Blind Ambition

Changemaker
26 November 2023

I’m not ambitious. At least, I haven’t defined myself this way in the past. I suspect most people who know me would agree, Laura is not particularly ambitious.

And yet … I’ve changed. As I grow more fully into my coaching role, I feel different. I really want to make my time on earth count by building a kinder, gentler world. I want to do it by connecting people internally, so they know their inner selves, and externally, so they can create a better world. My way to do it is by coaching.

Through my journey, I’ve realized to my surprise that I am ambitious. It’s a head-scratcher, for sure.

Unambitious

I haven’t chased the big career. I never became a CHRO of a Fortune 500 company. My priority was my family and I willingly – and happily – chose to focus my attention on them. While I returned to work after each maternity leave, events came to a head (read the story here) and I made a choice to stay at home for five years, which I do not regret.

At the time, my choice felt binary: I could either be a successful businesswoman or a successful mom, but I couldn’t be both. Unfortunately, I didn’t recognize the fallacy of binary choices then that I do now.

Furthermore, I had somehow entwined “successful businesswoman” with “ambition.” Ambition was “bad” because I associated it with ego, specifically, feeding my ego. Ergo, I deduced that denying my ambition would starve my ego.

Dissatisfaction

As you can imagine, fighting my ego was a losing battle. How often have you heard, “What you resist, persists.” I’d argue to myself, “This time at home is not about you, it’s about the kids,” which was entirely true … and also a cop-out.

True because I knew I fundamentally wanted to be physically present with our children in those early years, teaching them and enjoying our time together. A cop-out because I used it as an excuse to stop my personal and professional development.

Growth

The Universe nudged me. Repeatedly.

Some of you know I’m a major reader. Until five years ago, I only read fiction. In fact, I disdained non-fiction. I figured I could learn everything I needed to know about human nature through a good book so what was the point of non-fiction?

My shift to non-fiction began with Gabby Bernstein. From there, I saw how non-fiction could teach practical skills to support my growth. Fast forward to today and I have completely switched my reading habits such that I mostly read non-fiction now.

The Universe directed me to non-fiction knowing reading is my preferred learning method. With the reading I’ve done, I’ve acquired many ways to approach topics in coaching so that if one way doesn’t resonate with a client, I can try another one.

Ambitious

Eventually, I recognized I really want to share what I’ve learned with a larger audience. I want to make an impact to a bigger group in order to build momentum. Spread the word, as the saying goes. If that’s not ambition, what is?

I discovered that if I want to make a difference in the world, I need to want it. That’s the only difference between me at 29 and me at 49. At 29, I didn’t want it. At 49, I do.

The senior leaders I admired so much as a young woman weren’t necessarily smarter, more charismatic, or more skilful than me. They just wanted it more.

Ambition is not my ego saying, I want my name in lights. It’s Spirit saying, Make your impact. Now. Don’t wait.

And so I am.

What’s your ambition?

You have to be open minded in order to grow. The coaching that Laura gave me opened my eyes to what and how I was doing things and allowed me to see the bigger picture. I am not done yet but I already see the changes in my everyday life.
MM

I think coaching is a great way to help you clear your mind when you get stuck with overwhelming situations or when stepping into changes in your life.
MO

Coaching is life changing. It pushes you outside your comfort zone and challenges your perspectives. It is highly motivating and the exercises and techniques used are both fun and informative. I think the main benefits of coaching are to see yourself, others and the world more clearly. I think coaching is valuable to anyone regardless of where you are in your life or career.
LE

I honestly never thought I’d need a coach. I thought coaching was for CEOs and industry VIPs. I didn’t think it was for the “little guys” (i.e. me). Now, I’m of the belief that everyone – yes, EVERYONE – needs a coach. Coaching has really benefitted me and I’m so grateful to have had that time with Laura. It’s changed my life!
VB

Laura is very patient. She took the time to understand what was causing me to be stuck where I am today and help me build a better vision so I can continue to grow.
MM

I think Laura’s coaching was what I had been waiting for. Laura was so approachable, kind, and open. Her willingness to help and support made a difference for me. I found in her coaching new strategies, ideas, and perspectives that I could incorporate into my goals and objectives that I didn’t see before.
MO

Laura is an incredibly intuitive, positive and caring coach. Her techniques helped me recognize both my strengths and areas I might want to explore as I embark on the next chapter of my career. The exercises she employed were instrumental in providing self perspective and challenging my frames of reference.
LE

Laura is a natural coach. Her probing and compassionate questions helped me learn about myself: my value system, interests, goals and strengths.
LM

Coaching sessions with Laura gave me new perspectives on how to process specific feelings and situations in life. She showed me how to sit with my emotions, acknowledge them, and then use visualization strategies to move through them. I now feel more confident and in control of how I choose to walk through life.
CP

From the beginning, Laura put me at ease, creating a safe, open space for me to talk and share freely without fear of judgement. I loved the variety of approaches she used depending on the topic we were working on and it was fun being able to try out things I wouldn’t have considered before! With Laura’s coaching, I substantially grew my confidence in the workplace, overcame fears, dealt with issues I’d been carrying around for many years and, most importantly, learned to value myself and define a path forward into the future.
AG

Laura’s coaching was a breath of fresh air and EXACTLY what I needed at that point of my life. I didn’t realize how impactful coaching was going to be, but by the end of the sessions together, I left feeling refreshed, inspired and genuinely curious about what my future held for me. Because of Laura and her coaching, I believe I became a better person – someone who is more open-minded, someone with a clearer focus, and someone who is willing to explore opportunities and possibilities far more than I ever did before.
VB

I engaged Laura for coaching as I took on an expanded role leading an asset management company in Canada. As a female, I knew I would be a role model and had high expectations of myself. I was feeling overwhelmed and anxious.

In our first few coaching sessions we worked through exercises that allowed me to reflect on my purpose, leadership style and what mattered most to me. I continue to be grounded by the clarity I achieve in my coaching sessions – allowing me to be resilient and confident when challenges came my way.
OS