The Trusted Coach
Shawn Lipton
It’s midnight and I’m trying to log on to a website using dial-up! Have you ever used dial-up to access the internet? It sucks! I was 31 years old living at home (still hate admitting that). My parents lived in rural Connecticut and it was taking forever to get on to this site, not to mention that thousands of other people were trying to log on at exactly the same time. I needed to access the site to see if my name was on the list. If it was, I had passed the NY Bar. Finally, I’m connected. I slowly scroll down, it’s really nerve-wracking. I’m hoping my name is there! I’m hoping I don’t lose my internet connection before I can see if it’s there! Finally, the letter ‘L’. Linson, Linton, Littles, No Lipton. I double check, still no Lipton. I failed.
It was close to one in the morning at that point and my parents were fast asleep. I walk up to my room. There are basketball and tennis trophies from summer camps sitting on a bookshelf I made in shop class in 8th grade. I ask myself, 'what am I going to do with my life'?
Exactly 30 days after I had received those results, I was in Seattle and I never looked back. It was the best decision I ever made. That one decision, led to the most incredible things. But most importantly, it created a fundamental change in how I looked at my future – that if I took action, I was in control and could dictate what was best for me and how I could set myself up to thrive. It still took many years until I found my true calling, but every step led me closer and were all decisions I decided to make.
My journey drives me to this day to help people thrive in their careers and shaped the three principles that define my mission:
Identify and understand what you want and then Connect, Connect, Connect
Know your strengths, what you value, your skills, motivations, and personality and once you know these things and have a concrete destination, let everyone else know as well. People can’t help you if they don’t know you exist or don’t know how to help you. Once you start building relationships, a fundamental change happens in the opportunities you receive.
Storytelling is everything
Very simply, if you can’t tell a story, your limiting your career. That starts with the interview process as you share your background and experience and it impacts your work in every form, from delivering a powerful presentation, to persuading colleagues, leaders, stakeholders, and clients; to developing yourself as a subject matter expert in your field. Being able to tell a good story will positively impact every aspect of your professional life.
“What Got You Here, Won’t Get You There”
The title of Marshall Goldsmith’s book and his work encapsulates what is critical to have sustained success in your career. The people who never stop learning, understand blind spots and are eager to address them, and have a growth mindset, Thrive!
I have been a coach for the last 17 years, first at the Seattle University School of Law and the last nine running my own coaching practice.
I’ve trained as a coach through the Behavioral Coaching Institute and have never stopped learning through certifications, additional training, and non-stop reading.
I’ve worked with thousands of clients, from helping people land their very first job, to coaching managers to develop their presentation skills, leadership competencies, emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, and goal setting.
On a personal note, I love travelling, spending my twenties backpacking through north and south east Asia and living in Taiwan and China for a number of years. At one point, my Mandarin Chinese was fluent, it has since gotten a little rusty, but I try to practice as much as I can.
Please contact me if you’re serious about developing a successful career, but don’t know how to go about doing it effectively.
I look forward to hearing from you