Michelle Ray

This year the IAPLC will be stepping up their promotion of the importance and value of life coaching with an article series. You are asked to join us in educating the public on the many benefits of life coaching by sharing these articles with your networks. Here is the first of the series.   From Overwhelmed to On-Track: How Life Coaching Can Improve Mental Well-Being —Without Therapy (https://lnkd.in/g4fbWGYi) As public conversations around mental health have expanded, so has awareness that support exists on a spectrum. This has led many people to seek structured, professional support that focuses on clarity, decision-making, and sustainable change. Life coaching, when practiced ethically and with proper training, fills that role.

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𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧⁣⁣ There isn't any 'trouble with women' - the trouble is with the lenses through which we are sometimes heard. ⁣⁣Women are frequently expected to sound:⁣⁣ • Warm, but not weak ⁣⁣ • Confident, but not ‘aggressive’ ⁣⁣ • Authoritative, but still ‘likeable' ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Research shows:⁣⁣ • A firm, direct tone in a man is perceived as decisive; the same tone in a woman may be labeled harsh or abrasive⁣⁣. • Women are more likely to be interrupted than men in group discussions, particularly in mixed-gender settings.⁣⁣ (Sources: Administrative Science Quarterly + Journal of Language and Social Psychology)⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐓𝐨 𝐃𝐨⁣⁣ Use ‘strategic authority’ indicators:⁣⁣ • Slow your pace when speaking⁣⁣ to 'hold the floor' • Lower your pitch slightly (without forcing it) ⁣⁣ • Don't raise your voice on the last word of a statement (makes it sound like you're unsure) ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ 𝐈𝐟 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐮𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐝:⁣⁣ Pause, then re-enter calmly:⁣⁣ 𝘰 ‘𝘐’𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘮𝘺 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵’.⁣⁣ 𝘰 ‘𝘛𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨…’ ⁣⁣ 𝘰 ‘𝘐’𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘮𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴’.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ 𝐖𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞? I’ll be sharing so much more at our unique June retreat. Come learn and mingle with women who have not only found their voices but are dedicated to using them:⁣⁣ https://lnkd.in/gB_nvzaz ⁣⁣ #women #womensvoices #ownyourvoice #speakingskills⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣#publicspeaking #speaking #communication #confidence #confidentcommunication #confidentspeaking #leadership #leadershipskills #leadershipcommunication #businesspeaking #businesswriting #feelthefear #connection #humanconnection #connectwithothers #connectwithpeople #connectwithaudiences #speaklikealeader #executivepresence #networking #networkingskills #networkingknack⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

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Curious about embodied leadership? Longing for space to practice, rest or play in community? Looking ahead to Fall 2026 for healing-centered leadership development? Check out co-LAB Collective, LLC's public offerings in 2026, in partnership with Strozzi Institute for Somatics and Rockwood Leadership Institute #transformationalleadershipdevelopment #embodiedleadership #somatics

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🗣️ If you want to become a better public speaker… start by breathing. That’s one of the takeaways from our latest episode of Narativ Inc's Leadership Story Talks, where Julienne B. Ryan Ryan and I reflect on what it’s like to step onto a live stage — thousands of miles apart — and practice what we teach. We talk about: • Why creating guidelines creates safety for your audience • How structure builds confidence (for you and for them) • The power of taking one breath before your first word • Why you can’t “get your story wrong” — because it happened to you • And how real connection beats performance techniques every time It’s directly aligned with what I’ll be teaching in my upcoming UNM Continuing Education course: 🎓 Strategic Storytelling for Presentations and Public Speaking 📅 March 3–19, 2026 🕐 Tuesdays & Thursdays, 1:00–2:30 PM MDT 💻 Live on Zoom This is not a course about body language hacks or perfecting a 30-second pitch. It’s about values-based leadership storytelling — bringing your values to life through personal experience so people trust you, follow you, and take action. If the podcast gives you a few insights, the course gives you the structure, coaching, and practice to truly integrate it. 🎧 Listen to the episode for immediate tips (see link in the comments below.) 📅 Join the course if you want to go deeper. Registration link: https://lnkd.in/grvUrwaS If you’re in New Mexico (or know someone who is), I’d love your help spreading the word. #publicspeaking #storytelling #leadershipdevelopment #valuesbasedleadership #UNM #continuingeducation #LeadershipStoryTalks #Narativ

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After 26 years of coaching, I've distilled the most important professional development work I know into one place. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘄. 23 pages. 18 exercises. A complete 30-day process. For coaches, counsellors, therapists, and healers who are done leaving income on the table. Not because they lack strategy. Because something internal is quietly running the numbers down. I received a message last week from a psychologist with 19 years of clinical experience. She worked through the third exercise — tracing her earliest professional pricing decision back to its emotional root. "Carrie, I've invested in three different business programs. None of them went here. I set my current rate seven years ago. In 40 minutes of doing this exercise, I understood exactly why I've never changed it. And exactly what's been stopping me." That is what this workbook does. It goes to the root. The place that business strategy and professional development programs almost never reach. Here's what you'll work through: → Where your money story started — traced to the specific experiences that shaped it → The worthiness wound underneath your pricing decisions — identified and addressed directly → A daily reprogramming practice built to work at the belief level, not just the mindset level → The internal shift that allows you to quote your rates with calm, grounded professional certainty 23 pages. 18 exercises. 30 days. $47. This is the resource I wish had existed when I was rebuilding my practice after my husband died. I built it so you don't have to learn what I learned the hard way. Link in the first comment. — Carrie #PrivatePractice #MoneyMindset #PracticeGrowth #ProsperityMindsetReset #WomenInBusiness

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The healthiest organizations don't leave leadership, teamwork, and culture to chance. They treat them as strategic priorities, because they know that how people work together directly impacts performance, retention, and results. When your leaders are equipped, your teams are aligned, and your workplace culture is strong, everything else works better. That's not a soft goal. That's a business advantage.

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My sincerest gratitude to the Alberta Council for Global Cooperation for the honour of being recognized among this powerful cohort of women leaders who continue to foster change and progress in International Cooperation. What makes ACGC so impactful is its commitment to strengthening the capacity of organizations working on some of the world’s most pressing global challenges. One of my personal highlights for 2025 was being invited to share my expertise at the Confluence Leadership Retreat in Banff, where Executive Directors, Founders and Senior Leaders working across several sectors, came together to rest, learn, integrate and strategize. My Keynote session focused on "Advancing Gender Equality & Inclusion on three levels - systems change, institutional change and individual leadership". That experience will stay with me forever because of the genuine commitment every leader brought to that conversation. Truly exceptional human beings. I am grateful for the trust that ACGC has placed in me over the years to help their member organizations build capacity, think strategically and take actions that lead to even greater impact. This is what makes my work so rewarding and meaningful. #LeadershipRetreat, #KeynoteSpeaker, #InclusiveLeadership, #GenderEquality #SystemsChange #GlobalLeadership, #SocialImpact #WomenLeaders #LeadershipDevelopment #InternationalDevelopment

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In 8 years of accompanying professionals in landing their next role, there's one thing that pulls back job hunters without them even noticing it: the best strategies are generally the counter-intuitive ones. And branding is no exception: most job seekers broaden the range of roles they position themselves for thinking this will increase their chances. It does not. “I can do everything” is not a positioning strategy. Fitting everywhere makes you stand out no where - especially in competitive markets. For more on Job Searching and Career Growth - tune into the full episode (link in comments). And a huge thanks to Maurice Thornton and headcount | recruitment driven by science for this great talk!

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For over two decades, I’ve been walking two paths — Executive Leadership and Zen practice. For the past 11 years, I’ve also had the privilege of serving as faculty with Integral Coaching Canada, training and mentoring hundreds of Integral Coaches to work with developmental depth and integrity. That chapter has shaped me profoundly. And now, something new is emerging. I’m excited to share the launch of the Executive Wisdom Partner Institute as the next evolution of my work. The world doesn’t just need better strategies. It needs wiser conversations. It needs experienced Executive Coaches who can: – enter not knowing mind in their coaching sessions – invite love as an organising principle in every conversation – open the space to the transpersonal – and allow wisdom to guide and inspire their work The Institute is aimed specifically at experienced Executive Coaches who want to take their work to the next level, beyond method, beyond technique, to embody presence and transpersonal partnership. This is not a replacement for any coaching school or coaching training. It is an expansion. A refinement. A response to what I see the world needing in the age of AI and AI coaching. If you feel that edge of calling, I’d love you to explore it. 🔗 Check out the new website here: https://lnkd.in/emUphV82 This feels like a threshold moment, and I’m genuinely excited to step into it. #ExecutiveCoaching #LeadershipDevelopment #ExecutiveLeadership #CoachingEvolution #WisdomInLeadership

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Compromise and reconciliation can serve as powerful tools for navigating conflict when neither avoidance nor full collaboration feels right. I share how true compromise means both sides listen, trade off portions of their wants, and move forward with respect and trust—even if they don’t get everything. It’s especially useful when both parties have similar standing and the goal is keeping the relationship intact while making progress. But I also point out that when a matter touches on core values or long‑term goals, compromise might fall short and deeper resolution is required. Read more here:https://zurl.co/6P76L

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There are so many benefits to employee coaching, to name a few: 🔷 Driving engagement and motivation 🔷 Building stronger, more capable teams 🔷 Boosting retention and loyalty. 🔷 Fuelling innovation and adaptability. 🔷 Strengthening leadership at every level. Learn more: https://heyor.ca/JbYQFo #EmployeeCoaching #TeamBuilding #EmployeeEngagement #LeadershipDevelopment

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Teams make stronger decisions when they recognize the variety of approaches within the group. Some prefer to consider the impact on people, while others focus on logic and fairness. Some move quickly to solutions, while others need time to reflect. Each style adds value when understood. When leaders acknowledge these differences, they reduce conflict and encourage better collaboration. If you want to improve decision-making and alignment within your team, personality assessments and facilitated workshops can help you reach your goals.

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This week, a client told me, “I just want to feel respected.” When I asked what that meant to them, there was a long pause. In workplace relationships — with managers, colleagues, or direct reports — we often communicate from emotion before clarity. We say: “I need more acknowledgment.” “I don’t feel included.” “I want more respect.” But we haven’t defined what that actually means. In my work with leaders, I see this pattern repeatedly: The issue doesn't come from intention. It comes from not being able to articulate the desired action. Respect can mean: Being brought into meetings earlier. Being consulted before decisions are finalized. Receiving verbal feedback. Being copied on client communication. But until someone understands what they need to receive, they can’t communicate it clearly. And without that clarity, frustration builds — even when both people have good intentions. So, before asking someone to understand you, first, stop and ask: Do I fully understand what I’m asking for?

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Conquer Conflict Like a Super Bowl Pro! I was speaking to a client earlier this week about the benefits of managing conflict head-on, instead of avoiding it.  We’ve done a really good job of “over loading” the meaning of conflict that as soon as it hits most people’s minds, nothing but negativity consumes it. There are many reasons for this however, one of the biggest reasons is that people are not trained nor speak about how to manage conflict in a healthy way. If difficult conversations scare you, here's your secret weapon, my clients use this strategy all of the time. The Conflict Resolution Pyramid. This framework helps you navigate ANY situation, regardless of communication styles or personalities. Step 1. Stay calm & actively listen: Let them enjoy the process of talking to you. Deep breaths, and active listening go a long way, no pre-empting what you think they will say next in your mind. At the root of many conflicts, is a person who wants to be heard and their thoughts or feelings validated (no, that does not mean you have to agree with them). Step 2.   Acknowledge & inquire: Validate their feelings and ask open-ended questions, never assume anything. ️ After asking questions, close your mouth (AKA “shut up”) and stop speaking.  This is where most people go wrong, they jump in and speak (often in a defensive manner and tone) as soon as they hear something that they don’t like or disagree with. DO NOT DO THAT ANYMORE. Step 3. Focus on solutions, not being right. Work together to find win-win outcomes and affirm if you’ve been able to allay their fears/solve the issue. Ready to conquer conflict like a pro?  Share your biggest challenge below! Coach Karen D #effectivecommunication #peopleskills #personaldevelopment

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Most people still see mindfulness as a spiritual or personal wellbeing practice. That framing undersells its real leverage. In professional life, mindfulness is the ability to stay mentally present when pressure rises. When emotions spike. When people trigger us. When the pace accelerates and clarity drops. 💡 Practicing quiet attention trains us to observe rather than react. Thoughts, emotions, urgency, noise. All happening, without immediately acting on them. That pause is not passive. It is what allows clearer decisions, better stress management, and access to deliberate thinking rather than autopilot. Over time, something subtle but powerful happens: • We separate feelings from facts • We distinguish urgent from important • We end the day less cognitively exhausted A few minutes of quiet, every day, is enough to build that capacity. Not to escape the storm. But to remain present and see through inside it.

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Stop being controlled by your environment. Yes, I said it. In Episode #2 of With Karen D. The Podcast, I share the same neuroscience-backed techniques that I teach elite performers and senior leaders to help them regain control under pressure. Here’s the truth most people miss: What’s happening around you doesn’t get to decide how you show up. Pressure, noise, opinions, chaos, none of it runs you unless you allow it to. Fear and anxiety don’t mean you’re weak or broken. They’re signals that your body needs direction. Reminder: Your circumstances are information, not instructions. Listen to the full Episode today (link in comments). Karen D. Make sure to share it with anyone who needs to hear it. #Leadership #PerformanceUnderPressure #ExecutivePresence #AnxietyManagement #Confidence #Neuroscience #Podcast #SelfLeadership

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Discover how to genuinely empower your team to thrive at work and in life. Read the full insight here: 👇 https://lnkd.in/g36ZG2JN #ExecutiveLeadership #WorkplaceWellness #Resilience #IWorkUpstairs #AndrewGuy #FutureOfWork

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