Hear Grace Vigeant’s story and how she is applying coaching skills in her career as a Career Coach.
Grace has pivoted her career several times: working in non-profit operations, agency project management, technical program management and finally, as a career coach helping others make empowered changes in their own careers. She works to normalize and celebrate pivots because the world continues to change and we continue to grow.
Please tell us about your background and work experience prior to starting the Leadership and Performance Coaching Certification Program.
I led project teams in the non-profit, agency, and tech sectors to create everything from live events for hundreds of people to web and mobile applications for thousands of users. My work has always been focused on bringing out the best in people to accomplish great, ambitious things together. I’m also a musician and make time to volunteer for organizations that improve our communities.
What led you to coaching?
In retrospect, I’ve been coach-like my whole life, but it wasn’t until I was paired with a Coach (Fabianna Tassini, an alumna of the ACT & Brown Coaching program) as part of a selective leadership development program at Squarespace that I truly understood what a Coach was. As part of my work with Fabianna, we clarified that helping people thrive was at the core of everything I did (my purpose) and that coaching is an incredible, natural way for me to do that.
Why did you choose the ACT/Brown Coaching Program?
I was looking for a true coaching curriculum, taught by experts in the field. The Instructor Led Training Modules and Self-Paced Learning helped me expand my toolkit and hone my skills. I also learn best by doing, so I appreciated opportunities to practice in both group and triad settings. It can be difficult to assess the effectiveness of coaching, so having live feedback in the group setting and 1:1 with a mentor was incredibly valuable. And finally, I wanted to join a diverse community of coaches with different styles and backgrounds so we could learn from and build off each other in this program and beyond.
What was your overall experience of the program? What is the most rewarding part of your coaching journey so far?
This was a fantastic program. It delivered on all of its promises and the instructors and mentors were truly top notch—both at their craft and as facilitators. I also felt like I had found “my people” throughout the three months working with my cohort. If it weren’t for this program, I would not have had the confidence to take the leap from corporate America to officially take my coaching work from side hustle to my own practice.
Tell us about the work you do now and how you are applying your coaching skills?
I have my own coaching practice focused on helping people design careers they love. My specialty is helping clients build awareness of their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors—then make changes that transform their lives and make a positive impact on the world. I use the “reactive to creative journey” and the concepts taught in this program (e.g. purpose, values, inner critic) every day to help my clients make meaningful progress. I also use what I learned to coach myself, and ensure I’m living my purpose, aligned with my values, and keeping my inner critic in check so I can show up for myself and others. Read more at https://bio.site/gracevigeant
About ACT
A Leadership and Performance Coaching company focused on developing exceptional leaders, helping leaders become Aware of their impact so they can make better Choices leading to Transformative results.
Our commitment to transformative learning, innovation and diverse thinking, and making an impact in the world is at the core of what we do. We are a family-owned, service-driven company who partners with the Brown University School of Professional Studies, organizations and government agencies to deliver our life changing programs.
ACT, in partnership with Brown University School of Professional Studies, an international leader in executive education, is excited to offer ACT’s ICF accredited Leadership and Performance Coaching Certification Program. ACT shares Brown University’s mission to develop reflective leaders, to effect change in the world, and to improve human welfare. https://actleader.com/
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