Kristin's Coach Training

Hey there friends, my community and the WORLD,

My name is Kristin -- I’m a mom, wife and disability rights advocate based in Chicago, IL. And, for those of you who don’t know me, I have multiple sclerosis (or, MS, as you often hear in the media for short).

What is MS? Well, basically, MS is a disease where cells (or more specifically, the myelin sheath covering your nerves) in your brain and spinal cord are damaged. This can result in problems such as blindness, trouble with coordination and balance and muscle weakness, to name just a few. Despite it being the most common autoimmune disorder that affects the nervous system (2.3M people globally), there isn’t a cure and there aren’t a ton of treatment options out there. That means that people like me have to be creative and learn to cope using a lot of different life strategies.

As a 17-year (and counting!) survivor of MS, I’ve decided that this year I’m going to make a change. I want to use my experience to help other folks just like me who need support and guidance in developing a long term strategy or plan that works for them and their disability.

So, for 2017, to mark my 17-year diagnosis anniversary (how fun does that sound?), I’m asking for some help. In fact, I’m asking for your help!

I’ve decided to become a life coach and counselor for people with chronic disabilities. I never expected to be here looking for support on GoFundMe.com or even switching "career tracks" away from traditional business, but here I AM and I am super excited about it!

To do it right, I want to get my professional Life Coaching training and certification and that is where you come in. I need to raise $15,000 to cover the costs of certification and get my business off the ground.

Why should you support me, you might ask? Here is my story and my best attempt to answer why I’m worth your investment!

MY STORY
Seventeen years ago, I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). At the time, I really didn’t know what it meant for me or my future. Immediately, questions about what it would mean for my job at the time and insurance offered through that company entered my mind. I started by researching coverage for a specific MS doctor and whether any of the 3 known drugs were covered. "Check," I told myself, when I was done. "I've got a doctor, I'm on medicine and my insurance is o.k." I thought I was all set ... maybe a slight new routine like flossing but all would be O.K.

I learned quickly that this was a short-sighted outlook. Although insurance was set (temporarily), soon I began to experience what are often termed "non-visual symptoms " (i.e., invisible to others) and I began to feel the common side-effects of the medicines. I thought, "I can put on a good face and no one (except close family and friends) will really notice."

BUT soon after, and worst of all, came the emotions and sense of loss. With every trip or stumble I questioned how others viewed me. With any small mistake or misread number at work, I immediately (right or wrong) questioned if it was due to MS. Yet at the same time, I was plagued by the thought that I HAD to be the best me, if not better than my best, given my disease. I told myself I would beat MS if I could just work harder ... while trying to refute perceptions, fight off illness and its associated problems and, oh yeah, trying not to get or show stress! I worked hard to keep it quiet or unknown to some loved ones, most friends, and by all means my employers and, really, anyone connected to me, work, my current employer at the time, potential employers or anything having a connection with my career. I would try to excuse or blow off any questions that I received. And I wasn't prepared to make these changes. They just aren’t things you think about when you're young, healthy and live in a society that downplays disabilities.

While the first few years after my diagnosis were difficult, it wasn’t until 11 years ago that I began to noticeably lose some of my physical mobility; a new symptom that was also now apparent and open to others. This loss of mobility was compounded only a year later by the loss of my driver's license -- when I crossed the threshold into "legally blind." Mobility (including walking and driving), I quickly learned, dictated quite a bit in life. The unintended disclosure brought unintentionally insensitive questions from, and negative fortune telling by, others. Even when I did disclose MS, an empathetic reaction was almost always followed by a slew of incorrect and inappropriate biases and judgements.

I remember being in graduate school and, having disclosed vision problems through the school's official channels, asking one of my professors to enlarge and make the font bold on my next exam ... fairly simple accommodation, I thought. The reaction from my professor was "maybe if you can't do the exam as is, you shouldn't be in the program." Now, I worked hard to get in and graduate successfully with my MBA, but that reaction, being hesitant to help or accommodate a need, and the professor's bias which pre-judged my ability, made me question my success and will always stick with me. If I remember correctly, I did alright on that exam and class (average anyway) but we will never know the negative effects of that statement on my performance. This experience in grad school (and, unfortunately, worse or more directly discriminatory) occurred in all types of situations, including restaurants, gyms, theaters and professional offices or work.

Over the course of the next five years, I hit some life-altering highs and lows. I married my love, friend and my biggest source of support and encouragement; went on long term disability from my professional job and essentially said "good-bye" to my career in finance and accounting. This was a huge personal loss and brutal hit to my determination and confidence. About a year after, I became a proud, but incredibly scared, mother of a beautiful boy (now six!). Don't let me mislead you. Pregnancy didn't just occur and then we went with it. We spent over a year coordinating with different doctors, carefully timing use of and stopping use of various powerful medicines and of course also getting pregnant and giving birth with MS in mind. Talk about an emotional roller coaster...

A little over 3 years ago, after emerging from what I refer to as "the sleep deprived, steroid induced hormonal mother of a toddler" years (I'm sure any parent can relate), my family and I moved to the Chicago suburbs. Like so many, we were in search of good public schools for our son, and survival from the worst recession and housing crash since the depression. But unlike most -- we also knew there would be a slew of different challenges surrounding my disease. From my mobility to motherhood responsibilities; and household chores, our family had to redefine ‘normal’ in a way that would work for us and make it SUSTAINABLE.

We wanted to "carve out our little corner of sunshine" but we knew our lives were going to be different than the next door neighbors (but whose isn’t?). Whether through luck, intuition or just plain chance, we landed in a fairly accessible, very accepting and helpful community and began to "carve out our sunshine".

About a year after moving, and still frustrated with maneuvering new physical, emotional and social blocks, I joined a local mothers' group whose leader was a life coach. She helped me to change my mindset and encouraged pursuing things true to my heart in a new and exciting way. Her coaching helped (and still helps!) remind me of my essence and how to shift my mindset so that my disability is not an end to my road but, rather, a different turn or roundabout. What’s more, she made me realize that I have a lot to offer others in their journey to learn and grow with their disability – putting in place strategies that allow each person to be their own, best, self. It’s hard work, but if I can do it, I know others will be able too also. And how better to spend my time, than using my experiences to help others going through the same thing?

For myself and my family, I feel that these last few years have been life-changing. Sure, it's not without problems and struggles but I am sculpting my sunshine more now. That’s why now is the time for me to take the next big step and start using my experience to help others. Where I am in my life, my own positive outcomes with life coaching and my lived experience have gotten me to where I am today. I am motivated by motherhood, my community and even the US election to make a proactive shift. I feel it's time for me to stand up and advocate more for what I believe and to help empower others. HENCE, I am eager to pursue becoming a life coach myself.

WHAT:
A chronic diagnosis is a life changing event, in some bad ways – yes – but in some good ways too. It doesn’t mean you must change your core or the essence of who you want to be. I love and have always loved exploring and learning about the world, different economies, cultures and people. I studied international business and travelled as much as possible while in school. I won't at all say that my traditional education has been a waste. It has cultivated my interest in different cultures and people, not to mention helped develop my essence and given me great experiences and friendships. However, my traditional education didn't directly help me to identify my own struggles and mindset blocks -- an ongoing process with a chronic yet ever-changing disease like MS

However, receiving coaching helped me find a plan or strategy that works FOR ME to maneuver around struggles and recognize my successes differently that how I would have traditionally defined them.
At first, I saw each new diagnosis and surfacing of a disability struggle or MS problem as if it were a loss. I thought my exploring days were done; my travel limited. When I lost my eyesight and went on long term disability, I thought I would no longer be capable of pursuing the career that I had been trained for and had worked in for more than a decade. I felt very discouraged and I felt lost.

For years, I tried to "will through" this pain by just working harder or longer. As my husband would say, I kept figuratively banging my head against a brick wall, making myself more tired, hurting my health and becoming more and more discouraged. I also saw firsthand people's outright discrimination and biases towards me and other with disabilities. This only made the struggle that much more debilitating, as I spent too much time, money and energy fighting against blatant discrimination, draining me and my family, both emotionally and physically.

It wasn’t until I went to my mother’s group that I learned that my perspective had to shift.

Now let me say, I am in no way perfect in this resolution or strategy, and in no way is my growth or transformation in mindset complete. It is an ongoing process, that is for sure. But the progress that I have been able to make for myself and my family over the last few years has been life-changing.

That’s why now is the time for me to take the next big step and start using my experience to help others. Where I am in my life, my own positive outcomes with life coaching and my lived experience have gotten me to where I am today. I am motivated by motherhood, my community and even the US election to make a proactive shift. I feel it's time for me to stand up and advocate more for what I believe and to help empower others. HENCE, I am eager to pursue becoming a life coach myself

TO WHAT & TO SERVE WHOM:
First and foremost, I want and hope to help other individuals with chronic disabilities realize that their own perspectives and approaches to life can be changed for the better; AND, with help from a coach, this change can happen in a shorter period of time and with less self-doubt and frustration, then if you try to ‘go it alone.’ At the same time, I hope that by empowering others like me, I will help society (if even in a small way) move away from discrimination, towards celebrating and learning from our differences, creating more just and inclusive communities.

At the personal level, I will help those with chronic disabilities through tone on one coaching, as well as by giving talks, webinars and providing workshops when possible. At the community level, I plan to continue my role as a disability rights advocate by engaging with more community organizations that are fighting for better access and inclusivity and by working with local villages and communities, the City and the State to make this vision a reality.

Specifically, my coaching will focus on how:
- to manage and adjust through a specific problem or a personal block (coaching by strategic intervention; for example, how to adjust and still feel empowered while getting routine tasks like groceries and household chores done).
- to recognize, track and celebrate personal successes.
- to identify and strive towards an individual's true essence (ontological coaching; for example, remembering and incorporating a love of exploring and inclusivity into everyday as well as long-term goals).
- to remind others that a diagnosis can mean a turn or roundabout not an end.
- to encourage individuals to identify and not only carve out but SCULPT their own slice of sunshine.
- to help those I coach incorporate and spread their empowerment to others.

HOW:
I have found a year long, in-person Coaches Training Program in Chicago that begins February 2017. It is a career turn that I feel sticks to my essence and fits with my goals. The program is given by Accomplishment Coaching ( http://www.accomplishmentcoaching.com/our-training/certification/ ). "Accomplishment Coaching is a community of ontologically trained coaches and leaders... Our special brand of coach training combines Excellence and Rigor with Love and Being." This intense and extensive program costs a little over $15,000 in total and broken into 3 main parts or goals:

1. Coach training and skills development
2. Personal transformation
3. Building and maintaining a coaching business

I plan to use any funds from Gofundme.com towards this program to earn a certification and build my coaching practice.

I have set a financial goal that will cover the entire cost of this program. As many of you may know, MS is an extremely expensive disease to treat; it is not only a hole in the pocket, but also a billing and insurance nightmare. At this point, I’ve utilized all that I can from traditional financial assistance and since I haven’t been able to find a part-time job that uses my training and that isn't limited by my eyesight or mobility, I know that the Gofundme platform is the best choice to help me realize this new endeavor that will, in turn, will also allow me to be more financially stable with a career that is flexible and meets my needs!

I am so lucky to have a wonderful support network of family, friends and community – every day I’m thankful I am where I am and that I have you in my life!

Today, I’m asking not only for your friendship, encouragement, emotional support and motivation, but also for any financial help you might be able contribute to help get me started. There is no amount too small (or big!). Any amount you can give will not only be deeply appreciated, it will have a huge return. Not only will you be helping me, you’ll be giving me the skills to in turn help, support, encourage and motivate others.

The sun is not discriminatory; we all deserve to the opportunity to carve out and sculpt our own, unique slice of sunshine.

Thank you  from the bottom of my heart, Kristin