Retirement Announcement

As I just graduated from a 45-year career, I am eager to thank and honor a few of the most astounding angels who guided me along the way.

First, my mother, Norma Jean Browning Hauer.?After months of fruitless job hunting as a new college grad in 1979, I finally snagged one interview which resulted in my only offer: $8300. salary to be the Assistant Director for the Saver's Club. Do you remember when banks and savings and loans had "clubs" for their "affluent" customers? A place to enjoy coffee, read the newspaper, socialize, and travel with other members. Well, my job essentially was to meet and greet members, serve them coffee and do all the other menial tasks the Director didn't want to do. I was a very proud new grad with visions of landing an important, challenging job. I did not want this glorified waitress job! No way, I told my mother. I'm not going to sit in a basement serving cookies to old people. She said, take it. You have no other prospects and you never know what it will turn into. You know the rest of the story. She was right. Thankfully, a part of the job happened to be producing the club newsletter. THAT I could do! The president of this 11-branch S&L noticed the improvements in the club and the newsletter and within 6 months of cookie-handling, I was promoted to Marketing Manager reporting directly to the president, sitting in my huge glassed-in office on the lobby floor and in the boardroom attending executive team meetings alongside of all of the VPs twice my age. It was a heady two years for an extremely shy 22-year old. But, once I got a taste of executive life, I knew this is where I belonged.?Thank you angel Momma for showing me the way.

Jump to 1995 when, after a 17-year corporate career in marketing, primarily at NCR and AT&T, I launched The Hauer Group https://www.thehauergroup.com, a strategic marketing consultancy. Working with a fantastic team of agencies, writers, designers, we produced a flurry of successful marketing campaigns. I was busier than ever. But, not happier. The non-stop demands from clients, having no control over my schedule, more intensity, less freedom—all the things that compelled me to start my own company, followed me. I wasn’t sure how to fix it or what I really wanted to do.?Enter dear friend and colleague from #NCR #LaurieWinansReiser who suggested I talk to her coach #KathyFaller. I didn’t have a clue what a coach was or did—it was 1996. Coaching wasn’t a “thing” yet. But, I set up a complimentary call with Kathy. She shared how she could help me gain more clarity about the next steps with The Hauer Group and, as she explained what a coach does, and the steps to certification, I was enthralled. Talk about lightbulb moments. Epiphanies. It was so clear. THIS is what I want to do. I want to help people. I want to help them be happier, more fulfilled, purposeful. Their best and highest selves. I loved marketing, and creating incredible things. But, I wanted to help leaders and their teams. I pummeled Kathy with questions: where do I start? How do I get educated, certified? Looking back, I didn’t do a business plan. I didn’t think about finances. I didn’t worry about how I was going to get clients. I knew I had to do THIS. It was an instant and deep knowing: this is the path for me. This is my calling. Thank you angels Laurie and Kathy for paving the way.

While marketing during the day, at night I enrolled in Coach University, a 2-year program and quickly partnered with my lovely mentor coach #SusanKlein, one of the pioneers in the executive coaching industry. And, how fortuitous it was to have the incomparable #MerylMoritz as one of my first course instructors. I latched on to Meryl quickly, and was incredibly blessed to have her in my corner as my lifelong coach. Globally recognized, Meryl is the epitome of what it means to be an executive coach. She was my gold standard, my inspirational role model. It’s no wonder she was recognized with the prestigious life-time achievement in coaching award, The Circle of Distinction, one of only 12 coaches world-wide who hold this honor. ?Thank you angels Susan and Meryl for lighting the way.

When I think about that uncertain time when I transitioned The Hauer Group from a marketing consulting company to an executive coaching firm I am still in awe of how quickly things took off. WOW!?I was blessed beyond belief! Executive coaching was in its infancy. No one in my hometown, Dayton Ohio, knew what executive coaching was. In fact, I remember being interviewed by a?Dayton Daily News reporter and when he asked me about my coaching credentials I mentioned that I was a Coach University grad. “Ha, what’s that?” he scoffed. “Is that like Hamburger U?” Skeptics abounded. Still, doors seemed to miraculously open at NCR, Mead Corporation, LexisNexis, Reynolds & Reynolds and more. Dayton, at the time, was ripe with Fortune 500s. My first significant client engagement was all thanks to #KathySmith at #NCR who brought me in to serve as Executive Coach for #DavidHenderson, then the SVP, Customer Services NCR Latin America and his team of nine VPs. That engagement spun off to more opportunities at HQ, NCR Canada and beyond. A partnership that spanned 8 years and the privilege of coaching 40 truly awesome leaders. What a gift to be by your side! Thank you angels Kathy and Dave for opening the door and entrusting me.

My good fortune surged. I thanked my lucky stars the day #JanetCollins, then VP of Marketing #LexisNexis, took a chance on me to serve as her Executive Coach along with her team of six direct reports. We had a blast working together to build a unified, truly unstoppable strategic marketing team. Word soon spread about “working with this coach” and lo and behold I was soon supporting #KeithHawk, then SVP of Legal Sales and his team of ten VPs in accelerating their shift from competent sales managers to outstanding sales leaders. My role at LexisNexis continued to expand and I was honored to coach 30+ leaders over 7+ years. It was a dream to engage with such upbeat, gracious, caring, truly heart-centered leaders. Tremendous gratitude to you, Janet, for launching my partnership with LexisNexis, and to Keith, #SteveHess and each of the many inspirational leaders who brought so much joy to my early coaching career.????

Another huge gift came in the form of #StephenLiptrap, then VP HR, #ConAgraBrands. Stephen sought a coach for a high-potential leader in Mexico City and just like that, I was in. That initial engagement springboarded into coaching 20+ executives and their teams in Toronto, Mexico City, Omaha NE HQ over a 10-year period. Thank you dear Stephen, #DerekBriffet, #ScottSmart, ?#JavierAlarcon and your teams for the privilege of helping you transform and elevate your leadership excellence. ???

In early 1999, my coach Meryl shared that #Blanchard, an award-winning global training and development company, was recruiting a team of coaches for their new coaching subsidiary. Heavens. Who hadn’t read KenBlanchard’s classic #TheOneMinuteManager?! Can you imagine? Of course, I wanted in! I do not recall now how I was vetted, how vigorous the recruiting process was, but they hired me and 25 years into our partnership later, I am still a raving, dedicated fan. Over the years, I inked strategic partnerships with nearly a dozen renowned coaching and leadership development organizations. None of them stood the test of time. Only Blanchard. For their peerless integrity. For truly valuing their associates. For trusting me to do what I do best. My deepest gratitude to the Blanchard family #KenBlanchard, #MargieBlanchard, #ScottBlanchard, #MadeleineBlanchard, #DianaJohnson, #StephanieGray and so many other remarkable and dear associates (RIP #MaryEllenSailer) who supported, guided and inspired me. It has been the ride of my life.???

So here I am, at the close of this chapter.

After nearly 750 clients and 75 organizations throughout the U.S. Mexico, Caribbean, Latin America, Canada and Europe later, I was graced every step of the way with an abundance of riches.?

Who gets to:

Do what they love every day for nearly 30 years?

Have deep dive, soulful, transformational collaborations with the US Air Force, Fire Chiefs, the Cleveland Clinic, CEO of a biotech start-up, the Federal Reserve, non-profit CEOs and so many other captains of virtually every walk of life?

Feel such aliveness, sense of purpose, of service? ?

Know many clients as dear friends?

So, what are you going to do next? That’s what I get asked. A lot.

My answer:

Be still.

Seek quiet.

Listen to what’s calling me forth. ?

Be open to all possibilities.

And, become all that I am capable of being.

I truly wish the same for each of you.