Michelle's story: How leadership coaching led to her dream job

Through coaching, Michelle Robichaud landed her dream job.

Through leadership coaching sessions, Michelle Robichaud kept careful notes about the vision she had for her dream job.

For almost a decade, those notes sat in a file – until the perfect opportunity finally appeared.

"I literally went to my folder and said, 'My goodness, I think this is my dream job,'" Michelle recalls of discovering the position as President of the Atlantica Centre for Energy, a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering sustainable growth in Atlantic Canada's energy sector. "Lo and behold, of the six or eight things I wrote down, every single one was checked."

That moment of recognition came nearly 10 years after her coaching sessions with Vision Coaching’s Dave Veale in 2011, when Michelle was juggling a full-time job she wasn't excited about while running a business part time.

Through the coaching conversations, Michelle was able to articulate what her ideal role would look like. She described leading a non-profit with a small productive team, stable funding, reporting to a board of directors, and contributing to the community.

"The questions that came out during coaching helped me outline what my dream job was on paper," Michelle says. "And I think that was super key."

'The leadership coaching process gave me clarity when I needed it most.'

Beyond helping her define career aspirations, the leadership coaching process offered Michelle valuable perspective when her job wasn't providing fulfillment.

"One of the immediate takeaways from working with a coach was that you don't have to have personal value come from your job," she explains. "From there, I developed an entirely new love and passion for health and fitness.

"Working with Vision Coaching was liberating," Michelle reflects. "Having someone truly listen without having a stake in the outcome – someone focused solely on helping me succeed – made all the difference. The coaching process gave me clarity when I needed it most."

Finding meaning

For years after coaching, Michelle found meaning outside her career, pursuing personal fitness coaching and competing in triathlons – before eventually landing her dream role as President of Atlantica Centre for Energy, which perfectly matched her decade-old description.

"When I was approached for this job and wasn't sure if I was ready to make the move, I literally pulled out this document," Michelle says. "I asked myself, 'Michelle, this is what you wanted. Is it still what you want?' It stands the test of time."

To find out more about the power of one-to-one coaching and how it can help you achieve your dreams, reach out to us.