You’re an ambitious, caring, active person who knows how to get things done.
You’ve already made it through some pretty rough patches, managed to stay afloat, and even had some big successes (definitely something to celebrate!).
But now you're stuck right smack in the middle of a big crossroads.
You’ve been wracking your brain trying to sort through a whole slew of options.
Yet, you’re caught in this tangle of "What do I do next?" and "Can I even do it?"
It's hard to focus with all the work demands, bills to pay, and emails coming at you.
You’re beginning to wonder if you’ll ever find a way through the maze, and get back to those dreams and ambitions you once had.
You’ve already made it through some pretty rough patches, managed to stay afloat, and even had some big successes (definitely something to celebrate!).
But now you're stuck right smack in the middle of a big crossroads.
You’ve been wracking your brain trying to sort through a whole slew of options.
Yet, you’re caught in this tangle of "What do I do next?" and "Can I even do it?"
It's hard to focus with all the work demands, bills to pay, and emails coming at you.
You’re beginning to wonder if you’ll ever find a way through the maze, and get back to those dreams and ambitions you once had.
It's okay. I've been there too. And I've made it through to the other side of change.
I know how to help you get back on track.
I know how to help you get back on track.
Hi. I'm Nancy Martin.
I work with people just like you who are trying to navigate a big thorny work change, move, breakup, or other life challenge.
I help my clients get back on steady ground, get crystal clear on their next steps, and sail through change with more ease and calm, so they can confidently move forward into the work and life they love.
More than anything, my clients want to stop stressing and floundering, and get back to enjoying life again, deepening their relationships, and doing meaningful and interesting things.
Ultimately, they want to really make a difference and make their life count.
I work with people just like you who are trying to navigate a big thorny work change, move, breakup, or other life challenge.
I help my clients get back on steady ground, get crystal clear on their next steps, and sail through change with more ease and calm, so they can confidently move forward into the work and life they love.
More than anything, my clients want to stop stressing and floundering, and get back to enjoying life again, deepening their relationships, and doing meaningful and interesting things.
Ultimately, they want to really make a difference and make their life count.
But I have to say, this wasn’t the work I had envisioned for myself…
My Journey
Twenty-five years ago I would never have imagined myself as a life coach.
At the time I was an industry engineer, sitting in countless corporate and national meetings, and tromping around (and atop of) large plants.
But growing into this role definitely wasn’t a slam dunk.
I came into the job as a super timid, young woman. Before I knew it, I was loaded up with responsibilities and thrust into a high visibility role, often as the sole woman in the meeting room or roaming about those gargantuan plants. No doubt, it was intimidating at first. But in time, I grew into my steel-toed shoes, hardhat, and no-frills navy suit.
And I learned early on how to call the shots...
Like how to convince plant management when I felt it necessary to take a multi-million-dollar-a-day boiler offline... or how to successfully lead a construction/engineering team into a company-wide pollutant reduction strategy.
I came to love so much about this work - the challenge, the complexity, not to mention, the fact that I was blazing a trail through unchartered territory as a woman.
One day I felt even so bold as to take my Fortune 200 CEO aside and set him straight after hearing him present some (not so accurate:) info to a room full of other big company execs.
When he later called me up to his office, I thought for sure he was about to hand me a pink slip! Instead, he handed me one of his prized ball caps. My response? "No thank you." Whaaa?!! What can I say? Ball caps didn't quite fit my head of curls:)
But some time later I learned that my CEO (who was soon tapped to lead our parent company of over 30,000), had added my name to a shortlist to be his assistant.
While I'm not sure I'd recommend you try that same move in your own job (tee hee:), the thing is,
this job was my training grounds for...
- how to speak truth to power,
- how to assert myself, and
- how to take risks...
even when the stakes were high, even when I sometimes felt shaky, and even when I might have fallen flat on my face.
But then my world was ROCKED...
When I hit the age of 27, I was slammed with a series of life-changing events. It’s when I lost both my parents within a five-month period (plus a serious relationship tanked at the same time).
Everything suddenly seemed to be collapsing around me - a huge gut-punch and surely some of my darkest days. I felt completely lost, afraid, and defeated.
So what did I do? Well, at first I did what I knew best - turned to my work, and crawled back into my shell.
When I hit the age of 27, I was slammed with a series of life-changing events. It’s when I lost both my parents within a five-month period (plus a serious relationship tanked at the same time).
Everything suddenly seemed to be collapsing around me - a huge gut-punch and surely some of my darkest days. I felt completely lost, afraid, and defeated.
So what did I do? Well, at first I did what I knew best - turned to my work, and crawled back into my shell.
Yet, over time I realized something remarkable…
Even while my whole support system had dropped out from beneath me... I was STILL STANDING.
Somehow, after tons of soul-searching, long beach walks, meditating, lots of tears, support from dear friends, therapy, running, more therapy, and more tears, I managed to pick myself back up...
And as I did, I noticed I was feeling STRONGER and more comfortable and CONFIDENT in my own skin.
Even while my whole support system had dropped out from beneath me... I was STILL STANDING.
Somehow, after tons of soul-searching, long beach walks, meditating, lots of tears, support from dear friends, therapy, running, more therapy, and more tears, I managed to pick myself back up...
And as I did, I noticed I was feeling STRONGER and more comfortable and CONFIDENT in my own skin.
At this point, I knew I could survive anything life threw at me.
I knew I could really TRUST I’d be okay, even after one of these big, scary life-altering events.
I knew I could really TRUST I’d be okay, even after one of these big, scary life-altering events.
But this wasn't my last BIG shake up...
Over the years, I waded through a whole host of other work and life changes....both exciting ones and t-t-t-terrifying ones.
For starters, after close to 15 years with the same company, I decided to extract myself from "the golden handcuffs" with absolutely NO clue as to where I was headed. THAT was freakin' scary! Yet, I knew it no longer felt right. It was time to move on.
THEN... I got married, moved cross country, switched fields (business development in tech startup), miscarried (plural), had a super rough childbirth, raised my sweet child, tragically lost my dear brother, and launched my girl off to college...to name just a few:)
Over the years, I waded through a whole host of other work and life changes....both exciting ones and t-t-t-terrifying ones.
For starters, after close to 15 years with the same company, I decided to extract myself from "the golden handcuffs" with absolutely NO clue as to where I was headed. THAT was freakin' scary! Yet, I knew it no longer felt right. It was time to move on.
THEN... I got married, moved cross country, switched fields (business development in tech startup), miscarried (plural), had a super rough childbirth, raised my sweet child, tragically lost my dear brother, and launched my girl off to college...to name just a few:)
Again, after all that, I knew in my heart
I can do this “change thing”!
I can TRUST that I'll manage just fine through any change
(even though change was rarely a breeze).
I can do this “change thing”!
I can TRUST that I'll manage just fine through any change
(even though change was rarely a breeze).
Except later on, there was one other thing that literally knocked me off my feet...
It happened right about the time I was floundering, trying to find my way back into the workforce after being a stay-at-home mom. I had retrained, amassed yet more certifications, credentials, and letters after my name. I was READY to work again!
It was in the midst of job interviews, when once again my world was shaken.
I was hit with a battery of bazaar and debilitating chronic symptoms, from brain fog, to fatigue, to dizzy spells, to what felt like my insides burning up...coupled with two years of chronic back pain, and then skin cancer.
Oh, and did I mention about the pickup truck that did a 360 into the back of my car while headed across a bridge one day?
It was a scary, trying time, to say the least, and a CRUSHING setback!
Over the next several years, I searched and searched for answers (much to no avail), Then finally, I managed to get back onto a path of healing and wellness. I found the right docs, and made some monumental changes in my life.
It happened right about the time I was floundering, trying to find my way back into the workforce after being a stay-at-home mom. I had retrained, amassed yet more certifications, credentials, and letters after my name. I was READY to work again!
It was in the midst of job interviews, when once again my world was shaken.
I was hit with a battery of bazaar and debilitating chronic symptoms, from brain fog, to fatigue, to dizzy spells, to what felt like my insides burning up...coupled with two years of chronic back pain, and then skin cancer.
Oh, and did I mention about the pickup truck that did a 360 into the back of my car while headed across a bridge one day?
It was a scary, trying time, to say the least, and a CRUSHING setback!
Over the next several years, I searched and searched for answers (much to no avail), Then finally, I managed to get back onto a path of healing and wellness. I found the right docs, and made some monumental changes in my life.
After facing and surviving such a daunting, seemingly hopeless string of events,
I knew the experience had somehow transformed me.
Not only did I feel healthy, strong, energized, and more spiritually and emotionally rooted, but
I was starting to really wonder about my own purpose in life.
I knew the experience had somehow transformed me.
Not only did I feel healthy, strong, energized, and more spiritually and emotionally rooted, but
I was starting to really wonder about my own purpose in life.
Meanwhile through all of this, something amazing was brewing…
I had begun to mentor people. LOTS of people - from the younger female engineers back in my corporate days, to other women through non-profits..
- like a divorced Iranian mom trying to break into a workforce that she found seemed to exclude her; and
- a Southern Sudanese refugee mom of five, simply trying to survive and make sense of a culture that was worlds away from the one she knew.
I also served on a women's crisis hotline. I'll never forget those desperate voices on the other end of the line.
Later I joined Toastmasters, so I could really set my own voice free and, once and for all, release the tension and pain I was physically holding in my body.
I noticed that so many people coming into the group were longing for some way to ease the absolute terror (that I once had) of standing up and speaking. Time and time again, I found myself drawn to grab up every chance to mentor folks. And before long, I was asked to lead the group.
I continued to be fascinated with helping people move through fear, grow their confidence, and powerfully and eloquently tell their stories......in spite of the fear.
One of my proudest moments was seeing the kind words a mentee had posted about me:
I had begun to mentor people. LOTS of people - from the younger female engineers back in my corporate days, to other women through non-profits..
- like a divorced Iranian mom trying to break into a workforce that she found seemed to exclude her; and
- a Southern Sudanese refugee mom of five, simply trying to survive and make sense of a culture that was worlds away from the one she knew.
I also served on a women's crisis hotline. I'll never forget those desperate voices on the other end of the line.
Later I joined Toastmasters, so I could really set my own voice free and, once and for all, release the tension and pain I was physically holding in my body.
I noticed that so many people coming into the group were longing for some way to ease the absolute terror (that I once had) of standing up and speaking. Time and time again, I found myself drawn to grab up every chance to mentor folks. And before long, I was asked to lead the group.
I continued to be fascinated with helping people move through fear, grow their confidence, and powerfully and eloquently tell their stories......in spite of the fear.
One of my proudest moments was seeing the kind words a mentee had posted about me:
“Her positive, thorough, and supportive feedback helped me to continue and keep trying and trying. Because without you, I would not be able to grow and improve. I still remember all of your positive feedback, comments, and even your friendly facial expressions while I was speaking. And in every single comment and facial expression I noticed your face was telling me one thing, Omar, we love you, we want you here, and we really want you to succeed.”
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I knew I was on the RIGHT path... just didn’t know where it all was headed. |
It was about that time I got a wild hair…
to convene groups of women to offer a safe place for them to share their struggles, doubts, and aspirations. I designed each "Women’s Circle" around a topic like: navigating transition, cultivating courage, building self-trust, standing in our power, and healthy boundaries.
to convene groups of women to offer a safe place for them to share their struggles, doubts, and aspirations. I designed each "Women’s Circle" around a topic like: navigating transition, cultivating courage, building self-trust, standing in our power, and healthy boundaries.
But more than anything, I wanted these women to know...
- That they were not alone in their fears and doubts.
- I wanted them to know they had a trusted guide (the mentor I never realized I needed all along the way) and a caring community of women, to encourage them as they managed through their own big career, relationship, and other life challenges.
- And I wanted them to feel the power of what it's like to move beyond what's always held them back, so they could make new choices to live the life they've always wanted.
- That they were not alone in their fears and doubts.
- I wanted them to know they had a trusted guide (the mentor I never realized I needed all along the way) and a caring community of women, to encourage them as they managed through their own big career, relationship, and other life challenges.
- And I wanted them to feel the power of what it's like to move beyond what's always held them back, so they could make new choices to live the life they've always wanted.
Soon after starting these groups, one of the women asked me to coach her. Of course, I jumped at the chance!!! Well, let me tell you, I walked out of that first client coaching session feeling an enormous adrenaline rush! Something about it felt SO right.
I knew it was time to get some formal life coach training. So I enrolled in an amazing year of intensive instruction with the Courageous Living Coach Certification program. (Watch out world. Here she comes!)
Since starting my coaching practice...
I've loved, loved, loved every bit of it, including running my own business. I can't think of any other work I'd rather be doing!
Looking back, I would NEVER have thought it possible to make a 180-degree shift into my true calling. (Never mind the fact that it felt I was headed over a cliff the day I walked away from my six-figure salary!) And little did I know, I had all these other intuitive skills waiting in the wing.
I knew it was time to get some formal life coach training. So I enrolled in an amazing year of intensive instruction with the Courageous Living Coach Certification program. (Watch out world. Here she comes!)
Since starting my coaching practice...
I've loved, loved, loved every bit of it, including running my own business. I can't think of any other work I'd rather be doing!
Looking back, I would NEVER have thought it possible to make a 180-degree shift into my true calling. (Never mind the fact that it felt I was headed over a cliff the day I walked away from my six-figure salary!) And little did I know, I had all these other intuitive skills waiting in the wing.
Through all these twists and turns, I’ve learned a few things:
1) That while change is rarely easy, it IS possible to FLOW with change - to go through it with more ease and calm, rather than all stressed out and panicky.
2) That I can BE with people from all walks of life - from artists to CEOs to refugees to plant workers….and support them in a way that they feel seen, heard and understood.
3) And that it IS possible to come back from the brink of loss or some other crazy life setback, and come out on the other side more clear, psyched, and able to sink deeper into a more purposeful, empowered, and joy-filled life.
1) That while change is rarely easy, it IS possible to FLOW with change - to go through it with more ease and calm, rather than all stressed out and panicky.
2) That I can BE with people from all walks of life - from artists to CEOs to refugees to plant workers….and support them in a way that they feel seen, heard and understood.
3) And that it IS possible to come back from the brink of loss or some other crazy life setback, and come out on the other side more clear, psyched, and able to sink deeper into a more purposeful, empowered, and joy-filled life.
Today, I don’t have to go into an office. I set my own hours and make time to do the things that are nourishing and fun - like hike amongst the Pacific firs with my husband and little dog Poppy, downhill ski, hang out on the yoga mat, travel with family, and slam tennis balls! I feel strong, healthy, and ever so grateful for where my life has taken me. I’ve also continued to grow my Women’s Circles, now going on seven years strong!
AND... I've had the most interesting, kind, and incredibly gifted clients! Did I say badass? I know, I know. That word's so overused these days. But honestly, I can’t think of a better way to describe them (even though they don't always see themselves in that way when they first come into coaching).
I’ve now had the honor and delight of working with 100s of people, helping them take charge of their life and confidently go after what they most desire. Even when they come in feeling stuck and afraid, they can soon get back on solid ground and find out what it’s like to feel excited and free as their work and life realign beautifully. And after working together, they're better able to manage through all the trials and tribulations that lie ahead.
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More than anything... I've come to trust that good things can eventually come out of even the darkest of times. And I believe you can, too! |
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Bottom Line: You don’t have to stand on the sidelines of your own life, even in times of chaos and change.
You can begin now to dig out from under all the accumulated "stuff" that's gotten in the way over the years, untangle all the fear and the doubt, get clear on what you most want, and muster the COURAGE to take risks, so you can finally step into the life you desire, and really make it count!
And I’m here to help.
I stand strongly for equality and inclusivity and embrace working with people from all communities and walks of life.
