will always ask me, “Do you know how bold people think you are?” I usually hear that whenever I’m discouraged about my unconventional life. I’ve had moments where I’ve held regular jobs, but I’ve always moved where I’ve wanted to move and traveled and left jobs when I needed to leave them…benefits and retirement accounts and resume time lapses be damned. I’ve had the occasional bout of anxiety about the messiness of my life: I didn’t follow a clear path. A Bold Type doesn’t. When you’re making your own, it might get messy.
Oh, and the idea came to me while I was brainstorming with my oldest friend. I was sitting on the couch and playing around with concepts that speak to my client base and myself as a writer. I do love a play on words.
Something we discuss on the blog a fair amount is self-awareness. What do you most appreciate about yourself?
Funny enough, the thing I most appreciate is my self-awareness. I used to watch Dr. Phil with my mom and get really frustrated at his guests. “Can’t these people see this for themselves!” I’d say. When I reached my “desperation point,” I was aware enough to know that I was keeping myself from seeing what I needed to see. That’s where a coach can come in and be very helpful. Coaching isn’t always pretty and it’s rarely easy – especially being coached. You have to be ready to confront some uncomfortable truths about yourself. That’s what moves us forward, though. We have to get out of our own way.
We also discuss community engagement. What is a community issue of interest to you and why?
I will tell you: I’m big fan of neighborhoods. I like a nice, big group of like-minded people. I like historic preservation and I need a sidewalk. But more than that…I like knowing people who share. I was talking to one of my best girlfriends about this the other day when we were on the phone, because we live about three hours apart, and she mentioned that I needed to meet so-and-so who lived near me. And here’s the thing: if this friend says I should meet someone, I totally trust her because she has built this group of friends who are spread out all over the place and yet, somehow, we all totally trust that if she says to meet, then we better have coffee. And we know we will get along. That’s the definition of community for me. I used to say that, too, about my extended network of friends. If my pal in Ohio called my buddy in Alabama and said, “I’m Amanda’s friend…” then it’s warm welcomes and how can I helps. Facebook has opened this up a lot. I’ve even seen articles about how it’s more acceptable to move around more now because we keep in touch with friends via FB. But I just moved back to a city I left 12 years ago, though, because it has the highest concentration of close friends for me. So I do like that personal, close proximity contact. And I like to walk my dogs with friends. On sidewalks. In parts of town where buildings have been preserved.
How does someone know when a coach is the next right choice for herself?
You know, I paid big money for someone to write my resume and then I took a job that didn’t suit me. I had a boss who wanted to mentor me, and I was making really good money. I came from Alaska and just felt that “desperation point” that I mentioned before. I was considering moving to Alaska, but I’d made big geographical moves before. I didn’t want to move 5000 miles just to wind up in the same job situation. I didn’t want to go somewhere else just to set up a regular life. That was my wake up call. Of course, it’ll be different for everyone. Whether it’s a job or a relationship or a place or money or overwhelm or lack that’s troubling you, you know when you need to reach out. It’s one of the hardest things to do (ask for help.) It’s one of the boldest moves you can make. And you have to decide whether you need a therapist or a consultant or a resume writer or a coach. How do you know which one? Here’s the best analogy I’ve heard to describe the difference:
If you approach a therapist, a consultant and a coach and ask them to teach you to ride a bicycle, the therapist will have you look at the bicycle and ask you how it makes you feel and what memories it brings up. A consultant will ride the bike and write an instruction manual for you to follow. A coach will put you on the bike and run along side with you until you’re ready for them to let go so you can ride off into the sunset, or, more aptly, the life of your dreams.
If someone is interested in the possibility of working with you, how can she be in touch and what will the first steps look like?
Contact me. Email me at amanda@bold-types.com. We’ll set up a FREE Standout Session. That’s a half hour call where we do a little exercise and a little coaching and then talk about working together. We’ll address packages and costs once we determine if we’re a good coach/client match.
What do you wish all women knew?
What you want for yourself is important. Wanting isn’t a selfish act. It’s engagement in the world. Be interested. That’s a bold move. It takes a Bold Type to make it.
