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Feeling betwixt and between the contraction
of Winter and the expansion of Spring? We
hear you.
This time of year seems to have equal power
pulling us forward and sucking us back. If
you are feeling a bit caught in the push
me/pull you dynamic, you are in luck! This
month's offering (now that we've freed it
from it's own muddy mire) is filled with
metaphor, strategies, opportunities and
celebrations for your inspiration and action.
We'd love to know what you think! Why not
join the conversation by clicking
through to
add your
comments on our new blog?
| CCVT Newsletter Has a New Editor |
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We really hope you enjoy this "filled to the
brim" edition of the CCVT ezine. And we think
it is a great time to let you in on our
little secret. Laura
Lind-Blum, The Idea Midwife and
CCVT Coach Member is now also our ezine
Editor. According to Lea Belair, one
of the principals and Director of Coaching and
Training, "Laura has brought not only a new
level of professionalism to our ezine, she
has also gifted us with a fresh perspective
that has re-energized both our coach members
and our readers."
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| Navigating Obstacles by Helen Hipp |
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Life consistently changes. Detours are
necessary parts of change. And bumps in the
road are unavoidable. The challenge is to
remain flexible enough to enjoy your journey
wherever it may take you.
The snag? Resistance!
Emotional attachment to your expectations can
either encourage or restrict your flow of
personal growth and new opportunities. By
letting go of the rigidity that is often
associated with thoughts of what "should be"
and instead entertaining thoughts of what
"can be," you encourage a process of insight
and creativity. In this way your thoughts can
act as navigational tools, generating
alternate pathways that can go under, over,
around, or through obstacles.
 In the same way, a river is not
stopped by a
dam (the obstacle), but rather continues to
flow strongly because the obstacles have
become part of the journey.
The creation: an expression of your desires,
and a welcome mat for new and exciting
opportunities.
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| Here's Mud In Your Eye! by Laura Lind-Blum |
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Laura
Lind-Blum, the Idea Midwife, shares this
from her blog archives...
Ahhh...spring! The longer days, the warm sun,
the returning birds, and...the mud. Yep, mud.
Just at the time we are "raring to go" to
break free and dance into the new
possibilities that spring promises here in
Vermont, Nature again shows her balanced
wisdom -- providing us with ample opportunity
to stop, to notice, to experiment, to wait. I
agree with Vermont
essayist Will Baker who suggests "Perhaps
Mud Season in Vermont is all about
constructive tension, when we find ourselves
poised between where we were and where we are
headed."
How do you want to respond to the
constructive tension that spring transitions
bring? The urge is to just power through...
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| Moving Through Obstacles with Grace by Kim DuBrul |
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Obstacles and roadblocks -- we know they are
a fact of life. In fact, when you think
about it, if you haven't faced a challenge or
roadblock lately, you probably haven't
stepped outside of your comfort zone. You
are probably not pursuing any big goals.
Running into roadblocks is a natural part of
any worthwhile endeavor, and confirms for you
that you are playing a big game!
So let's say you are hitting some roadblocks
and being challenged on your way to winning
at your big game. What to do? Here are 7
quick ideas that can help you to smooth out
the bumps you will encounter...
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| Yeah, I Know That! by Lea Belair |
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Coach Lea
Belair invites us to respond to bumps
in the road with innovation. After all, isn't
innovation, one of the best ways to weather
those bumps?
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| Introducing...Coach Sue Venman |
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We are tickled to introduce our new
coach member Susan
Venman, of FocalPoint Coaching
of Vermont
Sue works with energetic, motivated small
business owners, independent professionals
and college students committed to
establishing priorities for maximum growth
and success while staying aligned with their
core values and direction. With a refined
specialty in ADHD coaching, Sue employs an
integrated approach of proven strategies to
increase efficiency in planning,
prioritizing, effective time use,
organization and information management.
A Certified Professional Co-Active Coach with
a background in
ministry, spiritual direction, and small
business management, Sue guides
individuals and groups as they clarify their
purpose and passion and chart a
course marked by increased efficiency,
greater confidence and renewed
enthusiasm.
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| CCVT Client is 2009 Entrepreneur of the Year! |
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Community Capital of Vermont has honored
All
Wellness, owned by Lena Cannizzaro, Laura
Savard, and Arica Bronz, as their
2009 Entrepreneur of the Year. And we
could
not be more delighted. When these
entrepreneurial women were looking for the
means to purchase Pilates Space (now known as
ALL Wellness) in April 2008, they borrowed
funds from Community Capital and the Vermont
Job Start Loan Fund. In addition to receiving
financing from Community
Capital, they also
took full advantage of Community Capital's
business advancement program (Post Loan
Techical Assistance), working with CCVT
Coach Member Lisa
Buell to successfully transition to
business owners.
Speaking about her coaching experience with Lisa,
ALL Wellness Co-Owner Laura Savard said "I
accomplished more with Lisa in two months
than I ever did in six months! She helped
motivate me to begin working on
the projects that are really going to help our
business grow. I always look forward to my
sessions with her because I know I'm going to
leave feeling energized." Why not visit ALL
Wellness in celebration of their fabulous
accomplishment. We think you leave feeling
energized, too.
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| A Valued Coaching Advocate is Honored! |
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Kudos to Tammy Hetrick, Director of Global
Sourcing at Burton, who is this year's
recipient of The Pioneering Woman
Award (PWA). The PWA is awarded each year
by the OIWC (Outdoor Industry Women's
Coalition) to a Snowsports Industry woman
who has demonstrated an outstanding
commitment to mentoring female colleagues.
And Tammy has certainly earned this
distinction as a "maven of mentoring."
In nominating Tammy for this honor, Donna
Carpenter, Co-owner; Founder and Director
Burton Women's Initiatives, shares "Tammy has
always taken an interest in helping women
advance their careers at Burton. She had
years of
experience informally mentoring women,
especially in her area of operations,
and then took that experience and passion and
spearheaded both the mentoring programs at
Burton. Today, she remains an active member
of the WLI (Women's Leadership Initiative),
the liaison between Burton and the Coaching
Center of Vermont, and the biggest advocate
for our women's coaching
program and, as always, a strong mentor for
women in her department. She is a natural
leader dedicated to helping develop the women
around her into leaders as well."
We at CCVT add our enthusiastic applause in
recognition of Tammy's coaching leadership
and advocacy.
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| Vital Business is Rocking! |
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Vital
Business, the corporate and business
services division of the Coaching
Center of Vermont, now has even more
resources to help businesses navigate the
bumpy roads in this season of
transition. Vital Business has recently
enhanced a strategic collaboration with Coachville,
Inc. to combine our leadership coach
training based on our proprietary model, with
the best of CoachVille's high velocity
training. Check
it out here.
Want to learn more about Vital
Business? Check out the fabulous video
gallery which includes, among other gems, the
video Thriving in Change starring our
own Lea
Belair. And did you know that Lea is
also happy to come and speak to your group or
organization about Thriving in Change
or lead you in playing the Innovation
Game. Curious? Contact
our Office Manager, Kitty Martin for more
information.
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| Coach Lisa Buell offers Journey Dance program |
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JourneyDance is a grooving
celebration that
will have you
loving your body and loving your life!
Weaving simple, guided movement sequences and
free exploration, JourneyDance
reconnects you with your innate state of
joyous well-being, and invites you out of
your mind and
into your body, where you can feel
connected, grounded, energized, and vital. It
allows you to explore your emotions,
dance your fiery rhythmic beats, and create
from your deepest prayerful tones.
Coach
Lisa Buell will be leading a 6 week Journey
Dance Series on Tuesday evenings
from 6:30-8 pm at the Blossoming Lotus Yoga
Studio in Johnson,
starting March 17th. 6 week series : $75
for questions, directions and to register (or
to organize your own Journey Dance),
contact
Lisa.
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| Register Now for The Business Coaching Certificate Program! |
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Are you a leader or manager who'd like to
learn some coaching skills to make you more
effective? The Coaching Center of Vermont, in
collaboration with UVM's Vermont
Business Center, is offering a three day
training on April 15-17th that will give you
the skills you need along with a certificate
from UVM and two CEU's.
Here's what one participant had to say about
this program: "The coaching skills workshop
introduced me to me a style of conversation
I'd never fully experienced before. It's
already helped me break through barriers and
see new paths of communication. I've gained
the confidence to ask questions which lead to
awakening and inspiration. I've been putting
the knowledge to work already.
Tina S. de la Torre,
Director of Marketing and Community Relations
Northfield Savings Bank
The training is
limited to 12 participants so register
early!" Click
here for a pdf brochure.
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Spring?! Into What? Another Pothole on the Road to Growth
By Sarah Gillen |
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Spring begins in March, right? C'mon, this is
Vermont! Frost heaves, potholes,
meteorological uncertainty. Will there be
enough snow to sled on my daughter's
birthday, or will I have trouble making it
through the mud to work? Are there enough
wood pellets for the company heating system,
or will the truck need an overhaul?
 So much rumbling and lurching
goes on this
time of year. And yet, things seem to be
revving up. Birds are returning, energy is
stirring. Days seem lighter. Business leaders
wonder if it's time to invest in new products
or hedge their bets. How do we deal with the
slogging aspect of March when we wish we
could burst forth into sun and success?
These liminal, transitional times
can be a
drag, or they can be most creative. It
depends on our point of view. We can
struggle and make them harder for ourselves,
or we can explore the richness going on
beneath the surface.
In nature, action is occurring
behind the
scenes. Roots have been growing all winter
and are now interacting with bacteria to
receive nourishment. Spores are developing.
 Stems and buds are building.
Animals are
mating and gestating. The same is true for
our processes, whatever our goals.
Transitional times are essential.
Change has been diagrammed by process
observers like Prochaska
et al. Creative processes have detailed
stages to go through as well. In both, our
western society emphasizes the action steps
and places less value on the rumination,
gestation, exploration, and
making-a-mess-to-find-new-information stages
that come before action, because they don't
seem directly to produce a product. Musers
may be labeled day-dreamers and told to get
back to work. Mess-makers are told to clean
up their offices. But, without the
behind-the-scenes stages, there is no creation.
Take a potter, for
example. After finishing a
body of work, he can't immediately jump into
another. 
First
he has to mull, and research,
and experience with eyes open and closed,
until he has new inspiration. Then he has to
explore the inklings, try things, muddle,
scatter materials, so that aspects can
combine to expose possibilities he didn't
foresee. Then he has to check his supplies,
order new ones, grind colors, mix slip, try
out different clays. Then he has to lay out
all the items he needs, fix his wheel. Only
now is he ready to begin to throw a pot.
All these steps occur mostly in private. If
you stopped by his studio looking for
ceramics, you'd be disappointed at his "lack
of progress." If you could see into his
internal process though, you'd discover
furious activity, just as there is in Nature
during March.
In the same vein, business visionaries know
that launching a new product takes more than
making it and putting it on the shelves. All
the musing and inspiration, market analysis,
opportunity and competition analysis,
financial effects and stresses computing, R
& D, researching how it will fit with
the company, cost analysis, finding producers
and funding, designing, packaging, marketing
strategies, staffing, and a thousand other
factors must go on before the item ever sees
the light of day.
These are the usual steps that an experienced
executive knows. Yet there is another crucial
facet to transitions. March has struggle in
it. Even in other parts of the world, folks
think that March winds roar "in like a lion
and out like a lamb." (They'd better count
their blessings on the lamb part!) Where is
the place in the creative process for the
troubling winds, the mud, the uncertainty,
the sliding into ditches, the trouble getting
places, the tax prep, all the potholes of the
season?
Transitions are marked practically always by
upheaval - birth, death, birds flying south,
beginning new projects, taking businesses to
new levels. Transitions deal with the ending
of one thing and the beginning of another.
They have a tremendous amount going on during
them, with much to be done to close out or
start up each facet.
Transitions and creativity demand internal
phases and external ones, a gathering in
before a reaching out or moving forward. Muck
and mire are not only inevitable, they are
essential to the creation process. If we
fight them, become too disgruntled and feel
burdened, our path is more painful. If we can
remember that they are inevitable and
valuable, and we acquiesce a bit to the
necessity of the slog, we'll not only lower
our stress levels, chances are we'll engage
with each task more easily and have more
fruitful results.
Read the rest of Sarah's article, and share your comments on our blog...
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