Challenging. Empathetic. Creative.
My time with Mary has been invaluable.
I began working with Mary at a time when I was approaching a major life change: I wanted to change my career and re-balance my life. Mary was an incredible accountability partner in helping me navigate, plan, and adapt during this transition, and — most significantly — she helped me get in tune with what I truly want in this next chapter of my life.
Her direct, no-bullshit, empathetic coaching style and her ability to push me beyond my surface responses were critical to helping me take real ownership of my life, career, and relationships. Furthermore, her coaching – especially with the PQ program – has been transformative and has given me the tools to continue growing on my own which is a true treasure. I am grateful to be in a new place, with new insight and compassion for myself and others. It’s been an amazing journey–and Mary is an amazing coach!
Three Words: Energetic. Challenging. Creative.
Mary is a true “coach’s coach”. I learned so much from her as my supervisor during the coach certification process that I hired her to coach me again…and again…and again. Mary was so effective that I engaged her at several key moments in my career. Our work together was always up-lifting, insightful and action-oriented, and I am grateful for both the wisdom and the kindness she shared with me. Thank you Mary!
For sales people in general a great coach is an asset because we are forced to deal with negative emotions every day – there is a lot of rejection and fear. The resilience needed to withstand that is greater when you have an asset like Mary.
She helps me think through what is going on. If there is conflict with my values, she helps me articulate what is going on. From that we trade action steps to progress through a challenge, or take on an opportunity. She takes what is within me and helps me make sense of it and create actionable steps.
Mary does not bring a one-size-fits-all approach – this is a customized approach we have worked on over the past four years.
THREE WORDS: Professional, Humor, Authentic
Mary’s sense of humor, coupled with her raw authenticity, gave me a huge play ground to be myself and to experiment with letting go of concepts about myself that no longer served me. Our work was, and continues to be, life-changing.
I send my closest friends and family to Mary when someone needs a coach. Enough said. I know you’ll get nothing but excellence when you work with her.
I’ve pretty much doubled business over the course of working with her. I know it is tough to attribute it to one single thing, but I know with certainty that she is a part of what has allowed me to do that. And, working with Mary has helped me have much more authentic conversations with people in my life, whether those are people I’m dating, or my relatives, friends or colleagues. She’s helped me get a clear sense of my voice in all those types of relationship.
She has helped me get out of my own way on the goals that really, really matter to me.
I am somebody who needs homework. I need someone to say ‘Do X Y and Z and get back in touch,’ instead of ‘Think about this and we will talk.’ Mary structured things for me in that manner. Otherwise it is easy for me to put things on back burner.
There were two big main issues that Mary and I worked with: I had too much on my plate, and my marriage was blowing up. So we worked on both.
I gained a good sense of not only who I was but trusting that I had the answers, which is really where you want to get to: That you can trust yourself with the way you are feeling and that the decisions you are making are right for you.
My coaching journey with Mary has been wonderful. She was a sounding board to test ideas, conversations, and dreams about what I want in my career and my personal life. Coaching with her helped me grow into a stronger leader and find my voice to speak up for myself. Coach Mary helped me gain the confidence and skills to self-advocate and ask for what I deserve from my superiors. This was the catalyst for opening doors to a new career role that is a wonderful fit for me, a role that I didn’t even know was an option when I began.
There is no colleague I respect more than Mary Olk. She has an unwavering commitment to personal and professional growth for her clients and herself. She is a truly gifted inner guide—extraordinarily insightful, self aware, highly skilled, and wise. I am especially proud she has chosen to integrate the Gremlin-Taming® method into her own naturally potent style of facilitating others to tap into and channel their potential. Her clients are beyond fortunate to have her in their lives.
“You are never given a wish without also being given the power to make it come true.”
-Richard Bach
So, in answer to your question, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!!! 🙂
It is a thrill to catch your zest for possibility Jeanne!
I do now that “anything is possible” is not true. But so many things are possible: Striving, making an effort, reaching. I used to dream of being the best, the most accomplished, the most famous. Not anymore, I know the possibilities lie in the attempt. It’s the process not the product. That knowledge frees up all sorts of possibilities for me to discover – instead of putting blinders on and only seeing the outcome – I see the growth, stretching, openness that comes from living in the movement of the moment.
Love this Pamela! Sounds like you have really learned to enjoy the ride!
Mary,
Glad you started this video blog and the monthly questions!
I’m happy to say my answer to “What is Possible?” is: “Anything!” and really mean it. I’ve said the words plenty of times before, but lately, I absolutely get it that anything is possible and that it’s only my small thinking that limits and stops that happening. When I show up and hold open the space for awesome things happening, I step aside and watch them come in. Seriously. I know it sounds Pollyanna-like, but it has been my actual experience lately.
Here’s to possibilities!
xo
Erica
And to clear intentions! Thanks for joining me here Erica.
To make really special friends like you, Mary.
AWW — Thanks Rick!
I guess that anything we allow ourselves to believe in is possible. But we have to make the space to believe that it is possible and then do the work to achieve it!
Excellent points Linda! BELIEVE and then DO THE WORK!
It is possible to believe in myself, even if some of myself doesn’t have all that much confidence. It’s possible to make changes when I remember that changes can be made. (And on the flip side, it’s also possible to deceive myself into believing that change is im-possible.) With gratitude for your questions…
I get a picture of Dorothy clicking the heels of her ruby slippers saying, ” I believe in myself, I believe in myself” opening up possibility when I read this Mary.
Mary,
You posed a really open ended question that’s about as pointed as a pillow. But searching for an answer creates a sense of optimism. Personal growth is possible. We can learn how to make more meaningful contributions to our relationships with friends and family and to our communities