MORE THAN A COACH

By Kalee Blake

“We are the masters and experts of our own lives.” Barbara Lee’s personal slogan serves as the foundation of everything she does. Coach Barb to her clients, she has cultivated a community that she uplifts and guides. She counsels and encourages clients through their personal challenges. The objective of a life coach is to help clients to reach their ultimate vision. After a few years of working as a counselor, Barbara felt called to make the switch to coaching and has been dedicated to it ever since.

Barbara describes her work as a transformation, which as she mentioned requires clients to be open and devoted. “Over time we’re removing the old programming and creating new neuro pathways to establish beliefs that are empowering for the brain to accept,” she said. “There’s no magic fix, there’s real work involved.”

Barbara encourages and guides her clients to be involved in the process. An integral part of what she does involves vision boards. Barbara has her clients map out their goals in a physical way, a visual representation of what they want their future to look like. This method focuses on seven areas of life and makes the goals become as attainable as they are.

As someone who works to improve the quality of life for others, the real secret to her dedicated work practice is setting boundaries and holding herself accountable in the same ways she does her clients. In addition to being a business owner, Barbara is a mother to seven, has 10 grandchildren and she celebrated 18 years of marriage last december. When asked how she manages her full life, she said she simply makes the time. Not only for her family but for herself too. “All of us have time for what we choose to have time for.”

Barbara aids her clientele in a moving way, through what she describes as passion-work. The idea of reframing your mindset is prevalent here. By learning to recognise unhelpful thought patterns and reframe them over time, clients will begin to feel better and make decisions that support their overall sense of wellbeing. By renaming these assignments from homework to passion-work, the urge to complete them is much greater. “It gives them something to look forward to,” she said. “Who looks forward to homework?”

Barbara is passionate and solution driven as is her clientele. She markets herself in a meaningful way. It’s not overwhelming but instead offers others a path to what they want. Her style of coaching is distinct in the words she uses and the approach she takes. Her commitment is noted as she makes it a point to be accessible and not disappear between sessions. She is more than a guide, it’s a mentoring partnership that people are willing to be a part of.