We recently connected with Christina Sandoval and have shared our conversation below.

Christina, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

I grew up with a mother who was an amazing role model. She was very young yet independent and always a go-getter! We had highs and lows but she always made things happen for us. This made me feel like I could be just as independent and self-sufficient as my mom when I grew up.

When I was a teenager I remember my father telling me I could be anything and do anything I wanted in life. He said you’ll be thirty years old someday. You might as well get there with a degree or two. He really wanted me to understand that investing in my education was valuable and once I had my degree no one could take it away from me.

Watching and learning from my parents helped my self-esteem and made me feel like I had the power to create my dream career and life. I now get to work in a role that I really care about and worked hard to achieve. I am grateful.

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?

My work has evolved over the years within the field of education from the preschool level up to the law school level and everything in between. I’ve worked as an elementary school teacher, a college instructor, and a counselor, helping students succeed in the classroom and prepare for college and graduate school.

I hold a Certified Career Counselor credential with the National Career Development Association. I wanted to merge my teaching and counseling skills to help coach people through their career and life planning. In 2019 I started a private practice as a career and life coach and recently published my first book as a guide to help young adults start their careers and life on the right foot.

As a career and life coach with a background in counseling and education; my knowledge and experience bring a holistic approach to my services. When meeting with clients it’s about who they are; their values, skills, and interests rather than using a cookie-cutter checklist for them to meet their goals. My services are specialized and tailored for individual clients and organizations, including team retreats for support staff to build morale, team efficiency, and productivity.

I believe that one’s career is a big part of their life and who they are at the core. We can create a more meaningful purpose that is our life’s work and legacy.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

My experience as a director of a department with eight staff members taught me a few things about managing a team and maintaining high morale.

Clear and consistent communication with a team is helpful for them but it also demonstrates the level of communication you expect from them in return. Consistent feedback and open communication results in understanding and trust among team members.

Acknowledge big and small wins and show appreciation to your team for their hard work.

As a leader, be open to ideas and discussion from team members. This shows them they are valued in the workplace.

Be consistent with follow-through and hold your team accountable. This encourages respect for one another.

Work just as hard as your team and they will have your back.

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

This is tricky if your business is a side gig and you have a regular full-time job because you don’t have as much time to market your business as you would if it were a full-time gig. What I have found has worked for me best is letting people know you’re there and available to meet their needs.

I always ask clients “How did you hear about me and my services?” It most often is either by a Google search, or word of mouth, or they found me on a directory for specific services. What I can say about this is; to make sure you are representing yourself online and putting yourself out there so people know what you do and how you can provide something they need. When we search online, we are looking for the best right? Your image/info online should speak to your expertise and this should be clear to the potential client/customer. This way they don’t have to dig too deep to find you (website, search engine optimization (SEO) allows you to improve your ranking in search results, social media). Focus your energy on where you would find your potential clients/customers. Where do they spend their time and where do they go looking?

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.christinasandoval.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_christinasandoval/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christina-sandoval-2245249/
• Other: https://books.friesenpress.com/store/title/119734000430069120

Image Credits
Certified in the MBTI® assessment Certified in the Strong® assessment