Meet a Jane: Cathy Alford

Posted on July 6, 2010 - Filed Under Meet a Jane, Merry Jane, Success Tips for Jane, Uncategorized

Cathy Alford

Cathy Alford, MA, ACC, is an ICF Life & Leadership Coach (www.lifeworksresourcegroup.com). After 21 years of a successful career in the pharmaceutical industry, Cathy began to dream of how her life experiences, gifts and talents might culminate to help others walk intentionally in purposeful living. “I’m not sure I ever thought of starting my own business,” says Cathy, “as much as I dreamt of coming along beside others as an accountability and support partner to help them achieve more than they dreamed possible. Once I defined the dream and developed a plan to pursue it, the remainder involved preparing to launch and execute even in moments of fear or uncertainty.

In less than a year, I can look back at several milestones that led me to open LifeWorks Resource Center with a wonderful partner. Together, our mission is to provide resources in both counseling and coaching to inspire personal growth and Christ-centered transformation. Although I am a credentialed Life Coach with the International Coaching Federation, I am passionate about using several assessments to help individuals and teams identify their strengths and actively engage in leading our of their strengths. Whereas coaches are more prevalent in corporate settings, I am passionate about working with Pastors and church staff to develop dynamic teams through StrengthsFinder coaching.”

Cathy’s biggest reward as a business owner is the personal growth that her clients experience. “Knowing we all search for fulfillment, I am most inspired when a client moves from stuck to unstuck – realizing just how unique they are in their gifting. When the work we do together brings the client to a place of awareness and hope that spurs personal growth and determination to achieve their dreams – I know it is worth the time and effort.”

After taking the free Which Jane Are You? assessment at www.JaneOutoftheBox.com , Cathy discovered that she is a Merry Jane. “Merry Jane fits all areas of my life. I am creating my life the way I want it to be so it is balanced and functioning with my priorities in order. I’ve been in a situation where I felt my life was not my own and I am meticulous about ensuring this business never places me in that position again. Although I look forward to growing and moving forward, I am committed to my values of keeping a great work-life balance. I also relate to Accidental Jane. I have a mission in my heart to do what I do. I didn’t plan to ‘start a business,’ – I planned to grow a life through self-discovery and help others do the same.”

Cathy’s business involves a professional relationship between coach and client that allows space for the client to explore self-discovery, goals and dreams with support and accountability from the coach. Cathy helps her clients take action to move toward extraordinary results, using respectful questioning and observations as a vehicle of discovery. She focuses on where her client is now and what they are willing to do to get where they want to be in the future.

Merry Janes, Cathy has some words of wisdom for you:

  • Take one step at a time, one day at a time.
  • Focus on your personal value system. Having those values written as a reference – reminds us that each choice must align to those values in order to stay true to ourselves and our core beliefs.
  • Be accountable – In addition to your written value statements, create an accountability method to stay true to your values. Without written value statements, it is easier to get pulled in different directions and before long, our lives can be out of balance once again. Everything else will follow as you do this.

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