Revitalizing
the Working Mom™
Talk
with the Experts:
A
CONVERSATION WITH JOANNA SCARBORO
workingmomscoach.com
Tell us a little about yourself.
My name is Joanna Scarboro and I am a Registered
Corporate Coach through the Worldwide Association
of Business Coaches. I have been working
since I was in high school and have loved
learning and meeting new people throughout
my work life. My background is business with
an emphasis in sales, management and coaching.
A few years ago, I knew I was ready to start
a family, so I decided to create a career
that supports my desire for real work-life
balance. Coaching was the perfect fit. I
am able to help working moms better deal
with the stress in their lives and begin
to really live a life of happiness. As the
Working Mom’s Coach, I am thrilled
with the opportunity and challenge to help
women see that life does not have to be so
difficult. They can design a life that better
fits their needs.
How is life coaching different from
a mentoring friendship?
Coaching and mentoring do have common elements,
but are different in some important ways.
Let’s start with how they are the same.
Coaches and mentors both want the best for
you and you should have both relationships
in your life, if you desire growth and learning.
Coaching and mentoring are different in several
important ways. In the mentoring relationship,
the mentor is seen as the expert and the
leader. In the coaching relationship, you
are the expert and there is no leader – instead
it is a truly collaborative relationship.
You, as the client, are the expert of your
life and the coach provides you support tools
and strategies to get you further than you
would get alone. The mentor attempts to provide
you with a path to success, based on their
own successes and failures. The coach helps
you uncover your own path to success, based
on what you value.
Could you give us three essential
elements working moms should know?
Women who try to do it all will burnout.
Divorce rates are at an all time high.
By working with a coach, women can learn
strategies that help them in focusing
on what is really important to them and
leaving the rest of the clutter behind.
-
Guilt (or your conscience) can be an
important teacher. If you are constantly
struggling with feelings of guilt, you
need to think about making some changes
in your life. Decisions do not have to
be “black or white” or “this
or that.” I often hear clients
describe their situations as difficult
because their options are so limited.
YOUR OPTIONS ARE LIMITLESS. There are
so many win-win situations for you, if
you are willing to look. By making changes
that support your values, you will be
a better person. Clients will say, “But
I have to work.” My response will
be, “Do you have to work at that
job that requires a 45 minute commute
each way? Do you have to work full-time
if we could discover ways to reduce expenses
in your life? Who said you had to work
or could it be that you actually want
to work and enjoy your job?
-
Outsource, outsource, outsource. If
there are things in your life that you
really do not enjoy doing, then get others
to do them for you. Women get into the
idea they are so needed by everybody.
We love to feel needed, but there needs
to be a balance. If you try to do it
all, you end up exhausted and resentful.
Focus on outsourcing one thing at a time.
A great example is cleaning your house
- most of us do not enjoy this task.
If you decide this is your #1, least
favorite thing to do, then look for ways
to save money in other areas of your
life to pay for this service. You will
find if you eat lunch out one less time
each week, buy fast food for dinner one
less time a month and be more careful
about buying a new item on sale, you
will find the money. If you focus on
what you want, you will get it.
Is there a question people should
ask, that no one gets around to?
How will you work for me?
Coaching is still such a new concept; many
people do not understand they need to utilize
the coaching relationship as a tool to get
them where they want to go. People are used
to professional relationships like working
with a CPA, a doctor or an attorney. They
expect the professional to information dump
and help provide the answers to all of their
issues. The coaching relationship is very
different. The client sets the stage. You
tell the coach what you want to accomplish
and the coach uses their skills and training
to help support you along the way.
Tell us about your spiritual perspective.
Learning about God has been such an interesting
process for me. As a child, going to Sunday
school, you are taught songs like “Jesus
Loves Me” and you learn the stories
of the Bible. I believe a child growing up
in the church develops a true conscience.
You know that God is always watching what
you do, when no one else is looking. Also,
you know that Jesus loves you no matter what.
For these two important reasons, my 2 year
old son is going to church.
Now, I am learning more about God from a
minister who is a true theologian. Her knowledge
of the Bible is so amazing. She is able to
take verses from the Bible and explain them
in terms of the time they took place. Then,
she wraps in the teaching as to what it means
to us today. I am truly learning the Bible
and how it impacts me. Going to church grounds
me – I feel like it brings me back
to reality. If I get too wrapped up in myself
or petty things in life, I can count on getting
to what really matters when I get to church
on Sunday.
One last point regarding church for me is
finding a contemporary service was the key
to me finding happiness. I felt drained and
tired after leaving a traditional church
service. The formality did not interest me.
My same church offered a contemporary service
and I am hooked! I love singing the songs
(and knowing what they mean) and focusing
on the sermon.
If going to church is a struggle for you,
then it might be time to look for a service
that meets your needs emotionally. You should
look forward to going and feel better emotionally
afterwards.
Working Mom ™ thanks again.
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