Judy Berman: My Coaching Journey

Judy Berman is the owner of the coaching business Coach Judy, a former publishing executive and a member of the Human Workplace Coach Network.

We caught up with Judy to learn more about her coaching journey and share her insights with our community!

Hi Judy! Please tell us about your journey into coaching.

?In 2014, I had reached a transition point in my career as a sales and marketing leader in the media industry, and I knew it was time to make a change. With the help of a career coach, I learned there was such a thing as a career and leadership coach, and I started my journey into coaching as well as consulting.

What's the biggest "Aha!" you've had since you began coaching?

Every client’s journey is unique, but the themes of finding confidence and clarity are universal.

What do you wish more people understood about the working world?

?Three things:

·?????? That you have to be the CEO of your own career, and that you have more power and influence to make that happen than you realize.

·?????? Most leaders want to do a good job managing and leading their team members, but often struggle with the best way to do that.

·?????? People hire people. Consistently and intentionally nurturing and growing your network is critical.

What kinds of clients do you work with, in which situations?

I work with clients at all stages of their careers but have an affinity for those who know they need to make a transition but aren’t exactly sure what that would look like. I like to call it “the messy middle.” Also, with my sales and marketing background, as well as my journey of starting my own business, I often work with those looking to start their entrepreneurial journey on either a full or part time basis.

How do you use Human Workplace ideas and techniques in your coaching practice?

The most important concept is HUMAN! I love working with my clients to discover and articulate their unique offering to solve the business pain a company is facing. Both the Get Your Dream Job and Take Charge Consulting courses are excellent ways to gain clarity, develop a strategy and execute an action plan for job search and/or a business launch.

Can you please share a client success story with us?

A business development executive in tech was looking for a new opportunity that would be both lucrative but also give him the flexibility to spend time with his family. We worked together over the course of a few months using “Get Your Dream Job” as a guide. He landed a new job using targeted outreach and Pain Letters? that got him networking leads and interviews for opportunities that weren’t posted on job sites.

What's your favorite part of being a coach?

I help clients realize that life is too short to be stuck in a bad match, and that there are ways to get a better match in their work that fits well into their lives.

Many people get freaked out at the idea of changing careers after a certain age. They fear they won't be marketable. How do you respond to that concern?

I can certainly understand that fear, but I have found working with my clients that positioning how their experience can solve problems, as well as highlighting the tangible outcomes their efforts have achieved, are what is most important.

One of my clients, who is now consulting as well as working part time, told me the powerful lesson she gleaned from Human Workplace is that those who don’t get you don’t deserve you.

And I’ve done that very thing myself – i.e. changing careers!?

Judy, people who work with you share rave reviews about their experience. What is it that makes you so good at helping people move forward on their paths?

Frist of all, I learn so much from my clients. I am humbled as I hear about all they have accomplished in their careers. I can also say that I have made many, many mistakes over the course of being a leader that I can share my experiences when that can be helpful.?

I strive to come from a place of curiosity, seeking to understand things continuously. I also practice the art of tough love – using both empathy and accountability to help people move forward.

What advice do you?have for someone thinking about working with a coach, or thinking about becoming a coach themselves?

Having a thought partner who is not your family, friend, or a mentor at work, can give you the objective perspective that you need to move forward, whether that is with a new job, a major career pivot, starting your own business, or becoming a coach.

Reach Judy here!

Check out the Human Workplace Coach Directory here!

Interested in becoming a career coach with our help? Reach us here!

?

?