On Coaching: Do You Love Yourself and Live Your Truth?
Coach Iyabo offers professional fulfillment to all…
“Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal.” Pamela Vaull Starr
Love Your Life: A Meadow of Light and Love - via Gimage Flickr
Since starting the interview series last year, I have met people from all walks of life; terrific people engaged in life-affirming, creative and uplifting work – all with fascinating backgrounds to share with you, me and everyone else. The generous, loving, and intuitive life/business Coach Iyabo, Iyabo Asani, is definitely someone to have in your corner when trying to resolve a business matter or any indecision that keeps you up at night.
I met Iyabo through both LinkedIn and Twitter, but especially when she made a connection here by leaving a comment on my FELA piece and identifying herself as a sister from the homeland. We chatted for a while and I visited her website and paid attention to the sound advice she gave out to all. I knew she would be a superb addition to the wonderful voices and faces you have met in our interviews.
Iyabo is a lawyer and coach and brings both her incisive, clearheaded skills as well as a God-centered, loving heart to her coaching. Born in Nigeria of a Nigerian father and an Irish-Jewish mother, Iyabo came to the US at age 16 and has made a successful life here with her husband, clients and friends. Today – Sunday, March 14 – is the day we spring forward by adjusting our clocks and setting them one hour ahead. Why don’t you get your spring groove back by considering getting some coaching?
Please read Iyabo’s story and share your views and comments below. Thank you!
“Do not underestimate the power of love. Love means speaking to yourself kindly. Love means believing in yourself…” Iyabo Asani
Live Your Truth: Coach Iyabo on Life, Love and Coaching...
Foundation Questions:
Tell us a bit on your background: Who are you? Where did you grow up and where do you live now?
My father was Nigerian and my mother was half Irish American and Jewish. They met in New York City in 1951 and my mother moved with my father to Nigeria where she lived for 32 years. I am the youngest of three. I was born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria. I came to the United States to attend college at 16. I went to Goucher College in Towson, Maryland and to Georgetown University Law School in Washington DC. For the last 20 plus years, I have lived in Atlanta, Georgia.
What do you do for a living?
Today, I am a life and business coach. My focus is life strategies coaching. I help professional executive women move out of their corporate labels into creating businesses or making lateral moves professionally. The goal is to help my clients experience more professional fulfillment.
Why did you choose the path you now follow?
I was a lawyer for 20 years. For 14 of those years, I owned my own private law practice. I met every criteria of success but I was burnt out. I hired a coach to figure out what areas of law would be more fulfilling for me. It turns out that I really did not want to practice law. So I went to coaching school and I started coaching my law clients. Finally, with the support of my husband and family, I transitioned totally out of law. I closed out my law practice and started working as a coach full time.
I chose this path because I discovered that there were parts of myself that I was not even aware of. I felt that I was cheating myself by not allowing “ALL” of me to flourish!
“A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment.” John Wooden
Follow Your Path: Yellow Paved Rd by Chelina via Wunderground
When did you decide to make key changes in your life?
When I turned 40 and I saw that I was not where I wanted to be in life. I was not “happy.” I wanted to relax more and really experience feeling relevant in the work that I do.
Share your world view: How do you live your life and manage your household?
I really believe in love. I believe that we are all created in love. God loves us and intended for us to live good, wonderful, productive lives. So I see this divinity in everyone (at least I try) and I try to see this in myself also.
The key for me also is seeing this divinity in my husband and my loved ones.
“The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will.” Vince Lombardi
Find Your Strength: Faces of Babylon via Fotopedia
Reflective Questions:
What motivates you to get out of bed?
The fact that I know God has a purpose for my life and that is to help empower others.
What makes you happy/laugh?
Children and animals make me happy. Simplicity and purity open my heart and make me laugh. The color yellow makes me smile.
What makes you sad/mad?
People cheating themselves of their destiny by thinking negatively and being paranoid make me sad. People not understanding their divine nature make me mad.
What would you do differently with your life if you had the power? With the world if you had the choice?
If I had the power, right now, I would go back to school and really learn about innovative education and psychology. I would work with children to help them create unlimited mindsets about their potential.
For the world, I would institute programs and create micro-enterprise organizations that empower women and children throughout the world.
“Be glad of life because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars.” Henry Van Dyke
Find Your Light: Polar Lights via Arnar Valdimarsson Google Images
What guiding principle(s) do you follow to make your life meaningful?
My personal truth is this:
1. I am a spiritual being having a physical experience.
2. I live in a friendly world. The Universe is friendly.
3. I am created in the image of God and God is love so I am love.
4. I am here to make a Unique Planetary Imprint.
5. The people and experiences I encounter, reflect to me what is going on within.
6. Life is good.
7. Live your truth.
What word(s) of advice would you give to others today?
Love yourself. Do not underestimate the power of love. Love means speaking to yourself kindly. Love means believing in yourself. Love means creating awesome opportunities for yourself to live out your best life.
How would you like to be remembered?
I would like to be remembered for being a person that embodies love.
Happiness is…..?
Butterfly kisses, the purring of cats, hugs and kisses from my hubby, wonderment in the eyes of children, tropical salt water fish tanks, the smile of a baby, writing words I pull out of my soul, being in nature and living on the beach with the sound of the ocean nearby. Beautiful!
Iyabo lives the life she promises to help her clients achieve. She is a loving, brilliant ray of light who shares her heart and home with her husband in lovely Atlanta. She uses her coaching gifts and keen insights to help her large clientele from around the globe. Iyabo can be reached at a number of sites she subscribes to including her personal Coach Iyabo website. You may make a connection with Iyabo on LinkedIn, and on her Twitter handle: @CoachIyabo
Do you have any questions or comments for Iyabo? Are you interested in sharing your talent and life work with our readers? Do you have a story to share? Email me. Do share your feedback with us. Thank You!
PHOTO CREDITS:
Photograph of Iyabo Asani by courtesy of Iyabo Asani
A Meadow of Light and Love by Gimage ~ via Flickr
Yellow Paved Rd by Chelina ~ via Wunderground
Faces of Babylon ~ via Fotopedia
Polar Lights by Arnar Valdimarsson ~ via Google Images
Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
very lovely interview. Iyabo must love yellow for a reason, it is a cheerful color.
Do her parents live in the US? How often does she see a client? Once a week? Twice?
I enjoy the interviews because each one is different. Thanks.
Good questions and I am sure Iyabo will elaborate further. Glad you enjoyed this one. Thanks you!
What are your thoughts on coaching? good? Mixed?
I liked this one a lot especially her guiding principles of living a purpose filled life. Live Your Truth. Life your Life. Love Your Life. I am on it.
Iyabo, do you work in person one-on-one or do you consult by phone with your coaching?
Great job Elizabeth!
Thanks Cassie,
I will let Iyabo know she has questions to respond to on the blog. She is inspiring! 😉
Hello amazing friends!
I grew up in Lagos and came to the States as a teenager. I have lived here now for almost 30 years. My parents have passed away. My father died first in 2003. Here is a lovely story for you. He died on my fiance’s birthday at the time on May 18. Two days before, he presided over our engagement. He was home in Lagos then. And he said he was not feeling well towards the end of the engagement and he went upstairs to rest. Two days later he died.
The fact that he died on my then fiance’s birthday spoke volumes to me.
My mother died in 2007 and my husband was alone with her when she took her last breath in the hospital.
So, I personally feel like both my parents handed me off to my husband in their own unique way but I also do not feel that I need a man to validate me. He is a good guy though, I must say.
I offer different coaching programs.
Sometimes I offer classes and mastermind groups.
Most times, clients first sign up for a one time strategy session. It lasts 2 to 2.5 hours and I create a guided visualization for you around the specific problem you are experiencing.
Other clients require more ongoing work. I usually talk to my on going clients, once a week for an hour. You get homework and unlimited email support.
All my coaching is via telephone. I have clients all over the world including China, Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, etc.
Please visit my blog at http://www.CoachIyabo.com and feel free to email me directly at coach (at) coachiyabo (dot) com. I welcome your questions.
I write a weekly column called “Ask Coach Iyabo.” You can send me an anonymous question and I can answer it for you there. I encourage you to interact with me. I love people and I take very good care of my people.
Thanks for answering our questions plus I loved your story about your hubby.
I enjoyed the sweetness of your interview and wish you all the best!
In a world full of sundry negatives, such positivity is so refreshing and inspiring..certainly very welcome. Thanks Liz, for hooking us up with Iyabo, I intend to visit her website.
You are welcome… Iyabo has been very busy of late so I need to check in with her again. Blessings! 🙂