We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sonya Cole. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sonya below.
Hi Sonya, thanks for joining us today. Parents can play a significant role in affecting how our lives and careers turn out – and so we think it’s important to look back and have conversations about what our parents did that affected us positive (or negatively) so that we can learn from the billions of experiences in each generation. What’s something you feel your parents did right that impacted you positively.
What did my parents do right…LOL, this is a great question! I would like to think they did everything right, but nobody does it ALL right, right? Seriously, I believe my parents did a phenomenal job at teaching me to be comfortable in my own skin, to have good work ethic, act with integrity and to always fight for what I believe is right. What they taught me has positively impacted my life and career in several ways. One, because I have always been comfortable with who I am, people do not have to try and figure me out. With me, it is a situation where you get exactly what you see. With that said, people know how to treat me usually from the very first encounter.
There is a plethora of stories that I could share about my parents regarding the impact their teachings had on my life & career. However, there is one story that I can recall in particular (from my high school days) where I was able to see my dad fight for me in the most professional but firm way. Here is the short version… A series of events had occurred between myself and another young lady. At the time, I was very much over it and was ready for a physical fight. I made a call to my dad, explained to him what happened and he talked me off the retaliation ledge. He said, “I will be up there, just give me about 10 minutes”. When he arrived, I was in the office waiting for him. He asked to see the principal & was told several stories about what and why the principal was unable to speak with him at the time. He went on to explain that he had tried calling prior to coming and did not receive a response to his liking so he thought it would be best for him to have a face-to-face conversation. The staff went through all the fluff & my dad said, “Well, he was not here at first, now he is on the phone with another parent, and he has to leave early, I will just sit here and wait. Yep, he orchestrated a WHOLE sit-in to ensure his voice was heard regarding his concerns for me. Long story short, he was eventually able to speak to the principal that day and the issue was resolved.
This story taught me several life & career lessons. One that no matter what, I have a voice and it is important for me to use it at the right time. Two, it also taught me how to properly convey a message no matter the feelings I have towards the person or situation and three, it taught me to only deal with the facts when presenting a case of injustice or disservice. I have been able to use these skills in my career & personal life, they have served me well.
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?
I am a kingdom-building woman of faith, wife, mother, grandmother, ministry servant, your mobile notary, and your Life Coach. I hold a Bachelor of Science Degree in Organizational Management as well as a Master of Science Degree in Leadership from John Brown University (A private Christ-Centered College) where I learned to serve the Lord with my head, whole heart, and hands. I spent the last 30+ years in Corporate America where I served in various value streams. From Human Resources, IT, Healthcare Administration, Social Service Training and Learning & Development, all of which have allowed me to successfully build professional & personal life-long relationships as well as exceptional client service skills. Through those experiences along with my personal struggles I recognized there is a great need for servant leaders who are purpose-driven, passionate, empathetic, patient and understanding of the needs of others.
It was through this level of understanding I decided to open my business, Emboldened a Better You Life Coach & Consulting! Driven by my passion for serving disadvantaged youth and women of color one of my favorite scriptures is Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, “declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” I enjoy advocating for individuals to have a growth mindset, empowering them with the tools to become bold & confident and the courage to walk in their God-Given purpose! I embolden my clients with wisdom & knowledge, to help them understand who they are in Christ and what they have to offer the world!
Besides being a corporate professional, your mobile notary and Life Coach, I keep quite busy rarely slowing down. When I do slow down, I can be found spending time with my husband Dennis, our four children and four adorable grandchildren. Besides building my business and empowering others, I enjoy music, traveling, reading and a good calorie burning boxing workout!
Being a woman of faith, I promote kingdom building by serving with my head, heart, and hands, ensuring ethical business practices, community service & offering kingdom client services. I do this by living out Colossians 4:6 “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”
Emboldened A Better You offers three coaching services (i.e., Becoming, Crossroads and Believe & Shine). Becoming is our purpose discovery service. Crossroads is our transition service, where we help our clients gain direction after going through a transition in life, such as divorce, empty nesting, new marriage/blended family and more. Our Believe & Shine coaching service embodies confidence coaching & professional development. What message are you conveying when you walk into the room? What changes do you need to make to show up confident while being your authentic self? We also offer Project Empower YOUTH, which is hosted by my husband & myself. This is a youth development program that is designed to physically engage and teach young people how to make critical life choices to ensure better outcomes in the future. They also learn ways to avoid succumbing to peer pressure and the negative impacts of social media. This program will educate, empower & equip youth to become leaders in their schools, homes, and community.
The thing that I am most proud of is my children. I have three wonderful children who are beautiful on the inside and outside. They all bring a unique set of strengths & values to our family, which challenges me to become a better person daily. I am forever grateful to Christ for loaning them to me & entrusting me to help shape their lives.
The main thing that I want potential clients, followers, fans to know about myself and my brand is that I have a heart for people and am always willing to help others any way that I can. I provide optimal services along with sustainable skills coaching (skills that are useful & applicable in every aspect of their lives). As my clients and I work on strategies to help them gain boldness, confidence, and the courage to walk authentically in their God-given purpose they will also learn the tools to continue to promote self-growth and development.
Divine wisdom, my professional experiences and life lessons provide me the fire & desire to equip anyone I encounter!
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
Oh, this is a good question especially for those of us who are not fans of social media. I began to build an audience by posting once a week, then was challenged to post at least three times per day for a week. Whew, that was hard for me…LOL! I believe that building your audience is a continual thing. However, there is a specific audience that is unique to you & your brand. This is something you will never know unless you begin to post, which is the hard part. When I think in terms of what God has called me to do, that reminds me that social media is simply a tool that can be used as a catalyst to reach those individuals that I have been called to serve & that is what forces me get back on the bicycle.
The best advice that I would give to someone just starting to build their social media presence is to gain an understanding of what being vulnerable means & looks like for them…it does not have to be a dreadful thing. I say this because vulnerability is a part of the process and some of us do not enjoy operating in that space because we tend to attach negative experiences to allowing ourselves to be vulnerable. I would also encourage someone just starting out to get a coach with experience in building their social media presence because that person can often coach you on building meaningful content, planning when to schedule & post the content, that person can also help you analyze the data from your post to help you build a larger audience and to identify your target audience. So yes, getting a coach, listening, and doing the work is the best advice that I can share. Oh, one other thing…extend yourself some grace when something you post does not turn out the way you desire. It is a process & there is often a learning curve to move beyond.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
It is natural for me to help individuals create goals, problem solve and organize their thoughts. People consistently ask me questions about business, life, their career, how they should go about this or that. Sometimes, I am asked to just listen then they come back later and ask me what I thought about what they said and how would I resolve their concern. I am certainly not complaining about this, but I must be intentional about not offering so much of me without receiving a return on my investment.
Pivoting in business, career, & life can sometimes be an ongoing thing. I must remember that I now have a coaching business and should not be spending time coaching unofficially. I find myself having to pivot when asked specific questions by saying, “You know what, let me send you my booking link so we can discuss your concerns” rather than saying, “Yes, I can help you with that, ok, what’s your concern….let’s talk about that.” “Yes, I can do that for you.” I was told, a couple of months ago that people pay for the information that I share for free. It was a slap in the face but also a reality check. That was the statement that made me take a step back & say to myself, “Shut your mouth, seek Jesus, close your hands & share that link!” 
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.emboldenedabetteryou.com/
- Instagram: @CoachSonyaLynn
- Facebook: Coach Sonya Lynn
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/sonya-cole-m-s-leadership-0673a4121
- Linktree: https://linktr.ee/coachsonyalynn
Image Credits
Cori Created Media-Dacori T Mcgee-Murphy Facebook-Cori Created