Way back before the pandemic, I had an HR job as the Managing Director of People and Culture for an excellent non-profit organization. But I wasn’t happy. As a matter of fact, like so many people, during the pandemic, I reached a pretty advanced state of burn out. During 2021 I took time off to try to recharge. The problem was that it was an unexpectedly slow process. And I couldn’t figure out why. I had coach credentials and my own coaching business from 2013 to 2018, with mainly corporate clients, and had restarted that business in 2022 after leaving the HR job. And then a fellow coach invited me to a Bootcamp Pod for Positive Intelligence. That experience was truly life changing. Amazingly impactful. So, when I was invited to PQ coach training I said yes. By fall of 2022, I qualified to take pods (groups) of people through the Positive Intelligence 6-week bootcamps. And from that first Bootcamp pod, I knew I had found something that really clicked. I have never loved work more. (Which is saying a lot as I have always enjoyed people-focused work.)

The pandemic is wound all through my experience of the past few years, like most people. It caused us all to rethink what our work was and how stressful it had become. And for HR people, especially in small organizations, the daily challenges were pretty staggering in reorganizing everything about how the organization functioned to get daily work done and keep staff and visitors safe. It was pretty overwhelming. But then, after being off for a few months, I began to wonder how it was possible that I felt much better but still not normal,” as though burnout recovery was a much longer process than expected. Once I went through the Positive Intelligence bootcamp, I realized I was doing what we call “keeping my hand on the hot stove,” staying in negative mental thought patterns even though the stressful situation was no longer relevant. And I realized that type of response is not unusual. And it can become a habitual way to live, constantly mentally enlarging negative events so they become worse, harder to recover from, and robbing yourself of resilience.

And I thought, if doing this bootcamp had such a strong positive impact on my quality of life, sleep, wellness, and joy, what can it do for others? I had the thought, “I need to offer this to everyone.”

My own experience, absolutely but then quickly the experience of my clients. Once I had gone through the PQ coach training program and began bringing pod groups through the program, I got to see firsthand the amazing impact on the lives and work of my clients. Reduced stress, and anxiety, improved relationships, more peace and joy, more focus on self-care. 

My clients tell me everything from “this bootcamp has given me new insights into how my mind works and how I can manage it to work for me, rather than against me” to “Every aspect of life is better, and I am a different person now.” At work, it has helped clients prevent burnout, and reduce stress, achieving better balance. It has also improved their sleep and overall sense of wellness. I have also heard a lot more from clients about how life is better at work, at home, and in relationships and how parents are introducing PQ concepts to children. It truly is a gift to bring mental fitness to individuals, families and workplaces.

See above! Honestly, the impact is amazing for our clients, and the PQ community of staff and other independent PQ coaches like me is a terrific support system. Building a new business is hard even though I am blessed with a great network and support but doing it with my PQ muscles strong and charged up for the challenge is a true advantage.

No, I'm self-employed with my own business, Next Chapter, Mental Fitness Coaching. We are associated with Positive Intelligence and part of their trained international coach community. I do individual work and also work in partnership with other PQ coaches. You will see partner coaches listed on my site.

First,I highly recommend the book (see bottom para) as a great start. Booking a free consultation with me to review your results also gives you a lot of insight.

Next, I tell them to get ready for a complete change for the better. One of our last clients told us at her final meeting that not only did she achieve 80% of the goals she set for herself at the bootcamp, but she was also able to achieve something she would never have realized she needed. She said, “I rediscovered joy.” It was something that was part of her life, but too many years of stressful adulting somehow stripped her of the ability to truly feel that emotion. So, I tell people that anything is possible, and prioritizing this is truly the best thing you can do for yourself and others around you.

Finally, I make sure people understand that mental fitness is hard work, just like physical fitness, and it takes some determination and focus. It helps to be clear whatever work, life or well-being improvement goal they hold most dear. We call it Bootcamp for a reason. (I mean, we do make it fun, but changing the mental habits of a lifetime takes daily dedication.)

BOOK, WEBSITE, ASSESSMENTS:

As mentioned above, check out the book "Positive Intelligence" by Shirzad Chamine, review the PQ website, and, for those inclined, read the whitepaper at the heart of the research. Others are more curious about diving right in to take the assessments; see below.

Amazon.com : positive intelligence by shirzad chamine

PQ® Program: Positive Intelligence 

My 25+ years in HR were focused on helping managers be better managers, and that makes me all too aware of how much help managers need. The current climate of downsizing, with layoff after layoff, retention concerns, employees coming back to work in an office, lack of staff engagement, burnout and stress due to layers of change, anxiety from the pandemic, and just the everyday stress of middle management—all that makes me really empathetic to managers. And one of my biggest passions throughout my HR career has always been to make life better for corporate employees. The best way to do that is to focus on really helping managers be as knowledgeable and empathetic as possible. To help them be the best managers they can be. All that leads me to put primary focus on managers.

That said, I work with lots of different people though referrals, word of mouth, etc. and it is all the same, the Positive Intelligence Mental Fitness Operation System improves your life regardless of whether you are a corporate manager, self-employed, stay-at-home parent, retired or any other occupational category.

Oh yes, we have had people in our pods who are in small business roles, entrepreneurs, retired people, basically every kind of situation or occupation, or those not working at all. All humans can benefit. (Dogs and cats live in the now, so they are likely immune from saboteurs but who knows?) We “advertise” ourselves as focused on managers, but many others come forward and experience all the same benefits when they do.