I am thrilled to share I have passed the ICF exam and am officially a Professional Certified Coach! 

Being a member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF) is a milestone for any professional coach.  It means that you are committed to providing the highest standards of coaching excellence and ethics. The ICF is the largest and most influential professional coaching organization in the world and it sets the bar for coaching excellence. 

My journey to becoming an ICF-certified coach began in 2015 when I was still in a corporate setting and certified as a Gallup Global Strengths Coach. At that point, I had been using Clifton Strengths as a manager for many years to develop leadership strengths and capabilities among my team – this course provided a great framework and tools to scale that across organizations and larger teams.  

In 2018, I left the corporate world to pursue a different path after being in the retail world for many years. While my curiosity led to much exploration of many different industries, businesses, and roles that may have looked and felt unfocused it helped me better understand my own strengths and helped me find my ‘fit.  As it turns out, continuing education was a requirement for International Coaching Federation (ICF) credentials.  However mashing up all my CCE in order to obtain the ICF credential was daunting, and the process was intimidating for me at the time.  There are so many different paths, but even more daunting is the amount of coaching programs offered and different specialties.  

I owe my good fortune to Dana Bernstein, an excellent coach in her own right, for helping me sort through my overwhelm and figure out a clear path to ICF certification. In January, I began my journey alongside 22 other amazing coaches and attended Leadership Coaching for Organizational Performance Program at Rutgers Division of Continuing Studies delivered in partnership with Heidrick & Struggles. 

Being able to connect with other coaches who were experienced professionals from different industries and walks of life was a big deciding factor. Throughout the program, we had to step out of our comfort zones and embrace the unknown to gain the knowledge and skills needed to become an ICF-certified coach and better leaders.

Becoming an ICF-certified coach has been an exhilarating journey for me, and it has brought new opportunities, friends, and professional growth. The rigorous process of gaining ICF certification has instilled in me a deeper commitment to providing the highest standards of coaching excellence and adopting ethical practices and of course, continuing my learning and development journey, which is crucial in this rapidly changing world.