About Linda Ford - Master Coach, Instructor, & Author
Where Soul Meets Strategy
IMAGINE... yourself as a secure, confident, creative, and successful coach and solopreneur who is putting herself out there doing the work she's been called to do.
IMAGINE...all of your past beliefs about inadequacy, self-doubt, imposter syndrome, fear, and not being good enough – GONE!
IMAGINE...your resistance, neediness, body-shame, people-pleasing, hiding-out, hesitating, and not-enoughness - all of it that’s been getting in your way – DISSOLVED!
Imagine the difference this would make in your life.
THIS IS THE POWER OF COACHING!
Do you know what breaks my heart?
Brilliant, talented coaches and solopreneurs who have important work to do in the world, but who keep holding themselves back from putting themselves out there because they think they’re not ready. They keep believing that they're not ready, that they are imposters who need more training. They're also afraid to put themselves out there because they're afraid of being judged by others.
But the truth is they are so qualified. They are so well trained, they've been on a spiritual path for a long time. They are so wise. They know so much.
This is what breaks my heart.
I have a particular soft spot for coaches who feel this way. Why? Because I used to be one of them. I know what it’s like to want to do this amazing work of coaching but to also have the handbrake on and keep holding yourself back.
I wanted the spotlight but then I dreaded the spotlight.
Living this way was agonizing because I knew I was smart and qualified, I knew I could make a difference for my clients but the thought of putting myself out there to market myself used to terrify me. I would come up with a great idea and then no sooner would talk myself out of it. I was constantly second-guessing myself. And this pattern of self-sabotage and hiding out left me feeling frustrated, sad, and painfully under-utilized.
I spent the first seven years of my coaching business coaching one on one. The thought of playing bigger and reaching out to a wider audience always sent me into hiding. I had a kind of push-pull thing going on. I wanted to play bigger and then I didn't want to play bigger. I would want the spotlight but then cringe at the thought of being in the spotlight. It was a horrible way to live. I had a severe case of the Jekyll & Hyde Syndrome.
Where Soul Meets Strategy
My philosophy of working with clients is two-fold. It’s about where our soul meets strategy. Coaches have to get clear about who they are as a coach, and who they want to work with. They have to feel grounded in what they share and believe. They also have to develop a strategy and commitment to taking action. Sitting around doing inner work and thinking about our goals won’t get you very far, and neither will following business strategies without having a solid foundational grounding in yourself. It's as crazy as building a house on wetlands – it’s bound to sink. When you combine soul with strategy, bingo! You’ve got a magical combination.
I Know a Thing or 2 About Transformation!
Over the last three years, I have transformed how I show up in my business. I no longer hold myself back and let fear stop me. I have co-written a Kindle best-selling book: Women and Confidence: The truth about the lies we tell ourselves; I have co-created 2 online programs called: The Confident Coach & Confidence in a Box - If I'm so smart then why don't I feel more confident?
And for all of these projects, I've had to use my voice, assert my opinions, produce videos, interview experts, and speak at seminars and workshops. I finally released the handbrake.
Create freedom & ease with a soul-aligned business
Street Cred!
I've been personally trained and certified by Dr. Martha Beck, New York Times best-selling author, and America's "favorite life coach"- I'm one of her master coaches.
I've always been insatiably curious about the human condition - why some people seem to thrive in life and are more confident than others. It's the reason why I've been steeped in the world of personal development for over twenty-five years.
Personal Stuff & the Real Me!
I've never liked the term, life coach. Apart from sounding cheezy, it’s a big job title to live up to, mainly because it implies I’m someone who has her shit together. But that's not always the case.
When people know you’re a life coach, they think you have all the answers. They think you spring out of bed each morning feeling yippy-skippy. Truth is, I wake up most mornings feeling a mild anxiety. Always have.
I have days when I want to stay in bed and sulk. I can really get off on feeling sorry for myself and create the best pity party about why I’m not more successful, richer, or famous. I’m particularly good at that.
I frequently wake up at 3 am worrying about stuff. I am also a hypocrite at times because I can be brought to my knees when I see cruelty to animals, and yet I still want to eat them.
Most of the time the words that come out of my mouth can be comforting and even deeply wise, but I can also put my big foot in my mouth and say the wrong thing.
I can ruminate too long over stuff and people that bug me -if only you knew how judgmental I can be about folk. I love my glass of wine (or two). I can freak out and catastrophize whenever my body gets sick. I can feel lost and clueless for longer than I care to say, and you guessed it, I can find myself dripping in imposter syndrome.
I'm a walking contradiction for sure. But despite all my frailties -despite the delicious full spectrum of me that gets exposed - I have learned to create a space for myself to try to be more. I'm learning to allow all of it to flow through me.
I try to keep my heart open to the potential that could be. And somehow or other, I continue to say YES to the invitation that life offers me to be more. I have made enormous strides in my life. Some days I wonder: how did I get here? How did I make it happen?
We humans will always be good, bad, and ugly. And yet every day offers the chance to exquisitely pivot to higher ground. This is our invitation. Even for life coaches!
So, why am I sharing my shadow side with you? Because no matter how hopeless or despairing you may feel - no matter how imprisoned you are in a life you don't like or even want - The chance to PIVOT is always available at any moment. The opportunity to PIVOT - and this life coach has learned to do this well!
I live in Rockport, Massachusetts - steps from the Atlantic Ocean - with my husband, Tim, and 2 dogs, Scout and Suzy.
I'm a Brit (born in Belfast, Northern Ireland) who speaks with a funny accent - a melting pot accent of Irish, British, Australian - all of the places I've lived. I've lived in the US for forty years.
When I'm not coaching, teaching, writing, or creating new programs, you'll find me walking, decorating my home, looking at houses, or trying to play the piano.
Take the CONFIDENT Coach QUIZ!
How CONFIDENT are you (really!) as a coach?
10 game-changing questions that reveal the TRUTH about your level of confidence & how it's impacting your desire for more clients and a thriving business.
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