Erica's Journey: From Educator to Empowering Parenting Coach
In the bustling world of education, Erica Kesilman yearned for a deeper understanding and connection within the classroom and in her personal life. Her transition from a seasoned educator to a passionate parenting coach through her business, EK Coaching and Somatic Therapies, marks a remarkable journey of personal growth and professional transformation.
A New Path
Erica spent nearly two decades in the educational field, with extensive knowledge in child development, child psychology, and human development. Despite her expertise, she faced personal struggles in early childhood parenting with her daughter, which ignited a longing to understand behavior patterns more deeply. This quest for understanding and making conscious, value-aligned choices for her family led her to the Jai Institute's conscious parenting approach.
“I wanted to operate from a place of understanding and have more confidence in my parenting,” Erica recalls. “The tools and community provided by the Jai Institute were revolutionary and forward-thinking, helping me get to the root of behaviors, not just on the surface but beneath it.” She continues, “As a homeschooling mom, I'm now able to fit my business into my parenting by getting very clear on what's most important to me and the family.”
The Importance of Parent Coaching
From Erica's perspective as an educator, parent coaching is paramount. Traditional education systems often focus on modifications to intellectual and surface-level behavior. In contrast, the Jai Institute integrates evidence-based resources from attachment science, psychosomatics, and neuroscience. This comprehensive approach provided Erica with the tools to deeply understand her reactions and responses, transforming her view of human relationships and behaviors.
“By incorporating the mind and body, we can understand behaviors that are symptoms of the nervous system,” Erica explains. “Staying at the surface level can lead to roadblocks and even harm. The conscious parenting approach offers a complete picture of the human relational system, facilitating connection, peace, and harmony.”
Building a Practice from the Ground Up
Upon graduating from the Jai Institute, Erica built her practice with a community-first mindset. She began by identifying the needs and challenges within her community, drawing from her journey and the experiences of friends and family. This grassroots approach allowed her to address immediate needs by offering free talks, workshops, and resources.
“Face-to-face relationships are powerful,” Erica emphasizes. “Social media is helpful, but it's crucial to practice patience and grow your business in a way that aligns with your value system and personal needs.”
Balancing her business with homeschooling her children required clear prioritization and support systems. Erica emphasizes the importance of carving out dedicated time for family and business, ensuring she remains present and attuned to her children's needs while growing her coaching practice.
The Path to Becoming a Successful Parenting Coach
The most important aspect of any service-based business is the quality you can provide, which is even more important when your work impacts children and families.
As a coach, it is vital that you’ve walked the path that you’ll be guiding your future clients down. Therefore, as a parenting coach, your personal growth and transformation are the foundation of your confidence and certainty that you can support growth and transformation in others.
Erica shares that “it comes down to a matter of deep understanding of your own patterning and reactions and responses. With that understanding, there's a huge transformation in how you look at the world and how you look at human relationships or behaviors.”
Through your own experiences of the benefits of coaching, being coached, and watching others be coached (because no two families are alike!), you’ll begin to integrate the importance of coaching when it comes to shifting reactive, conditioned behavior patterns in adults.
Evolution of Her Coaching Business
Over the past five years, Erica's coaching business has evolved significantly. Transitioning from an educational background to a coaching role required a shift from a hierarchical, top-down approach to a co-creative, curiosity-driven model. This shift emphasized presence and attunement, allowing Erica to guide her clients toward their truth and aspirations.
“For me, it was about learning a new skill – being present and attuned to my clients,” Erica reflects. “This presence helps guide them in powerful ways, closer to their truth and what they want to create for their lives.”
Erica's passion for somatic work and neuroscience led her to further her certifications, enriching her coaching practice with a deeper understanding of the mind-body connection. This expanded knowledge base has allowed her to support her clients more effectively, offering a holistic approach to their personal growth and family dynamics.
Resilience and Growth
Building a business from the ground up comes with challenges, including rejection and setbacks. However, Erica's resilience and commitment to her vision have been instrumental in her growth. She emphasizes the importance of understanding that failures and rejections are common in entrepreneurship, especially for those new to the field.
“It's empowering to overcome common hurdles,” Erica shares. “Now, I'm in a space where I can support a wider audience on a bigger scale.”
The Heart of Coaching
You can feel Erica’s passion for her work, fueled by the transformative impact she witnesses in her clients. The profound changes in their relationships with their co-parents, children, and themselves bring immense satisfaction and fulfillment.
“Seeing someone's heart open up and connect deeply with their family is heart-expanding,” Erica says, her voice filled with emotion. “It's hard to put into words how amazing it is to witness such transformations.”
Erica's journey from educator to parenting coach is a testament to the power of understanding, resilience, and heartfelt connection. Her business, EK Coaching, and Somatic Therapies, continues to thrive, driven by her passion for empowering parents and fostering lifelong curiosity and growth in children.
For those considering a similar path, Erica's story is an inspiring example of how personal struggles can lead to profound professional transformations, ultimately positively impacting families and communities.
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