We were lucky to catch up with Danielle the Coach recently and have shared our conversation below.

Danielle, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

I quit my six-figure job – twice! I was fresh off of an exotic vacation to the U.S. Virgin Islands celebrating milestone birthdays with loved ones. It was a long overdue break that I needed and, apparently, I came back with more clarity than I bargained for. It was at a time in my career when the weight of leadership and what it took to show up every day and excel in an organization that was not my own became too heavy.

After taking a moment to self-assess and weigh my options, I realized I had more options than I’d given myself credit for. That was just enough for me to take a calculated risk, bet on myself and God, and free myself from the rat race.

Not long after that epiphany, I submitted my two-weeks notice. Interestingly enough, I was recruited back to work in a different department doing work that I absolutely loved supporting the agency’s Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) mission.

That was the first time. The second time I quit my six-figure career with the federal government, I felt a deeper, bigger calling over my life. By that time, I had strategically moved on from the ​D&I work I loved as part of my plan to eliminate my two-hour commute. It was a compromise I’d made with myself because my commute had simply become too much.

What I quickly learned after taking on that new position, post-D&I, is that being fulfilled (i.e. loving what I do), making an impact, and adding value when it came to my career was more important to me than I’d realized.

So, with that realization, I began working on my exit strategy. In less than a year, after some soul searching, I was clear on my life’s purpose and armed with a plan to pivot into my next season doing what I love, what comes naturally, and what impacts others in a positive way. That’s exactly how I made my entrance into the coaching world.

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?

I am known socially as “Danielle The Coach” – a certified life and leadership coach with a breadth of experience helping high-powered clients create the shifts necessary to reimagine, realign and recalibrate the lives and careers of their wildest dreams.

Known for stoking the inner fire in every client I work with, I coach from my own experience of life-changing breakthroughs. Before bravely stepping out into entrepreneurship, I spent more than a decade with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

I currently offer life coaching services for leaders and leadership coaching for who I call “the next generation of game changers.” Did I mention that millennials are my jam?! As decision-makers and problem-solvers for everyone else, there are not too many spaces for go-getters and high-achievers to receive the support they give others daily. Working with me affords my clients a safe space to just BE. Be transparent. Be authentic. Be heard. Be supported. And be held accountable when it comes to pursuing their own goals and dreams.

Whether it’s doing a better job of balancing the demands of life, leadership and business; creating their corporate exit strategy in pursuit of a better-aligned career or full-time entrepreneurship; or showing up in the world more authentically – all aspects of life are fair game while working with me. Why? Because leaders have lives too and with the right support and accountability in tow, the sky isn’t even the limit!

What sets me apart from others is that coaching isn’t something that I just woke up and decided to pivot into one day. What I came to realize early on is that I’ve been a coach. I just never knew what I was doing had a formal label. I serve my clients from a place of experience that allows me to empathize and support them in a way that others may not. This is purpose work for me. I’m on assignment and the beautiful part of it all is that I get to make an impact using my gifts so it rarely feels like work.

I am most proud of the breakthroughs that my clients have experienced as a result of investing time and money to work with me. From new jobs, promotions, and quitting their 9 to 5 to new relationships, seeing shifts in their teams as a result of becoming a better leader and seeing their wildest dreams come to life in record time. That does it for me every time. When my clients break through and win, it’s a win for me too!

What I want the world to know about coaching – especially life coaching – is that it’s one of life’s best kept secrets – especially for high-achievers. We’re not meant to do life alone and we can go a whole lot further with the right support and accountability in tow. If you want to get out of your own way, let’s work. If you want to collapse time on your dreams and goals, let’s work. If you know you’re not showing up as powerfully and confidently as you could, let’s work. I want to see you win in all areas of your life and it can happen as soon as you decide to prioritize you!

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Yes. We Should All Be Millionaires by Rachel Rodgers; Quiet by Susan Cain; The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks; Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz; A Happy Pocket Full of Money by David Cameron Gikandi; and The War of Art by Steven Pressfield.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

Social media and referrals have been clutch with helping my most ideal clients find me when they need me!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.daniellethecoach.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/daniellethecoach
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dgthecoach
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/danielle-the-coach/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVhjdkweMLEEx0SuzoAermg
• Other: www.quitwithoutregret.com

Image Credits
Somewhere Over the Border Photography; Angie McPherson Photography