Dear Co-Active Coaches,

Happy Thanksgiving! Next week is Thanksgiving here in the United States, and as I think about all the things for which I’m grateful, this community is certainly high on the list. It was a special treat to see so many of you this past week at the ICF Conference in San Jose. My heart is full with your warmth and with the commitment of the coaching community to making the world a better place. Read more about the conference in CTI News.

Also in CTI News, we’re very excited to announce that CTI has become the first coach training organization to receive college credit recommendations from the American Council on Education (ACE). CTI’s Co-Active coaching core curriculum, Certification Program and

Co-Active Leadership Program received this nationally recognized recommendation, which acknowledges that these courses are comparable to college-level courses.

In our Community section this month, we continue introducing you to the staff here at CTI. Operations and support manager Andrew Gabel was the first employee at CTI and, in his nearly 10 years here, has done just about every job. In addition to his official duties managing the Co-Active Network, Andrew holds the unofficial role of filling the office with his special brand of magic.

Our topic for articles this month is Networking: What types of networking have worked for you? Do you have tips to share on how to get the most from networking opportunities? What difference has networking made in your business? Four coaches—Morgana Rae, CPCC, C. J. Hayden, CPCC, Carol Ross, CPCC, and Laura McGann—each share their tips. These articles are a great opportunity to learn from these masterful networkers.

As always, we invite you to read the topics for upcoming issues of The Inquiry and think about sharing your insights by writing an article. And join us in celebrating our newest CPCCs.

Enjoy! Warmly, Kathy Curry, CPCC Director of Marketing

CTI News

10th Annual ICF Conference, San Jose, CA

Imagine the energy and passion of more than 1,750 coaches in one location! San Jose was the site last week of the largest-ever gathering of coaches at the 10th Annual ICF Conference. From the pre-conference sessions on Wednesday to the closing gala dinner and dance Saturday night, San Jose’s McEnery Convention Center was filled with warmth, laughter, learning and—of course—lots of great coaching conversations.

Opening keynote speaker Rachel Naomi Remen, MD, internationally known author, teacher, physician and master storyteller spoke with us about the “hidden seed of wholeness” in each of us that lies dormant unless others see it and believe. Cheryl Richardson, MCC, spoke about expanding the vision of coaching at Friday morning’s annual business meeting. Closing keynote speaker Riane Eisler, JD, award-winning author, renowned scholar and dedicated social activist, shared her passion for building environments that support our full human potential.

CTI faculty member Rick Tamlyn, MCC, was once-again a masterful emcee; this year, he was joined by co-emcee and CTI grad, Jan Ramsřy. CTI faculty members Cynthia Loy Darst, MCC, Virginia Kellogg, MCC, Leslie Lupinsky, MCC, and Joni Mar were among the pre-conference workshop and breakout session presenters. A number of other CTI grads presented in either breakout sessions or balance sessions throughout the week, and Friday morning’s annual business meeting opened with a delightful excerpt from CTI faculty member Akasha Halsey’s one-woman show.

CTI’s Dessert Extravaganza Friday evening was an opportunity for the community to come together to catch up with old friends, meet new ones and enjoy the delicious desserts. The chocolate fountain was a particular hit…yumm!

If you weren’t able to attend (or just want a little reminder), check out the photos! See you in St. Louis next year!

Community

Introducing CTI Staff Member Andrew Gabel
Not that he needs much introduction! Andrew Gabel was CTI’s very first employee and has been at CTI since 1996. He has single-handedly performed just about every last one of the current 25 employees’ jobs over the past nine or so years, though he currently holds the role of Operations and Support Manager, or, “the holder of the Co-Active Network.” In many ways, Andrew’s story is the story of CTI itself. For those of you who know Andrew, perhaps you’ll discover something new about him when you read this. For those of you who don’t, sit back and enjoy the magic that is Andrew Gabel!

Co-Active Network
The Co-Active Network continues to grow with more than 5,600 members in the main community and more than 40 niche and geographic communities. We loved meeting many of the members of the Co-Active Network recently at the ICF conference in San Jose. Check out the photos.

The purpose of the Co-Active Network is to support every member in achieving his/her greatest vision for Co-Active coaching and leadership in the world. Each community has resources, discussions and community events. Check the full calendar on the Co-Active Network. There are an amazing array of exciting events. Also, many of the events held on the main community have been recorded on audio podium. The list of recorded sessions is available under the “Resources” section of the main community. Look for the topic “Audio Podiums from Network Main Event Sessions” for a full list.

Would you like to share your insight with fellow coaches?
We love to learn from our community, and sharing your thoughts with your fellow coaches is a great way to let us know what’s happening in your world. The Inquiry focuses on a specific topic each month. Topics for the next few months are:

December—Community service: How is community service a part of your coaching business? How do you include pro bono work in your business? What other ways do you incorporate community service in your professional life?

January—Assessments: What assessment tools do you use in your coaching business? How do you use them? When do you use them?

February—Coaching Relationships: What types of relationships do you coach? What have the challenges been for you in doing relationship coaching? What have you learned—about yourself, about coaching relationships?

We invite you to submit articles and share your insight in The Inquiry. It is a fantastic way to increase your visibility in the coaching profession. Please send articles to newsletter@thecoaches.com. Read the detailed submission guidelines.

Articles

Networking Magic
“Networking is not selling. Think of what it’s like when a stranger comes up and sells at you and shoves you his business card. This is a relationship killer! Even at a “networking” party. Be the person who builds relationships. There’s a principle in relationship that you should take to heart: if one party is chasing, the other is retreating. You don’t want to be the chaser. Attraction is far more magical. Everything I share in this article will be with an eye towards your powers of attraction.” Morgana Rae, CPCC, guides her clients to attract more than they chase, to market creatively and inexpensively, and to enjoy more success without sacrificing their humanity. Read more about her philosophy on networking in this article.

Networking Is Magic...Except When It Isn’t
C.J. Hayden, CPCC, MCC, author of Get Clients Now! and Get Hired Now!, has shown thousands of coaches her simple sales and marketing system to find all the clients they need. She shares her insights with us here: “Ask any successful coach how to go about building a thriving coaching practice, and you are likely to hear that networking is one of the most powerful strategies you can use. But newer coaches often say they put a lot of effort into networking without seeing much return. Why are these two answers so noticeably different?” To find out why, read the article.

Networking Naturally
“Often, networking is seen as a single event, a separate activity in our business. What I’ve discovered is that networking works best when it is an integral part of who I am and how I want to be in business. Successful networking is a process of deepening relationships, initiated through curiosity, unattached to outcome, guided by energy, and driven by the possibility of what can be created with another human being. It unfolds over time, sometimes years, and rewards us with clients, collaborators, partnerships, and better lives.” Carol Ross, CPCC, ACC, is founder of Carol Ross and Associates, LLC, a consulting and coaching firm. She loves coaching for what it brings to her clients’ lives—a safe and sacred place to explore what matters. To read further, click here.

Values-Based Networking
“We, as coaches, can approach networking in a more harmonious way. I invite you into an exploration of another perspective—values-based networking. The concept is simple: leverage the ideas in your value set to bring about ways of being and actions that enable you to overcome your doubts and be in complete fulfillment, as you seek out potential clients and co-creators.” There are four steps to this process, simply laid out by Laura McGann, MBA, author of this article and advisor and leadership coach with The Clarion Group. Read more to discover the secrets of her success.

Celebration

Please join the CTI team in congratulating all of the Certified Professional Co-Active Coaches who have finished the rigorous certification program and passed their exams!

CPCCs through October 15
Peter Beckwith, Carol Beller, Jennifer Britton, Dave Casey, Madeline Crowley, Richard Cullen, Nancy Daley, Grethe Deinoff, Janice Demurjian, Anne Dobbie, Eleanor Drescher, Carol Faculjak, Ann Filios, Wendy Fuller, Christopher Furst, Maria Garza-Lennon, Tine Gaihede, Sandy Grove, Diana Habich, Deborah Hansen, Mick Hoffe, Kandy Hughes, Nancy Imholte, Anne Kari Vindenes, Sherry Katz, Kristy Kennedy, Mark Krahling, Steve Kennedy, Betty Luellen, Nick Martin, Jon Miller, Glenn Ravndal, Nansi Rice, Carolyn Sanzone, Marie-Caroline Schwering, Janice Shuster, Melissa Stevens, Lisa Strouse, Mimi Valin, Angela Wagner, Karen Watai, Josephine Withers.