Jennifer Lee, author of The Right-Brain Business Plan, is a certified coach, writer, artist, yogini, and the founder of Artizen Coaching. Before pursuing her own passions full-time, she consulted for ten years for companies such as Gap Inc., Accenture, Sony, and HP, helping leaders and organizations manage change. Now she is on a mission to empower people to awaken their innate creativity and make a living doing what they love. When she’s not coaching, writing, or leading groups, she’s either painting up a storm, reading in her hammock, practicing yoga, making arts and crafts, or indulging in a midday nap (one of the fabulous perks of being self-employed). She made the leap from corporate America, when she realized she needed to ‘stop living my dream on the side’.
Today Jenn talks about her innovative new book, and what how she helps people live their dreams, in her role as a ‘life and business coach’.
What is a life and business coach? How did you end up becoming one?
As a life and business coach I help people to get clear on their goals and empower them to take action. I often use creative approaches to help them access their intuition and right-brain genius. My journey to becoming a coach started with me working with my first coach back in 2000. I got so much out of the process and thought that I would like to be a coach myself some day. I began my training and certification in 2003 while I was working full-time. In 2006 I finally made the leap to work for myself and haven’t looked back since.
What kind of challenges do you repeatedly find clients coming up against, and how do you coach them through?
People not trusting themselves, or thinking that they need to have everything figured out before taking action, people giving so much that they forget to take care of themselves or to pay attention to what they want and need. I help people get back in touch with their center, get clear about what’s important to them, and to make decisions and take action from their authentic self. I do that through asking powerful questions, guiding them through self-discovery processes often using creative approaches, and helping to hold them accountable to their commitments.
What is the most common thing that you see in people that they don’t see in themselves?
I think the most common thing is that people don’t realize how much they already know – whether it be about their business, about what they want in their life, their creativity, etc. They don’t always see that when they fully trust themselves and their intuition, they can move forward more quickly and with more ease and flow.
What do you like most about what you do?
That I get to help people live their dreams and live an authentic and fulfilling life and I get to do it in a way that aligns with my values and dreams.
Congratulations on your book launch! What was it like to write a book?
Writing a book has been quite a journey and I could write soooo much about what it’s been like! I think it’s been the most challenging endeavor that I’ve taken on to-date and it’s probably been one of the most exhilarating and fulfilling. It required a ton of focused, concentrated time and it was exciting to start seeing all of the pieces fit together. It was super gratifying to finally hold a copy in my hands for the first time.
What is it all about?
My book The Right-Brain Business Plan is a business book for creative thinkers who want an accessible, playful approach to launching and growing their business. I guide readers through a visual and creative process to identify their vision, stand out from the crowd, find their perfect customers, get the word out, manage the moola, develop action plans, and build your support team. The end result is a fun business plan that is both personally inspiring and visually compelling.
How will it help artists and other creatives?
The book encourages people to leverage their natural creative talents when it comes to business. The process gives people permission to start the visioning and planning with their right-brain first so that they stay inspired and engaged. And it outlines creative, right-brain approaches to doing some of the more left-brain tasks like the finances and action planning.
What is the most important piece of advice you have been given on your creative journey to date?
Probably the most valuable pieces of advice I got was from my high school speech coach who encouraged me to “be big.” That advice has served me well as I’ve stepped out own my own. It’s helped me get in touch with more confidence and trust my own voice.
What is your big creative dream?
I’m living into my creative dream now. I’m doing what I love and I get to help people do what they love, too. I see myself doing more of that with more ease and abundance. The BIG creative dream is about dialing everything up – way UP (and of course holding all of the details very lightly!).
***
The Right-Brain Business Plan: A Creative, Visual Map for Success is now available on Amazon. Through a series of right-brain exercises, illustrated worksheets, colorful images, and inspiring success stories, readers will learn to craft a visual business plan that gets the job done.
Find out more about Jenn on her coaching site, join her upcoming video summit or check out her book, the Right Brain Business Plan, or connect on Facebook or Instagram (@Jenn Lee)
***
See here for more interviews with inspiring people doing what they love.
***
