Unlock Your Authentic Self: Prioritization Tools for Life's Challenges Thru Pro Coaching

Ever wondered what happens when sports coaching expertise meets life coaching? Laura Pollard of LifeCoachForYou.US joins us to share her fascinating journey from college basketball and softball coach to certified life coach helping individuals and couples find their authentic selves.

Laura reveals how she transformed her coaching skills into a thriving practice using a unique, copyrighted prioritization tool that sets her apart in the industry. This powerful framework helps clients identify what truly matters and create actionable paths forward. She expertly dispels common misconceptions, explaining that unlike counseling, life coaching focuses on accountability and forward momentum rather than deep psychological analysis.

One of Laura's surprising strengths is couples coaching, where she's helped approximately 25 couples since 2018 work through communication issues—which she identifies as the number one cause of relationship struggles nationwide. Her approach is methodical yet compassionate, meeting with each partner individually before bringing them together for joint sessions. Whether working with university students in Wyoming or connecting virtually with clients across state lines, Laura maintains her judgment-free philosophy that "everybody has their own journey." Her mission to guide people to their authentic selves resonates throughout every aspect of her practice.

Curious about finding your own authentic path or improving your relationship's communication? Connect with Laura through her website lifecoachforyou.us, on social media, or by calling 307-314-9792 to discover how her unique prioritization tools can transform your life's journey.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The place where local businesses and neighbors come
together.
Here's your host, Nick.

Speaker 2 (00:05):
George, welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast.
We're back in the studio withLaura Pollard of
LifeCoachForYouus and we had acouple of technical difficulties
in our first two attempts tostream on our social media and
hers, and we're not giving up.
The third time's the charm.
We're using a differentinternet connection this time,

(00:27):
so we're powering through.
Laura, when we left off, youwere introducing me to the
concept that life coaches arecertified, at least sometimes.

Speaker 1 (00:37):
So would you go ahead and tell us about your business
and elaborate on that processand, if it's necessary, yeah, I
went to Texas but the lifecoaching certification process
was out of the Life CoachInstitute of California and that
was in 2017.

(00:58):
And then I came back here toLaramie Wyoming and started
about 2018.

Speaker 2 (01:08):
And I do individual life coaching as well as couples
coaching and you said that wasthe biggest surprise in Texas
when you're getting certified isthat you had a natural talent
for the couples aspect ofcoaching.

Speaker 1 (01:19):
Yeah, what they did down there is you went through
all these different like doing abusiness coach all the
different areas of life coaching, and when I did the life
coaching, the instructor wasactually a couples coach and she
said you're a natural for this.
So I started that up when I gotback from there and I've had

(01:42):
about 25 couples in the lastsince 2018, which I think is
pretty good.

Speaker 2 (01:48):
Do they come in with a genuine interest to stay
together or do they come in liketaking two cats to the vet and
you make it work?

Speaker 1 (01:56):
Most of it is they already know.
In most marriagescommunications is like and I
think nationally is the numberone reason.
People you know we talk aboutfinances, other reasons for
divorce, but they come inbecause they're having
communications issue.
Maybe that seven year itch andI actually utilize things that I

(02:17):
did in my own marriage when Iwent to a couple's retreat after
.
That's why I say the seven yearitch after seven years of
marriage where we wanted toimprove on things.

Speaker 2 (02:30):
Yeah, I didn't know that was an issue.
I'm two years away.
Thanks for the warning.
So you told me how you got intothis business, so I want to ask
you that question again.
You were a sports coach and youtook the successes from what
you learned in that industry andyou transcribed them over to
this right.

Speaker 1 (02:48):
Correct, I coached college basketball and for the
first seven years at NorwichUniversity I also coached
college softball.
I also was on student councilsdifferent things as a supervisor
for those programs, so I hadaccess to, to the student body
in higher education as well.

(03:10):
And I already had the tools, myprioritization tools
copyrighted.
My husband devised it but putit in my name because I've
utilized it through the yearsand so that's kind of the
umbrella to.
No matter what issue peoplecome in, I have them do that
prioritization tool to startwith.

Speaker 2 (03:29):
What are some myths or misconceptions in the
industry of life coaching?

Speaker 1 (03:34):
That it's counseling.
There are, and I think when Iwent to that certification
program there were people thatwere counselors, that were
transitioning to life coachesand vice versa.
But I think that's the myth.
I always tell life coaching isfor.
You know, I'm going to getpersonal information from people

(03:55):
, but my goal is to help them beaccountable for the goals that
they say they want and for theissues they want resolved.
So it's up to a life coach tosit there and differentiate and
say, ok, let's move on.
I don't need to know all thatinformation.
We just need to know how to getyou where you want to go.

Speaker 2 (04:17):
Forgive my listening disability if you already said
this, but is certificationrequired for life coaching?

Speaker 1 (04:24):
It is not, but I'm under the guise through the
years of get as much educationand knowledge as you can,
especially if you want to helppeople.
So I constantly read and go toseminars and even take college
courses.
Still, you know, I'm a lifelonglearner.

(04:45):
Put it that way.

Speaker 2 (04:48):
We know that marketing is the heart of every
business.
So who are your targetcustomers and how do you attract
them now?

Speaker 1 (04:57):
I mainly have students at the University of
Wyoming.
Here we also have WyoTech, sothat has been my main thrust.
But I do the individual thingstoo as well, and that's what I
market is the prioritizationtool that I have something no

(05:19):
other life coach has that can isunique and that can help an
individual.
And of course I advertise forcouples coaching as well, and
even in the couples coachingI'll meet with the couple
individually for the firstsession so that I can do the
prioritization tool and get toknow them before I bring the
both of them together and startwith the couples coaching.

Speaker 2 (05:43):
Have you ever thought about doing your own podcast?

Speaker 1 (05:46):
I have several times.
This is my first.
I'm glad you guys reached outbecause you know I've had a
young lady here in town thatdoes a lot of my advertising.
But yeah, I need to do that.
I think I have a lot to offer.
But you know, the tech part ofit, as we witnessed today even
though I don't think that's myfault is all things I'm trying

(06:10):
to manifest.

Speaker 2 (06:12):
If Fort Collins customers, our Fort Collins
listeners mainly, are the peoplethat find us, if they wanted to
reach out to you and work withyou, could they do that
virtually or do they need tocome to Wyoming I?

Speaker 1 (06:25):
can do it virtually.
I've done Google Meets a lot.
I've also gone down to FortCollins a couple of times
because I had some formerstudents here that went to
Laramie High School, that wentdown to CSU.
But yeah, I can reach out, Ilike in person, we all do, but I

(06:45):
definitely I think COVIDbrought on that, the Zoom.
Like I said, I like GoogleMeets better.
It seems like you can talklonger and do more things.
And then the tools that I have,I just either get that to
people by mail or through a filein an email outside of work.

Speaker 2 (07:04):
What do you do for fun?

Speaker 1 (07:08):
life coaching, like I'm always thinking, and it
might sound kind of funny, buteven as a basketball coach I
can't go by a playground and seea kid shooting and not like try
to improve his game.
Can I help you out a little bit, or you have a good shot.
Um other than that, my dogLucky Lou.

(07:28):
He's just with me all the time,and that's what's great about
working from home.

Speaker 2 (07:34):
Awesome, Laura.
Please tell our listeners onething, one takeaway that they
should absolutely remember aboutlifecoach4uus.

Speaker 1 (08:06):
One takeaway.
I guess I'd go with my missionvision statement, and the
mission is to help guide peopleto their authentic self.
And then the vision part ofthat is everybody has their own
journey and my whole life hasbeen about free of judgment.
So when people I have to becareful.
Sometimes, when people come in,it's like it's not that I do
have empathy and sympathy, butbecause I'm so set on, the
expectation is to find theirchoosing of what they want to do
and correct their life.
Was that kind of answered, Ithink?

Speaker 2 (08:27):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (08:30):
Um, was that kind of answered?
I think yeah, yeah.
So so again, with the visionstatement, I have the tools to
get somebody to to thatauthentic self.

Speaker 2 (08:36):
How can our listeners learn more about Life Coach For
you?
I know obviouslylifecoachforyouus, but you also
have some social media presence.
And then a field fashion way ofphone number 307-314-9792.

Speaker 1 (08:59):
And then on that number that's just to leave a
message and then I get backright away.
Yeah, and then I do have apresence on Life Facebook.