We recently connected with Keren Eldad and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Keren thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

Like most things I have done in my life, I was only interested in coaching at the highest standard, and for that – there is only one ordinance, which is gold standard in our industry, the International Coaching Federation (ICF). Though I hold several other coaching course accreditations including credentials and certificates from the University of Pennsylvania, Yale University, Strategic Breakthrough Coaching (Tony Robbins and Magali Peysha’s program) and more – the ICF gave me real discipline, a body of ethics and standards and a wonderful community that helps me continue to sharpen my skills each year. I am also certified in assessment science (DISC, Motivators and ACUMEN), which all serve me immensely as the executive coach to world class teams such as Nike, Luxottica, Estee Lauder, Salesforce and more.

To get the most basic ICF credential, ACC – you have to first be certified by a school recognized by the ICF, such as the World Coaching Institute, and have sufficient hours of training and of paid coaching work. These are essential, both for a breadth of training and for proper experience leading a variety of coaching sessions.

There were no obstacles in my way other than time, and programs cost very little (compared with my university degrees). Further, I believe that standards and ethics are wonderful for this industry because they help to legitimize what we do and to protect clients, and this helps everyone to succeed.

When I got started, I committed to always “sharpening my tools.” As a result, I work with a personal coach every year for myself and for my business, and I have earned 2 accreditations per year, since launching in 2017. I am very committed to continuing this, in service of my practice, and frankly, because it introduces novelty and excitement into my life and work.

Client acquisition is another story, but to be honest – the best referral is a job well done. Knowing your craft is, therefore, 50% of the work towards booking clients — and that is how my story goes from idea to execution – to SUCCESS.

Keren , 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 am the founder of With Enthusiasm Coaching, a personal and executive coach and a professional speaker. With a method designed to help the most intense personalities uncover and overcome their blindspots, I have been internationally recognized with world-class leaders, high profile athletes and media personalities and major corporations. Among my most notable clients are Nike, Estee Lauder, Salesforce, Christian Dior, Deutsche Bank and many other companies, each with exceptional and wonderful teams. Basically, I coach professionals and entrepreneurs on business goal achievements as well as personal development goals such as self-awareness, self- acceptance, vulnerability and empathy to overcome overwhelm, stress and their adverse effects in life and work. My work and key research on “The Superstar Paradox” has been featured in numerous media outlets, including The Harvard Business Review, CNBC and Forbes, and her recent Tedx talk, “You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know,” has been viewed over 250,000 times.

I built this business after a personal collapse and internal revolution: in my thirties, I went through a divorce, prolonged burn out and unemployment, grief, and a fire. These events, which all happened in a very short period of time, catapulted my own inner search, which gave way to the discovery of my own inner peace and purpose. Today, I teach these to everyone else. I live in Austin, Texas with myhusband, Ryan, and our four beloved pets: Waffles, Moose, Noli and Lyla.

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

There is no such thing as “success.”

In her book, “Rising Strong,” Brene Brown talks about how we gloss over the bad parts of the ascent – what she ca]ls “the messy middle”. As a result, it can feel like we are constantly being fed a familiar narrative: the person at the center of a story, overcoming ONE obstacle..then, things are bad for a while..until said hero makes a change and things are so much better.
These stories often had me wondering: What the heck happened in between down and up, though? Does everyone just stumble upon success in an orderly sequence?

The answer is first: no, and second, even when success IS attained, it lasts for mere moments and is thus besides the point.

In every journey, including mine – there is a messy middle – the mid years of toiling, the ups and downs which recur *(they don’t just hit “up” and stay there), the years spent thinking and studying and planning. The bad decisions, the pivotal ones. The gaffs… ALL THESE are part of the journey. And the journey is the only thing that matters, anyway.

You can’t skip the messy middle. People don’t recount the middle of the story often, because it leaves them exposed – not so perfect, after all. But I tell the FULL story of my success thus far – because that middle? That is where everything important happens.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

The moment I launched my business, I also launched my YouTube channel – peppering it with short videos of me, sans make up and in gym clothes, speaking to people about how to change their lives.

Most of my friends from before I became a coach were, at the time, what I used to be: a corporate worker. Many reached out when I launched, not to congratulate me, but to express variants of concern, scorn and pity. My best friend asked me if I needed any money. My old boss asked me if I wanted my old job back, after saying she found my videos “embarrassing.”

I could have folded immediately, pulled all the videos, closed shop. But I didn’t. See, I loved my videos, loved the teachings and loved this journey. To withdraw would have been to dishonor my own truth. And so, I persevered.

It’s been five years, and all those all friends have seen my business blow up, witnessed the success of the TED talk, etc. Best of all, many came to talks, loved them, and hired me – not only to speak at their corporations, but to coach them.

Staying true to your passion – not perseverance – is what is at the heart of resilience. So my message is – stay true to YOU.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kereneldad.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachkeren/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LiveWithEnthusiasm/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keren-eldad-5232033/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgGViwGVn_yrHkq3PQ9R_-Q

Image Credits
Tara Welch