SHOW NOTES
Nicole Greer is a speaker, trainer, facilitator, and business coach. She believes everyone has untapped potential and wants everyone to bring their “genius to the world.” People reach out to her to help find their mission and calling.
People are often told what they “ought to be” when they are growing up. Nicole had this experience until about ten years ago when she discovered coaching. Her business, Vibrant Coaching, allows her to teach people how to “bring their skills to the party.”
Through Vibrant Coaching, she helps people “shine” by encouraging them to fulfill their purpose and calling. Work isn’t work to her, it’s joy. She wants to encourage people to find this joy through their purpose.
Many love to be “the helper” or the person to work for someone else—they find security in it. Others are hardwired to take risks—Nicole helps people find how they are wired. Nicole finds that we are all comprised of a personality, habits, and a belief system.
Outside of these is the learning zone. The learning zone is where our personalities, habits and beliefs are tested. These parts of us are tested when we step outside of our comfort zones. You become more capable, the more you step outside of your comfort zone.
The SHINE Methodology
S (Self-Assessment)
What’s your personality, what are the lessons you’ve learned, what excites you?
- Post World War II, the culture became centered on going to college and getting married. Nicole posits that this approach no longer fits our world.
- Many Baby Boomers are not satisfied with life—the idea of enjoying your job is foreign.
- Employers that are hiring want people who are passionate.
- When you are passionate about something, you really don’t have to “sell yourself” to a prospective client, your passion shines forth.
- People are attracted to us and our work when we do what we are passionate about.
H (Habit Work)
What are you habits? How do you decide to spend your time?
I (Integrity)
- Everyone thinks they are people of integrity, but until you claim the life you want to live, and your decisions are made according to the life you want, you fall short of living with integrity
- If I say I want to be thin and I eat a doughnut or I say I love my husband but talk bad about him, these actions place me outside of integrity
N (Next Right Steps)
- Goal Setting. You need to make achievable, realistic goals in the right direction.
E (Energy)
- Self Care–Learning to take care of intellectual, spiritual, financial, social, emotional, physical energies will help you better care for your family.
- If one of these six energies aren’t being paid attention, someone will feel exhausted and/or overwhelmed.
- If you pour yourself out, you’ve got to get re-filled.
- You have to be intentional about taking care of yourself, you can’t just “hope” that it will happen.
- It’s healthy for relationships to take time away from your loved ones to re-charge.
- Your family will enjoy being around you more once you’ve re-charged.
The Most Important Relationship Skill
Nicole feels being an active listener is the top relationship skill to possess. If you can help people feel safe to speak, it helps them have better relationships. This goes for marriages and for executives in the business world.
Leaders should not just give orders, but listen to those working for them. You need to understand a person’s thinking by listening. You will better understand their heart and core values this way.
Groups
People need to learn how to be a part of a group. They need to learn how to innovate and communicate together by aligning and honoring their missions.
Nicole uses “the vibrant elements” described by Lori Beth Jones in her book “The Four Elements of Success” to guide clients to become more productive with their pursuits, as well as to operate with more integrity. Elements such as Earth, Water, Wind, and Fire are descriptors used to describe personalities.
For example, Earth is slower, steady, and someone with Wind wants to do things quickly. Fire is heat, passion. People can clash when one is Earth and the other is Fire. Self-assessment helps to better respect each other’s differences, as well as help for each to get along better.
Nicole provides an example of two sisters who have a business together. One is a “Earth/Fire”, the other is a “Wind/Fire.” Normally this would create conflicts, but if the sisters are intentional about how they approach the other using their knowledge of their differences, they can be more productive.
The “Wind” sister can be prepared for lots of questions and need for information from her “Earth” sister. She can teach herself to slow down to accommodate her sister’s need to take it more slowly.
Metaphor of a Seed & the Four Elements of Success Personality Types
If you take a seed and plant it into the earth, you must water it, the sun must heat it up and the wind must pollinate the plant for new plants to grow.
Earth—solid foundation, a place to rest, stable, firmly planted
Water—great nurturer, supportive, accommodating, go with the flow
Sun–helps to grow things, they drive growth, heat things up, brings energy.
The Wind—carries the growth farther, someone who can make things grow and go beyond just that one thing (pollinates)
Speed Round:
Biggest stumbling block with God: Me
What is the best advice you’ve ever received: Ann Starrette, a retreat leader and the Director of Spiritual Formation at Davidson United Methodist Church described Nicole’s biggest issue as jumping to conclusions based on assumptions, wasting energy on things that may not even be true or worth the attention. She suggested that Nicole ask more questions of others to prevent wasting so much time and energy based on assumptions.
Who do you admire the most other than a biblical figure? Ann Starrette, the director of Spiritual Formation at Davidson United Methodist Church. Nicole attended a retreat that Ann led. You can learn more about Ann’s work with spiritual formation and retreats at www.thelydiagroup.com. Her mission is to provide a space to grow.
What is your favorite book (besides the Bible)? Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach. A book on gratitude.
What is your most effective relationship habit? Cooking. It creates a good atmosphere. It brings people around and creates conversation.
Parting Wisdom: Sit down, do some self-assessment, get the book “Simple Abundance”. Look at your habits, consider your character, ask yourself if you are living a life of integrity, and write some goals.
Resources:
Nicole Greer: www.vibrantcoaching.com 704-502-4953
Nicole@thevibrantcoach.com
Ann Starrette: Director of Spiritual Formation at Davidson UMC and creator of the Lydia Group. www.thelydiagroup.com
