'I Thinked'...

I am currently traveling through the rural parts of India. The internet is sporadic at best and weak most of the time. Life goes on with much more peace and acceptance than I have become accustom to by living in the USA. It is intriguing to me to find how every young person shows tremendous enthusiasm for learning and growing up into being somebody. He or she is just looking for an opportunity. From being a beggar’s son to that of a millionaire, I find no difference in people’s ability to dream BIG.

After coming here two weeks ago, I made it my mission to speak with many children and understand their way of thinking and dreaming. To be amongst them; being a child at heart myself. In one of such conversations, I asked one child what he wanted to do when he grew up. He said, “I ‘thinked’ about it before and I decided I want to be a pilot officer.” Upon further conversations, I found out that he had recently started to learn English as well. Financial poverty not withstanding, he came from a very loving family.  In almost all situations, I found that it was Love alone that gave children strength and confidence.  Love with guidance made it more sustainable.

Two sisters, who were ready to be married by their parents because of poverty, were keen on following their dreams. Knowing that marriage would certainly cast them into domestic spiral forever, they resisted their parents’ efforts. They were 14 and 16 respectively at that time. Upon talking to their parents we were able to persuade them to let the girls follow their dreams. With ‘for education’ financial support and promise of hard work by the sisters, off to higher education they went. Today one of them is already an architect and employed gainfully. The younger one is pursuing her masters in computer science. She is a straight ‘A’ student and is set to create family history. They succeeded because they believed in their dreams and remained focused. They succeeded because they ‘thinked’ their dreams; money not withstanding.

I also ‘thinked’ during this trip and began to realize how many people helped me make my dreams come true. And I thanked the Universe for providing me such energies around me, which always uplifted me, even when the situations created apparent adversities. I believe they happened for a reason; for me to learn to connect in earnest and to grow from such connections, which is my continuing dream and reality.

CCF members are part of such a Universe where I find great connections and opportunities for personal growth. Connect and grow is the CCF Mantra for this year; and its my mantra too – forever. These are special times in our lives, especially as powerful coaches. While many coaches have great ability to impact others’ lives, they struggle to align their own lives. They become mired in financial and relationship aspects of coaching, for they believe that without those two not much would happen. ‘They appear preoccupied with perceived survival’, as someone put it.  Then, as trained coaches, how are we different from others?  That’s another area I ‘thinked’ too.  Thanksgiving to Christmas and New Year is such a time of reflection, giving and forgiving, accepting and thinking ahead.

I will be back in time to attend December 12^th meeting of Chicago Coach Federation. It is complimentary and our way of saying Thank you that you ‘thinked’ of being CCF members and supporters.

We mean to connect in every interaction and grow from each connection. Hope you are doing the same thing in your lives; ‘connect and grow’. Tell me what you ‘thinked’. Feel free to E-mail me at citkam@gmail.com.

With all the Best Wishes, Namaste, Love and Peace from India.

Kam Gupta

President, CCF

Executive Coach

ICF President Ed Modell Dines with CCF Board Members

Laura Menze, MBA, CPCC, ACC
Chicago Coach Federation Marketing Chair
Email: Marketing@ChicagoCoachFederation.org

We had dinner with ICF President, Ed Modell on Wednesday, September 14th at Bella Bacino’s at 75 E. Wacker in Chicago.  In attendance from CCF were Laura Menze, Kam Gupta and Wendy Balman.  We asked many questions about the ICF, its future, and about other chapters and the things they are doing that are successful.  Ed was more than happy to answer all of our questions, provide information, and connect us with those ICF board members who could answer the more specific details of our questions.

Front Row: Ed Modell, Laura Menze; Back Row: Wendy Balman, Kam Gupta

Friend-Raising and Making New Friends

Susan Slocum
Chicago Coach Federation President | 2010-11
Email: slocum.susan@gmail.com

I can’t believe it’s August and my term is almost over. Time really does fly when you are having fun! I certainly have had lots of fun and I am also delighted to have made so many new friends. It has been an awe-inspiring year for me and an awesome year for the board.

The board has put a strong, solid, foundation in place to provide the structure for CCF for the next ten years and they can’t wait to get started. Some of the highlights are:

• Completely revamped our marketing area and created a structured marketing system that works like a well-oiled machine, complete with a totally new look and branding that helps CCF to be more aligned with ICF.
• Created a new financial reporting system that will provide more targeted information to aid in our decision making and more flexibility in our reporting.
• Concentrated on YOU, our members, and brainstormed how to bring you the most value from your membership. What does that look like? Great programming with nationally known speakers that stretch you personally and professionally. Opportunities to connect with potential clients through alliance events, like the relationships developed with conventions providing coaches for their attendees and special events, like Coaching for Good.
• Developed a new website that will bring you more visibility, more partnering potential, greater resources and greater capability to provide information to prospective clients.
• Created new membership categories to deliver more value to our coaches, as well as opportunities to be more inclusive for all coaches, in order to be true to our vision of “The Premier Resource for all things Coaching” for all coaches in Chicagoland.

What’s next? “Connect and Grow!” We have the structure in place to grow CCF and YOU! to the next level. We are excited about the next steps, to connect CCF with you and grow together to make CCF the best coach support membership organization that Chicago has to offer with the best coaches that Chicago has to offer. Let’s help each other be the “best of the best” in Chicago.  Don’t wait! Connect with us and grow with us – it’s a win-win!

My final thoughts as president? The Chicagoland coaches are very lucky to have such a unique team of very special and dedicated coaches as our board of directors. I have enjoyed every second working with them and I would highly recommend working on, or with, the board to everyone. It is very rewarding and very special. I encourage you to take advantage of the all the opportunities to connect and grow with CCF!