Today we’d like to introduce you to Candice Kingston.
Candice, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Teaching and coaching have been in my blood for as long as I can remember. Before I was old enough to go to school, I would play “teacher” and have my list of students and sit with my feet through the stairs as my desk, calling their names for attendance. I used to go to all of the teachers at my elementary school and ask if I could “work” for them. I would grade papers and put up their bulletin boards and they would pay me $2 or take me to Taco Bell! I was also a serial entrepreneur, starting several businesses. I created babysitting kits I would take with me to my babysitting jobs around age 11, potpourri sachets I would sell door to door, and a “Rent-a-Kid” business offering pet sitting and house sitting.
I always knew I wanted to help people so I chose a degree in Psychology. I started my family at a young age and I stayed home with my three boys for a few years. I went back to work, first in sales and then made my way to health insurance as an account manager. I worked for several different brokerage firms around Denver. We moved to Santiago, Chile for a year for my husband’s job and I thought we’d be there much longer. When we came back to Denver, I was adamant that I would not work in health insurance again, yet, I found another account management job. I loved my clients, training HR professionals on their benefits and how to help their employees and being the expert. I did not love being chained to a desk and stuck behind a computer reviewing contracts or entering data regarding my clients. I wanted to be out there collaborating with them, strategizing and brainstorming.
All along, I knew it wasn’t what I was meant to do but I couldn’t see a way out. I started doing some health coaching on the side, setting up Facebook groups to hold women accountable and they started to see results. I was so surprised when they would thank me for their progress. I thought to myself, I’m not much of a gym rat, what else could I coach people in that I’d be more interested in?
One thing I was sure of, despite not being a good account manager, I was an excellent student of how NOT to run a company. Most of my bosses were so dis-engaged and had very little time for talking to the employees. There were always lists of values and missions on the wall in the break room, but they were so long, I couldn’t even read them all while getting my coffee, let alone remember one to follow or carry with me as I answered my clients’ calls or did my work. I had one boss who spent the entire weekly meeting on his phone, scrolling, and texting and if someone asked him a question, he’d ask to have it repeated. I knew that culture started at the top, and also has to come from the bottom – to meet in the middle.
I was fired from most of my jobs because I was a square peg trying to fit into a round hole. I came to realize the problem: I was not aligned with the values of the companies I was choosing to work for. I didn’t fit because we didn’t have the same goals or mission. When I was interviewed to see if I fit with their “culture,” I should have seen the red flag when they explained it as being all the free coffee I could drink and that I could wear jeans every day.
Wherever you go you take yourself with you. I soon realized that those roles were not for me and that was ok. I would be ok if I found a different career path. I became a certified Energetic Leadership Coach through a program called iPEC. It is a program based on raising the consciousness of leaders so that they are not living in a myopic space of the corner office but rather understanding that all people show up with different energetic levels (think Eyeore vs. Tigger) and how you choose to show up will impact the whole team. I fell in love with the process because it explained so much of the struggles I saw in my previous bosses, and bosses’ bosses, all the way up the chain as well as holding the mirror up to my own shortcomings.
While still in my corporate job, I slowly built my client roster. I was hoping to build it to a place to replace my salary, but the universe had different plans and I ended up on my own once again, so I had to scramble!
Has it been a smooth road?
As I started to say, no! I would have amazing months, and then not one penny for two months, it was up and down! I know that the entrepreneurial journey is crazy from 1st hand experience. But, sooner or later the up months start to be more than the down months. I think some of my struggles – or really my main struggle was having consistent revenue from client work. I was able to do some consulting, speaking, and other work for clients but 1:1 coaching is a tough sell: Everyone can benefit from it, most people need it, and no one wants to pay for it! Even people that are very personal development oriented have a hard time admitting that things aren’t going so well and they could use some help. Or even to have a desire to increase their performance and reach their next level and to invest in themselves. Obviously, learning to show my value has been a way to cut through those objections and usually, if someone is on a call with me, they are there for a reason and it’s my job to determine whether or not I can help them bridge the gap from where they are today to where they want to be.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
My business is primarily built around a 1:1 coaching model. I work with small business CEO’s to take their business to the next level. I also work with middle managers to help them navigate the pressure from the top and the pressure from their teams, while still focusing on their own goals for success. In many of the group coaching programs and individual client engagements, we activate my proven and highly-effective Four Step System:
1. Identity Inventory: Deep dive discovery to identify and uncover what’s holding you back.
2. Set your Vision: Unpack, organize and prioritize your goals.
3. Execution Plan: We create an executable roadmap that includes daily/weekly/monthly activities to hit your goals according to plan.
4. Optimization and Sustainability: We optimize your execution plan and modify your habits/rituals to create an accountability plan that enables longevity.
I also have expanded my product offering to include a subscription-based model for masterminds. Private coaching is just not feasible for some professionals and I wanted to provide another option – a hybrid between a mastermind and coaching. A mastermind, according to Napolean Hill, is “the coordination of knowledge and effort of two or more people, who work toward a definite purpose, in the spirit of harmony.” I have created a community of small business owners and executives who are looking for accountability to increase their productivity and effectiveness, as well as increasing their skills as a leader, usually with a shared goal of increasing revenue. The purpose of the group is to have like-minded individuals with whom to share goals, questions and struggles to get feedback, support and an outsider’s perspective. One thing I have noticed most of my clients say is that they need a non-biased perspective and accountability as well as the ability to still have access to a coach for more specific issues.
I am most proud of my clients and the results that they are achieving. I am a guide for their journey, but it is all of their hard work and knocking down roadblocks that creates the success they realize. I have seen clients peel back their masks and become the best version of themselves, I have seen them get promotions into leadership roles without college degrees, I have seen them increase revenues by over 400%! It’s not easy work. It takes courage and strength to uncover some of the past emotions you have carried with you for so long and to understand they are no longer serving you and actually the one thing standing in your way to success. I believe that being an entrepreneur is the hardest thing I’ve ever done (apart from having three teenagers). I am really proud of my tenacity (some might say stupidity) and how hard I’ve worked. Every time I receive a note from a client or hear a great aha they had on a call, I am proud of the work I do. Despite how long it has taken to get to where I am, I am proud of myself. But believe me, I’m not done yet!
What sets me apart are my own values (something I coach my clients on – is finding their values): having fun, curiosity, and a strong sense of servant leadership – always asking, how can I add value? Who can I meet today that I can provide a boost for? I also find that my quest for creating a life I love is centered around fulfillment. For me, that is defined by experiences, contribution, and growth.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I love Denver! I was born in Cape Town, South Africa, and my parents immigrated when I was only four. I became a citizen at age 12. I have always loved Colorado but never considered myself a native – Denverites have very strict rules about that, as they should! I love the seasons, the weather here is perfect. I also love the distinct neighborhoods around Denver.
We are in West Wash Park. People often think we are in Baker, but noooo… you have to be very careful! Ha! We have been in our house for 23 years and have seen a ton of changes around Broadway. The restaurant scene is amazing and the whole vibe is way more energetic. We have even benefited from those local businesses employing our kids. I guess as far as what I like least, I would say the rampant homelessness, lack of affordable housing, and I’ll throw in traffic – misery loves company! I actually don’t mind traffic because it’s when I listen to my audiobooks or podcasts!
Contact Info:
- Address: 277 Sherman Street Suite 300
Denver, CO 80203 - Website: www.kingstoncoaching.
com - Phone: 720-201-2573
- Email: candice@
kingstoncoaching.com - Instagram: https://www.
instagram.com/candicegill/ - Facebook: https://www.
facebook.com/groups/ findyourfocusfast/
Image Credit:
Kelly Shroads
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