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

Alright, Coach Karen thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Alright, so one thing we think people don’t talk about nearly enough is investments – either time or money. What’s one of the best or worst investments you’ve made and what did you learned from the experience?

The BEST investment I ever made was my in a iPEC’s coach training and certification. For multiple reasons. First, iPEC provided me with a foundational basis for my coaching business. It has also provided me with a tremendous amount of resources for myself and my clients and given me a professional network for support and accountability. The other thing that signing up for iPEC did for me – was it gave me the confidence of committing to and achieving something for me! Completing the iPEC Training and then the International Coaching Federation Certification process has been a turning point in my life and career path. Previously I had operated out of a scarcity mindset of necessity and survival and through the training and coaching provided by iPEC I saw the value within myself to pursue a professional coaching career. Today I now see this career as a personal calling and something I am deeply passionate about.

This investment taught me a few lessons
1) We should each pursue things that set our soul on fire and that we are passionate about. When we find them it never feels like work!
2) I learned I get to choose how I see opportunities. They can be hard or a challenge… Either way, I control my feelings and the outcome.
3) Coaching isn’t what I do – being a coach/mentor/guide is who I am at the soul level.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My story may not be a traditional, but I believe that’s exactly what makes me uniquely qualified to use it to help others. Growing up on the Navajo reservation in Gas Camp housing certainly wasn’t glamorous, but it instilled in me a deep appreciation for diverse perspectives and a strong sense of community. These values have served me well throughout my entire life.

After graduating high school from a tiny community in the 4 corners of N.W. New Mexico and moving across the nation to Florida, Texas, and back while pursuing a 30+ year career in banking and financial services, my life took many unexpected turns. As an adoptee, I realized that confronting my childhood traumas was a necessary step I needed to take to stop a self-destructive cycle of self sacrifical martydom and finally begin healing to discover who Karen really was and what my purpose was in this life. This journey of self-discovery coincided with a chance encounter with the world of coaching. My daughter, preparing for a rodeo queen pageant, needed my help and support when her coach was killed in a car accident. I has watched her struggle with her own confidence and self-worth as she was finding her voice and learning to stand out from the crowd in a competition. Drawing upon my corporate training and personal experiences, I began coaching her. This ignited a passion within me to empower her in a way I wish I had received growing up.

Realizing countless women and girls of all ages needed the same tools, my passon grew and I officially embarked on my professional coaching journey. Fueled by this newfound passion and sense of purpose, I dove headfirst into training with the iPEC Institute and became credentialed as a Professional Certified Coach with the International Coaching Federation.

Today, I empower women globally to build unshakeable confidence and create legacy wealth. My unique approach combines “ViQ” (Value Intelligence) – a framework I developed to help women identify their intrinsic and indisputable value – with iPEC’s Energy Leadership principles and Holistic Mindset Mastery. This powerful trifecta transforms past traumas, self-doubt, and self-sacrificing habits into a confidence superpower.

Imagine leading yourself and learning to serve from a place of unwavering confidence, courage, and strength. That’s the transformation I guide you through. Through my programs, you’ll cultivate unshakeable confidence and build a lasting legacy – both personally and professionally.

My mission: To help women lead themselves first and develop UNSHAKABLE CONFIDENCE.

My method: To equip and empower women with the Love, Validation, Support, Tools and Resources they need to create the life, legacy and self worth they deserve.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

When I started coaching my daughter, I began to fall in love with the process of coaching and seeing my daughter’s life impacted in a way that I wish I had received when I was young. That love quickly evolved into helping other girls prepare for pageants and then – unexpectedly it also evolved into me helping some of the moms, and then to professional women and men.

I think the key here – was when I began doing something I was passionate about and meant to do – the people I was meant to help were drawn to working with me! I believe that’s what living in our purpose is all about!

So – rather than working a job I was unfulfilled with, while doing what I loved on nights and weekends only, I quit resisting the calling on my heart and got to work on my dream. I pursued more training and education to equip me, then acquired the skills needed to begin to make this part time dream – my full time business.

Was it easy ? No, of course not. I don’t believe life should be easy all the time. The sacrifices, hard work and effort it took to work full time while building this business on the side is worth it. The fear I experienced when going all in on me and my dream was worth it. The testimonies I get from clients who share how their lives have been changed by working with me – makes all that it took, worth it!

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

One of the biggest parts of my past that I’ve had to unlearn was a story I bought into about my worth. Because I had been orphaned at birth and adopted at around a month old, and discovering this around the same time that I was processing an abusive situation from an extended family member, I convinced myself that I must have been broken and unworthy of love, protection, safety and security.

It took hiring my own coach and years of internal work, love and forgiveness to unlearn that programmed story. Now I am fully aware that I HAVE A CHOICE on how I see myself, my life, my opportunities and my challenges! I get to choose to see that not only am I not broken – but I am actually more relevant, valuable and worthy as a woman, mom, friend and coach BECAUSE of my experiences, which make me extremely grateful for what has happened in my past.

These personal experiences have actually prepared me for the work I get to do today and have created the opportunity for me to use them to help others.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.CoachKarenGray.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stories/coachkarengray/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coachkarengray
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachkarengray-intuitive-energy-coach/
• Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/@coachkarengray
• Other: My Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thechampionscommunity/

Image Credits

Photo Credit for Texas Business Women’s Conference to Janna Curran Photography