When success hits twice...

When Morgan told me I should meet Colleen I was excited to add a new friend to the mix. 5 minutes into talking to Colleen I knew exactly why Morgan thought we should connect. I always get a lil giddy when I meet another powerful lady who says things I’ve said a multitude of times throughout my life. 

Lisa: Hi Colleen - thank you for chatting with me & sharing how amazing you are! 

Colleen: Thank you Lisa! I am grateful to meet you and speak with you as well! I am always so curious about others, it feels weird to have the tables turned! 

L: There were 2 important topics I wanted to highlight about you once we started talking. The first is the fact that you’re a badass VP for Penn Mutual Midwest Wealth Strategies. The second is how you took all that you know about working with people to make them a better version of themselves & you created your passion project www.colleenclarkecoaching.com 

L: Let’s jump into your world at Penn Mutual first. Tell me about your journey to VP?

C: My background is actually in accounting, and I knew I needed a change when I started seeing visions of excel spreadsheets in my dreams! True story! My mind is very logical but I am also deeply connected to people, particularly the psychology of people and how people are wired and I wasn’t aligned with that aspect of myself at all doing tax related algebra calculations as an accountant. 

I was introduced to the financial services industry and that was definitely a pivotal point in my career. I started out as an Executive Assistant to the Managing Director and within 6 months shifted into a Director of Development role and became a Certified Coach. Fast forward a little less than a year after that, I was asked to shift to the network office to fill the Director of Training & Development for the 4 offices in the agency, to where I stayed for the next 5 years. 

Within that time I became a Certified Master Trainer, and was able to then ‘train the trainer’ for those in leadership and mentor positions to help them learn how to better interact and ‘have things stick’ when training and developing their teams. At the end of 2018, in need of a culture and perspective shift, I was approached by a mutual friend in the industry about the opportunity I am currently proud to be in with PMMWS as their VP - Practice Development.   

L: Was there an exact moment you knew you could motivate people through empathetic leadership? 

C: You know, it’s funny because when I made the transition over to my current position, the leadership team was so supportive of me bringing my authentic self to what I was doing, and I am still finding myself adjusting to allowing that to fully happen. I think in the corporate world, we are in such a shift right now of generations, how things ‘have always been’ and bridging the gap to new ways of thinking and doing, especially in leadership. 

To me, empathetic leadership is breaking the surface in conversations and ways of thinking to truly humanize the workplace. It is about having a foundation, but being open and receptive to new ways of looking at things even if you do not agree. 

Also, encouraging, allowing and cultivating authenticity is so important for culture and when you have empathetic leaders, you have leaders that have a higher level of awareness, presence and communication that holds space for people to thrive. 

L: When did you realize you wanted to help more people through coaching?

C: I feel like coaching chose me, as cliché as it sounds. What I mean by that is, at my very core is a desire for helping and connecting to people in the most genuine way and to me that is what coaching is. 

There are a lot of ‘coaches’ out there, and to me the best ones are those who truly provide value, connect with their tribe, come from a place of service and inspiration and tell it like it is in the most compassionate way. I consider it such a blessing to be able to have the ‘tough’ conversations with people while truly speaking from my heart. This is the only way for me. I will not tell people what they want to hear, people tend to hold back so they do not offend or upset people but that’s doing a huge disservice to who you are trying to help. I also love to guide people through conversations with themselves, you can tell someone what they need to do but it’s not going to have as much weight as it would if they were to come to that conclusion themselves. 

When I have coaching conversations I will keep ‘double clicking’ on things they say to help guide them further and further away from the surface and closer to the root of what they truly need to realize or hear. I am truly just a guide to others, they already have the answers within them, my job is helping them remove all the clutter that gets in the way of them seeing their truth or doing what needs to be done. 

L: What’s the best client experience you’ve had that still makes you smile?

C: I love this question! My clients give me sweaty eyeballs often, but the top moment that comes to mind is a newer client of mine sent me a text one day saying she was having the most stressful day, and that she was going to go home and order a pizza and basically eat her feelings. She was beyond frustrated with the scale, and personal things going on in her life. My response was that she had one of two choices in that moment. She could absolutely go home, order the pizza, as long as my clients eat within their calorie range they can eat whatever they want, but if she did so, to not attach any guilt to that moment and make sure she refocused the next day. Second option, she could give herself the gift of choice, and chose something new to replace her usual stress response of food like meditation, going for a walk, listening to some music, reading etc. Later that day she replied to me saying she did a 10 minute meditation, made an amazing healthy meal for dinner and felt so much better. This is why my coaching works and why I do what I do with passion. I help clients create awareness, to slow down their thinking and regain control while educating them to truly make shift happen inside and out. 

L: That’s an AWESOME story! Good for her for having you & good for you for giving the power back to her! 

L: How many active coaching clients do you have currently?

C: I like to make sure I dedicate my full attention and energy to each of my clients. I have been maxed out at 7 clients and recently decided to make more time in my schedule to take on 3-5 more clients. I have a discovery call with each potential client, to make sure we are a fit as I don’t work with everyone. I want to make sure those I am working with are going to be set up for success by working with me. I am looking forward to the opportunity to help more amazing women regain their confidence, end dieting for good and reach their goals.

L: I love love love the concept of ending dieting… seriously - when did that whole disaster of an idea even start...?

Alright - let’s get some fun questions in so people can get to know you on a different level! 

L: What’s your favorite app?

C: Instagram! I follow so many inspirational and creative people! 

L: What's your most used emoji?

C: The heart emoji, I have a lot of love to give! 

L: What’s the last thing you googled?

C: “hip hop cardio YouTube” keeping it real during ‘shelter in place’ to stay active while my gym is closed! 

I follow Colleen on IG & she uploads herself working out at home. You don't have to have a gym at your house to make sure you sweat. And of course I love her doggo Marley that we get to see too. 

One of the videos on her IG that I think embodies Colleen as a coach & leader is one during Thanksgiving - I encourage all of you to take a peak.

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