Laura Balsamo, ACC

I attribute all of my success to the fact that people are willing to ask for help; you may not know that you're an amazing chef if no one ever tells you that they're hungry! As far as my individual talent, I would say my ability to show up with vulnerability. My ability to wear all of my colors on my sleeve invites my clients to do the same. When coaching takes place with authenticity, that's when you see positive change! Adults are not often given the grace to be messy, insecure, or afraid. I create a space that says, "It's okay to be a disaster; but if you want a partner to work on that disaster with, I'm here."

The best advice I've ever received is , "Don't chase the money; chase the 'take home pay." We often refer to our salaries as, "take home pay". However, when you look at what we really take home at the end of the day, it's not necessarily money. We take home our impact, the difference we've made that day, our relationships, our confidence. Sometimes, it all comes together and the salary accompanies our purpose. Just make sure you're chasing something you want to take home at the end of the day.

Don't apologize for caring, and don't apologize for trying. Caring, or nurturing, or emotion can be seen as weaknesses for women in the workplace and can get easily minimized. When you combine that ability to care with bravery and confidence, it's a superpower. If you're told no, turned down, or doubted; keep pushing that button. At some point, the door will open!

The biggest challenges in my field as a coach right now are twofold. First, there's the challenge in business and marketing. Coaching can be so broad that you can call anyone or anything coaching. There's a challenge in communicating the value of what we can do for people when the coaching paintbrush is so broad. The second challenge is coaches managing our personal and emotional bandwidth. We hear the hard stuff; we have clients tell us things that they have never told anyone else. Making sure that we're 'wiping the slate clean' after each session is critical.

My number one value is seeing people holistically. We are complex, sometimes imperfect creatures. The value of realizing that everything can be a big deal to someone and striving to understand that. In career coaching, I could be coaching an executive who lost funding for a million-dollar project, then my next session is with a frontline employee who lost thirty dollars in overtime. As a coach, I will sit in the swamp with them for a minute, whatever that may look like. The swamp is where life happens. I also value resiliency. I have two teenagers and the resiliency they display in this complicated world is inspiring to me! They help me understand that a difficult situation today, may end up being a story that helps someone else tomorrow.