Lydia Earhart

I met my fairy godmother earlier this month.

She had the voice of my favorite aunt, the penmanship of my sweet grandmother but the poise and charisma of someone I have never met.

Her name is Carolyn Moore. A lot of her clients seek her out for executive coaching but a twist of fate brought us together. In an effort to change the direction and offer a new side of our signature Women in Business section, we chose to link together a story about executive training with women in the business community. See Page 24.

As women in business, we are expected to know all the answers when in a leadership role. But what if we are afraid of the answers within us?

Executive coaching is learning and allowing yourself to speak the truth within your mind without being afraid. Moore is one of a kind locally in the coaching field. After spending years in the healthcare industry, she started her own company and decided to take on the best job that she has ever had.

Just like fairy godmothers, she decided to give back. Her coaching method is leading her clients to believe the answers to success are within themselves.

The underlining message is confidence – just like putting on a pair of glass slippers and going to a ball. In our meeting, Moore struck a chord when she stressed a life/work balance. Work is important, but what do you have to show for it at the end of the day? Through coaching, you learn you owe it to yourself to spend time with loved ones. Give up cooking the perfect dinner when family time and joy is going on in the next room.

“Give [yourself] permission to not be perfect. Which means don’t have expectations that leave nothing for yourself,” Moore said.

I was a sponge to her words. I left feeling uplifted and excited about Women in Business. I was eager to hear the stories of other women and read how they have impacted the local community with their own strategies.

As we concluded our visit, I encouraged her to write a book. After all, when you meet your fairy godmother, you can’t get enough of her encouragement and sweet nature; you must read about it.

I was taken by her generosity and thoughtfulness when she appeared a week later to give me a book she recommended. She left me with “Crucial Conversations.” And, boy, did we have one.

Thank you, Carolyn Moore.