Today we’d like to introduce you to Danielle The Coach.
Danielle, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
For starters, I am a Virginia native and I’ve been a go-getter for as long as I can remember.
Early on, I decided to tinker with technology for a living so I obtained degrees in Math and IT from Elizabeth City State University and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, respectively.
What I would come to learn later in my career was that I was intrigued more by human behavior and what made people tick, than I was with technology. I missed my calling for a career in Behavioral Science. Or so I thought.
After experiencing what I affectionately call “the mid-career crisis” after over a decade of federal service, I explored the possibility of a major career pivot doing something that I absolutely loved. That’s how I found Coaching.
I am now a certified life and leadership coach and have the privilege of supporting fellow go-getters and the next generation of leaders with navigating the challenges and changes that come with life and leadership.
I am living what used to be my wildest dreams and I encourage my clients and anyone else that I may come in contact with to do the same!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Absolutely not. I’ve realized that seasons of discomfort in my life and career were hints that I needed to reset and refocus to regain clarity about who I was, where I was going and how I was going to get there – figuratively speaking.
Imposter syndrome was a really big struggle of mine that affected my confidence way more than I’d like to admit. It may not have looked like it from the outside-looking-in (which I hear ALL the time) but it’s real.
Another struggle was the dreaded “glass ceiling” and the frustration that came with being overlooked for opportunities that I was well qualified for. It’s part of the “game,” unfortunately, but it gets tiring as a creative and innovator feeling stuck in places that you’ve outgrown.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
Danielle The Coach™ is currently focused on helping mid-career professionals overcome their mid-career crises, get clear on their purpose and pivot powerfully into the life of their wildest dreams.
The work that I do in support of my client’s dreams is rooted in purpose. Purpose is so important to me and it’s the very thing that grounded my pivot into coaching. Operating in alignment with your purpose is powerful. Tapping into that is life-changing and what I am most proud of.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I’ve always joked and said I would major in Psychology instead of Math if I could go back and do it again. But honestly, I wouldn’t change a thing. Everything I’ve experienced was the perfect set up for me to be who I am today and also doing what I now do.
If I’d made a single decision differently, the trajectory of my life could have been totally different. And there’s not one specific decision that I can call out because where I am today is a culmination of the many decisions, big and small, that I’ve made over my life.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.daniellethecoach.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/daniellethecoach
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/dgthecoach
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/dgthecoach
- Other: 3 Secrets to Creating The Life of Your Wildest Dreams: www.daniellethecoach.com/letswork
Image Credit:
Angie McPherson Photography
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