We recently connected with Shastan Kuschke and have shared our conversation below.
Shastan, appreciate you joining us today. Looking back on your career, have you ever worked with a great leader or boss? We’d love to hear about the experience and what you think made them such a great leader.
One of the most impressionable, important, memorable lessons I have learned from a great leader in my past is the impact of valuing the person. Above all else, when we value the people who work for us, work with us, and in turn – their families – people work harder and with passion.
I appreciated when this person asked about my weekends, my past times, my family – he cared always about his people first and the work second. As a result, I wanted to work for him; when I needed time to reset and rest on the hard days, it meant I could work harder and longer when needed.
Shastan, 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?
After spending 16.5 years in the classroom as a high school educator, and coaching and playing competitive sports for almost as long, the desire for wanting to capture and use a combination of the best skills from both platforms became the foundation for Shastan’s next passion. In 2019, Shastan a coaching practice dedicated to growth, with a focus on self-discovery through positive mindsets and the personal desire to ‘rise up’ for transition and success. As someone who has experienced professional transition, Shastan is committed to serving her clients and to finding a positive, purposeful, and strategic route forward.
Shastan has experience coaching clients of all ages, with varying career paths, and unique goals. Clients of interest include students, teachers and school administrators; government contractors, employees, and military personnel; and corporate executives.
Shastan attended and graduated from Randolph Macon Woman’s College (Virginia, ’06), Virginia Commonwealth University (Virginia, 2012), and Southern Methodist University (Texas, 2020). Her most recent studies at SMU included Executive Coaching and Conflict Resolution; she is a member of the International Coaching Federation, and Toastmasters International.
Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?
I absolutely believe no matter what field one chooses – but especially in coaching – relationships are the foundation for success. Being able to talk to clients at the deepest level, have people open up and have our conversations be vulnerable, honest and transparent is the key to a successful session (in my opinion). Recognizing a need for compassion, humility and kindness is important; for me the way to achieve this is to build that solid foundation and core relationship initially.
Do you think you’d choose a different profession or specialty if you were starting now?
My profession grew from a love of teaching and athletics coaching, but also out of an ongoing frustration of feeling little support in academia. As teachers, in comparison to a corporate world, there are fewer opportunities for coaching. I was feeling the strain of little administrative support, a desire to move upward and the constant churn of “two steps forward, five steps back”, and the heachache of “you’re doing all the right things, you’re so good at this, we don’t want to lose you” without the support of reward or help to use the skills and hard work for positive change.
In my career move to executive and leadership coaching, I have been able to use my knowledge, my skills, my understanding of that frustration to help others; I have firsthand experience in how to leverage the past to move into a more rewarding future.
I don’t believe in regrets, in wanted to change what’s happened – I believe everything happens for a reason. I have amazing people in my life, I’ve taught some incredible students during my journey who have taught me thrilling and valuable lessons, and currently, I work beside awe-inspiring individuals who work to change the world every day. I would not be doing what I am now, or have chosen this path had my road detoured; I am lucky and appreciate these moments.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.helianthusrising.com
- Instagram: @helianthusrising
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/helianthusrising/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shastankuschke
