Source Team Experience @ Rich Litvin Intensive 27.04.-04.05.2022

In February 2022 I was playing with the idea to enroll in the 2022 Rich Litvin Intensive. As I had already done two intensives with Rich Litvin, one in 2020 and one in 2021 as part of Project Kairos, why should I return? Especially as I had committed in January 2022 to a six-figure investment into two annual 1:1 coaching agreements with excellent coaches. My entire budget for personal growth and coaching was already overallocated. Why should I invest again time, energy and money into something I already had experienced twice?

In one of my coaching sessions with my coach, I raised the topic and asked myself why I am hesitating? It dawned on me, what if instead of purely participating, I step up and commit to the Source Team option, investing into leading one of the smaller groups. My first small group in 2020 was led by the wonderful @Matt Chavlovich. In his small group of 10 I had the fortune to meet Chris Joseph (my current coach) and several other amazing coaches, like @Heather Egginton. - What if this could be a playful way to level up my game and create a growth experience? Playing along with Rich’s selection criteria: “a little bit scary and a little bit exciting!”, leading a group of 25 coaches is exciting and is definitely in my growth zone. Once the decision was clear, I jumped and signed up for the leadership experience of the RLI.

Before making the payment, I needed to master the first step of the inner sale: Sale to myself: Being a former controller and CFO I keep a tight ship on my numbers and my cash. My inner controller raised two red flags and we had a short dispute: “Hey, the personal development budget is already spent and cash is below the two month working capital level! RED FLAG!” “The CEO in myself, took a deep breath and listened to my inner voice. I felt a calm and clear intuitive YES! The pattern shift that convinced my inner CFO was the following: What if: I commit to creating the cash before starting the RLI? And what if through the visibility at the RLI, I connect to someone who is open to invest in a coaching agreement with me? What if in two years I can trace a 0x return-on-invest to this decision? – Very likely possible, so my Inner CFO seat down and was convinced: Looking from the future perspective, it sounds like a great investment opportunity – GREEN LIGHT! Payment approved!

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The Preparation Phase: - Who am I being? “Being is the seed of all doing!”

Every experience is created from a being state! It started in early March, some eight weeks before the event. The Source Team was lead by the energetic Angela Tennison and the Anchor Team members Matt Chavlovic, Gina Smith and Parissa Benhia, all of them long term members of Rich 4PC community. They had an idea what experience they wanted to create. In total eight additional members had signed up to be on the source team. (Niiamah Ashong, Monique DeBose, Heather Egginton, Martha Karimi, Gilad Karni, Shermain Melton, Shannon Sedlacek and myself). A true divers group in almost any dimension you can think of gender, professional background, cultures, spiritual lineage, age, countries, languages, all with one common goal: to create an amazing experience around the Rich Litvin Intensiv.

The preparation was focused on getting to know each other, being vulnerable, challenging each other. We created clear boundaries around the “container”, we spoke out our worries, and fears, “What if we mess it up?”. Occasionally Rich joined these preparation meetings, to share his ideas, his vision of the experience, and to coach us in front of the room. Angela had a special desire for creating “hotness in the room” and yes, we had numerous occasions I could feel the heat of the hot seat and the sweat or tears flowing. As we had agreed on “Coaching is always on”, the experience was full of insights and growth opportunities. I could sense and observe the source team connecting, coming together and being excited to be in this journey together. I had collected my insights worth the investment, even bevor the event started!

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The Action Phase – Game Days - “Creation is the fruit of being”

During the intensive the source team increased the presence and the energy to hold the experience container for at least 8 hours per day for 8 days. As some of us are based in European or African time zones this meant holding the awareness and the energy high, well into the night. For me the challenge was to shift my body clock by 5 hours!

Every game day, we met 1,5 hours before the core event, to prep for the game. Angela wanted us hot like red-chili peppers always welcoming us with the “I want it hot”-song, Parissa wanted us spiced up, Matt wanted us stretched and flexed like athletes before going onto the field. Sometimes I just wanted a good laugh and time to relax and feel ok.

Rich shared his intention and the flavor of the day. He offered coaching impulses for each one of us throughout the week. We spoke into the room who we are being and what we intended to explore within our peer group sessions. I felt highly empowered because felt, that I had my back covered by the team and by Rich. There was no way we could really “f*ck it up”, actually failures and NO’s are part of the experience of playing full out, it inspired all of us to play courageously.

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Peer Group – Being in the Zone where magic happens

There is a reason why you come and a reason why you are here! Is a distinction in coaching. And for me the peer group was definitely why I was HERE! What makes a peer group experience so special? Well, very similar to coaching: A peer group can only be experienced, and every group has a different dynamic. I can share a conceptual idea of what happened in my peer group, though it’s similar to watching a video about a wedding. You might get a close up of the bride, and maybe hear the vow closer, the what really moves me, is the synchronicity energy of NOW in the room it makes all the difference.

Every day played out differently, some were more structured, some were full of loving kindness and holding truthful safe space. Creating a sacred space for a quiet participant to share a deeply moving story opened opportunities on the next day to play out with joy, sharing I AM statements and experiences. Laughing together about experiences of “challenge day” and releasing emotions together it what creates a feeling of community.

Inviting other coaches to lead the smaller breakout groups allow for very direct experiences and everyone had space to speak into the room. During the days some shared their zone-of-genius or contributed with a guided mediation or some Yoga breathing. It felt like dancing with the intuitive flow of NOW presence.

Coaching is about transformation not information, it seemed to me that most information was absorbed during the core event, the deeper transformation happened in the shared experience during the peer group. The openness of the participants, the connection created a spirit of belonging and the loving kindness created a deeply memorable event.

My acknowledgement goes to the wonderful human beings in my peer group. Honoring the integrity of the personal stories, I will keep them in my heart. Whoever feels called to share a personal experience is invited to do so in private or in the comments.

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Wrapping Up the Day – Celebrate and release of energy - Sharing experiences after the core event

Every night after the peer group we had our reflection and experience sharing in the source team. This helped to share experiential truth and release emotions and energy. Giving space for peer group leaders to shine in their zone of genius or share a stress and failure moment. While in beginning serenity was predominate, throughout the week it become a lot more playful, funny and even giggly. We invited each other to stretch our comfort zone. For me creating a song together was on “the beyond expectation list”, heartfelt, very creative experience, thanks Monique for creating from Your zone-of-genius. Playing with my own creation “Filling You Arena” encouraged me to explore this even further with my clients. My real challenge was to let the energy flow out of my body before going to sleep, as it was way past midnight and my body kept waking up at sun rise.

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Rest-Day or Sloth Day – Truth of loving kindness

One of my most important insights in 2020 RLI was Matt’s brilliance session on REST DAY is a TRAINING DAY. In 2022 RLI it was the Sloth Day. Growth happens in waves, expansion and contraction or rest. The rest day is to relax, play and settle even more into my true being. Integrate in the system, or the embodiment level what I listened and experienced over the last days. Slowing down to the speed of love and allowing myself rest and sleep.

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888 – may the force be with you - Ending on a high note –

After more than 8 weeks of preparation, 8 days of intensive with easily 8 hours of energetic presence, Rich ended the intensive with acknowledgements on a memorable day May the 4th – “may the force be with you!” ?It’s my personal reminder to follow my inner force, my intuition and BE me and be present to then intuitive force unfolding. As with most other participants the active being and doing is the challenge after the event. Converting the input into actions, creating clients, be in deep coaching session and serve to harvest results.

It’s a journey, and in some ways, I started my coaching journey five years ago on May 4th 2017 by walking my first Camino. Back then I didn’t know how I was going to build my business; it was all emerging on the path, slowing down to the speed of love, be present to meeting the right people at the right moment. Five years into the journey I am still on the path! Even though Rich invited us to get of the path, but more play with being unique and playing with rules, rather than quitting!

More often I am being asked by fellow coaches or people that are considering coaching as a career “How did you do this?” There is a logical answer to it. And I am willing to share my experiential truth, which I actually created an extra session for my peer group, because one participant asked me to share my story. - Should you be interested, I might share the link to the recording if I am asked ;).

It is all about, “Living into better questions” the key role of a coach: What if this is not about “How or what” though about “Who?” Who are you being?” … What if the intuitive force may be with you on your coaching journey already and it’s all about being. And yes, if you need a guide for part of the journey, ask someone who can share experiential truth. When the time is right, the teacher presents itself to the student. And sometimes all it takes is a courageous ask!

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Acknowledgement - Closing the Rich Litvin Intensive container

Every journey comes to an end. And while there is a physical end to every experience, latest by exiting the room, in most cases the energetic experience takes a few days longer to slow down and settle. It was a wise decision from Angela and the anchor team to leave some space before closing the RLI2022 by a series of acknowledgements. Saying goodbye and being grateful for having experienced the creation of a memorable event, will make it easier to reconnect next time our paths cross. I enjoyed the self-acknowledgement exercise combined with “so it is” and blowing out the candle! A worthy ritual! – My deep appreciation and gratitude for all that made this possible.

?It reminds on my St.-James Camino pilgrimage experience. Some pilgrims I only met once, others twice others even more often. Though most of the time it was by co-incidence. I never knew in advance, if and when I would meet any of them again, though as we shared a common wisdom-of-heart experience, time really doesn’t matter. Sometimes it takes years to meet again, and I can count on my heart to create a joyful re-connection.

Rich, Source Team and Peer group members, may each of you have a blessed journey. I am ?curious if and when our paths cross again. Joyful at heart!

P.S.: Rich challenged us to write to one person. I wrote this article many to one person who lead powerfully in my peer group, who I trust to be a powerful leader of a future peer group, should Rich ever decided to create an intensive again.