Being Resilient Under Pressure

Posted on May 21, 2014 by jacquie

“Life is extraordinarily resilient. It’s been around for over a billion years.” - Geoffrey West

Resilient by nature

This month’s newsletter is a personal story about caring for a loved one with a health challenge. At the end I share with you self-coaching skills to stay resilient under pressure.

My 83 year old Dad was recently diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia. Being his Power of Attorney means handling his affairs from financial to medical – and nearly everything else in between

If you know someone supporting a loved one with dementia please share this with them. Newsletter sign up.

Want to change how you respond to daily pressures? Learn to master your state, get skills to reduce conflict and improve your relationships, live the life you truly want – be confident and authentic! Join me on the next NLP Practitioner Training Course in Winnipeg, August 2014. Early booking prices are still available and will increase each month — book now to get the best rate.

You may think dementia will not touch you personally. I sincerely hope it never does. Regardless of what is going on in your life right now - read my story. Continue reading →

The Power of Seconds

Posted on May 1, 2014 by jacquie

What a blast we had at the NLP Cafe this month! A great mix of people from many different walks of life and business came together for a fun evening of networking and state building. The energy was high and the room a buzz of conversation and laughter.

This snapshot demonstrates a New Code NLP process called ‘Walking with X and Y’ where you get to select two resourceful states you want in a future context. It’s great for building a confident state for presenting or public speaking, interviewing for a new job, writing exams and improving your performance in really any situation in your life.

Demonstrating a New Code NLP anchoring process

Demo’ing a New Code NLP anchoring process

My guest for the demo was Monika Thurn und Taxis, an actor and artist here in Winnipeg. Monika selected the two states of ‘confident and calm’ for performing in impromptu situations. The exercise takes about 15 minutes and works by physically anchoring two desired states into the body and mind. The next time Monika enters a situation where she does not have time to prepare – she is going to respond the way she wants – confident and calm – in seconds!!

At the beginning of each NLP Cafe there is a networking exericse. The NLP Cafe is a great place to meet new people (some people come just for the networking – it’s that good!). And it’s when the group gets a chance to practice some rapport building skills.

Observing the group during the networking, I was pleasantly reminded of the ‘power of seconds’. What I mean is how in only seconds, people can shift from being fearful to friendly and having fun using simple yet powerful rapport building skills.

Rapport skills are a foundational set of skills coded in the original Classic Code field of NLP dating back to the early 1970’s which if you do the math, NLP has been on the planet for over 40 years! And yet I am still amazed to discover how many people are new to NLP concepts and techniques like building rapport or may have taken some NLP training and forget to use their rapport skills in everyday life.

Sign up for the Be Yourself Coach newsletter and recieve your free copy of ‘How To Get Rapport Quickly and How to Test It’.

“Lost time is never found again.” -Benjamin Franklin

So what does the power of seconds have to do with rapport and changing your state? Continue reading →

How Are You Using Your Power of Charisma?

Posted on February 26, 2014 by jacquie

I hope you are finding ways to enjoy one of the longest, coldest and snowiest winters on record!

Charismatic and natural

Personally, I like winter as it is a great time to reflect, decide what’s missing, and learn new skills to close the gaps that can make a big difference in my life.

One area my clients want to close gaps on is how they communicate. They want to be understood, they want to be more natural, more authentic, more charismatic. Yet they get stuck, stumble on their words, feel incongruent or hold back out of fear of being rejected or misunderstood.

If you want to get unstuck, feel congruent, be more interesting and charismatic my training partner Jeff Skinner, Actor and Owner of Actors’ Training Centre of Manitoba (ATCMB) and I are hosting a workshop entitled “Focusing Your Charisma”. Workshop dates: May 26, June 2, June 9, 2014, 6pm – 10pm

Early booking deadline is May 1, 2014. Secure your space now!

This newsletter is on how you can learn to tap into your own natural charisma to communicate more clearly, congruently and authentically. Continue reading →

Is Awareness Really the Secret?

Posted on January 9, 2014 by jacquie

Have you found yourself saying something or doing something lately you really, really regret? Is this a pattern for you? And are you trying anything to stop yourself doing this like trying to increase your awareness through meditating? — and maybe it’s not doing the trick for you? At least not as well or is short lived?

In my experience doing meditation does raise awareness to my breathing and I find it relaxing and calming. Yet, it does not go much further than that. And that’ s ok with me.

And I know some days you want more. You want to stop the silly pattern you have of repeating doing or saying what you swore you would never do it again!

In this month’s newsletter I will share what I have learnt about what’s beyond awareness and the missing piece of the puzzle – so you say what you mean and mean what you say. Where you can be more confident, more authentic, and you can truly be yourself! Continue reading →

From Stressed to ‘X’ This Christmas

Posted on December 20, 2013 by jacquie

Excited, delighted, curious is how I felt stepping into the recording studio at CJOB last Sunday to be interviewed by Stephanie Staples, Your Life Unlimited! Stephanie is an empowered woman with a rock solid intention to spread a message of inspiration, insight and ideas for success, empowerment and personal growth to audiences around the world. Check out Stephanie’s blog, sign up for her newsletter on Your Life Unlimited website and catch the recording from Sunday’s show where Stephanie shares an important message about relationships and I give you steps for managing your state during the Holidays.

For many people the Holiday Season is a blast! Fun, Fun, Fun!!

And for many the Holidays are stressful. Trying to get everything ‘right’ and socializing from a place of duty versus desire is NOT fun!

To complicate things, many baby boomers are burdened with caring for their aging parents as well as their own families. It’s easy to see how overwhelm can quickly take root.

If this scenario sounds familiar – you are not alone… Continue reading →

Is Your Mood Dropping Like a Leaf?

Posted on November 7, 2013 by jacquie

It seems when leaves change in the fall time so do some peoples’ moods… I have been hearing a lot of people saying they are feeling more stressed lately.

Now I am curious ….What do changes in nature have to do with moods? And I wonder…what is the difference that makes the difference that only some people feel stressed?

This week’s newsletter is on how seasonal changes may trigger stress and how to shift your state to staying healthy and happy.

I encourage you to read to the end for tips on how to quickly shift your state from stressed to relaxed, happy, focused, motivated!

You get to choose the state that is right for you – and show the world who you really are – your authentic self! Continue reading →

10 Tips to Avoid Ending At The Starting Point

Posted on June 28, 2013 by jacquie

I’m back! Following nearly three months overseas travelling and living out my version of Joseph Campbell’s “Hero’s Journey” – I’m happy to be home in wonderful Winnipeg.

Looking out to sea in Cascais

I visited some amazing places…Amsterdam, Stockholm, London, and several cities in Portugal. I also discovered some ordinary places.

Soon after returning home, I noticed a sense of settling, tranquility and peace. It felt like being on the edge of falling into old habits, patterns of thinking, and performing.

Having come so far, I did NOT want to end up at my starting point. I needed to take action quickly!

“We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us.” Joseph Campbell

The topic of my newsletter this month is how a “Hero’s Journey” can be a rewarding and life changing experience. And, if you are not paying attention you can end up right where you started. Continue reading →

NLP and Relationships – Enhancing Your Relationships Using NLP

Posted on March 13, 2012 by jacquie

In this week’s interview I am going to be talking to a coachee and now friend of mine – Irina Mikhalitsina, FastStartCoach, NLP Certified Master Practitioner – who is going to be sharing with us her insights into using and applying NLP when it comes to her relationships – from a practical standpoint.

This is a short audio interview so just click on the link below to access the interview immediately.

[Interview] Enhancing Your Relationships Using NLP – with Irina Mikhalitsina >>

Doing Things Better With Anita Roddick – A Personal Story

Posted on March 6, 2012 by jacquie

It’s International Women’s day on March 8th – a day of celebration and sharing of love towards women in recognition of their economic, political and social achievements. For my newsletter this week, I thought I’d write about a woman who was a role model for me starting out in my own business, Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop.

I met Anita personally on a trip she made to Winnipeg when I was Sales Manager for The Body Shop at Home. Anita had the ability to motivate others through her endearing stories and down to earth work ethics. She was a leader who paved new roads in the cosmetics industry, was the first to prohibit testing on animals, and to promote fair trade. Since Anita’s passing in 2007, hundreds of thousands of women around the world will continue to benefit from the business paths she carved. I certainly benefitted from her company and am grateful to have known her personally.

You can watch and listen to an earlier interview of Anita Here >>

Anita Roddick was a mentor and a model to thousands of women around the world. She demonstrated how a woman with an idea, a willingness to put themselves out there and the tenacity to carry on when things got tough could be successful in business. She modeled how to be a savvy entrepreneur while maintaining the basic human and community values that she felt were missing in the corporate world.

Working for The Body Shop for eight years was an experience that I will always cherish. Those years were a launch pad for starting my own business. In 1996 my husband Robin was transferred to the N.W. Ontario town of Rainy River, pop. 1,000. Situated on the south shore of Lake of the Woods we thought it would be a wonderful place to live. Making the move meant being brave and taking a big risk as I had to quit a secure corporate career. At the time, I had a head full of business ideas and saw the move as a huge opportunity to start my own business.

Practicing a kinder gentler way of doing business …. get the whole story by signing up my newsletter >>

Do All Leaders ‘Walk the Talk’ When It Comes To Interpersonal Skills?

Posted on February 28, 2012 by jacquie

Leaders with highly developed interpersonal skills and strengths are more apt to deliver better financial results according to recent research at Cornell University. This recent study points out that soft skills such as “self-awareness” can be the difference that makes the difference in being a model of excellence in business.

Is there a voice in your head asking HOW do the ‘best of the best’ leaders perform consistently, day in and day out? What’s their secret?

Most leaders will attend at least one personal development course each year. However, marketing practices in the personal development industry are like bottom trawling for fish. Both use non-selective methods, casting a wide net in an effort to ‘catch’ anything that moves. Fish have no choice in the matter. Humans on the other hand can decide whether they want to jump into the net or keep swimming.

Too many options means deciding which choice is better can be confusing. Most people say they find one good seed with each book, CD, seminar or executive coaching session. However unless that seed is planted really deep where self awareness resides there’s little chance of any new growth occurring.

What if the secret was as simple as self application? What if by becoming acutely aware of how your own body and mind works and using select interpersonal skills you could activate the performance you want to be an excellent leader? How helpful would it be if you could design an authentic self leadership plan that works?

Learning how to be more self aware and using techniques to activate the resources you need to act excellently in any situation can be the ‘difference that makes the difference’ in your performance. Finding tools and techniques that when applied to self – work, means no matter what the context you will have access to more resourceful states to perform ‘on the spot’ with excellence.

How soon do you want to make a quantum leap to learn to be self aware, discover your authentic self and utilize state management skills that work for you ‘on the spot’?

Be daring. Be first. Be different. Be self aware. ‘Be Your Self Leader’.