How did you become a life coach?
I knew there was something unique calling to me. I had always wanted to help people and seemed to be a natural at listening, comforting, and empathizing. I knew, however, that I did not want to be a therapist or counselor.
Everything shifted the day I stumbled upon a book in a bookstore titled Becoming a Life Coach. I picked it up and thumbed through the pages, and immediately every bell and whistle inside me went off.
What's a life coach?
The book offered a definition of a life coach that deeply resonated with me. I felt a stirring and uprising in my heart that could not be ignored. I bought the book and took it home, knowing something important had been activated.
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A few years later, in 2004, I found myself sitting in Atlanta, Georgia at my first weekend-long training workshop by what was then called The Coaches Training. I initially went simply to satisfy my curiosity. I walked away knowing I had found my path.
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In the early 2000s, I was one of the first people to call herself a life coach in the Jackson, Mississippi area. The training, continued expansion, and deep desire to support people through coaching never left me. In fact, it has only become more compelling over time.
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By practicing what I preach, I answered my heart’s calling and followed the small steps that kept leading me forward. It remains one of the best decisions of my life, and I continue to feel deeply aligned with the work I am here to do.
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For a more detailed version of my story and how this work unfolded…
Dreams Matter
Looking back, it makes perfect sense that I would grow up passionate about supporting people in answering the calling of their hearts. My father was a devoted advocate for dreams. He was a big dreamer himself, and he acted on those dreams.
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He built a fastener business from the ground up that eventually became the largest in the southeastern United States. But even more than the success itself, what stayed with me was his mindset. His belief in bringing a dream to life was unwavering, and even as a young child, I could feel that conviction in him.
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One ordinary Saturday outing made it all clear for me.
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“Let’s go get something to eat,” he said casually.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“You’ll see,” he replied—his favorite phrase.
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We pulled up to a restaurant that looked quiet, worn, almost forgotten.
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“Here?” I asked, doubtful.
He smiled. “I’ve been here before. It’s good. You’ll see.”
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Inside, the place felt empty. As we waited for our food, I whispered, “There’s no one here. It feels sad in here.” I made this comment without thinking much about it as I watched one man welcome us, take our order, and head to the kitchen.
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That’s when my dad shifted into what I now think of as his listen closely voice.
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“It’s important to support people’s dreams,” he said. “Right now, we’re sitting in the middle of that man’s dream. It takes a lot of courage to go for a big dream. Not everyone can do it, but this man did.”
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He went on to explain that people didn’t know about the restaurant yet. That it would take time. That word would spread once people discovered how good the hamburgers were.
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“This isn’t just about having a good meal,” he told me. “It’s about being supportive of someone’s dream. That matters.”
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Something landed in the center of my heart at that moment.
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It wasn’t just what he said. It was how he said it as he spoke to me with conviction and respect, as though I were fully capable of understanding the weight of his words. I don’t think he had any idea how deeply I would take that wisdom in.
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Even now, I find myself moved by the experience of standing in the middle of someone else’s dream, whether it’s a physical place, an expressed longing, or a hopeful turning point in someone’s life. I can’t count how many quiet prayers I’ve sent up that simply say, Please support this person, this place, this vision into full bloom.
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I saw my father reach for and create his dream, and I witnessed the ripple effects. His dream impacted many lives, including mine. I learned firsthand how one person’s courage to act on a dream can inspire others to do the same, and how those ripples quietly reach outward, shaping the world in ways we may never fully see or understand.
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I believe a seed to champion dreams was planted in me that day. At an early age, I began to understand the sacredness of bringing something unseen into reality and to recognize how one dream nourishes another.
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Over time, that seed grew into a genuine and heartfelt passion for supporting others in their dreams, while also honoring my own. In many ways, my life’s work has become an extension of that early lesson: to stand with people as they listen for their inner calling, and to remind them (and you) that dreams matter.
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I know firsthand, for myself and others, that dreams met with clarity, steady intentional action, and the right support can become real. The result is a life lived with purpose and the deep joy of knowing you followed your heart toward your highest calling.