Today we’d like to introduce you to Kerri McManus.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I moved from New England to Southern California about 20 years ago to pursue a career in TV production. Having spent a few years in the entertainment industry, I decided to shift gears after the company I worked for abruptly closed their doors without paying their employees. I was fortunate to find a job in higher education, advising students who were focused on interning in the entertainment industry.
For a number of years, this internship program operated with a small staff and gave me the opportunity to wear a few different professional hats. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was coaching students on some level before I became a certified coach. This experience gave me insight into all aspects of the student experience, from academics to residence life, as well as the new challenges that students faced as they stepped into a new city and industry for the first time. As a result, I took a holistic approach to each student’s experience and how best to work with them. I feel like I earned a Master’s Degree in life transition with these students.
In 2014, the scope of the program changed and my job shifted. I knew it was time to make a career change, so I worked with a coach to clarify my next steps. As we walked through the process, I realized that I wanted the coach’s job! I knew that I would need further training, so I enrolled in the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC) and completed my certification the following year.
Since then, I’ve had the chance to coach many young creative and mid-career professionals on their life and career goals and I’ve developed and facilitated workshops on career road mapping, time and stress management, gratitude & intention, as well as values & strengths. I also had the honor of working as an Assistant Training Coach to my coach mentor in the classroom, as she trained new coaches.
I’ve made the shift from full-time higher education administrator to solopreneur slowly. I love working with creatives and helping them identify their values and strengths and create work and career harmony that’s most fulfilling for them.
Has it been a smooth road?
I’ve definitely hit some potholes and taken some detours on the road! When I moved 3,000 miles away from home and family, I didn’t have a clear picture of what I wanted to do. I had to ask myself why I made that choice and I’ve asked all kinds of questions at different times in my life. Why am I here? What’s my purpose? Why am I spending my time in this job or in these relationships? These “big life questions” kept me up at night.
I started to understand that I was asking these questions because part of my purpose is to help others understand and appreciate their own gifts, so that they can find more meaning in all aspects of their lives. I’ve asked the questions that my clients have been asking themselves.
My advice for other women, especially younger women, is to trust yourself and don’t compare yourself to others. As an entrepreneur or innovator you cannot follow the path that someone else has set. Your job is to begin to understand your own operating system and create the path that’s uniquely yours. Take the advice and suggestions of others with gratitude, but discern which pieces you’d like to incorporate into your journey and which pieces may not work for you. If you take a “wrong turn,” you can always make another choice. Use each experience you have to learn and grow and you’ll find your way.
In my experience, I find there are far more people who don’t know where they’re headed than those who do have a clear picture and that’s okay. If you don’t know which way to go, then following your curiosity is a great way to start on your journey. Every experience you have can give you a better understanding of yourself and the world around you. And the best question you can ask yourself in any experience is, “What can I learn from this situation?”
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Kerri McManus Coaching – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I specialize in working with creative professionals and I’m adept at working with those who are highly sensitive. I believe that each one of us is an artist and the greatest masterpiece we all have in front of us is our own life. Being a word geek, I always loved that the antiquated form of the verb “to be” is “art”. As in, “Thou art.” My purpose is to help you find who your inner artist truly is and how you want to express yourself in this life—to discover, “How great thou art!”
As a highly sensitive, empath myself, I work with both practical and unorthodox tools for transformation. I use values and strengths assessments as well as meditation, oracle cards, and sound healing tools, which may seem a little “woo-woo” for some, but can create a space to relax and empower clients.
What advice would you give to someone at the start of her career?
The best advice I can give is to relax and trust the process. You’re doing better than you think you are. Be gentle with yourself as you learn and grow. Speak and treat yourself with kindness, compassion, and encouragement.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kerrimcmanus.com
- Phone: 424-241-0205
- Email: http://www.kerrimcmanus.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kerrimcmanuscreative/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kerrimcmanuscoaching/
Image Credit:
Jim Morris
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