Putting life in new perspective

ROLF BOONE

Monica Crawford was at her part-time job in downtown Olympia one day when a customer walked in who changed her life. The customer, a woman, was so excited about her own career as a life coach that Crawford took note.

“I want that,” she thought at the time.

That set Crawford on a new career path. She enrolled in a yearlong program to become a life coach, studying with Accomplishment Coaching of San Diego in Seattle. She has now been a life coach for two years and has had 12 to 15 clients, working with people who wanted a new direction in their life, whether it was with their career, relationship or a better sense of well-being. Being a life coach is not counseling, therapy or consulting, she said.

Instead of telling her clients what to do, she helps them set goals, provides accountability and raises questions that her clients can consider and answer as part of the self-discovery process to keep them moving forward. Her training also included information on when it might be best to refer a client to therapy or counseling.

Those signs include someone who is angry or sad, someone who constantly reflects on the past or is unwilling to move forward, she said.

Crawford, 49, works with her clients in person, on the phone or on the Internet via Skype, she said. She meets weekly with her clients and charges a monthly fee of $600. Crawford also offers hour-long sample sessions.

One of her clients was Lisa Cosmillo, the owner of a new yoga studio, retail store and cafe in downtown Olympia called Breathe at 601 Capitol Way S.

Cosmillo, 52, has worked in Thurston County real estate for many years, and continues to do so, but she’s also wanted to run her own business since she was in her 20s, she said.

Cosmillo was skeptical about meeting with a life coach, but her first meeting with Crawford produced such a long list of business goals that she came away impressed.

“If she can do that much for me in one hour, she could make me move a mountain,” Cosmillo said.

Cosmillo began work on the business in mid-July and opened the doors Oct. 1. Since then the business is close to breaking even – not making money just yet, but also not losing money.

“When I was down, she pushed me up, and when I was up, she pushed me higher,” said Cosmillo about her experience with Crawford.

Anew Coaching & Consulting LLC

Owner: Monica Crawford.

Service: Life coach.

Years in business: Two.

Location: Works from home, but is looking to get her own office space.

Hours: 8 a.m.-3 p.m. most days during the week. She works a shorter schedule on Mondays and Fridays.

Online: anewcoachingandconsulting.com is coming soon. Website is under construction, but it does show contact information.

Rolf Boone: 360-754-5403 rboone@theolympian.com theolympian.com/bizblog @rolf_boone