In this interview feature with Meredith Turney, she shares her passion for fostering conscious leadership and nurturing a conscious culture within organizations.
As an executive coach with a diverse clientele ranging from leaders of international corporations to those at small nonprofits, Meredith shares her journey from being an employee to establishing her own coaching business, the challenges she faced, and the triumphs she celebrated along the way.
Meredith reflects on the hurdles of starting a business, balancing motherhood with professional aspirations, and overcoming the fear of not being able to attract clients. She also highlights the importance of mentors in her journey, such as Rich Litvin, who provided her with both encouragement and education.
Can you please introduce yourself, your business, and your specialization as a coach?
I am Meredith Turney, an executive coach who specializes in helping leaders become more conscious leaders and creating a more conscious culture at their company. My clients range from leaders at international corporations to small nonprofits.
As a coach, what are some of the biggest challenges that you have faced in your journey?
Before becoming a professional coach, I was an employee. I’d never built a business before. There is a steep learning curve for building a business. Thankfully, there are many successful coaches who mentor and encourage other coaches. Rich Litvin has been a source of encouragement and education for me.
I also had my first child just as I was finishing my coach training. It was challenging to balance my desire to build my coaching business with my desire to spend every precious moment with him. I also struggled with the fear that no one would pay me to coach them. Thankfully, that isn’t the case. But at the beginning it was a real fear.
Can you share a success story or a significant achievement in your coaching career?
The first paid client is always a significant moment for coaches. I still remember the moment my first client sent me a payment. I was nervous and excited. Another significant achievement is hearing a client share the success they’ve achieved through coaching with me. It is incredibly gratifying and thrilling to experience their joy with them. Their success is my success.
One client was struggling badly at work. We coached her for 6 months, and she finally had a breakthrough. Her life and work completely changed. She’s a different person; joyful and optimistic. It was our steady work together that empowered her to shift her mindset and make decisions that led to this new, more fulfilling life.
How do you measure the impact of your coaching on your clients or teams?
I measure impact in two ways: First, client feedback. What is their subjective experience? If they are personally feeling different and realizing the success they wanted to achieve, that is the ultimate goal. Once their perceptive and energy shift, they can create whatever they want. Second, assessment and goal-setting tools. The client can then see very clear objective benchmarks they are achieving.
For example, if an assessment shows a leader needs to work on their listening skills, we coach around that and then use the assessment to see if those around them are noticing a difference. Or the client may say they want a promotion. We work together to set clear goals that will help them achieve that overarching goal. It helps them stay focused and feel success along the way to the ultimate goal.
What advice would you give to other women aspiring to be leaders in the coaching industry?
Invest in yourself. There’s a saying that you can only go as deep with a client as you have gone yourself. So go deep; work on who you are as a leader and person. Who you are and how you are with your clients is the best way to serve your clients powerfully. Just as you would with a client, get clarity on how you define success and fulfillment. Then become the person who achieves that vision.
What are your future goals for your business and brand? What is your vision through coaching?
My vision is to increase conscious leadership and conscious culture in the workplace. There are so many unhappy, unfulfilled people at work. My coaching, communication, and trainings are all focused on helping people work, live, and BE happy. The more leaders focus on becoming conscious leaders and cultivate a conscious culture, we will decrease the epidemic of stress and unhappiness at work. We can create companies where everyone can thrive and reach new levels of success and fulfillment.
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