We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Steve Perkins a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Steve, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

I spent years feeling stuck and unsure where I fit in my career. I had a great Fortune500 job with all kinds of perks, yet I still drove home every day doubting where I should spend the majority of my waking hours. The problem was, I didn’t really know what I was good at or what I enjoyed doing … let alone how to translate that stuff into a career. I wanted to know how my strengths and passions aligned with my career and life goals. And, I wanted a vision for what I was building towards in life.

In short, I realized I had been waiting for a lightning bolt of clarity when all along, the clues to my sweet spot were right there in the things I played as a kid. So, like any good engineer (my degree & first jobs were in Mechanical Engineering), I created a process to take what I played as a kid and translate it into the ideal career path as an adult.

The result was a process that worked for myself and some friends too. I kept refining it over the years as I began coaching people in their careers and eventually became certified as a Professional Leadership Coach. The process is called Career Sweetspot. I believe so much in it: the process helped me clarify my sweetspot which then led me to build a company that would help people discover theirs. So I left corporate America to launch Greenhouse Coaching. Though startups are no easy thing, we now get to help hundreds of people find clarity, purpose, and growth.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m familiar with the feeling of untapped potential. I spent 12 years searching for m y career calling, from working in engineering and hi-tech startups, to leading teams in financial services and launching a culture transformation within a Fortune 500 company. After discovering my own Career Sweetspot, I founded Greenhouse Coaching to help others clarify and launch into theirs. Greenhouse is a company that helps individuals, leaders, and businesses grow using the Greenhouse Method, a simple process that combines proven tactics with the power of professional life and leadership coaching to transform from stuck to clarity and career fulfillment.

At Greenhouse, our motivation is to help you see what’s possible in your life and step into your true potential. Because it’s possible to get clarity and confidence on the right next step for your life, you just need a process with coaching and community.

If you’re an individual struggling with career transition or figuring out what the right fit is for you, we help you find your career sweetspot- work that facilitates the life you want to have. Something that fits and feels good… like that first sip of fresh brewed coffee. Something that utilizes your strengths, your passions, and your personality to help others. Life’s too short to just go through the motions. You are worth investing in, and we’re here to help see you through what’s next.

And for companies, we help build confident new managers and cohesive senior leadership teams. Because so often, people are promoted for being great at their jobs, but then find themselves managing people, which they never learned how to do! And at work, the #1 thing people want is a leader who invests in their purpose and growth. The #2 thing they want? Clarity of vision and direction – ‘where are we going and what should i be focused on?’. So our most popular and cost-effective approach combines coaching + workshops, to ensure you don’t spend more time and money on change that doesn’t stick. We combine the efficiency of well-run group workshops with the power of high-quality individual coaching to create real change. The result is a team that’s well-oiled, finding meaning in their work, leading others better, and grateful you’re investing in them as people.

Any advice for managing a team?

As a leader, there’s some degree to which people are looking to you for direction. Team dysfunction, dissatisfaction, and low performance often result from a lack of people knowing where they’re heading and what the priorities are. And healthy organizations have people who own their work and figure out how to do it, since they know the end goals. Altogether, a leader needs to paint a clear/tangible picture of where the team is headed, the short-term strategy &/or goals for getting there, and protect people from distractions and problems that impede their work.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

● Brian P. Moran – The 12 Week Year ● Cal Newport – Deep Work
● Simon Sinek – Start With Why
● Max De Pree – Leadership is An Art

Contact Info:

• Website: https://greenhousecoaching.co/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greenhousecoaching/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/greenhouse-culture/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbug9Ce1C_z3Pjl4wBzXpWg
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/greenhouse-coaching-midlothian
• Other: TikTok: @careersweetspotsteve

Image Credits
Abigail Johnson