I practiced law for many years and stepped away after my second child was born to spend time as a…read morefull-time caregiver. When I started to think about how and when I would re-enter the workforce, I hit a mental block. I didn't know if I wanted to go back to lawyering or to pivot to something new. I also wasn't sure how I would focus my career exploration, in light of the time constraints of being home all day with two small kids. I engaged Merideth for a 3 month coaching program to help me navigate these challenges, and I am so thankful for my experience with her.
Merideth helped me gain clarity about what I want my life to look like once both my children are in grade school, and how I want my work to fit into that vision. Through working with Merideth, I was able to assemble a list of career "non-negotiables" with respect to the skills I want to use, the values I want my work to reflect, and the way I'd like to structure my work schedule. Moreover, Merideth and I fleshed out concrete ways of exploring my interests in small, focused steps, and compiled a list of concrete career ideations about which I am truly excited.
In addition to helping focus my career planning, Merideth helped me work on my mindset. Even though I am an accomplished person who has met "long shot" goals in the past, it is a major challenge for me to imagine I can curate a career I am passionate about, and in which I have control over my time and energy expenditures. Merideth helped me with this mindset shift (and I continue to work on it). Merideth also taught me about the "negative tapes" we all play in our minds, and how it is possible to re-record them. Doing this work required more vulnerability and self-reflection than I initially anticipated, but it has empowered me to indulge interests I'd long dismissed as "impractical," and to see new possibilities for myself.
Merideth is warm, friendly, caring, and a great listener. She is also an excellent accountability partner. The process of completing her Career Compass exercises was so thorough, I have peace of mind that I have left no stone unturned in examining my values, skills, and preferences. I am also so grateful to her for continually reminding me of what is possible, and that I am capable of having a satisfying career that is compatible with the personal demands of this season of my life. Thank you, Merideth!