September 28

Alumni Spotlight – Michele Ogston

And then I had a shift…

This is the moment when life feels like it pauses for a second.  It seems to move in slow motion so you can absorb everything.  It was in this moment that I knew something had to change in my life and thus began my road to becoming a certified life coach.

I’m Michele Ogston and I am a certified intuitive life coach and a graduate of LPI. My coaching story begins with when I was stuck!  I was unhappy and depressed. I tried everything I was “supposed” to do to make myself happy.  I read, worked out, ate healthy, drank plenty of water, spent time with loved ones, but nothing was pulling me out of the downward spiral.  It wasn’t until a day that started like any other ended with a realization that saved my life.

I had dropped my kids off at school and went home to start work and clean up.  My depression was robbing me of any motivation.  I sat on my bed and started going through my emails.  A mass email had gone out from the school.  A mother, someone we all knew, had dropped her kids off at school and drove up to a local mountain top and killed herself.  I sat there in disbelief!  So many thoughts went through my head.  What happened?  What was going to happen when to her kids?  Why would she choose that option? She must have been so sad and lost.  

And then it happened. What if that were me?  Could I slip so far into depression that I would leave my kids and choose to die?  I had lost someone to suicide 20 years prior, so I was familiar with how quickly depression can take hold.  Suddenly, I saw myself in the mother’s shoes.  I could see it happening around me.  I thought of my kids and the pain I felt when suicide took a loved one from me.  It was in this moment that life shifted. I picked up the phone and texted a friend who I knew was seeing a therapist. I booked an appointment and my journey to self-healing began.  It was through the healing process that I realized I never wanted anyone to feel stuck in their life I wanted to spread the word that we are all one decision away from changing our whole lives.

I started my life coaching certificate program in October of 2019 with Sharon Good and graduated in May of 2020. During my training. I really struggled to narrow my ‘niche’.  I wanted to help everyone. I am a rainbow personality! I found that in trying to help everyone, however, I was helping no one.  The message I was trying to communicate was confusing and all over the place. I wasn’t attracting the right type of clients for myself, and in doing so I was left feeling like a failure.  I was passionate about coaching and helping people, so why wasn’t it working?  I enlisted the help of a business coach to help me align myself with my vision. It worked!  Through self-exploring, lots of meditating, and journaling I am happy to say I am the proud owner of Cloud 9 Life Coaching, where I help Empaths break the patterns that are holding them back to create a life of purpose and meaning.

My practice is designed as an Empath Headquarters.  I run an Facebook Empath Support Group and a Monthly Empath Support Group that meets over Zoom ® the 1st Tuesday of every month. We have special guests and work how to navigate this world as an Empath. Part of the reason I felt so stuck when I was in my depression was the feeling of never being understood or feeling like I never fit in.  

I am an Empath.  

It is my soul’s assignment. It is my purpose to help other Empaths know what they are too and introduce them to their special abilities, so they never feel stuck in life.

My 1:1 clients are mostly Empaths, but the wonderful thing is I’m not limited to only Empaths.  I have other clients who are not Empaths. My fear of narrowing my niche was completely unfounded. What it did for me was allow me to focus my marketing, my message, and serve my clients in a way that aligned with my beliefs.  Here are things I would recommend and advise to new graduates and coaches of LPI:

1.  Stand out! – There are a lot of coaches out there. In fact,anyone can say they are a life coach. Separate yourself from the pack.  Being a certified coach from LPI is one way to do that, but you can also continue your practice by adding another certification or training.  In addition to being a certified life coach, I am also a certified mediation & mindfulness teacherand an executive contributing writer for Brainz magazine. 

2.  Know who you want to serve and why. – Ask yourself:who are you serving?  What is the pain you are taking them from? And What are you taking them to?

3. Be heard and seen – The more people know you, the more they will like and trust you.  These are the two most important aspects of booking clients, next to who you serve and your message.  People book with people they feel like they have a connection with and who they think is trustworthy. Book podcasts, start a blog, do interviews.  Let your presence be known.

4. Coaches need to be coached – Don’t be afraid to ask for help. There are a lot of other life coaches out there who are just starting out.  You can negotiate a trade, testimonial, or a lower rate. 

5.  Be prepared to work hard & love every minute of it. – Since I graduated, I have hit the ground running.  There is no way for LPI to prepare you for how much work you will do, but the best thing is that it doesn’t feel like work.  I have never felt more alive or happy in my work.  This is my purpose and passion.

Most of us get into coaching because of the greater belief “to do good”.  LPI lays a secure foundation for you to walk out after the program and start your business.  I am blessed and grateful for my training, my teachers, and the support LPI gave to me. Believe in yourself, your mission and your ability to truly help others! As Dr. Suess says, “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go…”

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