We were lucky to catch up with Arlene Schneider recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Arlene, thanks for joining us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

I appreciate this question, and the older I get I realize each day how important the lessons I learned from my parents are. My parents were French Cajuns who grew up in rural south Louisiana. Neither spoke English. When they attended school, they were punished for speaking French. When they lapsed into their Cajun French dialect, they were rapped on the knuckles with a ruler or made to kneel in a corner. Interestingly, when they recounted these stories, they didn’t do it in a resentful manner. Rather, it was matter of fact. They were tough people! They both dropped out of school to help their parents work on the farm. When my dad was 18, he enlisted in the USMC and was sent to the Pacific Theatre to fight in WW II. He and my mom married when he returned. I am the youngest of four children. Most everyone in my small town was in the same socio-economic group, so being poor wasn’t even a second thought. As a child, I was taught discipline, focus, and most importantly a kick-@ss work ethic. Those 3 characteristics made me who I am today. I learned persistence and diligence. I don’t give up easily. As a former ultra-runner, persistence was necessary. As a student with a less than adequate secondary education, I learned to grind and believe in myself. I fought to attend college and self-pay for my education at LSU. (Geaux Tigers!) Honestly, there were times when I felt inferior to everyone else who had college-educated parents and who didn’t speak with a thick Cajun accent. Fast forward to later life, and I wouldn’t change anything at all. I am who I am because my parents raised me with strong morals and values. Were they perfect parents? No, not at all, but the life lessons I learned from them made me a successful and compassionate human being. Because of this, I am able to connect with people from all areas of life. This impacts my coaching and has made my practice successful. Most of all, I greet my clients without judgment or preconceived notions of who they are. I start where they are, and we journey together.

Arlene, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I was trained as a psychotherapist and I have worked in both inpatient and outpatient facilities. As a therapist, I specialized in adolescent dual diagnosis treatment, family therapy, Ropes Therapy, and, Addictions Therapy. This background is important in coaching as I have a solid knowledge base of emotional and psychological development and behavior.* I was a trained Cognitive Behavioral Therapist, and I am currently a Cognitive Behavioral Coach. My clients include older teens, young adults, and adults. When someone becomes my client, we partner together to work on and resolve whatever the client desires. It is the client’s agenda, not mine. I coach in a compassionate and understanding manner, but I have no problem asking tough questions and calling out inconsistencies when I see them. In our sessions, we laugh together, work hard, and look toward the future with intention and confidence.

*Although I think almost everyone would benefit from professional coaching, I also know that coaching is not appropriate for everyone. My background enables me to discern the need for a secondary evaluation from a mental health professional. It is common for me to coach clients who also receive treatment from therapeutic professionals.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I had an unexpected pivot in life once my sons were high school/college age. I was helping to co-lead parent groups at our church, and I felt that I wanted some additional skills and education. I was rusty since I had not practiced therapy since 1996. After researching coaching schools, I chose iPEC, a highly regarded coaching program. Because I had a master’s degree and have been a therapist for 14 years, I naively thought, “This will be a piece of cake.” Boy, was I wrong! So wrong! The program was the most impactful experience I ever had. It was a 9 month intensive in which I was both academically and emotionally challenged. As a result, my entire life and outlook changed in ways I never imagined possible. I was so impressed, and at that point I knew I had a mission to help others experience the life-changing effects of coaching. My initial plan was only to obtain a bit of knowledge, but I started coaching, and clients saw the benefits and referred their friends, co-workers, and relatives. My intention to take a course became a beautiful and life-altering experience.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

My personal strategy for client acquisition and retention is simple. It’s building relationships and being effective at what I do. You won’t find me on Instagram, Tik Toc or any social media. I do understand that is quite effective for many people, but I decided to do what comes naturally to me, and that’s talking to people! I talk about coaching and how it can be life-changing. I explain that coaching doesn’t live in the past. We start where the client is and move forward. Clients won’t leave a session in which they have ventilated for 50 minutes and then are left with a lot of emotion, and they don’t know what to do with it. Venting is a part of the process, but we work toward a solution and learn tools to deal with all of the human emotions that we have in our lives. The people I talk with appreciate the explanation of what professional coaching is and how a session is conducted.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.schneidercoachinggroup.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arlene-schneider-393803136/