Hi, I am Vanessa! I am a professional personal development coach certified through the International Coach Foundation (ICF). My calling is to get you from surviving to thriving personally and professionally. I partner with clients and organizations who are ready to make a bigger impact and live out their potential and core values.
How do I do this with my clients or organizations?
I focus on their core values, critical needs, and strengths. I empower my clients to know who they are so that they can take on life and their profession with vision, clarity, and confidence. I guide my clients to know and trust their inner compass for decision making that aligns with who they are. The ripple effect is truly amazing to witness. Their leadership becomes more impactful, and life is fuller and meaningful.
I am a wife to my best-friend; we’ve been married for 20+ years. I have 3 children whom I love spending time with in Austin, TX. I studied elementary and middle school education at the University of Texas at Austin. Afterwards, I spent 8 years mentoring college women through a faith-based non-profit, guiding them along their life’s journey: their personal development, their relationships, and their college experience. I learned in those years that I love people, their stories, and most importantly, witnessing their growth in different areas of their life. I then transitioned to administration, event planning, and grant management in the university sector for the next 9 years. In those years, I found the most value and enjoyment in my relationships with my managers, co-workers, and the graduate students and post-doc fellows. I loved hearing their stories and found myself always giving them a listening ear. I noticed that “my thing” was listening to others, giving them space to open and share, and they wanting to hear what I had to say. It was then that I realized I needed to figure out a way to do what I love all the time—listening to others!
I have coached one-on-one with teens, college students, creatives, teachers, business owners, therapists, physicians, engineers, managers, and executives. I have been blessed to have an array of clients who are all truly amazing humans. Right now, I am focusing my coaching work with those in leadership roles or organizations who want to strengthen their teams.
How did I end up a coach?
Little did I know that a surprise pregnancy at 40 years of age would initiate the journey of becoming a life-coach. I quit my job at the university, became a stay-at-home mom to care for my new baby and my two big kids. I found myself lost, unhappy, questioning the timing of things. I was grieving my “old life” and freedom. After all, I had already done my time raising babies, toddlers, and elementary-aged kids. This is when I decided to hire a life-coach to help me figure out how to get “unstuck.” My coach guided me along the way, showing me that I already had the answers within, and that I needed to spend ample time “unpacking” all the emotions, the roadblocks, the fears, my dreams, my enjoyments, and my own goals in life. She never once told me what to do, she never offered sage advice, nor gave me her opinion. Rather, she asked thought-provoking questions, gave me space to share and explore without judgment or opinions. She provided me a safe and loving environment to dig deep and realize that I had a great deal to say about my life, my dreams, my aspirations, my challenges, my disappointments. Then the growth started happening. I realized I was in full control of my choices. This is when I knew I needed to be a life-coach, enabling others to move forward to achieve their goals, their dreams, and be who they were called to be.
I would be more than honored to partner with you in your life’s journey. I know the impact coaching has on someone who is ready for change, ready to be “unstuck,” ready to move forward and ready to play big! I invite you to partner with me to design your life and career and teams that are in alignment with what you truly value.
Warmly,
Vanessa Yu