Today we’d like to introduce you to Megan Pendley Pickett.
Megan, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I began my career in higher education working with college students on leadership development, student activities, and community building. I worked in this field for about 15 years and really loved the opportunities to connect with students, build relationships with others, and truly make a difference in the lives of those I worked with. It is such a gift to have a student that you do not know very well or even at all, walk into your office and give you a chance to connect with them. They shared their stories, their challenges, their pain, their joy and their space with me. I was grateful for each and every one of these individuals and opportunities during my time.
As a progressed in my career and my life began to change over the course of the last three years in the field, I had two children, I had less opportunities to connect directly with students, which was the main reason for pursuing this career field to begin with. This was the first time in over 15 years I was truly at a crossroads. I had planned to be a “lifer” in student affairs and now that it was looking like I wanted to do something else, I had no idea what that was going to be and it was a very scary time for me. To no longer be sure of the next steps, how to make a move, or even what I would make a move towards, was paralyzing to me. I experienced a great deal of anxiety, which then manifested in getting sick a lot, being really short and snippy with my family and co-workers, and overall feeling depressed. Not good, right?
I had the great fortune to be a part of a leadership program at my institution during this time. In essence, I was given a chance, the time, and the tools to start focusing on what I wanted to do and how I wanted to be. I connected with how I wanted to feel on a daily basis, imagining what my life could be like if I made some intentional changes. I walked into my bosses office and shared all of this with him. He turned to me and said “You can create your life.” And, for the first time, I actually believed that. It was an amazing feeling.
The idea of coaching had been brought to my attention 3-4 times in the span of as many months and I decided to pursue it. After researching what being a “life coach” meant, it clicked. THIS is what I was meant to do. To help others see themselves in a positive light, to serve as an accountability partner for them, and co-create a space for them to explore how they want to experience their life. In short, I wanted to take all of the things I had loved about my career and translate that into a new career. So, I made the decision to leave my job and pursue coaching full-time. This was the simplest and most challenging decision I have made. At the time, my husband was in-between full-time work, our boys were 3 & 5, and we were living with family. Perfect timing, right? Focusing fully on my coaching accreditation program (iPEC), and working through all of the ways you change careers and build a business (neither of which I had done before), while being a “stay-at-home” mom for the first time was a challenge and I loved being in that moment and doing something so different than what I had done before.
I worked with clients that I had known as students and staff members, as well as those that were referred to me. I was able to present at conferences, deliver keynotes, etc., while also working with a non-profit and providing coaching services for high school students. It has been a whirlwind of the past few years and I am so grateful for everyone who has supported me. I have truly been able to tap into my passion for helping others as strengths-based coach, helping to put them back into the drivers seat of their life. IT is amazing to see what people can do when they take just a short amount of time to intentionally focus on themselves and what they really want and need. Those “lightbulb” moments are simple awesome to witness.
No doubt there are lots of ways to grow this business and work with more people who are seeking intentionality and fulfillment in their lives. I am ready for the challenge and open to any and all opportunities.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Most things seem smoother upon reflection. But, yes and no. When the idea to pursue a new career in coaching clicked for me, it was a simple decision that I was prepared to make and never look back. The financial piece is always a concern and drives a lot of my decisions. It is a hard place work from, focusing on every dollar and feeling the pressure of supporting or contributing to your family’s bottom line. It also creates some pitfalls when trying to get clients and not wanting to seem desperate.
I have been fortunate in that I was able to create some supplemental income through my work with a non-profit that has allowed me to take some necessary risks in my business to be successful and to cultivate what I want. I am also very lucky to have an extremely supportive husband. He is a great sounding-board and my biggest cheerleader. In the face of all of the challenges, he helps me keep the eye n the prize-creating the life we want to live with our family.
It was smooth when I work with clients. When I am feeling “in the zone” coaching people, helping them to develop strategies, articulate their strengths, and feel positive about their life and next steps, there is no doubt that this is what I am meant to be doing. That has a certain sense of satisfaction and accomplishment that comes along with it.
Pendley Pickett Coaching & Consulting, LLC – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I am a strengths-based coach who primarily works with adults in transition. Transition can refer to any type of life transition and primarily focuses on career changes. The average adult changes careers, not just jobs but careers, seven times over their lifetime. It can be a very scary experience to change careers and dive into the unknown. We have to battle a lot of demons, overcome that voice in our head that tells us we are not as good as others, etc. I strive to help people focus on their strengths, articulate how they want to feel, what they want to have, and what they want to be doing in their life.
I am known for helping people gain clarity on their current situation and better articulate what they want in their next phase of life. I have worked with clients for a single session that have gone on and gotten the job of their dreams within one month of that conversation. Creating space, truly listening, and accurately reflecting what the client is saying is key to my work.
The field of life coaching, or coaching in general, is relatively new in terms of regulations and accreditations. There are many folks out there who do coaching in some form or fashion. Many of them do a great job. And many of them are simply offering advice and their perspective. Having become a certified coach through an accredited program, as well as bringing my years of experience in the education field as a manager, administrator, and leader certainly adds to my credentials and can help assure my clients I am legitimate.
I am most proud of the fact that I am out there doing this. It may sound hokey, but this path was not on my radar at all a few years ago. So to look back and see what I have been able to accomplish so far is a huge source of pride for me.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
There are two moments that come to mind for me.
Anytime I am asked to participate in programs or events for higher education, my former field, I feel a surge of pride. I have definitely experienced moments of self-doubt, of questioning my abilities and skills, asking myself, “Will I be able to do this?”. So it has been humbling as well as pride-inducing when I deliver content and coaching for my former industry. I am working on myself so that my worth is not tied to these experiences and I am also proud of that.
Recently, I was asked to participate in an event with a former student. Lara Smedley, of Smedley’s Events, was one fo the very first students that I advised and we have kept in contact over the years. It was a full circle moment to support her in being a part of her Sunset Dinner Experience. I was honored to be asked, proud to be a part of something so amazing, and truly in awe of where the path of the last few years has brought me.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.pendleypickett.com
- Phone: 303-916-0667
- Email: megan@pendleypickettcoaching.com
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/PendleyPickett
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