Val Nelson: Career and Business Coach for Introverts with Big Hearts
Channel: George Kao
Date: 2020-08-06

Val ​Nelson ​is ​a career and business coach for introverts with big hearts. She is ​an introvert and a highly sensitive person​ herself​, and she has used those as strengths in creating and maintaining ​her full-time, self-sustaining business for the last 11 years. She enjoys helping others create what works for them too.

People ​contact Val ​​when they are feeling stuck or drained​ in their career or business.​ She helps you discover the best use of you, and how to move forward on that in practical ways​,​ ​without overwhelm. She offers individual and group coaching, and occasional workshops.

(Val is a member of George Kao's MasterHeart Business Mentoring Group.)

Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/CoachValNelson

Website:
https://valnelson.com

Insights that Val's clients have appreciated learning:
​
​1. ​People usually can't see their own strengths and values and they need someone outside their own head, and good at reading people, to reflect it back to them. In fact, they especially can't see their best strengths.

​2. Living the best use of you does not require overwhelm or exhaustion. ​It if does, it's the wrong path. Challenging stretch, yes. Overwhelm, no.

​3. ​Work should feel joyful​ and energizing​​,​ and that's where the best use of you can flow​ best​.​ This is the opposite of the dominant culture belief that work is only valuable or "real" if it's hard.​ (Which leads to self-employed people not choosing the right work, or undercharging for their true work.)

​4. Most people still think self-employment, leadership, public speaking, and marketing are extrovert territories​. That myth creates a lot of lop-sided problems in our culture and problems for our own self-worth and ability to move forward on our dreams. We can be great at all of it, in our own way.

5. I believe this fast-paced, money-driven culture needs more of the gifts that introverts and other sensitive souls bring to the world. For instance, we have a big distaste for salesy fakeness. We can only stomach authentic methods of client attraction, and that's what actually works for us, our true clients, and for the greater good!

6. I believe introverts can have a big impact and do whatever comes from a true calling, if we focus on our strengths for how we do that, rather than pushing ourselves to use an extrovert mask or some distasteful salesy method. There are many ways to make a difference. 

7. Introverts often think that helping with causes they care about will be too exhausting so it tends to not get much attention despite our hearts' desire. I know there's always a way if we get creative enough. For instance, don't forget all the amazing things that need to happen behind the scenes for positive change to happen.

​8. Most people in our dominant Western culture are stuck in a "lone wolf" myth​ that we have to do it all alone and we resist letting in support such as for growing a business. I certainly resisted, and my introverted side played into that. Staying alone will kill your dreams. Co-creating is essential and can be easier than you think.

9. Thinking you'll get it just right before trying things out will also never get you started. Tackling that perfectionist police in your head is necessary. And doable. I had it bad at first. George Kao has helped me.

I have a framework for discovering and moving forward on the best use of you. It’s in the shape of a mandala, which works as a circular step-by-step map. When people see it, they feel calm and happy about the possibilities. It seems to resonate for them in a way that a linear map didn’t. It also uses different words for a more heart-centered paradigm. For instance, on the step for what would normally be called “marketing”, I have the verb “offering.” No pushy connotations in that. Right away, shoulders relax and they can see themselves in the picture, able to do it.

Connect with Val Nelson here...

Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/CoachValNelson

Website:
https://valnelson.com