We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jon Handelman a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Jon, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
Confidence is a big issue for many people that I’ve coached. It comes from finding your inherent worth and value, and getting past the negative self talk that we all learn d growing up. Something that has been helpful for me has been doing things I’m proud of, like a creative project or volunteering for a cause. Both make me feel better about who I am.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I get as real with people as I can. We sit and talk about any pain that has not been fully expressed or resolved and find ways to express it. We talk about how to be more present in daily life, and how to get more enjoyment out of life. We vision about the future and talk about goals and dreams and make actionable plans to get there. And we have as much fun with all of this as we can.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
1. How to feel at ease with people. 2. How to be curious and not try to impose my own idea of what someone’s path is.
3. How to unconditionally love.
The advice I have for someone on their journey of being a coach is to keep going when you inevitably make a mistake. This can look like saying something that the client finds hurtful, offensive, or inappropriate. That can be very discouraging. Allow it to be informative.
Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?
Nonviolent Communication by Marshall Rosenberg. Even after many years and dozens of books, I cannot recommend it enough. Easy to learn, hard to master. Transformative and effective teachings from a true master.
A nugget that stays with me is “connection before correction” meaning connect with someone’s heart first and fully before going on to reflection, suggestion, or action.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jonhandelman.com
