fbpx
Bank Your Knowledge

"Learn. Learn. Learn. The greatest competitive advantage for an entrepreneur is knowledge."

– Mark Cuban, billionaire, Shark Tank

Home

Back to start

START HERE

KNOWLEDGE PROFIT

Tamela’s Tips

Short & Sweet

TOOLS

Products I Love

BLOG

GET THE LATEST

My STORY

WHO IS TAMELA?

How A Professional Coach Got Me Unstuck & Into My Law Career

Cathy Beckett

SHARING IS CARING

The road to becoming a lawyer had its challenges but it was the Bar Exam, waiting for me at the end of three years of law school that had me facing some inner weaknesses which were so profoundly overcome with the help of a professional coach.

After All the Work of Law School, Was I Not Going to be a Lawyer After All?

Law school graduates have plenty of warning that a Bar Exam is no cakewalk.  By the time I had taken a Bar Exam more than once in one state, while trying to make ends meet, and staring at a $125K loan repayment plan, I was in great despair over whether I would ever be a practicing attorney.  I was working again as a law clerk, paralegal, and instructor at a court reporting school, and thinking:

“I didn’t have to go to law school for these jobs.”

It was while I was going through Financial Peace University by Dave Ramsey in a small group at church, trying to tackle the debt load, that I was introduced to a life coach who offered to help me study for the bar.  Did I mention that she was a retired physical therapist by profession?

In reflection, I had two career goals:  Teacher and Lawyer.  The first came easily but occurred second in time.  With degrees in English and Biology, it might seem clear, but it just was not.  I bounced around after college from job to job as a paralegal, administrative assistant, and several other support roles.

“As a paralegal, I kept thinking I could do MORE.” 

I experienced some health issues along the way and after those were resolved, I felt strong and motivated to apply to law school at age 37.   Law school itself can be fully understood and vicariously experienced in the reading of ONE L by Scott Turow.

Needless to say, I graduated from law school which as I was soon to find out, was only the beginning of more inner testing.

The Professional Coach Forced Me to Deal with the Real Issues

It was August and the Bar Exam was in February of the following year. We met every week, and as I remember, we didn’t talk about Bar Exam content so much as we talked about my fear of failure, insecurities, frustrations, past hurts, and the like.

If I had $5 for every time she kept me from quitting my day job, which she assured me would put me in a worse situation than the hole I was in, I would be a millionaire.

If I had given her $5 for every time I yelled at her and cried over issues she addressed, she would be a millionaire, although I think she was anyway. She was only a few years older than I was.

I Was Lonely, in a Job I Hated, and the Obstacle Before Me Felt Insurmountable

I was lonely, in a non-legal job I detested, and came home every evening to my desk in the middle of the living room with 100 pounds of bar study materials that I was re-using, hoping they would be sufficient for Bar Exam passage in another state, where I had decided it was time to move (My dad had recently had a stroke).

One specific meeting I remember she had me read aloud from Anne Lamott’s book, Bird by Bird.  Almost 25 years later, I still remember that as part of my Bar Exam study curriculum!

I’m still puzzled by how it all worked, except to say, God was showing me through my professional coach that our hurdles and roadblocks are often not the things themselves, but rather, me/myself!

I never want to go through that experience again, even with an angelic being for a professional life coach.

That two-to-three month waiting period for Bar Exam results was nearly as painful as the study marathon, but when I saw PASS, the rest of the story is history.

“Professional coaches are life-givers, and I am forever grateful to mine.”

SHARING IS CARING

0 Comments

CREATE A PROFITABLE COURSE

(Using Knowledge You Already Have)

    PURPOSE: Follow Your Fit™

    Choose Your 3 Core Values and Practice Them Like Ben Franklin

    Consciously Define Your 3 Core Values & Consciously Practice Them Groucho Marx, the famed comedian said, “Those are my principles and if you don’t like them…well, I have others.” The reason that’s funny is because principles are bedrock values—ones that you live...

    PUNISHED FOR YOUR STRENGTHS at Work? 5 Ways to Follow Your Fit™

    Albert Einstein said, “Everybody is a genius.  But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”  This is the Science of Fit™. We are often punished for our strengths when we are in an environment that...

    HOW TO FIND YOUR CALLING FROM GOD: 7 Truths about Your Purpose

    One of the most challenging, but also one of the most important things, we will ever do as believers who strive to follow God’s will is to discern His calling or purpose on our lives. How do we know what God has planned for us? What if we make the wrong choices? Will...

    CAREER CHANGE AT 40: 4 Famous Case Studies That Prove You Can Do It

    Making a career change at 40 can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. With the right attitude and support, you can make a successful transition to a new field. First, understand the reasons why you’re making the change. Are you bored, burned out, or are you...

    PROFIT: Bank Your Course™

    Your Business Growth Plan (How the Magic 10:1 Ratio Works)

    After over twenty years of owning my own business, I will share with you the Magic 10:1 Ratio I wish I had understood when I started my business. Your Growth Plan:  10-1 Ratio When asked how I started my business, I joke that I started my business on faith,...

    PUNISHED FOR YOUR STRENGTHS at Work? 5 Ways to Follow Your Fit™

    Albert Einstein said, “Everybody is a genius.  But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”  This is the Science of Fit™. We are often punished for our strengths when we are in an environment that...

    12 TYPES OF KNOWLEDGE You Need to Create Your Course

    Did you know that having the right knowledge can dramatically impact your success and your income? There are 12 types of knowledge and each one matters. Having the right kind of knowledge can help you create an engaging course that would ensure the success of both the...

    Use Your EXPERT POWER to 10x Your Consulting & Course Fees

    Influence and Income are Only Two of the Advantages of Expert Power Today’s top digital content course creators, like Sherpas, help others reach incredible heights.   You can make a big difference in people's lives Sherpas are trusted guides and guides for the climb...

    8 Ideal Traits of an Epic Instructor Who Loves to Teach

    Most of us, somewhere in our lifetime, has been the recipient of great teaching and have sat under the tutelage of a great instructor.  Today Lifelong Learning is a must.  Everyone in every professional community will be asked at some time to fill one or both...

    PUBLICITY: Multiply Your Markets™

    Choose Your 3 Core Values and Practice Them Like Ben Franklin

    Consciously Define Your 3 Core Values & Consciously Practice Them Groucho Marx, the famed comedian said, “Those are my principles and if you don’t like them…well, I have others.” The reason that’s funny is because principles are bedrock values—ones that you live...

    FACE YOUR FEARS: 4 Key Ways to Be Set Free (& Stay That Way)

      Facing Your Fears can be the most liberating choice you ever make. Kathy Kliner was attacked in the Chi Omega house by Ted Bundy.  She was one of the ones who survived.  She said "After I got attacked, I was afraid of men.  It was something that I didn't want...

    The Persuasive POWER OF WORDS: 10 Hacks to Be a Powerful Word Ninja

    Mark Twain said the difference between the right word and almost the right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug.  I wish my Mom and I had known Mr. Twain.  I think he could have helped us.   It was the 1960s.  My mother was trying to...

    Categories