Hello! I'm Kristin Taliaferro, a Professional Life and Career Coach. I realize you're trying to gather the information you need to decide if hiring a coach (specifically me) is a good move. So, let me be totally honest with you. Since becoming a full-time coach in 1999, I've seen my industry grow a lot. There are well over 75,000 coaches in the world today. However, finding a well-trained and effective coach is still a challenge!

I've enjoyed a very successful business for nearly 10 years now. Why? Transforming a client's life or career has always been the best advertisement for my work, which tends to bring a steady stream of referrals.

But, what if you weren't referred to me or my website? What if you stumbled here on your own? Well, here's what you need to know about me or any coach before you hire one.

What Led Me To Becoming A Coach

Prior to developing my coaching practice, I owned an Executive Recruiting Firm. Interviewing hundreds of people taught me this: Nearly 80% of people do not like their job, in fact they despise it. Plus, the majority of people are sorely lacking in balance and passion. How about you?

Recruiting someone from a job they hated to a job they'd learn to simply tolerate was less than fulfilling work for me! In the end, I wasn't thrilled with my work even though I was actually great at it. Being "great" without offering something "good" wasn't enough for me, though. With a huge desire to truly *help* people, I shut down my successful recruiting business, studied coaching principles for 2 years and launched my new business as a coach.

What Qualifies Me To Coach People

Fewer than 1% of my colleagues have earned the highest certification from the International Coaching Federation, Master Certified Coach. I am one of those coaches. It's a rigorous process where I was evaluated on my coaching style, actual client hours, formal training and satisfaction from previous clients.

What really matters is my ability to get results. I have a unique way of helping people get crystal clear so they can overcome obstacles and actually get what they want. And, they do. Check out my client story page if you want to see examples.

I also believe the way I live my own life inspires and encourages my clients. Before you hire any coach, ask yourself if they have the type of life (a level of personal freedom, passion, balance, success, etc) you want for yourself. Your coach is your mentor. Choose wisely.

My Life And Career

Sometimes I think I am incredibly lucky. I wake up without an alarm clock and begin most days in a very good mood! Most of my one-on-one coaching takes place in the morning, when I feel most energized. Then, the afternoon is spent on "me time" with a healthy lunch, exercise and steam room or sauna. The rest of my work day is spent writing or coaching my clients via email.

On a daily basis, I reach out to thousands of subscribers by sending out a positive "thought of the day" via my Morning Mantra newsletter, which is free. However, I get 'paid' 1000 times over by the grateful thank you emails I receive every day. It's amazing how many people think the daily thought was written just for them since it was the perfect message they needed to hear at the right moment. I love it when that happens. It's shows me how much we are all connected in the world.

I have freedom. That's what I love the most about my life. I work for myself and only with clients I enjoy. I've crafted my career and life to reflect the vision I saw for myself several years ago. My life is what I hoped it could become; simplified and successful. Success, for me, means living life on my own terms and earning an income (which I like to call 'financial energy') that reflects the energy I give back to the world.

I have a thriving business, without the usual stresses such as office politics, traffic, long hours or a boss. And, I enjoy an uncluttered life with plenty of personal time to do whatever I want.

So, am I lucky? I suppose so. But, this string of luck I've had was created by a combination of wishing, working, learning, finding my personal path and walking forward.....even when I felt unsure of what was ahead. I kept going. That's my secret to success.

My Invitation For You

Creating the life you imagine is just like carving a figure out of a block of stone. It's there. All you need to do is remove anything that prevents the clear shape from showing up.

If you're ready to carve out a better career or life, I want to hear from you! Contact me for a free consultation. If I'm not the ideal coach for you, I can refer you to someone else.

Also! Make sure you sign up for one of my free newsletters to stay in touch with me (and get a LOT of life/career tips for free!).

Questions about coaching? Ask away!