Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Betsy Taube. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Betsy, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

I’m a contractor for a woman-owned business that provides professional resume writing and career coaching services. I would say that personal mission—and assert that of my employer’s—is to equip and empower clients with the tools they need to advance professionally, and those tools are much more than a tangible resume, LinkedIn profile, or cover letter.

Most of our clients describe their work as “I do this, this, and this,” and I ask a lot of questions. When they say, “I built a dashboard using Tableau to report data in real time,” I say, “So what?” “Why?” “What difference did it make?” By digging more deeply into the why of what they do, their value and impact comes to the surface. Suddenly, they have new confidence to tell their stories in ways that are relevant and compelling for the people and organizations they’re trying to reach.

Everyone wants to feel good about who they are, what they do, what they can become, and how to get there. If I can help that along in some way, my mission will have been accomplished.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’ve been a writer since birth (kidding, of course, but I “published” my first book in second grade). My quirky high school creative writing teacher said he would send a hitman to rub me out if I hadn’t professionally published something within eight years. As an English major in college, I concurrently researched, wrote, typed, rewrote, and retyped an A+ essay–on a typewriter–beginning Sunday 10:30pm for a 10am Monday deadline. It’s always been something I’ve been able to do. But I didn’t want to become a journalist, a day-in-day-out writer of any kind, or—of all things—a teacher. More on that later.

In the 40 years since, I worked in client-facing PR, corporate communications, community relations, employee volunteerism, and other marketing capacities. Industries included architecture and planning, agencies, manufacturing, customer service (in a call center; the most stressful job I’ve ever had), nonprofit, and life science marketing.

By becoming curious, like a journalist, I began asking questions to turn often technical business matters into story-like accounts that were understandable and relevant, if not entertaining, to multiple audiences. My work was predominantly B2B, but I also wrote B2C articles for a well-produced community newsletter that was mailed to fence-line neighbors of a specialty chemical manufacturer. I loved that assignment. Amid my own painful job transition in 2017, I began writing resumes. What I expected would become mundane didn’t. I loved turning clients’ professional backgrounds.  into meaningful accounts of who they are and what they do. Many didn’t recognize themselves on paper, one to the point of being moved to tears on first sight. Their “new” identities equipped them with soundbites and greater confidence.

The key was asking the “so what” questions that differentiate them from hundreds of other applicants. It was something I learned as a life science marketer, representing CROs in a highly regulated industry that frowns on false claims. Doesn’t every corporation claim an extraordinary commitment to its customers? Who wouldn’t? Similarly, which of your professional traits can be verified “before purchase?” Wouldn’t everyone in the resume stack boast being detail-oriented with an amazing work ethic?

Though the business model was 90%+ virtual, I periodically spoke with clients and always prefaced new resume versions with detailed emails. Both took on elements of pep talks: Have you considered this field, profession, or pursuing an MBA? You’re a total rock star when it comes to patent management or mentoring; let’s play that up! And so on.

Mind you, I was a high school cheerleader, so the rah-rah-go sentiments came naturally. I moonlighted as a personal fitness trainer and group instructor for 12 years, during which time I qualified for and completed the 100th running of the Boston Marathon at a key turning point in my life. As a classroom volunteer and a middle school cross-country coach, I was often asked if I had ever considered teaching as a profession.
My boss recognized my intrigue and talent for client coaching and wanted to diversify her business with career coaching services. I earned my certification and the rest is history in the making.

Since then, I’ve helped clients shift gears from customer service at a car dealership to project management, personal fitness training to travel planning, and bakery management to accounting. I’ve helped others rebound after being fired. And I do a lot of roleplaying to prepare for interviews.

I think what makes me different is my personal and professional experiences, challenges, and perspective. I’ve had to reinvent myself a few times, which was enough to make me question almost everything as I reclaimed my identity. When it’s appropriate and relevant, I recant my story to let clients know “I get it” One client’s session-one  jitters melted away after I shared my own experiences with job loss and even divorce.

My ground rules are pretty basic, and I share them in the opening minutes of our first session:
* Our work is based on YOUR needs and timeline. I don’t have a cookie-cutter plan that I tweak here and there until it fits.
* I come prepared with an agenda, but I’ll throw it away if we need to go in a different direction. (I’ve surprised myself a time or two by improvising on  the spot.)
* Every session begins and ends with a question: “What’s your take?” That is, how are you feeling about our work together and the direction we’re headed?
* Be honest and open. Our conversations are confidential, and if you’re not buying what I say or am asking of you, I need to know so we can get and stay on the same page and meet your expectations.
* I take notes on screen so you can see how I’m processing things, and you can correct me if I’m off base.
* Every session ends with homework for both of us. Mine comes first, with a detailed recap of our proceedings sent on the next business day. I capture key elements of our discussions, maybe a few of my own insights, and explicit instructions for their assignments. (These follow-ups get rave client reviews.)

I explain as well that as a coach, my job is not to GIVE them the answers; it’s to help them discover them on their own. That’s where the client’s self-empowerment kicks in. It happens to be incredibly rewarding for me, too.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

So, I was 50-something. The twilight of my career, right? And my uber-particular boss tells me I need to change my personal discussion style, especially in client meetings. I’m from the Northeast, where people can be passionate, opinionated, and animated—and I was living in the South, where in my experience, people generally are none of those things.. I embody all of those Northern qualities and more. I almost always have something to say, and my laugh is very loud. When I’m excited or feel strongly about something, my passion can come across as agitation. It’s just a part of who I am and, I thought, perhaps endearing to my clients. It very well may have been, but just didn’t suit my boss. In fairness, it wasn’t the first time I had gotten similar feedback, and he was signing my paychecks, so I got on board.

It was hard, learning to listen when I was sure that what I had to contribute was valuable and timely, but I did. I worked hard at not talking over others. And when it was the right time to chime in, I shaped my comments as concisely as possible, with a clear start and finish that quickly got to the point. After all, I’m way more articulate on paper than I am in person.

Another thing I learned from this guy was what I call “the power of pause.” Its origins may be in sales, where discussion can become a game of chicken where whoever talks first loses. Regardless, it’s a tenet that I’ve put to great use, personally and professionally. It’s incredibly powerful, empowering, and equally effective before and after you speak.

For example, someone asks a question. Instead of jumping on their heels with a response, you pause for a second. It gives you the time to collect your thoughts and ground your comments. It also signals to the other person that you’ve genuinely thought about their question and carefully considered your answer. Then, when you say what needs to be said, you gently stop–or pause–with soft but steady eye contact.

It all sounds pretty basic, but it didn’t come naturally to me. At the time, it was painful to hear, difficult to accept, a little resentful to put into practice, but one of the most valuable things I’ve ever done. I’m very proud of having been an old dog who learned a new trick.

Best yet, it’s a prime element of my interview coaching. We talk about it, they practice it, and we even record it so they can play it back. I love introducing it and seeing it come to life in my clients.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I’ve pivoted A LOT over the last 40 years, but I’d say I’m in the middle of the biggest right now.

I separated from my last corporate role in 2016 and began writing resumes as a freelancer seven months later, kicking and screaming. I liked being around people in a setting that has structure and discipline and didn’t want to  set out as me-and-my-laptop against the world. And I was nervous about financial stability and benefits. But pivot I did and there’s much to be said for flexibility.

When my boss and I launched a rebrand that turned career coaching into more of a full-time gig, my daughter the artist designed the caricature that’s the foundation of our “You’ve Got This” logo for coaching services. Marketing is a huge part of my day, but the ROI is surfacing. I’m settling into the Coach Betsy persona and having fun dreaming up ways to position myself as a product/service offering.

The best part, hands down, is hearing from coaching clients about dream jobs won, new careers launched, and more confident interviews. Seeing that what I have to share “works” is clearly a mission accomplished.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://TinyURL.com/CoachBetsy
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bjwtaube
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bjtaube/
• YouTube: Why Work with Coach Betsy? – YouTube

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