Board Message - ICF-North Texas

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Board Member Message

Dara Rossi, ACC

ICF North Texas President-Elect

November 2024

Fall: A Time for Community and Connection

As we enter the fall season, we’re reminded not only of the beauty of change but also of the importance of community and connection in our lives. While fall often symbolizes winding down, it’s also a powerful time for renewal—a chance to reconnect, build stronger relationships, and foster a sense of belonging.

In our fast-paced world, it’s easy to get caught up in our individual routines, but fall invites us to slow down and engage with those around us. It’s a season to look at our community with fresh eyes, to reach out and to build meaningful connections that will carry us through the months ahead.

True renewal happens not in isolation but through our interactions with others. This fall, we have the opportunity to strengthen the ties that bind us, both personally and within our chapter. Whether through community events, volunteering, or simply having conversations with fellow members, each connection we make adds value and vibrancy to our shared community.

This season, let’s challenge ourselves to reach beyond our usual circles and engage with new members, share ideas, and collaborate on initiatives that will benefit everyone. The beauty of community is that we all bring something unique, and by connecting more deeply, we can create a stronger, more resilient chapter. Let’s embrace this season as a chance to grow closer, work collaboratively, and create a more connected and vibrant future for all.

I have enjoyed serving as 2024 President Elect, and I look forward to continuing the journey and service ahead as President for 2025 and the opportunity to connect with each of you.

Teresa Dabney

ICF North Texas Director of Online Platforms

onlineplatforms@icf-nt.com

October 2024

Greetings ICF-NT Members and Friends,

Change is constant and as coaches, we guide our clients through it daily. But we, too, must adapt. With rapid advancements in technology, it’s natural to feel overwhelmed. The key is to see technology not as a challenge but as an ally in our growth journey—personally and professionally.

Embrace Technology for Personal Growth. Tech tools can support our well-being and development. Mindfulness apps like Calm and productivity tools like Trello help manage stress, set goals and maintain balance. Integrating these tools into our routines can enhance focus and effectiveness as coaches.

Support Professional Growth and Learning. Digital platforms offer countless opportunities for professional development. Online courses, webinars, and virtual conferences connect us with industry leaders and peers worldwide. Stay updated by exploring ICF Global and ICF North Texas local and regional events and opportunities for ongoing learning. (Be sure to join the ICF-NT Members Only Facebook Group page to hear about events and connect with other members.)

Transform Your Coaching Practice with Digital Tools. Incorporating technology into your coaching practice can boost client engagement, enhance marketing, and streamline business management. Tools like Zoom and Google Meet enable us to work with clients globally, while coaching software like Coach Automator, an ICF-NT Affiliate Partner, simplifies scheduling and progress tracking. There are coaching website builders like the free Customizable Website that ICF offers members in good standing help in marketing their business. By embracing these tools, you can expand your reach and build your brand.

Explore AI as a Tool for Growth. AI is becoming a valuable resource for coaches. From personal wellness apps to professional tools that improve writing and automate scheduling, AI can support your practice. It can transcribe sessions, manage notes, and help you stay organized, allowing you to focus more on coaching.

Build your business. Join the Digital Marketing LINC (Learn, Interact, Network, Contribute) special interest group. This LINC helps members who want to learn how to utilize digital marketing to build their coaching business. Monthly Zoom meeting topics are facilitated by the organizer and active participation is encouraged.

Overcome the Fear of Technology. If new technologies feel intimidating, start small. Choose one or two tools that address a specific need and build your confidence over time.

Share Your Journey. Where are you in your tech journey and what’s your favorite tool for coaching?

Join the Online Platforms Team! We need members to help our platforms shine and support those looking for information or signing up for events. No programming experience is required—just a passion for collaboration and strategic thinking.

Ben Dilla, ACC

ICF North Texas Director of Special Events

specialevents@icf-nt.com

September 2024

Hi, I’m Ben Dilla, and I’m in my first year as Director of Special Events for our North Texas chapter, after working last year on the Alliances team and several years of volunteering to be a pro bono coach with North Texas Food Bank and other non-profit organizations in the area.

The main focus of our team is planning the annual Celebrate Coaching event in the fall, as well as our chapter Holiday Party in December. This year, our committee has been blessed to have the assistance of Tyra Bremer, Associate Director of Programs, and several members of the Programs committee, as well as Sandi Knight (previous Special Events Director) and several Board members as our team took on this monumental task for the first time. It’s evidence of the spirit of collaboration and support throughout our chapter’s leadership.

Celebrate Coaching is indeed a special event and one that is unique to our North Texas Chapter. As our largest event of the year we welcome our chapter members, other professional coaches (internal and external), and guests from organizations throughout the area that support coaching and help sponsor this half-day of learning and networking, as we recognize and celebrate the power of coaching for individuals, teams, and organizations. This year’s Celebrate Coaching event will be held on October 18, 2024 (8:15am-12:15pm) at the Las Colinas Country Club. It will be a hybrid event, so you can attend virtually if needed; however, we highly recommend that you join us in person to get the most out of the event.

You (and your organization) can also participate in celebrating coaching through sponsorship, by providing swag to promote your business, and by inviting your own clients and prospects to join us to learn more about the value of coaching.

This year’s keynote speaker is Pallavi Ridout, Founder and CEO of The ELM Advisory Group, which she started to help others “lead a life of no regrets.” Pallavi will help us dive deep, reflect, and discover the fluid connections between learning, purpose and growth that are interwoven in our life experiences as well as our coaching. She will also bring us practical tips that help us glide into new experiences to achieve powerful breakthroughs.

Pallavi’s keynote presentation will be followed by a panel of our own top coaching professionals to discuss their “Toolbox for Success” with the assessments they have found to best enable client and organizational success. The tools to be discussed include Predictive Index, DISC, StrengthsFinder, 360-degree assessments and more, with a focus on how to integrate these tools into individual coaching processes and broader organizational strategies.

Registration and sponsorships for Celebrate Coaching will open soon! Visit the ICF-NT website to find more information on how to participate. We have also started planning this year’s Holiday Party, which will happen in early December. More details to come!

If all of this sounds like fun, it is! And if you’d like to join the fun and volunteer for this year’s Celebrate Coaching event or Holiday Party, or join the team that will be organizing these activities next year, send me a message at specialevents@icf-nt.com.

Staci Witten

ICF North Texas Past President

past-pres@icf-nt.com

August 2024

Hello ICF North Texas Chapter Members!

As proud recipients of ICF Global’s Chapter of Excellence Award, we're not slowing down. Our mission remains focused on providing value and opportunities to our members. This month, I want to share three key initiatives: our Sponsorship Program, Celebrate Coaching, and the 2025 Board Nominations.

Sponsorship Program
We’re thrilled to announce the relaunch of our Sponsorship Program. Our goal is to connect you with organizations offering products and services tailored to meet your needs as coaches. Whether you’re managing back-office operations or seeking educational resources, we aim to support you with the best tools available. In addition, we wanted to relaunch the Sponsorship Program so we can supplement and provide more opportunities to our Chapter members.

If you know potential sponsors or have a specific service you’re curious about, please reach out to us at sponsorships@icf-nt.com. Feel free to share our Sponsorship information with interested partners.

Celebrate Coaching 2024
Mark your calendars for October 18! Join us at the Las Colinas Country Club for our annual flagship event, Celebrate Coaching. This event brings together professional coaches and their guests from North Texas and beyond. It’s an excellent opportunity for businesses to sponsor and support the coaching community. Members receive a special sponsorship rate and can invite clients to learn more about coaching. Stay tuned for more details on speakers, sponsorship opportunities, and more.

2025 Board Nominations
It’s hard to believe but 2025 is just around the corner and we’re gearing up to form our new Board. As the Past President, it is one of my responsibilities to chair the Nominations Committee. We will be reviewing applications and interviewing candidates in August and September. If you possess leadership qualities and feel called to serve on the ICF North Texas Board, we encourage you to apply.

Serving on the Board has been incredibly rewarding for me, offering opportunities to connect with amazing coaches locally and globally while giving back to our profession. If you’re interested or want to nominate someone that you believe would be a great fit, please complete the 2025 ICF-NT Board Nomination Form.

Thank you for allowing me to serve as your Online Platforms Director (2019-2020), President-Elect (2022), President (2023), and Past-President (2024). It’s been an honor and a privilege.

Wishing you all the best

Sue Shibley

ICF North Texas Secretary

secretary@icf-nt.com

July 2024

What? It’s July already? Is anyone else in disbelief that summer is here so soon? As I contemplated writing this message, it struck me that I’m back on my pre-covid busyness hamster wheel again. The phrase “lazy days of summer” came to mind. What happened to those lazy days? How can I create more of them? My mission is clear. With self-compassion, I’m inspired and know what I must do.

For me, the “lazy” in “lazy days of summer” refers to being relaxed, carefree, leisurely—and yes, I want more of that. It also feels more realistic to think in terms of “lazy moments and days” of summer, when lazy days may not always be possible. With this goal in mind, I have a new mindset; this will be “my summer to savor.” Are you interested in joining me?

There has been so much written lately on the benefits of taking time off to prevent burnout, increase productivity, improve mental health, and more. Somehow these feel more like a means to an end, or something I must do for the benefits (which is how I got myself back on this hamster wheel in the first place). I am looking for rest.

After a little more digging, the simplicity of returning to my savoring and restoring practice felt much more appealing. I reflected on the benefits of savoring and how making intentional moments to savor my experiences has supported me in the past:

Acknowledge Achievements: Making time to acknowledge my achievements, big and small, reinforces my confidence and self-esteem, validating my efforts and encourage to strive for more.
Boost in Motivation: Making time to appreciate my successes inspires me to do it again, encourage me to see if I can improve on things further, and achieve new goals.
Positive Reinforcement: I feel a sense of joy turning lemons into lemonade—especially when I know I am making a difference for someone else.
Gratitude and Happiness: Making time to be grateful always brings me back to my true self, which naturally returns me to my faith and who I am meant to be, grateful for the blessings that I have received and my hope for the future.
Learn and Grow: Being reminded of the lessons I learned along my journey is motivating, reinforcing the wisdom I have gained and streamlining the process toward being my best version of myself
Build Resilience: Striving to find value in all things, especially the obstacles, has proven to me how strong and resilient I am. It’s in my nature to keep moving, one foot in front of the other some days, but keep moving!
Strengthen Relationships: Whether celebrating achievements or supporting each other in times of loss, this sharing has given me deeper more meaningful connections with others. Best part is it is with people I initially thought I had nothing in common with.
Balanced Perspective: Being fully present, allowing any emotions or filters my mind may have created to dissipate, I return to my true self where I am strongest, most confident and I have more clarity.

Being reminded of all that is waiting for me, I’m re-energized and excited to start today moving leisurely, one day at a time, through this summer. I’ll begin my days with meditation/prayer time and set my intention for the day. I’ll incorporate mindful minutes throughout my day to check-in, how I am feeling? What do I need? I can share mindful minutes with my grandchildren while we are away together—it gets me out of my head and into my heart and can help them too. I’ll end my days with some gratitude time, recalling my day and all the blessings that I received, which brings me peace and restful sleep.

Last, I mentioned self-compassion, which greatly adds to my feelings of peace and rest. Some days my intentions will flow beautifully and some they may not. I will give myself grace knowing this important piece of information.

Anyone else interested in a summer to savor? Let’s keep each other accountable. My email is sjshibley@gmail.com.

Lisa Yarbough

ICF North Texas Director of Communications

communications@icf-nt.com

June 2024

In last month’s newsletter, our DEIB Director, Laurie Goetz, described a culture of belonging. As the Communications Director, my role is to keep you informed of events and opportunities that can enhance that sense of belonging while supporting your professional development and feeling of community. This newsletter is only one of the forums to stay abreast of educational programs, webinars, special events, pro bono opportunities and the many ways for you to get involved with the chapter. Here are the chapter’s social media platforms for you to follow if you haven’t already:

LinkedIn: International Coach Federation - North Texas Chapter
Facebook: International Coach Federation - North Texas Chapter
Facebook Group: ICF North Texas Members
Instagram: ICF North Texas Instagram

One small way you can contribute is to share our social media posts with your community to help us spread the word to other coaches.

The Communications Team also supports the chapter’s efforts to increase membership. Another way you can contribute is by sharing our communications regarding our events and inviting guests to our programs. Let your fellow coaches see for themselves the benefits of this vibrant, supportive network.

Getting all the relevant chapter information to you is no small feat. We have a dedicated Communications Team working behind the scenes continuously. Please see the Chapter Recognition section of the newsletter to see who is involved.

I have enormous gratitude for all the Communications Team does. Here’s some news! There is still room for more volunteers and I’m happy to speak with anyone in more detail about the opportunities available. To schedule a 30-minute call to discuss volunteer opportunities on the Communications Team, visit my calendar.

Laurie Goetz, ACC

ICF North Texas Director of DEIB (interim)

deib@ICF-NT.com

May 2024

Imagine an organization with a culture of belonging, one in which people feel comfort, connection, contribution, and commitment.

Comfort – members feel valued, respected, safe and supported
Connection – members share a sense of purpose with each other
Contribution – diverse perspectives are welcomed and inform chapter decisions
Commitment – members feel engaged and involved in the Chapter

This is the culture we want for our community of ICF-North Texas (ICFNT) coaches.

Last year, our ICFNT Board of Directors recognized the importance of enhancing our member community and ensuring our Chapter is welcoming and accessible to coaches of all backgrounds. This initiative prompted the formation of the DEIB Committee, tasked with pinpointing ways to strengthen the culture of belonging within ICFNT. Our primary goal is to assess the needs of our members and identify policies, practices, or programs that break down obstacles and enhance accessibility.

Over the coming months, we will extend invitations to our members, encouraging your participation in one of our Belonging Focus Group discussions. The goal of these discussions is to better understand our organization’s opportunities and potential gaps. We eagerly seek your insights, as members, on how ICFNT can further enrich its culture of belonging, empowering each of us to make a meaningful impact on our communities.

Belonging isn’t done by one person alone. When we work together to create comfort, connection, contribution, and commitment, we can grow our Chapter and build a stronger diverse community of North Texas coaches.

If you are interested in learning more or would like to participate in one of the Belonging Focus Groups, please contact Laurie Goetz or the DEIB Committee at DEIB@icf-nt.com.

Mayme Doumbia, PCC

ICF North Texas Director of Alliances

alliances@ICF-NT.com

April 2024

I’m thrilled to step into the role of Director of Alliances, and I want to start by saying how much I value the opportunity to work with each of you. Our team is fully committed to fostering strategic partnerships that deliver genuine value—not only to our members but also to our partners.

We are dedicated to ensuring that these collaborations serve to strengthen the impact of coaching in our local community and beyond while also providing various opportunities for professional development. Our goal is to create an environment where growth is nurtured, and the benefits are shared.

If you've contributed to our pro bono coaching before, a heartfelt thanks. Your efforts have changed lives. If you’re signing up again, I appreciate your understanding of the administrative necessities. I understand that asking you to re-register for our pro bono coaching may come as an inconvenience, and I want to acknowledge the extra effort this requires. Please know that your willingness to participate is greatly appreciated and plays a crucial role in enriching the lives of those we reach through our service. Every form you fill out and every session you commit to adds immense value to our mission.

Your expertise and dedication are what make our chapter stand out. Let’s continue to make a difference, one partnership and one coaching session at a time.

Pro Bono Opportunities for 2024: Sign Up Form.

I'd like to hear from you. How do you feel the partnerships we’ve forged in the past impacted your coaching experience? Are they contributing to your professional journey in ways that resonate with your expectations? Your insights are invaluable to us as they inform our strategic direction, ensuring that our alliances are not only beneficial to you and our partners but also help strengthen the presence of coaching in our community and marketplace.

Please alliances@ICF-NT.com with questions or suggestions.

Cheryl Close

ICF North Texas Director of Membership

membership@icf-nt.com

March 2024

Get ready for an exhilarating journey into the future of coaching in North Texas! ICF-North Texas is buzzing with excitement as we continue to welcome a steady influx of new members month after month. But here's the kicker—our commitment to your growth doesn't stop once you join; it's just the beginning of an incredible coaching odyssey.

At ICF-North Texas, our mission is clear: to enrich your coaching journey from the initial spark of interest to becoming a seasoned, masterful coach. We're all about providing ongoing benefits that empower you at every stage of your professional development. Our focus? Ensuring every member finds their unique path to connection and engagement, irrespective of whether you're just starting or have already conquered the coaching peaks.

Wondering why being involved is crucial? Because involvement ensures you extract the maximum value from your membership and that you relish every moment of it. Here are some dynamic ways to connect and dive into the vibrant ICF-North Texas community:

Chapter Meetings: Mark your calendars for the second Friday of each month! Whether you prefer in-person gatherings or virtual meetings on Zoom, our hybrid approach ensures an interactive and engaging experience. Joining these meetings is not just a professional necessity; it's a form of self-care. Take it from us, the energy and camaraderie among fellow coaches are invigorating.
LINC Groups (Learn, Interact, Network, Contribute): LINC groups are the heartbeat of collaboration and connection. These groups, centered around common interests, empower members to decide meeting schedules and topics. It's not just about shared interests; it's about building lasting relationships, supporting each other, and finding your tribe within the larger community. Don't see a LINC group tailored to your interests? Let us know, and we'll help you kickstart one. Find a LINC Group that fits your interest here.
Volunteer as an associate director or member of a team that works with a director. Our board members serve our chapter better by working with an associate director and a volunteer team. At a time when some organizations are struggling to fill their leadership positions, and leadership burnout is real, at ICF-North Texas we benefit from the energy, commitment, and engagement of our members. By getting involved on a team you will build relationships with other team members, learn from other coaches, and feel the satisfaction of contributing to your professional organization. We have teams in the following areas: Membership, Secretarial/Administrative, Finance, DEIB, Programs, Alliances, Sponsorships, Special Events, Online Platforms, and Communications. Email me at membership@icf-nt.org or see me at the check-in desk at one of our chapter meetings for more information or help in joining one of our teams.
Participate in Pro Bono Coaching with a Partner Organization. This is a way we give back to our community and demonstrate the impact of coaching. It also provides more coaching hours for those needing more logged coaching time for a credential or renewal. The number of hours needed differs with the organization. It might be as little as three or longer. To participate in Pro Bono coaching, please complete this Pro Bono Coach Application.
Participate in International Coaching Week Activities. Coaching Week occurs In May each year. Stay tuned in to our newsletter, website, and social media posts for specific information. Last year we had several Lunch and Learns which were great!
Attend Celebrate Coaching. Celebrate Coaching is our big Annual Event that takes place in the Fall. We hear from fabulous presenters and interesting panels. We are also able to learn about or see various coach-friendly products. We invite area businesses and organizations to also attend to learn more about coaching.
Show up at other social gatherings such as our Holiday Party or a Happy Hour. We usually have a party during the winter holiday season. It’s a great time to mix and mingle and meet some new people. You never know what else might be planned for this year. Make sure you look out for extra fun like a Happy Hour.

It is such a privilege to be able to serve as your Director of Membership. I am very grateful for the amazing Membership Team who works with me. Our Associate Director for Membership is Lara Burnside. Team Members include Alma Weaver Jones, Natalie Mendez, Rory Brannum, Ginnie Plauche, Reeshemah Davis, and Norma Martinez.

But that’s not all. We’re always on the lookout for enthusiastic individuals to join one of our teams. If you're keen on supporting our directors and officers, consider being part of a team. The energy, commitment, and engagement of our team members are driving forces that not only benefit our board members but also lead to personal and professional growth for each team member.

At ICF-North Texas, we believe in inclusivity and connection. Getting engaged is the key to fostering stronger connections. There's a myriad of ways to be involved, so find what resonates with you. If you're unsure where to start or need guidance, shoot me an email at membership@icf-nt.org. Let's discuss how you can get engaged, and where you can connect and explore the exciting opportunities awaiting you.

Nathan Swenson-Reinhold

ICF North Texas Director of Programs

Programs@icf-nt.com

February 2024

As we usher in the new year, the ICF North Texas Program Committee is thrilled to share our immense excitement for the upcoming year filled with stellar programs that promise to elevate your coaching journey to new heights.

A Year of Inspiration and Growth:
Our dedicated committee has been hard at work curating a diverse and enriching lineup of programs aimed at providing you with the tools, insights, and inspiration needed to thrive in the ever-evolving coaching landscape. We understand that continuous learning is paramount in our profession, and our commitment to delivering top-notch content remains unwavering.

Our mission is to serve our members and partners by providing superior development offerings, quality resources, and valuable networking opportunities to enhance and elevate the competency, reputation, reach, and visibility of the coaching profession.

By the time you read this, the Program Committee will have met, digested insights from the annual chapter survey, and harnessed vision from the table conversations we had at our chapter kick-off meeting in January. Get ready for a diverse mix of topics, interactive networking opportunities, engaging speakers, and collaborative meetings and workshops.

We can’t wait to unveil future program schedules. Get ready to mark your calendars for a year of unparalleled learning and growth. The ICF North Texas Program Committee is honored to be your guide on this exciting journey. Here’s to a year of transformative programs that will propel us toward success.

Steve Hendon, PCC

ICF North Texas President

President@icf-nt.com

January 2024

Happy New Year to each and every one of you! It is with immense gratitude and excitement that I extend my warm wishes as your President for the year 2024. Serving you and our community is a privilege that I hold dear, and I am eager to embark on this journey with you and our Board of Directors.

As we stand on the threshold of the new year, I am thrilled about the possibilities and opportunities that await us. Our chapter has a rich legacy of education, service, advocacy, and embodying the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Together, we have the power to shape the narrative of coaching in North Texas and beyond.

In reflecting on our strengths and potential areas of growth, I want to emphasize the importance of connection. We are a community of over 250 coaches, and yet there are still over 350 coaches that belong to ICF Global, who haven't joined ICF-North Texas. How do we bridge this gap? How can we better serve and engage with all our members? How do we connect?

To address this, and more, 2024 marks the inauguration of our ICF-North Texas Speaker's Bureau—an initiative designed to spread the transformative message of coaching to organizations in North Texas. This not only benefits our community but also provides a platform for these organizations to connect with us through our website.

Furthermore, we recognize the vast expanse of North Texas and the logistical challenges it presents. In our commitment to enhancing connectivity, we will explore diverse opportunities for programming, venues, meeting times, and formats. It's about making it easier for you to engage, connect, and feel an integral part of this incredible organization.

To kickstart our year, I invite you to join us on Friday, January 12, for our annual meeting, where we'll delve into the achievements of 2023 and chart our course for the exciting opportunities that lie ahead in 2024. Your voice is important, and we will provide avenues for meaningful participation through small group discussions.

Let's embark on this journey together, embracing both the challenges and opportunities that come our way. With a shared vision and united pursuit of success, I am confident that 2024 will be a year of remarkable growth and achievement for ICF-North Texas.

Wishing you a prosperous and fulfilling New Year!

Staci Witten, PCC

ICF North Texas President

President@icf-nt.com

December 2023

Can you believe it? It’s already December. It seems like yesterday when we gathered for our January 2023 Annual Meeting to discuss what you, as members, wanted for our chapter. The Board and Committees implemented many of your ideas throughout the year.

Fast forward to today. Soon you will have the opportunity to offer your input once again through our Annual Chapter Survey (watch for the email) and our 2024 Annual Meeting on January 12, 2024. Be sure to make plans to attend as we celebrate our 2023 wins and brainstorm for 2024. Your input is needed!

As I reflect on the last year, my heart is full. Serving as the President of ICF-North Texas has been a true honor and a humbling experience. I’ve always felt when you volunteer for a leadership role, you receive much more than you give. What I received from serving was considerably more than I expected.

One of my values is community. ICF-North Texas is just that—a community of like-minded coaches. I treasure the relationships I have built since joining ICF-North Texas in 2018. And this last year gave me the opportunity to get to know coaches on our Board, in our Chapter, in Texas, in our region, and globally.

Another highlight of serving as your President was engaging with a great team that works so well together. There’s no better feeling than collaborating with experienced, kind, and dedicated professionals who share the same passion for growing a vibrant coaching community. This type of culture is both exhilarating and rewarding.

As we wrap up 2023, I want to acknowledge each one of our volunteers who shared their individual strengths and gifts to help us have so many wins this year.

It has been an awesome experience to work with such outstanding and generous leaders and coaches who have given abundantly.

Abundance from our Board and Committees can be seen in our many accomplishments including growth in our chapter, our amazing programs and workshops, our many LINC offerings, inviting the Texas Chapters to our events, and our pro-bono coaching opportunities. This is your invitation to attend our Annual Meeting in January to celebrate our wins and see where we are going in 2024.

If you feel called to share your gifts and strengths in 2024, either on the Board or on a committee, please reach out to me at President@icf-nt.com. We currently have a Communications Director position open on the 2024 Board.

Again, thank you to our members, committees, and Board members for all your hard work. It has been a wonderful experience to serve with you!

Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they have the heart.
– Elizabeth Andrew

Steve Hendon, PCC

ICF North Texas President-Elect

Pres-Elect@icf-nt.com

November 2023

Did you know that as a member of the International Coaching Federation-North Texas Chapter you are connected to over 60,000 Coaches worldwide? Yes, we are part of a system of coaches brought together by ICF Global and the more than 140 chapters worldwide and growing. What you may not know is that ICF-North Texas was the first ICF chapter to be chartered. Some might debate that, but we did celebrate our 25th anniversary the same year that ICF Global celebrated their 25th anniversary.

October 18-20, Staci Witten (ICF-North Texas President) and I enjoyed connecting when we attended the Southeast Region Leadership Retreat and Conference in Clearwater Beach, Florida. We met with the leaders of 14 of the 16 chapters from the Southeast Region. We also had five members of the ICF Global team that led and participated in the conference. Our purpose was to connect, learn, and challenge each other to discover authentic ways to lead our chapters and invigorate our coaching communities.

The conference started with a presentation from LaKisha Brooks, the head of DEIB for ICF Global. She provided a history of DEIB with ICF Global and where we are now. DEIB is an important initiative for ICF Global as each of the chapters, with the help and guidance of ICF Global, define, explore, and activate our own DEIB initiatives. The Global staff followed up with a demonstration of the resources available to each chapter.

The second day was a full agenda. I was honored to be a part of a “Board Succession Panel.” The panel discussed some of the strategies our chapters use to prepare leaders for leadership roles, and then fielded questions from the audience. We heard a presentation from Rosarii Manion, Professional Coaches Board Chair for ICF Global, on the importance of leadership. We also had a presentation and demonstration of how AI can be used in coaching. My understanding was definitely expanded during this demonstration by Matthew Thomann. We closed the day with a debrief and discussion of the high points of the day.

Our final half day was particularly motivating as we celebrated our new friendships and the opportunity to collaborate between our chapters and one another. We took time to talk about the opportunities and what next steps would look like. The Presidents and Presidents-Elect of the four Texas chapters (ICF-North Texas, San Antonio, Houston, and Austin) already meet twice a month to discuss and implement ideas that make our chapters stronger. Several initiatives (programming, organization, and management) have already been shared and implemented. Staci and I also connected with our chapter to the North (Oklahoma/Arkansas) and the possibilities of collaboration are promising.

We are part of something bigger than ourselves. Your connection to ICF-North Texas and the 240-plus coaches help you to be better a coach. Our connection to ICF Global makes us a better chapter. I invite you to reach out and take advantage of the resources and relationships that are here for you. Connect with us and we are all better!

Teresa Dabney, ACC

Director of Online Platforms

onlineplatforms@icf-nt.com

October 2023

Hello Coaches,

Across the ever-evolving landscape of coaching, embracing online platforms and using technology is becoming indispensable. As the Director of Online Platforms for the ICF-North Texas Chapter, I help our organization navigate this dynamic digital realm.

Even as I write this, I am aware you may feel a mix of emotions based on your level of comfort with the topic. I challenge you to please keep reading this article, where I:

Offer a different way to think of online platforms and technology
Look at the digital horizon through the lens of ICF-North Texas
Share what it takes to become a digital explorer

My goal is that you take away at least one nugget that helps and/or inspires you.

“All the World’s a Stage”
One way to envision online platforms is to think of them as performing arts stages. Simply put, online platforms are the stages we show up on to spread our message and grow.

Our website and social media (Facebook, Linkedin, Facebook Group) channels are ICF-North Texas’ most prominent stages, but not our only ones. We use our website to showcase information. This stage is consistent, changes are planned and relatively infrequent. This makes it easy for audiences to visit and return to find details.

Social media is an agile and active platform that can change quickly. We use these platforms to engage, interact, and connect with our audience about relevant topics and events.

A Toolbox Is Required
Now, if online platforms are the stage, then technology represents tools that help the Chapter navigate and work in the digital realm. And, there is no shortage of tools available to fill our toolbox!

If this overwhelms you consider this… Your toolbox is not empty. Tools you may already have include email, spreadsheets, collaborative document editing (GDocs), calendar apps, cell phones, and web browsers. Yes, there are high-tech tools (AI, CRM programs, member management software).

So, while a toolbox is required, you don’t have to own all the tools. Our Chapter uses tools we have and also pays others to use their tools on our behalf.

Embrace the Digital Horizon: A Call for Collaboration
The Online Platform Position supports the Chapter’s mission and strategic priorities by leveraging the technology we have now and taking advantage of opportunities to expand into the digital realm. Expansion doesn’t begin with technical knowledge. It begins with inviting you to become a digital explorer! Join the Online Platforms Team.

Being a part of the online platform team is not just for the technical savvy.
We need to build a team of individuals with diverse skills and talents—project planners, organizers, creatives, writers, and spreadsheet maestros with a curious spirit, willing to learn and grow.

Being a member of our team is an opportunity to contribute where your strengths lie and to explore the digital realm in a safe supportive environment. Together, we'll navigate this exciting frontier, leveraging technology to elevate the ICF-North Texas chapter.

Interested? Let's Talk!

Sue Shibley, ACC

ICF North Texas Secretary

secretary@icf-nt.com

September 2023

Happy Fall Everyone.

It’s that time of year when school begins, and we get back into our regular routines. At ICF, it is also the time of year to submit our ICF-North Texas annual Chapter Activity Report to ICF Global. As Secretary for the Board, I am motivated and inspired fulfilling this responsibility, working with the Board Directors to coordinate and present our many goals and accomplishments over the last year.

This is also a time to celebrate our success in meeting this year’s Board theme “to generate Abundance and Belonging,” in serving to individual members, the coaching community, and the global community. Our chapter report will include the abundance of talent and innovation in our dynamic working committees and their activities:

DEIB: We are very excited about the formation of our new Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Committee in January. Their mission is to raise member awareness, personally and professionally, so we can better serve our clients and the global community. To date they have presented two Cultural Competency Trainings and workshops, with much more to come.
Membership: Our chapter continues to grow each month thanks to our dedicated committee that reaches out to each new member personally with a new Orientation Program. They inspire existing members with LINC programs, and celebrate the success of new ACC’s, PCC’s and MCC’s.
Programs: Our Program Committee organizes relevant hybrid professional development meetings, keeping members current and adding continued education credits for recertification.
Communications: We now have a comprehensive communication calendar that keeps our hard-working committee on schedule for newsletters, programs, and other marketing opportunities.
On-Line Platforms: Our tech-savvy team keeps our website up to date and keeps our members informed via our social media platforms. This year, they introduced text messaging to members. They have also created comprehensive surveys to collect pertinent data that enhance our goals to better serve you.
Alliances: We continue to partner with local businesses and education institutions to facilitate pro bono coaching opportunities, giving members the chance to enhance their skills and increase their coaching hours for certification.
Special Events: Want to meet more coaches and network in a social atmosphere? Our committee organizes Happy Hours, an annual Holiday Party and our largest event of the year, our upcoming Celebrate Coaching event on September 8.
Finance: With strict attention to the budget, the Board and Finance Committee work together diligently to provide priorities for the chapter, partner with other chapters to save money and share knowledge, and be prepared for future endeavors.

It is also the desire of the 2023 Board to create a sense of belonging for all our members. As a member, you belong here—to give and to receive. As coaches we collaborate and give to our clients. Sometimes, we can forget to give back to ourselves or make time to allow ourselves to receive. We invite you to give back to you: join us, come to Celebrate Coaching, monthly meetings, and happy hours. Meet new friends, learn new opportunities and skills, and share your talents by becoming a Board member.

Being a member at ICF-North Texas offers us all the opportunity to give and to receive abundantly, as well as have a much-desired sense of belonging. I welcome the opportunity to speak to you and share all that I have received from my friendships in the ICF-North Texas community and from serving on the Board, and to celebrate our successes over the last year.

Sandi Knight, ACC

ICF North Texas Director if Special Events

specialevents@icf-nt.com

August 2023

Hello, I am Sandi Knight and this is my third year as the Director of Special Events for our chapter.

In this role, my team and I plan the annual Celebrate Coaching event, as well as our chapter holiday party each December.

Celebrate Coaching is unique and special to our North-Texas Chapter. As our largest event of the year, we welcome our chapter members, other professional coaches, guests, and the broader community to join us for a half day of networking and learning as we recognize and celebrate the power of coaching for individuals and organizations. This year, Celebrate Coaching will be held on September 8, 2023 at the Las Colinas Country Club. This will be a hybrid event; however, to get the most out of this event, we highly recommend that you join us in person.

You can also participate in the event through sponsorship, and/or by providing swag from your business. Please also consider inviting your own clients and prospects to join us, as this is a great opportunity to learn about the value of coaching.

This year’s keynote speaker is Debjani Biswas, CEO and Founder of Coachieve, LLC. She will help us explore how we can leverage the power of inclusive coaching in a divided world. She will introduce her original B.R.I.D.G.E.® framework. Our keynote presentation will be followed by a panel of guests from UT Southwestern Medical Center. Over the past three years, UTSW has been developing an internal coaching program designed as the foundation of a coaching culture. During this panel discussion, you will hear about the unique challenges in Academic Medicine that led UTSW to choose coaching as the solution, along with the operational details of the UTSW Coach Certificate Program.

Registration and sponsorships will open in early August. Simply go to the website and you will find a wealth of information on how to participate. Click here to learn more.

This year we also added a Happy Hour for chapter members and guests that was well attended. I think all would attest that we had so much fun getting to know one another on a more personal level. We have already started planning this year’s holiday party, which will be on December 6. Mark your calendar and save the date now. More details to come!

After three wonderful years in this role as Director of Special Events, I will be rolling off and dedicating my time in other activities with the chapter. It has been such an amazing experience and more than I could have asked for as a way to give back to the chapter. If you are thinking about volunteering and you have a love of planning events such as these, leading or working with the Special Events group is a great way to get more involved in our chapter. We have a ton of fun working on Celebrate Coaching and the holiday party, so please let me know if you would like to learn more by messaging me at: specialevents@icf-nt.com.

Staci Witten, PCC

ICF North Texas President

president@icf-nt.com

July 2023

2023 Continues to be a Year of Belonging and Abundance

As I entered into the role of President in January, I shared a vision that had been on my heart and mind for our Chapter since mid-2022: Belonging and Abundance. During my time as a member and serving on the Board, I have witnessed our abundant mindset. ICF-North Texas has always tried to welcome members and guests, yet there is always room to be more intentional and stronger in these areas. Our Board and you, as members, have adopted the belonging and abundance theme and are finding more ways to make it come to life in 2023.

This past weekend, the Board and several committee members came together for our mid-year planning retreat. We kicked it off by sharing some of our chapter wins as we have carried out our strategic priorities through the theme of belonging and abundance. Here are just a few of the many wins:

Board Retreat Attendees

Strategic Priority #1: Supporting the Entire Members’ Journey
We continue to meet members where they are by offering various LINC groups and educational opportunities to help support members. Are you involved in a LINC? If not, log into the website and learn more about the special interest group offerings.

Strategic Priority #2: Expanding a Vibrant Coaching Community
Our monthly meetings continue to offer opportunities to network and meet more coaches. You can see our upcoming events on our website.

Strategic Priority #3: Demonstrating Operational Excellence
We are continuously improving and implementing our communications and website. And we’ve added texting! Have you signed up? Here is a video link to find out how.

ICF-North Texas has always had a dedicated and hard-working Board. In addition to acknowledging and celebrating our wins, we discussed plans for continuing through 2023 and into 2024. Here are just a few offerings and events in the works that support the strategic priorities through the lens of belonging and abundance:

As an added member benefit, you can now attend other Texas ICF Chapter events at the member rate (several events are free for members). North Texas, Austin, Houston, and San Antonio Chapters are collaborating and sharing our event information with one another. ICF-North Texas is gradually adding the various chapter events to our calendar. You can also go to each Chapter website and check out their events. If you are a Texas Chapter Member, just select that option when you register. We are excited to welcome and network with coaches around Texas!
Our Alliances and DEIB Committees have some exciting plans in the works to offer opportunities for other organizations to learn more about coaching and ICF-North Texas. Stay tuned!
A Sponsorship Committee is forming. We want to offer more opportunities and access to coaching resources. Do you have ideas for potential sponsors or an interest in joining the committee? Please reach out to me at President@icf-nt.com.
Celebrate Coaching—our annual flagship event—is September 8 at Las Colinas Country Club. This is a great opportunity to invite clients and promote your business through a sponsorship. Contact Sandra Knight at specialevents@icf-nt.com if you are interested in volunteering or would like to sponsor this event.
We have more exciting programs, special events and other opportunities we will be sharing with you soon. Stay tuned.

Serving as your ICF-North Texas Chapter President the past seven months has been a blessing and an inspiration. I’m excited to see the opportunities that our chapter brings to our coaching community and continues to provide for your coaching journey. Together let’s continue to welcome new members, find ways to belong, and give abundantly.

I always welcome the opportunity to schedule a time to chat about ICF-North Texas, your membership, the coaching profession, or anything else on your mind. Please send me an email at president@icf-nt.com.

I look forward to seeing you virtually or in-person at our next hybrid meeting on July 14.

Lizette Warner, PhD, PCC

ICF North Texas Director of Communications

communications@icf-nt.com

June 2023

We are mid-way through the year and your communications team has been hard at work for you, sending out one-page chapter highlights to Learn, Interact, Network and Connect (LINC) leaders, posting on social media and supporting all the communications needs of the chapter.

Speaking of LINC groups, have you joined a LINC group? These are here for you. Please feel welcome to join one or more! There are several groups ready to help you feel at home in our chapter. They are a great place to Learn Interact Network and Connect!

Members are welcome to join these LINC groups:

Business Building LINC
Digital Marketing LINC
ACC Credential Support LINC
PCC Credential Support LINC
MCC Credential Support LINC
Internal Coaches LINC
Ready to Retire – Now, Later, or Never? – new!

Sign in on the website and learn more about LINC Groups, under the Programs tab at the top.

ACC LINC
I am co-lead for the ACC LINC and our group kicks off again in September. We’ve been practicing with the new CKA exam. Please contact me (communications@icf-nt.com) if you’d like to join us.

Join the Communications Team
What would it be worth to you to learn how to boost your social media skills and how to do outreach? We are looking for our next team member to help us boost our social presence with the newsletter. You’ll learn how to work with social media and be part of a dynamic team, learning skills you can apply to your coaching.

New here?
The first time I joined ICF-North Texas, I was lonely and felt like I didn’t really belong. I invite you to show up at a meeting or a LINC Group because whether you’ve been here one day or ten years, you belong here and we appreciate you. If you and I haven’t had a chance to connect, please reach out to me. I’d be happy to help you find a way to make the chapter work for you.

Schedule a coach coffee chat

Elisabetta Mroski, ACC

ICF North Texas Treasurer

Treasurer@icf-nt.com

May 2023

Hello ICF-North Texas Coaching Community! My name is Elisabetta Mroski, and I am beyond honored and excited to serve as the Treasurer of the ICF North Texas Chapter in 2023, and as a member of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging committee (DEIB).

We are almost five months in and the energy, the collaboration, the support, and the great opportunities to experience coaching within the ICF-North Chapter have been amazing.

I remember joining the ACC LINC group back in 2021 after completing my coaching training, and months before I received my ACC certification. What a fantastic group of coaches willing to share their expertise, dreams, and challenges. The ICF-North Texas Chapter is truly a community where I feel safe bringing my questions, and it is amazing how we all work together to find answers and share different perspectives.

Have you joined a LINC group yet? We have many members participating in one or more LINC groups. We have LINC groups for coaches all along the Coaching Journey—from a beginning coach in training to a master coach who has had a successful practice for 10 or 20 years. There is something for everyone.

Do you have a passion for coaching as well as for numbers? If the answer is yes, and you are thinking about volunteering, working with the Treasury team is a great way to get more involved in our chapter. Please let me know if you would like to learn more by messaging me at Treasurer@icf-nt.com.

I hope to see you at a chapter meeting very soon.

Dara Rossi, ACC

ICF North Texas Director of Alliances

alliances@ICF-NT.com

April 2023

Hello members! I’m so excited about serving you again this year as the Director of Alliances. I hope you find a few exciting things in this message.

John Muir said, “Spring work is going on with joyful enthusiasm.” If it weren’t for allergies, I think spring would be my favorite time of year. I don’t know about you, but all this joyful enthusiasm puts a smile on my face. I love seeing flowers being planted, green grass starting to grow, and neighbors out and about. Life is budding and blooming all around, and it’s a time of such possibilities. That is what I want to share with you—possibilities to engage in our ICT-North Texas coaching community.

I’m blessed to be working with a fabulous team this year, and we are all focused on bringing you recurring and new opportunities. Check out the list below. And keep an eye out for other opportunities that are we are currently seeding and nurturing.

Pro Bono Opportunities for 2023: If you are interested in any of these pro bono opportunities, please complete this Google Form now.

University of Texas at Dallas Jindal Scholars (mostly career coaching): In need of coaches immediately! Coaching Scholar Students (3 sessions). Timeframe is 2nd Quarter

International Coaching Week Celebration with 20-minute complimentary virtual laser sessions. You can pick your schedule during the week and how many sessions you would like to offer.

University of Dallas – Doctoral (DBA) Program: Coaching Doctoral Students (3 sessions). Timeframe is August – October. NOTE: Coaches must hold a PhD, EdD or DBA to participate.

North Texas Food Bank (NTFB): Coaching Senior Leaders (3-6 sessions). Timeframe is 3rd Quarter.

United Way Metropolitan Dallas (UWMD): Coaching Senior Leaders (3-6 sessions). Timeframe is Second or Third Quarter.

The Texas Conference for Women (TCW): Timeframe is November 2023 (minimum 4 hours). Admission to Virtual Conference and coaches provide 30-minute laser coaching the following week.

Our team would love to hear your ideas and feedback about current or other pro bono opportunities as well as any partnerships you think would be beneficial for our chapter. Please email alliances@ICF-NT.com with questions or suggestions.

In case you are reading this newsletter and it doesn’t feel like spring outside, Mark Twain said it best, "In the Spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours."

We hope you ‘spring’ into action and join us in some of these opportunities!

Cheryl Close, MCC

ICF North Texas Director of Membership

membership@icf-nt.com

March 2023

This is my second year as Director of Membership. I think it is such an exciting position! I get to meet new and prospective members and assist them in finding a place to belong. I get to partner with other Directors as we continuously think about making sure there are offerings for coaches at every point in their career. Finally, I get to work with a great new Membership Team!

What are you excited about this year? I hope you have things you are looking forward to with great anticipation. I’m excited about our great ICF North Texas chapter and how so many members are getting involved and connecting with others. I want to make sure that every member finds a place to connect and get involved. You might be wondering why. The answer is because I firmly believe that the way to get the most value from your membership is to get involved. Below are three ways to connect with others and get involved.

Have you attended a Chapter meeting lately? If not, have you placed the second Friday meeting on your calendar as a monthly recurring event? As members have begun returning to the in-person meetings, there is an energetic buzz in the air. Last month one of our members who was attending for the first time since the pandemic said, “I had forgotten how much I get out of being present. I will be back!” I look at making time for our chapter meetings as part of my self-care. Attending meetings is good for me in so many ways. It will be good for you, too. Of course, if a schedule prevents your attendance in person, we do have the virtual option available.

Have you joined a LINC group yet? We have many members participating in one or more LINC groups. We have LINC groups for coaches all along the Coaching Journey—from a beginning coach in training to a master coach who has had a successful practice for 10 or 20 years. There is something for everyone and if you don’t see a LINC that interests you, we can start a new LINC. In fact, we have interest in starting two new LINC groups now.

One new LINC group forming is for coaches who are interested in or already participating in Team Coaching or Group Coaching. There is an increasing demand for leadership coaches who are excellent at working with teams. Some coaches are experiencing success by building groups from people across the country or even internationally. It has garnered so much attention that ICF has created an Advanced Credential for Team Coaching. If you are interested in being part of the Team & Group Coaching LINC, email membership@icf-nt.com.

Secondly, some of our most experienced coaches are wanting to start a LINC group. It is tentatively called the “Coaches Retirement Choices—Now, Later, Never?” So, if you are at the time of life that this description fits, then consider joining this dynamic group of very experienced coaches. The first organizational meeting will be on Thursday March 16 at 10:00 AM ZOOM. Email membership@icf-nt.com for the ZOOM Link.

Have you joined a committee or team to support and work with one of our Directors? Our board members are benefitting by working with member volunteers on their committee or team. It is really fun to see how much more can be accomplished when a director has a whole team. At a time when some organizations are struggling to fill their leadership positions, and leadership burnout is real, at ICF North Texas we benefit from all of the energy, commitment, and engagement of our members. However, the board members are not the only ones benefitting. By getting involved on a team or committee, you build relationships with other team member, learn things from other coaches, and feel the satisfaction of contributing to your professional organization.

“Belonging” is something our board is committed to. Our chapter discussed it recently at a monthly meeting. We feel a stronger sense of belonging by getting engaged. There are numerous ways to be engaged, so find what works for you. If you would like to discuss how to get engaged, where to connect or some options available to you, please email me at membership@icf-nt.com. I want to invite you to reach out to other members, especially new members, and welcome them. We can all find a place to belong and serve.

Steve Hendon, PCC

ICF North Texas President-Elect

pres-elect@icf-nt.com

February 2023

Great Things in 2023

We are only one month in to 2023 and the energy that abounds promises great things in the year to come. Our January Annual Meeting had the largest attendance for a monthly meeting, both in-person and virtually, since before the pandemic. Each of you shared your wisdom and hopes for the coming year and that sharing of ideas gave the board an opportunity to have a very successful planning retreat.I am honored to serve this year as your President-Elect in 2023. After three years, as Program Director, I look forward to my new role and working with our new board, including the new members of the board that will be bringing their expertise and experience. Welcome to Elisabetta Mroski (Treasurer) and Sue Shibley (Secretary).
I would also like to welcome Tyra Bremer as our new Associate Director of Programs. Tyra has managed our Southeast Region Webinars for four plus years and has worked closely with our program team, adding her energy and expertise. She is very familiar with programs and has big plans in 2023. I look forward to working with her as her liaison to the board.

Last month, Staci Witten shared her vision for ICF North Texas which includes the intersection of Belonging and Abundance with our Strategic Priorities.

Strategic Priority #1: Supporting the Entire Members’ Journey: Empowering all our members to grow, succeed, and thrive throughout their coaching journey.

Strategic Priority #2: Expanding a Vibrant Coaching Community: Engaging our members, coaches, clients, and the North Texas region in an inclusive and welcoming community of coaching excellence.

Strategic Priority #3: Demonstrating Operational Excellence: Continuously improving and sustaining our operational effectiveness through simplified and standardized processes, procedures, governance, policies, and tools.

Notice the scope of this vision yoked with our strategic priorities. The focus is on making sure that all of our members develop meaningful relationships, that they thrive in their coaching journey, and that we share that abundance with each other, the greater North Texas community, and beyond.
We need you for this to work. I think Brene Brown said it beautifully:

“The willingness to show up changes us, it makes us a little braver each time.”

Your involvement makes all of us better and there are so many ways to bring your special gifts to ICF-North Texas:

Monthly meetings and programs
Southeast Region webinars
Workshops
Working with a committee
Joining a LINC Group (or maybe two)
Being a pro bono coach (we have several projects each year)
Serving on the Board of Directors

If you haven’t found your place yet, I have a special invitation for you. I would like to get to know you better. Reach out to me at 214-335-6879 or steve@practicetobusiness.com. Let’s set up a phone or zoom call and get acquainted. I can answer your questions and together, we can find the best way for you to get involved in ICF North Texas.

I remember the first time I attended a monthly meeting. It was a little scary. I didn’t know anyone, but it took about ten seconds before I was welcomed and started meeting these wonderful coaches that are ICF North Texas. Going to that first meeting was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

Together, we will create and experience great things in 2023.

Staci Witten, PCC

ICF North Texas President

president@icf-nt.com

January 2023

2023: A Year of Belonging and Abundance

Wow! The last few years are finally in our rearview mirror and now it is time to look ahead as we embrace what 2023 has to offer. It’s been an honor and joy to watch how our Board and Chapter became stronger as obstacles were put in front of us. We’ve built resilience and learned how to thrive as we conquer challenges.

As our 2022 President Tim Kincaid mentioned in last month’s newsletter, we began another three-year strategic planning cycle in 2022, and we will continue to implement three strategic priorities through 2024:

Strategic Priority #1: Supporting the Entire Members’ Journey
Empowering all our members to grow, succeed and thrive throughout their coaching journey.

Strategic Priority #2: Expanding a Vibrant Coaching Community
Engaging our members, coaches, clients, and the North Texas region through in an inclusive and welcoming community of coaching excellence.

Strategic Priority #3: Demonstrating Operational Excellence
Continuously improving and sustaining our operational effectiveness through simplified and standardized processes, procedures, governance, policies, and tools.

As each incoming president begins a year, they present their personal vision for the chapter. I’ve watched, respected and admired several presidents as they brought their vision to life while supporting our strategic priorities.

Since our board retreat in July 2022, I’ve been in deep thought about my personal vision. I want it to reflect our strategic priorities as well as what I observe within our chapter. Two words continue to surface for me: Belonging and Abundance.

Let me explain. Belonging and feeling included will help you get the most out of your membership. On behalf of the board, we want you to find “your peeps” within our chapter. So, how can you do that?

Attend our hybrid meetings (our next one is January 13). Do your best to attend in-person, but if you can’t, join us virtually. Participate in table discussions or breakout groups. Make it a goal to meet at least three people, then connect with them on LinkedIn and schedule a 15-minute call to get to know them better.
Join a LINC (Learn | Interact | Network | Contribute) group. These small groups give you the opportunity to connect with a small group of coaches. We have several including Business Building, Digital Marketing, ACC, PCC, MCC, Book Club, and Internal Coaches. You can learn more by clicking here.
Joining a committee is a great way to feel more included in the chapter while sharing your gifts. You have the opportunity to network and get to know other coaches. If you attended our Holiday Party in December, you may have seen the opportunity to inquire about several of our committees. We will also offer this same opportunity at our Annual Meeting on January 13. In addition, feel free to reach out to me or any other Board member. We are happy to answer any questions about the various committees.

The vision of Abundance came to mind about a year ago. Our chapter is extremely fortunate and we are always looking for ways to better serve you and our community. We have an abundance of opportunities to get involved and give back to our community. For instance:

The Chapter is giving back to you, our members, on January 13 at our Annual Meeting. There is no charge for members. And, for those members who attend in-person, you will receive a complimentary lunch!
We continue to offer numerous opportunities for pro-bono coaching. In 2022, we built (and continue to build) alliances with North Texas Food Bank, United Way, Texas Conference for Women, and the Dallas Bar Association. If you would like to learn more about Alliances, be sure to email Dara Rossi at Alliances@ICF-NT.com.
Our website continues to be enhanced. Did you know you can leverage the Membership Directory by updating your profile, making it more searchable and adding your profile picture? If you want to know more about updating your information, watch the video.
Are you a Member and want to share some exciting news, a recent podcast or post, or a new offering? You can post to the ICF North Texas Members Only Facebook Group! We encourage you to share information, help one another, and promote what is happening in your business on our members’ only Facebook Group.

I am beyond honored and excited to serve as your President of ICF North Texas in 2023. Together, we can welcome new members, find ways to belong, and give abundantly as we continue to implement our strategic priorities. I look forward to seeing you at our 2023 Annual Meeting on January 13.

Tim Kincaid, PCC

ICF North Texas President

president@icf-nt.com

December 2022

It has been a great honor to serve as president of the amazing ICF North Texas Chapter. I am blessed to serve with an outstanding board of directors who have worked hard to make 2022 our best year yet. Our ordinary is extraordinary!

In 2022, we began another three-year strategic planning cycle, and your board came up with three strategic priorities for 2022 – 2024. The three strategic priorities are:

Strategic Priority #1: Supporting the Entire Members’ Journey
Empowering all our members to grow, succeed and thrive throughout their coaching journey.

Strategic Priority #2: Expanding a Vibrant Coaching Community
Engaging our members, coaches, clients, and the North Texas region through in an inclusive and welcoming community of coaching excellence.

Strategic Priority #3: Demonstrating Operational Excellence
Continuously improving and sustaining our operational effectiveness through simplified and standardized processes, procedures, governance, policies, and tools.

We will have much more to share at our Annual Membership Meeting on January 13, from 11:15 AM – 1:15 PM on what we accomplished in each of these three priorities (spoiler alert: A bunch) and what is ahead. (By the way, the January 13 meeting will be hybrid, and at no charge to members to attend in person or virtually!) So please save the date and help us shape 2023 as another great year for your chapter.

I will close this month’s message by expressing heartfelt thanks to the entire 2022 Board of Directors. Each of you made amazing contributions and it has been a pleasure to serve with you. I offer special appreciation to three who are rolling off the board: Jay Harry, MCC, Treasurer; Natalie Mendez, PCC, Secretary; and Kathleen Klaviter PCC, Past President. You three have made an enormous impact on this chapter. Thank you for all you have done during your years on the ICF North Texas Board!

The 2023 board is forming under the talented and capable leadership of Staci Witten, PCC, our 2023 President. I will be stepping into the Past President role and look forward to supporting Staci and the ’23 board.

I hope to see you at the ICF North Texas Holiday Party on December 8. Register on the website.

Happy holidays!

Staci Witten, PCC

ICF North Texas President-elect

pres-elect@icf-nt.com

November 2022

Hello Coaches!

Wow…It’s hard to believe November is here and we have two months remaining in 2022. As I reflect, ICF North Texas has accomplished so much! Just to name a few wins of 2022 thus far:

Fabulous programming through hybrid and virtual events where you have gained more knowledge and earned CCEU’s
Many events and LINCS where you have met and networked with other professionals interested in the industry
Pro bono engagements through our Alliances giving us an opportunity to give back as well as earn additional coaching hours
We just wrapped up our phenomenal 5th annual flagship hybrid event, Celebrate Coaching, with over 100 participants and 11 sponsors

In ICF North Texas’s true form, the Board and Committees are not resting on our laurels as we have more awesome events and opportunities planned over the next couple of months. Here are just a few

Webinars and Meetings: We have several educational/networking virtual opportunities in November and December. Watch the newsletter, social media and website!
Holiday Party! December is our in-person holiday event for our members on Thursday evening, December 8. Please note the different day and time from our typical meetings. If you have attended our in-person celebration in the past, you know coaches love to have fun during the holidays. This is a “don’t miss” event! Please watch the Members Only FB Group, emails and website for more information.
Leadership Opportunities: We are currently building our 2023 board and committees. If you are interested in sharing your strategic gifts and strengths, there may be a Board role for you. We also have Associate Director and Committee opportunities. I would love to schedule a time to learn more about you, your strengths and where you would like to serve. Feel free to reach out to me via email at pres-elect@icf-nt.com.
LINCs: Our LINC groups are still meeting. These small groups are a great way to network, meet other members, and share ideas. To see a list of LINC groups, click here

On behalf of the Board, we are excited about wrapping up 2022, seeing each of you at our November and December events, and kicking off 2023 in January. If I can support you in anyway, or if you have questions, please feel free to reach out via email to pres-elect@icf-nt.com.

Teresa Dabney

ICF North Texas Director of Online Platforms

onlineplatforms@icf-nt.com

October 2022

Hello Coaches,

If you are like me, you have a full-time job or other commitment(s), family, and personal needs that all require your energy, time, and attention. You may have joined ICF North Texas (or are considering joining) for at least one benefit that comes from belonging to a professional organization such as:

Meet other coaches for connection, support, collaboration
Opportunity to grow (personal/business/professional)
Access to resources
Education (CCE units)
Get involved

And, possibly with all you have going on you are wondering, “How do I make the most of my member benefits?”

This year I’ve had the opportunity to work on our chapter website pages and dive into our social media platforms (look for more about this coming soon). I’ve also been able to collaborate with other Board directors and teams—Membership, Special Events, Programs, Communications, and Alliances. All of this has made me aware of three very basic things that can help multiply the ICF North Texas membership experience and maximize what I call the member benefit trifecta. Here’s the trifecta:

#1 Connect – Show Up. One of the benefits of becoming a member of ICF North Texas is the opportunity to find and provide support and collaboration. The fact is our chapter diversity covers not only DEI and Belonging but extends across varying levels of expertise, credentials, and niches. Meetings and events are the obvious ways to participate and show up. While both members and non-members can attend most events, only current members enjoy discounted pricing.

Once you become a member, you can also connect through our private Facebook Group. You’ll need to request to join, but once you do some opportunities include:

Learning about member-only resources and opportunities
Being able to connect with other members

When you connect with other ICF-NT members you begin to scratch the surface of your member benefits.

#2 Participate – Interact. While #1-Connecting is about showing up, you maximize that benefit when you interact. For some this may be the hardest step, but here’s a gem…when you show, ICF North Texas members will help with the rest. Some ways to do this:

Online/In-person activities – come a bit early or stay a bit late
Join a LINC special interest (small) group
Online in the private FB group:
- Introduce yourself
- Ask questions and seek feedback
- Answer questions and provide input
Contact Us. Email any board member with questions about anything ICF-NT-related.

Interaction is a catalyst! When you show up and connect with ICF North Texas members things begin to happen and a door to new relationships and opportunities begins to open.

#3 Get Involved – Volunteer. This trifecta component is often undervalued. Yet it is essential to maximize your benefits. And, you can do this no matter how much time you have and even if you are not sure how you can help. Ways to get started include:

Update your profile. When we have a need one of the resources the Board uses is your profile. You can include hobbies, interests, and skills, that you have, want to explore, or want to share.
Check the Volunteer page. You’ll find out more about current needs and who to contact.
Contact Us. Reach out to a specific board member with questions or suggestions for how you can or want to help. We will help match you up to a project or let you know about one. BTW Online Platforms can use help with writing copy and developing web & platform strategy.

Volunteering ties a bow around the other two components. And, if you are in a season where your schedule doesn’t allow you to attend events, finding a way to volunteer allows you to combine the benefits of connecting and participating.

That’s it, the trifecta for maximizing your ICF North Texas member benefits and a few ideas on how to do it! I hope you can see how the components complement and support each other. The best part is, it doesn’t matter which component you do first. The key to maximization is in your ability to activate the trifecta effect.

So, I’m curious, what trifecta suggestions do you have for maximizing ICF North Texas member benefits? Post your responses on the private Facebook Group and use the hashtag: #ICF-NTmemberbenefits.

Sandi Knight, ACC

ICF North Texas Director of Special Events

SpecialEvents@icf-nt.com

September 2022

This year has brought us many great programs and events and your ICF-North Texas leaders have been very pleased to provide you with continual opportunities to participate with virtual and in-person options. While the pandemic certainly gave us many challenges, we have been resilient in reaching more people than ever, both inside and outside of our DFW area. This is my second year as Director of Special Events, and it means a great deal to me to be able to give back to our chapter.

In this role, my team and I plan the Celebrate Coaching event and the holiday party. You may know that Celebrate Coaching is unique and special to the North Texas Chapter and it is the biggest event of the year for us. It includes professional coaches and opens up our gathering to the broader community. To get the most out of the high caliber program we offer at Celebrate Coaching, you can invite your clients and prospects to participate and learn about our coaching profession. We highly encourage you to join us in person for the full experience that includes breakfast, gifts, and more, as well as the wonderful camaraderie we can share with them. We have two amazing speakers this year—Carol Kauffman and the Internal Coaching team from BNSF Railway. Both will share their experience and wisdom and show us just how much coaching can impact a company culture (see more details on the Celebrate Coaching 2022 page on the website). Registration is open for both individual registration and Sponsorships. We hope you will join us for another worthy event.

For this year’s holiday party, please plan to join us in person on December 8 at the Las Colinas Country Club. It will be a great time to gather and enjoy looking back at another amazing year of coaching.

If you are thinking about volunteering, working with the Special Events group is a great way to get more involved in our chapter. I have an incredible group that volunteers their time to bring this all together and always welcome others who enjoy planning events. We have a ton of fun working on Celebrate Coaching and the holiday party, so please let me know if you would like to learn more by messaging me at specialevents@icf-nt.com.

Natalie Mendez, ACC

ICF North Texas Secretary

secretary@icf-nt.com

August 2022

Hello ICF North Texas Chapter!

One of my favorite things about serving as Board Secretary is telling the story of our chapter’s excellence to ICF Global through the Chapter Activity Report. As I dig into our accomplishments and gather all the information, I’m encouraged, motivated, and reminded of why it’s so important to me to be an active member of our chapter. Read on; I think you’ll see why just a glimpse at our chapter’s progress inspires hope and excitement about the future.

In just the first seven months of 2022, the ICF North Texas Chapter added two new LINC groups (ACC Credential Support and Business Building) and launched hybrid meetings in a fabulous new space (thank you, Las Colinas Country Club). We’ve welcomed new members, renewed existing members, and celebrated new ACCs, PCCs, and MCCs. We’ve heard incredible speakers and learned from a live MCC coaching demo (wow!). We’ve offered CCEUs every month, quarterly new member orientations, pro bono coaching opportunities, and member Lunch & Learns. It is a story of excellence and there’s still more to come.

So, whether you’ve been active all year long, attended a few events, or are brand new to the chapter, you are the ICF North Texas family and we are so glad you’re here. We are a chapter that succeeds together, so let’s make the rest of 2022 unforgettable. Let’s fill the room at our August membership meeting, make new connections, and share opportunities. Let’s support each other to build thriving businesses and careers that change lives. Let’s encourage bold dreams so they become bold realities and create the stories we want our lives to tell. After all, we are coaches, and our work transforms lives, careers, families, and communities. Let’s work together to tell a story of excellence.

Lizette Warner, PCC

ICF North Texas Director of Communications

communications@icf-nt.com

July 2022

Christmas in July

As your Director of Communications, I feel that Christmas in July sets the tone for this message because of the gifts your Communications Board has in store for you.

Communications Board: Along with Jane Koenecke, our assistant director for newsletters and our virtual assistants, Peggy and Patty, we welcomed Schartryce Mason as assistant director for strategic communication planning. Your communications board meets monthly to coordinate the communication needs for the Chapter.

Member Snapshots: Jane and Tryce are helping us gather your information for incorporating into the monthly newsletters as “member snapshots.” Be on the lookout for more information in next month’s newsletter.

LINC Communications: The Communications Board with the help of Patty and Peggy, our extraordinary VAs, is helping us get timely chapter Important dates and events to all the LINC leaders following our monthly chapter meetings. The goal is to help our LINC members feel connected to the chapter and our LINC Leaders to be and feel supported in their leadership roles.

Communications Strategic Planning: It takes a lot of masterful coordination to keep the communications for the chapter in sync, which is why we are grateful that Tryce has taken the lead for our strategic planning. This will help us keep our communications flowing ahead of deadlines and keep you informed of upcoming events.

By the way, I’m Lizette, your new Communications Director. I felt it was important to introduce the team first because they are your all-star communications team and that’s my style. I can’t fulfill my role without them. I am a new volunteer board member, midway into my first year on the board, and I help co-lead the ACC LINC group. I highly recommend to anyone to step up for a volunteer role.

If you have any communications-related questions or suggestions, or you’d like to join our clever communications team, please reach out to me at communications@icf-nt.com

Tim Kincaid, PCC

ICF North Texas President

president@icf-nt.com

June 2022

Review and Preview: Mid-point 2022

Incredibly, the year is already half over! June is an ideal opportunity for a quick review and preview, framed with our new Strategic Priorities.

Our chapter strategic planning is on a three-year cycle. This year is the beginning of the next planning cycle, so in January your Board of Directors met for an off-site retreat to review the prior three-year plan and co-create a vision for 2022-2024. We decided that the existing Strategic Priorities were still relevant, so we chose to adapt and update. We identified three Strategic Priorities to guide our focus and actions, outlined below with a few examples of actions taken in the first half of 2022 and planned in second half:

Strategic Priority #1: Supporting the Entire Members’ Journey
Empowering all our members to grow, succeed and thrive throughout their coaching journey.

LINC – Our popular special interest LINC groups (LINC = Learn, Interact, Network, Connect) keep expanding, with a reenergized ACC LINC and formation of a new Business Building LINC. LINCs are another benefit of chapter membership. See the LINC page of our website for information.

New Member Outreach – The personal outreach to new members is a key component of successful and enduring engagement. To scale up for increased size and engagement, the Membership Committee is looking for volunteers for help with “bite-sized” roles, such as the “Connection Crew.” This is an excellent way to get involved. Contact Cheryl Close, Membership Director, membership@icf-nt.com).

New Member Orientations – are quarterly one-hour virtual presentations to provide an overview of the benefits of belonging to ICF North Texas. If you have joined in the past year, I recommend you attend one of these. I learn something new each time. The next is June 23 at 12:00 – 1:00 PM. Contact Cheryl Close, Membership Director, membership@icf-nt.com.

Strategic Priority #2: Expanding a Vibrant Coaching Community
Engaging our members, coaches, clients, and the NT region through
in an inclusive and welcoming community of coaching excellence.

Hybrid Meetings – In 2022 we resumed meeting in person, starting with one meeting each quarter, with virtual meetings between. It felt so great to be together again in January and April! Our community now extends well beyond North Texas, so to be inclusive we decided to experiment with hybrid meetings to accommodate those who want to meet in person and those who prefer virtual. Our first two hybrid meetings were well attended, and feedback indicated that hybrid may become standard for us. Doing hybrid meetings well does drive extra cost and we are watching expenses carefully.

Chapter Growth – We continue to attract and engage new members (our chapter is among the largest, with approximately 200 members).

International Coaching Week – For 2022 and beyond, we plan to increase emphasis on expanding visibility of ICF North Texas and of coaching across the region. A splendid example is our chapter’s offerings during International Coaching Week (ICW) in May. This included offering 45-minute virtual lunch-and-learns, free to all and open to the public, on five consecutive days This unique approach showcased the expertise of our outstanding members. This was in addition to traditional ICW pro bono coaching opportunities that continue. Thanks to Dara Rossi, Alliances Director, for organizing this ICW event.

Celebrate Coaching (Hybrid) – Our annual Celebrate Coaching event will be on October 14. This hybrid event has two outstanding presentations. Carol Kauffman, PCC, is keynote speaker. Then the award-winning team from BNSF railroad will share a case study on coaching in organizations. Thanks to Sandi Knight, Director of Special Events, and the Celebrate Coaching committee. Registration and table sponsorship details are coming soon.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEI +B) – DEI continue to grow in importance throughout ICF. Volunteers are sought for a new chapter DEI+B committee. Contact president@icf-nt.com if you have a passion for this work and would like to help create a more welcoming and inclusive chapter.

Strategic Priority #3: Demonstrating Operational Excellence
Continuously improving and sustaining our operational effectiveness through simplified
and standardized processes, procedures, governance, policies, and tools.

Governance Audit – Operational excellence provides the chapter with important structure and focus to be effective. ICF Global recommends that chapters have an independent Governance Audit every few years, to ensure sure bylaws, the chapter agreement, and policies are in alignment. A recent audit found our chapter was very well aligned, with only minor adjustments recommended for consistency. Thank you to chapter Past President Catherine Oleskiw for conducting a rigorous review and assessment.

Website Enhancement – Teresa Dabney, our Director of Online Platforms, is heading a website enhancement initiative, to improve and refine our online presence and make our website easier to interact with. Working with Teresa is Kathleen Klaviter, Past President.

Online Trainings Database – Steve Hendon, our Director of Programs, is working with Teresa to create an online database of all trainings for members.

Member Focus Groups – Our May membership meeting program was essentially a virtual focus group, with small extended breakouts to review and discuss the three strategic priorities. Board members were in each breakout to listen and take notes. Our goal was to confirm and calibrate, with adjustments based on what we heard. We gathered excellent feedback that will inform the board’s Mid-Year Retreat on July 16. Thanks to all who participated.

At the January hybrid meeting, I shared a vision for 2022 to be our best year, yet. The first half is over, with much to proud of. We are looking forward to an even better second half of the year.

Dara Rossi, MCC

ICF North Texas Director of Alliances

alliances@icf-nt.com

May 2022

Happy spring! This time of year, we see renewal and growth in nature all around us. It brings us joy to see familiar colors and scents return alongside the surprises of new life. I think it is also the perfect time for tiny seeds of hope to grow under our nurturing and watchful eye. I share this because it is a metaphor for the hope I have as the new Director of Alliances and first-year board member. First, a shout-out to my predecessor in this role, Susan Daniels, for an amazing job over the past three years—most recently leading her team to receive the Ignite Chapter Recognition acknowledging the ICF North Texas Chapter’s positive impact on our community. I have big shoes to fill.

In this role, I am charged with two focus areas: 1) establishing and coordinating our relationship with other entities where we can provide pro bono coaching, and 2) highlighting International Coaching Week with projects to celebrate professional coaching. With these in mind, we’ve built a plan for renewal and growth this year.

Renewal
I am happy to say that ICF North Texas is renewing our partnership again with the North Texas Food Bank (NTFB). We have another exciting pro bono coaching opportunity planned for Q3 and would love to have you engage in this project.

An additional organization we are renewing our collaboration with this year is the Association for Talent Development Dallas Chapter (ATD), which is focused on the promotion and advancement of workplace learning and performance—a nice connection to coaching. We have secured a booth at their in-person Southwest Learning Summit on August 18, 2022, in Plano. This booth will provide us the opportunity to talk with their members about the benefits of coaching and our chapter. We will be asking for volunteers to fill various booth shifts. In addition, we plan to offer the attendees 30-minute laser coaching sessions during the week following the summit, which means another pro bono opportunity for you.

Finally, we are renewing our partnership with the Texas Women’s Conference to provide laser coaching in Q3. This past year the conference was held virtually, but the final plans for this year have not been released.

Growth
We are focused on two areas for growth this year.

The first is around International Coaching Week in May, which is designed to celebrate the power and impact of professional coaching. ICF North Texas will host 45-minute Lunch & Learn sessions around the theme “Reimage Your Future.” We will have one session each day, May 16 – May 20, from 12:15 – 1:00 PM. The structure is a 15-minute micro learning session and 30-minute discussion or breakout sessions. These live virtual learning engagements will be free to the public, and I encourage you to invite your network, friends, clients, and potential clients to these events as soon as we post the registration information.
The second area we hope to grow is a new partnership with United Way Metropolitan Dallas. The partnership will allow us to expand our level of non-profit engagement. We plan to provide three hours of pro bono coaching over 90 days to the leadership in Q2 and Q3. We currently have ten employees signed up and will need coaches for this partnership.

As you read this newsletter, I know many of you are excited about one or more of these volunteer opportunities and want to know how you can get involved. Be on the lookout for details about each of these opportunity on our website, social media platforms, and under the volunteer and International Coaching Week section in this and future newsletters.
The greatness of this chapter is solely because of our members engage in our projects, volunteer their time, and really get to know each other. My hope is that YOU will continue to make this chapter outstanding and take advantage of a one-time or extended volunteer and pro bono community service opportunities this year. If you have questions or ideas to share, I’d love to hear them. You can reach me at alliances@icf-nt.com.

Jay Harris, MCC

ICF North Texas Treasurer

treasurer@icf-nt.com

April 2022

Greetings Fellow Coaches,

It is my joy to be serving as your chapter’s treasurer for the fourth year now. I discovered a wonderfully new world of involvement, relationship, experience, growth and fulfillment as I stepped into the board position. Board service has provided much more than a valued resume jewel. I have discovered a richness of friendships as, together, we have worked to provide an environment of service, growth and networking in the coaching world.

Five years ago, I had just retired from 50 years in ministry. I had been actively coaching and training coaches within the ministry work for many years. My organization had discovered the great value of coaching as we coached those in ministry as well as training these leaders in coaching skills. We became a true coaching culture as each director became an ICF credentialed coach.

Retirement has provided me with numerous opportunities to expand my coaching world. I have launched my coaching practice while continuing to teach coaching in an ICF ACTP and serving as an ICF mentor coach. I am serving as the National Director of Coaching for an organization for retired and retiring ministers. Retirement has also provided me the opportunity serve with the ICF North Texas Chapter leadership.

I want to encourage every chapter member to seriously consider how you can get involved in our awesome group. You can serve in so many unique ways. Pro bono coaching opportunities, LINC group leadership, and board roles are a few rewarding roles available. Look for a role that utilizes your skills, interests and abilities. Step up and share your interest with chapter leaders. We are all volunteers and we are on the lookout for everyone interested in getting involved.

Our ideal leadership structure is to have members working with each leader as we serve. As we walk the journey of service together you will not only learn the role but you will bring a fresh view to the processes, considerations and actions, making the results so much better.

Come get involved, invest in yourself and skills, and reap a wonderfully rich investment in your coaching life. We are looking forward to hearing from you!

Cheryl Close, PCC

ICF North Texas Director of Membership

membership@icf-nt.com

March 2022

Hi Fellow ICF North Texas Coaches!

I am honored to be serving as the Director of Membership for our ICF North Texas Chapter. This is my first year on the board and I am very excited to serve in this capacity. Our members are the heart of our chapter. I look forward to working with our board to bring our president’s vision to reality: ICF North Texas will be welcoming and inclusive for coaches everywhere along their coaching journey—from those just starting out to highly experienced MCCs.

My focus this year will be on “Connecting.”

Connecting members to our North Texas Chapter and ICF Global.
Be sure to renew your membership with ICF Global. All renewals to global are due March 31. There are many benefits to being a member of ICF Global and ICF North Texas.
Connecting members to our LINCs, which are special interest groups who Learn, Interact, Network, and Connect with others who have the same interest.
Our LINC groups include Digital Marketing, Virtual Book, Internal Coaches, ACC Support and New Business, PCC Credential Support, and MCC Certification. You can find more information about LINCs on our website under “Programs.” If you don’t see your special interest here, reach out to me and I will help you start a new group. LINC special interest groups are a free benefit for all ICF North Texas members. Stay tuned as there may be some additional LINCs beginning in the future.
Connecting members to volunteer efforts.
The best way I know for you to maximize the benefits of membership in ICF North Texas is to get engaged. For a club to be as dynamic as ours it takes many volunteers. You can volunteer for a one-time task or serve in a capacity that only requires one or two hours a month. What is your passion? What do you enjoy? Programs, Alliances, Communications, and Special Events can always use additional assistance. If one of these areas are of interest to you, contact the board member responsible.

If reaching out and connecting with members sounds fun to you, I am forming a Connections Crew Membership Committee. Connection Crew members volunteer to do any one of a variety of tasks such as:

Greeting people at our meetings
Providing members with new badges when they join the chapter or receive a new certification
Calling 10 members when provided a list of phone numbers with talking points each month
Acting as a support coordinator for LINC Groups

I’m looking forward to getting to know each of you. If you have questions or ideas to share, I’d love to hear them. You can reach me at membership@icf-nt.com.

Steve Hendon, PCC

ICF North Texas Director of Programs

programs@icf-nt.com

February 2022

Hello, Coaches!

International Coaching Federation (ICF) – North Texas is the first chapter in the world and among the strongest of the 150 Chapters across the globe today. Our members represent about 200 of the total 50,000 members worldwide.

As I look back over the past two years, it is apparent that ICF North Texas made the best of a difficult situation; in fact, we have flourished. We continue to grow and have offered 28 different programs, workshops, and webinars, providing a total of 33.25 CCEUs. We are thriving and building our strengths. Yet there is polishing and sharpening we can do, and we have a lot more continuing education coming your way in 2022.

Programming is important for our continued development as coaches. It’s also important for your program team to provide the most relevant programming that benefits all our members. Your feedback is crucial in helping us select the right topics and speakers. Thank you for responding to the chapter survey. We will continue to give you the opportunity to share with us throughout the year.

For most of the past two years we have been virtual. Going forward, you can expect a few hybrid meetings (live and virtual). We had our first this past month for our annual meeting and it was a success. We studied your feedback and will continue to polish the production of our hybrid meetings.

Your ICF North Texas board just completed our planning retreat for 2022. I am excited about the energy, creativity, and expertise of our 2022 board. We are doing great things this year.

I also want to thank the amazing programs team (Tyra Bremer, Ken Jenkins, Lisa Ong, Diane Whiting, and Cherie Silas) for their hard work and dedication to our programs. If you are looking for a way to get more involved in your ICF chapter, consider being a part of our team. Reach out to me if you are interested. As I close, let me say that we are in for a superb year of programming and we’re also going to have a few surprises for you.

Tim Kincaid, PCC

ICF North Texas President

president@icf-nt.com

January 2022

2022: New Year, New Normal

What a ride the past two years have been! Changes that had been resisted before were embraced of necessity, becoming the new normal. Shifting to virtual work for extended periods created both challenges and opportunities for us all. We all adapted and today, we regularly coach clients virtually anywhere. Now, we regularly earn CCEUs and build skills in ICF webinars, interacting with other coaches—across town, throughout the ICF Southeast Region, and around the world.

Your hard-working ICF North Texas 2020 and 2021 boards adapted approaches to programming and communications to meet your needs efficiently and safely.

Our new normal is experimental and hybrid. Based on your feedback, and informed by science-based health safety recommendations, our plan for 2022 is to resume in-person meetings, with a virtual option, four times this year in the first month of each quarter. We will continue meeting virtually the remaining eight months of the year. We may get to increase the frequency of in-person meetings as the pandemic subsides.

My focus for 2022 is about inclusion and community. My vision is for ICF North Texas to be known as welcoming and inclusive for coaches everywhere along their coaching journey—from those just starting out to highly experienced MCCs. Our chapter will be seen even more so as the top go-to organization for professional coaches because of the great value we offer and the welcoming community we are.

The January 14 Chapter Annual Meeting will be our first in-person opportunity in nearly two years. This lunch meeting will be in a new location, the Las Colinas Country Club. Unable to attend in person? No worries. There will also be a Zoom option, facilitated by a professional videoconference producer. At this hybrid meeting, we will review the year ICF north Texas had in 2021. Then, let’s have a conversation about what you want to create together in 2022. Whether you attend in-person or virtually, we look forward to being together again on January 14. You may register here.

Later this month, the 2022 board will meet to develop our chapter’s next three-year strategic plan. We will draw on our award-winning chapter’s great strengths and considerable successes. Together, we will build a strategic vision that supports our ICF chapter and our members to thrive in the new normal.

Kathleen Klaviter, MOSD, PCC

ICF North Texas President

president@icf-nt.com

December 2021

Happy Holidays to You!

During your celebrations don’t forget to brag on ICF North Texas. Tell everyone how successfully our 2021 International Coaching Week partnership with North Texas Foodbank continued after three years with the local non-profit as our members coached their leadership. Share your pride in the success of our Celebrate Coaching annual event headlined by Richard Boyatzis as we shared attributes of professional coaching with our clients. I hope you took advantage of the excellent monthly programs including our Business Building series, regional webinar series and LINC meetings for our special interest groups. I feel very fortunate to be part of this chapter with all its opportunities and great coaches. As a member, I hope you join me and take pride in its continuing success.

I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for all their efforts throughout this year. We’ve come through a year that was filled with both pandemic challenges and successes. On behalf of the ICF North Texas Board, please allow me to extend our appreciation to each one of you for your valuable contributions to this award-winning chapter. The success of our chapter is built on the efforts of our members.

To finish out this year we have two programs to look forward to. Our annual holiday party on December 9 at 6:00 PM will be held virtually again this year. It is a fun and generous time! Our last development program of the year will be held on Friday, December 10 at Noon. Juanita Rowley, PCC, will present a webinar on Happiness Through Neuroscience. You may register for both these events online.

We look forward to seeing you in the new year at our first hybrid chapter meeting on January 14. We will kick-off the year with our Annual meeting, pass the chapter leadership to Tim Kincaid, PCC, 2022 President, and host a Town Hall type panel Q&A of the chapter. I hope you can participate.

Finally, I want to personally thank you for your support this year as your chapter president. It has been an honor to serve you. I wish you only success in your coaching career.

Tim Kinkaid, PCC

ICF North Texas President-Elect

president-elect@icf-nt.com

November 2021

Please Consider Playing a Bigger Role in ICF-NT 2022 as a Volunteer

My year as President-Elect 2021 is in the homestretch. This has been great experience to help me be prepare and transition to become 2022 President of ICF North Texas. I am so grateful to our hard-working board members for all they do and I appreciate the wisdom and mentorship of our current chapter president, Kathleen Klaviter.

A primary responsibility for each President-Elect is forming a nominating committee each autumn to identify a slate of candidates for the upcoming year. I am very grateful for the collaboration and guidance of this year’s nominating committee—Steve Coxsey, Ken Jenkins, and Susan Shapiro. Once a slate is finalized and presented to the current ICF North Texas Board for review, all members in good standing will be asked to vote on the 2022 slate. Online voting will be November 1–14. Then, the vote results will be certified by the current Board and announced to the membership before December 1.

Our award-winning ICF chapter is successful and works so well because of our volunteers. Whether serving as a board member, as a member of a standing or special project committee, or in a short-term role, volunteers help ICF North Texas create incredible value for our chapter members, for the ICF Southeast Region, and for ICF globally.

Volunteering increases the value of ICF membership in so many ways. Sharing your time and talents as a volunteer helps ICF expand the impact of professional coaching throughout North Texas and beyond. Volunteers benefit, too. Volunteering can help you build your network and grow your coaching practice. Serving on a committee is a great way (for new members, especially) to get involved and meet other professional coaches who are potential collaboration partners, allies, source of referrals, and friendship.

Where to start? Check out the board member list on our website and send an email to a director in any area(s) where you have interest—Membership, Programs, Communications, Alliances, Special Events. Not sure where to begin? No worries! Send me an email, president-elect@icf-nt.com.

Jay Harris, MCC

ICF North Texas Treasurer

treasurer@icf-nt.com

October 2021

Hello Fellow Coaches,

For three years now I have served as your treasurer for the North Texas chapter. It is such a joy to serve with and interact with your amazing board of directors. My recent achievement of MCC was wonderfully celebrated during this time of virtual interaction. Our monthly Zoom board meeting was joined by the chapter’s other MCC’s in an awesome, personal time of encouragement and celebration. Each MCC shared words of congratulations and affirmation. What a special time!

Four years ago, I retired from fifty years in church ministry. I had been coaching new church starters and pastors as an internal coach with an association of 400 churches in Tarrant county. I served on a staff who all were ICF certified coaches and it was a wonderful coaching culture. Upon retirement I launched my coaching practice and looked for opportunities to move into my new world of external coaching.

The role of chapter treasurer has been a wonderful use of the organizational skills I had developed and used leading new church starting. We have a virtual bookkeeper and a tax attorney who work well for our systems. I get to interact with membership and board members addressing any issues of payment, refunds, credits, and the like. I monitor all expenses, income and their budget connections. Monthly and annual financial reports for the chapter as well as federal tax returns and ICF Global financial reports are responsibilities as well. Most of you are saying, “That is NOT my thing.”

What is your thing? What opportunity to serve reflects your thing? I want to challenge you to discover a greater level of involvement in our chapter. Volunteer to coach in our pro bono activities. Respond to the invitations to work with a board member on an event or specific need. If you do, I assure you, that you will grow your coaching skills, you will broaden your coaching world and you will be greatly blessed to work with some of the most awesome coaches in the world.

Natalie Mendez, ACC

ICF North Texas Secretary

secretary@icf-nt.com

September 2021

Hello everyone,

I’m honored to be serving the chapter as Secretary of our North Texas ICF board. This role is perfect for someone like me, who enjoys both getting into the details and having a big picture view of the chapter’s operation. This is my first year on the board and my fourth year as a member of the North Texas ICF chapter, and I am grateful for the opportunity, support, development received through the years.

As secretary, I serve as the primary record keeper for the board, which includes responsibilities like recording minutes for our monthly board meetings, maintaining the board calendar, and ensuring our Standard Operating Procedures are updated. It’s been a great experience, and I’m getting to learn and participate in decisions and activities that make North Texas an award-winning chapter year after year.

Another responsibility held by the secretary is to tell the story of our chapter’s accomplishments through the annual Chapter Activity Report for ICF Global. This report highlights activities from September of the prior year to August of the current year and is our chance to reflect on our chapter’s successes and challenges. In the report, we get to talk about development offerings for our membership like our incredible monthly program offerings, LINC groups, and events like Celebrate Coaching. We highlight our partnerships with groups like the North Texas Food Bank and Texas Conference for Women, which provide opportunities to give back to the community through coaching. We share the work of our committees and volunteers who keep us running smoothly each month and brag about our awesome members. The report also allows us to reflect on the challenges faced during the year and how we are working to overcome them. The Chapter Activity Report is an excellent reminder of all we’ve done and an inspiration for all that’s to come.

Thank you for the role you play in keeping our chapter strong and successful. If you have questions or ideas to share, I’d love to hear them. You can reach me at secretary@icf-nt.com.

Sandi Knight, ACC

ICF North Texas Director of Special Events

specialevents@icf-nt.com

August 2021

Hello fellow ICF-NT Members!

This year, our chapter has a newly created position, Director of Special Events, and I am excited to be the first to serve in this role. This position was born out of the recognition that having someone focused on events all year will allow us to better connect our remarkable coaching organization to the broader business community across North Texas.

What events do we feature? In addition to the Annual Chapter Meeting that provides highlights toward the end of the year, we host our largest event each Fall, Celebrate Coaching. This is a very special gathering meant to help more organizations learn and understand what a difference a coaching culture can make for them. Thanks to our ability to host Celebrate Coaching virtually again this year, we have been able to feature two highly recognized coaches, speakers and authors—Marcia Reynolds and Richard Boyatzis. Be sure to see the information in our emails, social platforms and newsletters and you will understand what a tremendous opportunity it is for you to attend and to bring several clients and prospects! And if you are part of a business that supports coaching, we hope you’ll consider sponsoring the event and letting us help you connect to our professional coaching network of more than 1,500 people.

I believe 2021 is our time to shine and bring a spotlight to coaching and what it can do for all organizations—no matter how small, no matter how large. Particularly in a time when COVID completely changed the expectations of how we connect and engage employees, leaders will need to incorporate coaching to help their teams and organizations to keep learning and growing while they meet goals.

All of us look forward to enhancing your experience as a professional coach and all the individuals you support through excellent events and experiences with ICF North Texas. Please know that I welcome any input about our events, so reach out to specialevents@icf-nt.com if you have ideas to share.

Teresa Dabney

ICF North Texas Director of Online Platforms

onlineplatforms@icf-nt.com

July 2021

Hi Fellow ICF North Texas Coaches!

I am serving in my first year as Director of Online Platforms, supporting you behind the scenes as the technical administrator and point of contact for our chapter's online presence. Our presence includes the chapter website, Google Workspace, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Zoom.

My role is to manage the nuts and bolts of our digital framework and work with the rest of the Board, third-party partners, and virtual assistants. Together we ensure that the ICF North Texas digital platforms represent a polished, finished presentation.

Another aspect of the role, and the one that excites me the most, is leading the strategic decision-making process for the chapter’s online platforms (website, social media, email, tools, etc.)

In the near-term, this aspect of the role includes offering ideas/solutions that improve or simplify a process and can be easily implemented.

As our chapter grows, we are strategically looking at what’s next for how we can better support your membership and coaching journey. It is my honor to lend my head, hands, and heart to advance ICFNT’s vision & mission!

PS: If you have feedback or questions related to online platforms reach out to me at onlineplatforms@icf-nt.com

Kathleen Klaviter, PCC

ICF North Texas President

president@icf-nt.com

June 2021

Hello Everyone,

Here we are, halfway through 2021. The pandemic continues but we see light on the horizon and a sense of renewal. We look forward to offering chapter meetings that can included in-person gathering again soon.

Our coaching spirit is alive in how our chapter has continued to provide professional updates, training, and workshops with CCEUs—and to leverage our virtual existence by offering speakers from far and wide. In the first five months of the year, we have:

Welcomed 23 new members join our chapter
Awarded 12 credentials
Made it easy to pick up 28 CCEUs (16 CCEUs through chapter meetings and workshops and 12 CCEUs through SE Region Webinars)

We have embraced all the new changes brought to us by our global organization in 2021:

New core competencies are now being taught and tested for certification
New Team competencies have been introduced and training and certification has begun
New code of ethics introduced.
Business Building series for coaches across the Southeast Region

What’s next for you this year? There is still plenty of time left to get your business on track, catch up on the core competencies, and earn CCEUs to keep up your credential or attain one. We are a young profession yet a vibrant one, continually evolving and raising the bar, and the credential is becoming more important. As a chapter we are a local resource and able to support you.

Make sure the second Friday of the month from 11:15 AM – 1:15 PM is blocked on your calendar for our monthly meeting. It is your time to connect with other coaches and continue your professional development.

And it’s the perfect time to personally join with other chapter members to contribute to taking us out of the pandemic and determining what we look like on the other side. As a member of a professional organization, consider what you could be doing annually for maximum benefits. Vibrancy looks like:

Recommending a program speaker or topic for meetings and workshops
Attending at least one monthly meeting or workshop per quarter
Volunteering with the chapter on one of its many project teams
Joining a LINC group for your targeted personal development
Participating in our annual community service project—nonprofit, pro bono coaching
Connecting with another local coach to network
Share on our Facebook Page

Be empowered by being a member of the North Texas chapter. We have the most highly credentialed coaches of any chapter in Texas (MCC). We just completed our third year of pro bono coaching with the staff of the North Texas Food Bank for maximum community impact. We are providing monthly programs that not only improve your coaching skill but help you build your business.

Your ICF North Texas chapter is here to energize and motivate you, and your fellow members are here to pull you along on the coaching train! Save the date for our monthly meetings and for an extra special Celebrate Coaching event on Friday, September 10—a day to share the value of coaching with our clients and prospects. Please let us know how we can help you on your coaching journey.

With warmest regards and hopes for an inspired year of coaching

Susan Daniel, ACC

ICF North Texas Director of Alliances

alliances@icf-nt.com

May 2021

Hello, ICFNT Coaching community!

Now in my third year as director of alliances, I’m delighted to share how we establish and maintain strategic relationships with key entities. The types of organizations that we partner with include non-profits, professional associations, business organizations and other ICF chapters. At a high level, we seek to create synergistic partnerships. To accomplish this, we reach out to and stay connected with organizations and people who share an affinity with our coaching community.

When developing alliances and strategic partnerships ICF North Texas focuses on these key objectives. We look at how the relationship will…

Benefit both chapter members and our partners
Brand coaching in the community and marketplace
Provide development opportunities for coaches

The nature of this role is to successfully foster partnerships that create connection and cohesion with the greater community and stakeholders. This is accomplished through the collaboration and commitment of our entire ICF North Texas board of directors.

A highlight of this role for me personally has been nurturing our partnership with the North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) team in recent years. As part of International Coaching Week, members of ICF North Texas have provided pro bono coaching to the NTFB leaders and staff members. Our gift of coaching to this community organization has helped them to deepen their commitment to establishing a coaching culture. Given the extreme increase in the need for their services due to the pandemic this has been a meaningful time for our chapter to help NTFB employees experience the value and impact of coaching.

By the way, I want to give a ‘shout out’ to all the internal coaches out there. Along with my involvement with ICF, I enjoy an internal coach role with Exeter Finance. There are a growing number of organizations that recognize the power of a coaching culture and I know you join me in being part of an important movement to help leaders grow.

Thank you for your involvement and support for helping us to be recognized as a vibrant ICF chapter known for our community service and outreach through the alliances we create.

Jane Koenecke, ACC

ICF North Texas Director of communications

Communications@icf-nt.com

April 2021

Hello, Coaching community!

This month, as director of communications, I’m pleased to give you a glimpse of how we keep you informed, inspired and connected to our vibrant ICF North Texas chapter. Communication is an important part of our community. As you look for opportunities to continue learning and growing throughout your coaching journey, we work to support you with this at our meetings, on our website, in our newsletters, and in our monthly email messages. We keep you connected to each other, to our local community, and to our global coaching community. In addition, we keep you connected on social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram) by sharing chapter news, industry updates, trending topics and success stories—and by creating meaningful and interactive conversation.

Linked In
ICF North Texas Website
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram

We’ve also made it easy to keep up with LINC meetings and other gatherings with our website calendar (now with categories by color to help you watch for your interests).

With communications support, ICF North Texas:

Was among the first chapters worldwide in 2021 to introduce our new brand on our website and social platforms.
Provides thought leadership with industry updates and trending topics.
Gathers input from members and associates and we use your input to influence decisions.
Upholds professional look and feel of all content, from fliers to slides for meetings or events.
Shares success stories so more people understand the power of coaching and coaching cultures.

We work closely with Teresa Dabney, Director of Online Platforms, and her team who manage the technology and applications where we share communication. We are grateful for the support from two assistants, Peggy and Patty, who help us keep up with all the communications. We are looking for one or two volunteers who could manage a limited amount of the information, maybe an hour or two each month. Please let me know if you’d like to learn more at communications@icf-nt.com.

We encourage you to sign up to view ICF North Texas updates wherever you are (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram) and to respond to what we post. This will help more people know about our chapter and all we have to offer.

Thank you for helping us be an award-winning chapter and for spreading the word about our premiere coaching organization.

Laurie Goetz, ACC

ICF North Texas Director of Membership

membership@icf-nt.com

March 2021

It is almost springtime in North Texas—a time for renewal and reinvigoration. And the month of March is also the beginning of ICF Global membership renewal season. It’s a time for us to reinvigorate ICF with our shared passion for coaching. My name is Laurie Goetz and having served as the ICF North Texas membership director for almost three years, I truly believe that it’s the members who make our chapter so special. Personally, the talented professionals I’ve met through our chapter have become my colleagues, mentors, advisors, and friends and they have contributed immensely to my professional success.

Many members ask, “What is the difference between ICF Global and ICF North Texas?” Here are just a few of the distinctions between these professional associations.

ICF North Texas membership offers you:

a local network of peers
LINC groups for you to laugh, interact, nurture and connect with like-minded colleagues
Access to the Southeast Region webinars
Fabulous monthly programs and workshops, with plenty of opportunities to earn continuing education credits (CCEs)

ICF Global membership provides:

A parent organization for all local chapters worldwide that is dedicated to advancing the coaching profession and providing credential certification
Access to numerous free thought-leadership and discounted business development resources
Research such as the Global Coaching Study with valuable survey data on the coaching industry
The ICF Foundation for social progress through coaching

Membership in either organization provides you with credibility, community and incredible opportunities for continuous development. Membership in ICF North Texas also provides a community of peers who understand the joys and challenges you face as a professional coach practitioner. I encourage you to renew both your Global and local memberships today so that you can continue to enjoy the benefits that come with identifying yourself as a member of the world’s largest community of professionally trained coaches.

Thank you for your membership in both ICF Global and ICF North Texas!

Steve Hendon, PCC

ICF North Texas Director of Programs

programs@icf-nt.com

February 2021

Hello 2021!

I’m sure most of you are glad to welcome 2021 as an opportunity to move forward with hope and optimism. 2020 was a challenging year and many of those challenges remain, at least for a while longer. Despite those challenges, we coached ourselves through it and provided a very positive year for ICF North Texas.

We moved to virtual production of our monthly meetings, programs, webinars, and workshops, starting in March. Rather than scale back our programming, we moved forward with the expectation that we, as a recognized Chapter of Excellence, could continue to help our members and our chapter grow.

While we hope to get back to in-person events later this year, we have learned from the experience:

Many of you found virtual meetings much easier to attend.
We were able to go outside of our geographic area to find more of the quality speakers we are accustomed to.
With some creativity and persistence, we were able to stay connected.
We discovered and identified new strengths within our board and membership that made our success possible.
ICF Global was right there with us, providing support and assistance.

As we move forward, 2021 is a year of opportunity. Our partnerships with ICF Global, the Southeast Region of ICF, strategic alliances with ATD and the North Texas Food Bank, and our fabulous Board of Directors and volunteers, position us for another exceptional year.

In 2021, you can expect 11 monthly programs, 12 webinars, and 5 workshops, including CEUs to meet your credentialing requirements.

Programming doesn’t just happen, so I want to thank our board for the expertise and support that makes programming much easier. Our talented virtual assistants always seem to have the answers and make things work. Thanks also to our past-president Kristin Robertson and our current president Kathleen Klaviter for their leadership, wisdom, and encouragement. And special thanks to you, the members of ICF North Texas. Your feedback and support are vital to our success.

As Programs Director, I also want to thank the programs team. Tyra Bremer, Ken Jenkins, Lisa Ong, Cherie Silas, and Diane Whiting work hard to bring you the best programming possible. We are all committed to listening to your feedback and searching out the best speakers possible. Truly, 2021 is a year of hope and optimism.

Here we come 2021!

Kathleen Klaviter, PCC

ICF North Texas President

January 2021

Welcome to the New Year!

As your chapter president for 2021, I look forward to the opportunities this year will bring our chapter.

There are a lot of questions and challenges ahead of us with the pandemic, but with the committed and motivated Board of Directors we have, we will continue to address these challenges positively and creatively.

I am proud to say that you are part of a globally recognized, award-winning chapter that will continue to offer programs and support to develop our members to their highest level of professional skill. We produce something for every member’s needs, including training (CCEs), business development, networking and credentialling support.

As we plan this year, our first thoughts are that we are a volunteer organization. We need coach volunteers to make us the diverse and thriving organization we strive to be. We need you to bring your gifts and talents to strengthen our chapter. Consider volunteering this year. What’s in it for you? Well first, it makes you feel good. An added benefit of volunteering is all the new connections you will make within the chapter, which increases your professional network. We constantly learn from each other.

I also want to mention a unique aspect that this chapter offers is a commitment to community service. One of our largest volunteer responses is to the pro-bono coaching opportunity for the staff of the North Texas Food Bank (NTFB).

Our members continually lead with big hearts and it contributes to the fabric of this chapter and makes us meaningful and influential in the community.

So, as I close this first message for 2021, here are three take-aways for you that are key to our shared success.

Keep up your Professional Development. Learn the new competencies, effective January 2021.
Volunteer with this chapter. There is a role for you—even in a virtual world—and every Board member will attest it is worth it.
Community Service is a way to give back professionally. Look for ways to contribute to the larger community. Look for our chapter’s NTFB collaboration coming in the second quarter.

I hope to see you at a chapter meeting soon. And you are always welcome to contact me or any Board member with questions and ideas. We appreciate you!

Thank you and we’ll see you soon.

Kristin Robertson, PCC

ICF North Texas President

December 2020

2020 is almost over! It is a year that will mark our lives, as we will date events as “pre-pandemic” or “post-pandemic.” This past year also marked a milestone in our chapter’s history—our 25th anniversary. As I look back on the year, I’m proud that the pandemic didn’t slow down the important work of ICF North Texas. Despite the added complications we were all facing, our coaching community jumped right into it with our first online meeting in March. We have not skipped a beat. We hope you have experienced how we have worked hard to provide:

High Quality – You rate programs extremely high and, for the second year in a row, we were recognized as an outstanding chapter by ICF Global
Consistency – You can count on educational webinars and chapter meetings every month
Variety – You find our topics to be timely and relevant, offering a well-rounded training experience
Engagement – You can interact in many ways—collaborating with colleagues at ATD, volunteering to coach at non-profit agencies, joining a LINC Special Interest Group, or sharing your expertise
A welcoming home base – Networking at each chapter meeting, opportunities to rub elbows with many highly qualified and tenured coaches, and fun happy hours plus a virtual holiday party

And here’s some breaking news: North Texas is now more than 200 members strong!

We crossed over 200 and currently have 203 active members (173 full members and 30 associates) as of this month.
We gained 57 new members in 2020, which significantly exceeds our historical increase trend of about 45 new members/year

If you did not have a chance to see it at our Annual Meeting/25th Anniversary Event in November, please view our 2020 Year in Review.

Thank you to the 2020 board and all the volunteers who made this year so strong!

Kristin Robertson, PCC

ICF North Texas President

November 2020

Congratulations ICF North Texas, for being an honoree (a “winner”) in the Chapter Recognition program for 2019—for the second year in a row. I hope you received the email invitations from both our chapter and ICF Global to the awards ceremony during the last week of October 2020.

Special thanks to 2019 ICF North Texas President, Mike Caracalas, who led the chapter in all the outstanding programs that stood out to the judges. Those programs included:

Pro Bono coaching program for North Texas Food Bank: In 2019, we started our partnership with NTFB and provided both a leadership development workshop and one-on-one coaching for the organization. Over 40 North Texas coaches each volunteered three hours of coaching expertise to leaders at NTFB. Thanks to Alliances Director Susan Daniel for this achievement.
Celebrate Coaching 2018: Explore the Magic of Coaching: Over 130 registrants filled Hackberry Creek Country Club to participate in an appreciative inquiry exploration of the benefits of coaching lead by guest speaker, Dr. Terry Hildebrandt. Thank you, Lisa Seay, 2019 Communications Director, for planning and implementing this successful event.
Association for Talent Development and ICF-North Texas partnership: In August 2019, ICF North Texas was an exhibitor at ATD-Dallas Southwest Learning Summit, jumpstarting a partnership that continues to this day. Again, gratitude goes to Susan Daniel, Alliances Director, for leading this initiative.

At this time, we are finalizing the slate of candidates for the 2021 Board of Directors. Our goal is to nominate only those people who have volunteered in the past year for committee work. If you are called to leadership in our chapter, please reach out to me or any other Board member to discuss volunteer opportunities both now and in 2021. It is only with a large group of non-board volunteers that we can continually improve our chapter and win awards.

In this month of thanksgiving, I personally thank, first, the 2020 Board of Directors for their outstanding contributions: Kathleen Klaviter, Tim Kincaid, Jane Koenecke, Staci Witten, Susan Daniel, Jay Harris, Mike Caracalas, Steve Hendon and Laurie Goetz. As president, I have been blessed with a dream team of talented coaches who give their time, labor and love to this chapter.

Next, I thank all the non-Board volunteers, including the 40-plus members who volunteered this year for pro bono coaching at North Texas Food Bank, and the dozen who volunteered to coach at the Texas Women’s Conference in October 2020. It is only with your volunteerism, that we continue to stand strong.

Kristin Robertson, PCC

ICF North Texas President

October 2020

Our ICF North Texas Chapter is here to support you, not only with excellent educational offerings, but with opportunities to make deep connections among members. Especially during a pandemic, we must maintain and deepen our connections with coach colleagues during this extraordinarily difficult time. One of our newly revitalized programs offers you a way to connect in small, special-interest groups with other coaches. This program is called LINC Special Interest Groups.

I am so proud of the work that our Membership Director, Laurie Goetz, and the volunteers she has attracted, have done in August to revitalize the LINC Special Interest Groups. Started several years ago by Cheryl Close and Jim Cooper, LINC (Learn, Interact, Network, and Contribute) is a descriptive acronym for the benefits you receive for participating. LINC special interest groups are a free benefit for all ICF North Texas members. We now have more than 55 members participating and 11 volunteer leaders engaging in LINC groups. Outstanding!

Here is a list of the LINC groups—and their leaders—that are currently available to join:

NEW! Internal Coaches Best Practices group, led by Sharon Coleman and Connie Armbrust
NEW! Virtual Book Club group, led by Dari Rossi
NEW! PCC Credential Support group, led by Mina Brown, MCC and Beth Cory
NEW! ACC Prep and Coaching Business Start-Up, led by Michele Galen and Kathrine Glass
MCC Credentialing Prep, led by Susan Shapiro and Jim Cooper
Digital Marketing, led by Staci Witten and Dara Rossi

Any ICF North Texas member can volunteer to start a LINC group to bring together people with a common interest, build connections, and create a sense of community. Future topics for LINC groups could include Diversity and Inclusion, Faith-Based Coaching Community, Higher Education Coaching Community, or other areas of interest. Go to our LINC page or contact Laurie Goetz for more information.

I strongly encourage you to connect with your tribe by starting or joining a LINC Special Interest Group.

Kristin Robertson, PCC
ICF North Texas President

September 2020

Earlier this year, when the pandemic was new, I came across this quote from Abigail Adams (1780):

“These are times in which a genius would wish to live…Great necessities call out great virtues.”

I have used this quote as my email signature until I replaced it with a plug for Celebrate Coaching, our signature event in September.

Great necessities have called out great virtues in the ICF-North Texas community. I have seen virtues such as flexibility, optimism, stepping up to help, and taking responsibility in our community this year. We shifted to virtual monthly chapter meetings on March 13, 2020, several days before the COVID-19 quarantine was announced, and have conducted every meeting since via Zoom. We are staging two signature events this fall—Celebrate Coaching in September and our 25th Anniversary party in November—online.

And, it’s not just board members who have shown their virtues this year. Please check elsewhere in this newsletter for the extensive list of volunteers who have engaged in ICF North Texas programs in 2020. The vitality of our volunteers directly correlates to the vitality of our chapter. Thank you, all, for stepping up to serve both our coaching community (through chapter work) and the larger community (through pro bono coaching for North Texas Food Bank, Texas Women’s Conference, and others). We are blessed with high caliber leaders in North Texas.

You won’t want to miss our incredible speakers lined up for Celebrate Coaching on September 11. Renée Robertson is the President of the ICF’s Coaching in Organizations family and has led two large companies to win the ICF Global Prism award for excellence in coaching programs. And Sandy Mitsch, Brené Brown’s top presenter, is introducing us to Brown’s Dare to Lead curriculum.

There is still time to register until September 10, so please spread the word and I’ll see you there!

To show how excited I am about the event, I invited twenty-six current and prospective clients to join me at my virtual table for the event. Of course, not all of them can make it, but it was fantastic to reconnect with prospects who haven’t been in touch during the pandemic. This is a great way to market your business, and at $200 for a table of eight, it is a true bargain.

It is not too late to register your table or half-table—the deadline to sponsor a table is Friday, September 4, so don’t wait!

Kristin Robertson, PCC
ICF North Texas President

August 2020

We are more than halfway through a tumultuous year that has delivered sudden and massive changes to our lives. In such times, it is helpful to remember what we stand for, both collectively and individually. ICF North Texas values provide a clear direction for the board and our members as we steer our organization into a far different future than we could have imagined at the beginning of the year. It is a good time to revisit our core values.

ICF-North Texas has five core values that the board identified in January, 2017. We introduced the values to our community over the next program year, to positive acclaim. They continue to provide direction for our future plans, and a test for the decisions that we make. Here are the five core values and what they mean to us, and some examples of how your board and our members have been living these guiding values in 2020.

I’d love to hear stories from you about how you’ve seen ICF-NT members live these values. Please send them to me at president@icf-nt.com

Kristin Robertson, PCC
ICF North Texas President

July 2020

Hello, precious coaching community,

A pandemic. Racial inequality. A battered economy. We are dealing with a trifecta that is shaking our world. While the current situation is grim, I truly believe that much good will come out of this crisis. I can’t tell you exactly what good things will look like, but shame on us if we don’t work together to make the new normal a better normal.

ICF North Texas is here to provide you with a supportive community during this time. I encourage you to get involved by attending chapter meetings and webinars, join a LINC Special Interest Group, or volunteer to help the chapter by emailing me at president@icf-nt.com.

And, I want you to know that your ICF North Texas board wholeheartedly supports the International Coach Federation’s recent statement condemning racism and systemic inequality. Please consider attending the ICF Southeast Region Town Hall meeting on July 15 at 11:00 AM CT called UNITED: Breaking Down Barriers of Race and Systemic Inequality to learn what we can do as coaches. Look for more information in this newsletter.

Last, I’d like to share the closing words from Magda Mook, the CEO of ICF, in her statement against racism. I invite you to join in the sentiment:

“As One ICF, we stand together.
We stand for greater diversity and inclusion.
We stand against racism.
We stand against violence.
We stand for respect, dignity and integrity.”

So be it.

Kristin Robertson, PCC
ICF North Texas President

June 2020

ICF: What’s in it for me?

I often ask my coaching clients to tune into radio station WII-FM (What’s In It For Me?) when we discuss new behaviors to try. I might say, “What’s in it for you to interact more positively with your boss or co-worker?” Or “What’s in it for you to pause a moment to breathe before you react to an emotional trigger?” I then ask them to turn WII-FM around and pose the question from the other person’s point of view, as in “What’s in it for the other?” I’ve been pondering the turned-around question regarding ICF North Texas and its members. I’ve been asking myself, “What’s in it for our members to be involved in the International Coach Federation (ICF) and our local chapter? How can ICF North Texas help our members survive and thrive during this weird COVID-19 pandemic?”
As a board, we have created a standard list of benefits for joining ICF-NT, which are:

Access to locally produced and low-cost continuing education units, which are necessary to maintain your ICF coaching credential
Creating a community of local coaches who help, nurture and support each other
Advancing the coaching profession

As for membership in the global ICF, an additional benefit is the prestige of attaining an ICF coaching credential, such as Associate Certified Coach (ACC), Professional Certified Coach (PCC) and Master Certified Coach (MCC).

And there are more benefits that you may not be aware of! I’d like to share some specific services that I’ve taken advantage of recently and hope that you’ll be inspired by some of them. Here’s my curated list of What’s In It For You to be a member of ICF and ICF North Texas.

Reciprocal Coaching, administered by ICF, is a service that matches you with both a coach and a client for a six-session engagement (six sessions as a coach and six sessions as a client). The cost is $55, which is an administrative fee for the matching. The concept is that you are willing to barter being a client to a coach in exchange for getting the experience of coaching another coach. Your client is not the same person as your coach, ensuring confidentiality and compliance with the ICF Code of Ethics.

Sara Smith, a member of our chapter and 2020 President of the ICF Professional Coaching Board, mentioned this service in her presentation at the May ICF North Texas chapter meeting. In a subsequent conversation, she recommended it to me as a good and inexpensive way to take my coaching to the next level. Neil Phillips, a Past President of our chapter, has had experience with Reciprocal Coaching and explained the service to me:

“There are really two programs, Peer coaching and MCC Preparation coaching. The “Peer coaching” is just that. They are opportunities to hone your coaching. They are generally not recorded and you generally don’t ask for feedback about your coaching.

The other type of coaching is “MCC Preparation” coaching. These are done with 30 minutes of coaching and about 15 minutes of feedback. With one exception, prep coaching has been great.”

With both Sara and Neil’s recommendation, I signed up for the next Peer Coaching round that starts in mid-June. For $55, it’s a great deal!
COVID-19 resources, especially the video recording of “Staying the Course: What Coaches Can Do in the Time of COVID-19” with Ann Betz, a neuroscience in coaching expert, and William Arruda, host of the ICF Business Development Series. Included in this great presentation is a handout that lists the Top Ten Reasons You (and Your Organization) Need Coaching More Than Ever Right Now. This is a fun presentation. I highly recommend it to you.
ICF Business Development Course 2020, hosted by marketing guru William Arruda, is still available in an on-demand format. This course helps you create and implement marketing plans for your coaching business.
ICF-NT’s June 16 programs are ones you can’t miss, with speakers from the Gallup organization.
ICF-NT’s LINC Special Interest Groups are being revitalized by our 2020 Membership Director, Laurie Goetz. Look out for more information about how you can get involved in chapter SIGs formed around topics such as MCC preparation, online marketing, mastering the PCC markers. More to come!

I hope my personal list of services and benefits is helpful to you. See you at our next chapter meeting and workshop on June 16.

Kristin Robertson, PCC
ICF North Texas President

May 2020

As 2020 continues to unfold in very surprising ways, I marvel at how I am seeing many of you leverage your coaching training and expertise to launch yourselves forward. In spite of whatever challenges have emerged during this pandemic, our coaches are creating a whole new level of digital connections and are supporting organizations of every size and scope through a cyclone of change.

As people of our community continue to endure many disappointments and cancellations, we are uniquely equipped to help them deal with any negative emotions in a healthy way. We can help our clients to understand that if not dealt with, ignored emotions pop back up like a beach ball that you try to keep submerged. By supporting our clients through naming, acknowledging and understanding their emotions, we can help them step through it all toward a positive future. For example, you might say to a client, “I sense that you are feeling a bit anxious about your job. Given the circumstances, I would feel the same. After we’ve discussed your feelings a bit more, could we make a plan for how you are going to come out of this even stronger?” We can make such an important difference for our community members right now, and I hope you are feeling fulfilled in this gift you can give.

Just as you may be providing more for your clients or dealing with a loss of business, ICF North Texas is here to help you weather the COVID-19 storm. Our programs, including chapter meetings, webinars and happy hours, have moved online, and we are here supporting and educating you to be the best coach possible. As our chapter has shifted to completely virtual gatherings, we remain determined to deliver a great deal of value to coaches across North Texas. And ICF Global continues to add more and more resources on the Covid-19 Resources for Coaches page.

Please take a look at some of the upcoming offerings and, I’ll see you on Zoom soon.

Kristin Robertson, PCC
ICF North Texas President

April 2020

The old Chinese adage says, “May you live in interesting times,” and we are doing just that. The COVID19 virus has sent us all back to our homes, where many of us, especially the extroverts, are going crazy. It seems like the business community is either super busy and stressed, or twiddling their thumbs and I imagine it’s the same for our ICF North Texas coaches. Whether you are busy or idle, this is a time to re-assess and re-charge. I’ve added a quote from Abigail Adams to my email signature because I was so touched by its relevance to this time of crisis:

These are times in which a genius would wish to live…Great necessities call out great virtues.
— Abigail Adams, 1780

How can you be a genius in this uncertain time? One resource for drawing out your inner genius is a great article from International Coaching Federation called Coaching in Times of Crisis, which contains many helpful resources. Because we all have a bit more time during the shelter-in-place mandate, we can do more of the things that can sustain us. I’ll add some suggestions of my own:

Get outside once a day to exercise or just enjoy the beautiful spring weather
Practice gratitude for every small blessing that comes your way. For example, on my morning walk with my dog, I notice each tree that has new buds on it and give thanks.
Set aside a daily time to amp up your inner life through meditation, prayer, inspirational reading or mindfulness
Improve your mind! Read some of the coaching books you’ve been meaning to but haven’t had the time for. Some of the ones on my list are:
The Hedgehog Effect by Manfred Kets de Vries
Your Brain at Work by David Rock
No Ego by Cy Wakeman
Humble Inquiry by Edgar Schein
Good Leaders Ask Good Questions by John Maxwell
Look into the government’s recently passed bill to help small business. You can start here with this article on Where Small Businesses can go for Help.

If you are financially secure, consider giving to the North Texas Food Bank, the non-profit that ICF North Texas has partnered with to provide pro bono coaching in both 2019 and 2020. Because of the enormous amount of economic suffering caused by COVID-19, they are in need of both gifts-in-kind and financial donations. Please visit here to donate money. I just did.

And, do take advantage of our online events this month—a webinar, a virtual chapter meeting and a virtual happy hour.

Kristin Robertson, PCC
ICF North Texas President

March 2020

March 2020 is an exciting month for the North Texas chapter. We are hosting a special, once-in-a-lifetime event on March 25 at 6:00 PM—the evening before the Global Leadership Forum (GLF). GLF is a yearly conference of ICF chapter leaders worldwide, when we come together to learn best practices about chapter leadership and governance, learn about ICF Global’s strategic plans, and network with other chapters. GLF is in a different city each year (last year’s conference was held in Dublin, Ireland) and Fort Worth was chosen for 2020. You can see now why this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

If you are an ICF North Texas Chapter member, or an ICF Global member, please check your invitation (emailed on February 20) for information on how to register for this very special event. You will meet ICF staff and board members from across the globe, hear about the exciting plans ICF Global has to make our profession even stronger, and network with your fellow North Texas coaches.

And, making things even more exciting, we are holding our first ever monthly chapter meeting via webinar. We hope to include people who are not able to attend our Friday luncheons in person. Judy Feld, one of the founders of our chapter and the first director of the coaching program at UT Dallas, will be sharing practical advice from her 25 years of coaching. This is sure to be an instructive and fun webinar, so be sure to register and attend on March 13 at 11:30. Bring your own lunch to eat at your computer.

It’s a pleasure to serve you with the 2020 Board of Directors, who are an amazing team.

Kristin Robertson, PCC
ICF North Texas President

February 2020

At a recent ICF North Texas Past Presidents gathering, Sara Smith, the Chair of the 2020 ICF Global Board for Coach Practitioners Chair, told me that the North Texas chapter is a role model for others. I immediately responded that her shoulders, and the shoulders of all who have served this chapter, must be very dirty because we stand on them. Here is a photo of several of the shoulders that have offered us remarkable support over the years. Thank you to all members who have lead or volunteered in some way to make this chapter great.

Chapter President Kristin Robertson stays connected with and learns from our past presidents.
Here are a few, shown with Kristin: Neil Phillips, Jude Olson, Jim Cooper, and Mike Caracalas.

We are ready to announce our theme or Rallying Cry for 2020. Although this is meant to focus the efforts of the board, it is you, our chapter members, who will make this a reality. Our 2020 theme statement is: Expand the influence of coaching and strengthen coaching cultures!

With this approach, we’re telling members and the broader community that ICF North Texas:

Prepares coaches the for growing demand for a higher standard of coaching
Is the place to find industry information plus expertise and development
Is THE professional organization for all types of professionals: coaches in organizations, external or independent leadership coaches, health and wellness coaches, life coaches, and more

Please check out the February Newsletter for more on our plans for our 25th anniversary year!

Kristin Robertson, PCC
ICF North Texas President

January 2020

Welcome to the new year, 2020! As I step into my role as President of ICF-NT, I first have to bow in homage to the great leaders that have preceded me: Mike Caracalas, Catherine Oleksiw, Jude Olson and so many more. Our chapter holds the prestigious title of “Charter” chapter because we started in 1995, the same year that ICF was born. Happy 25th birthday to both the North Texas chapter and to ICF Global! Look for a chapter birthday party next fall to celebrate all we have accomplished.

We have an exciting year shaping up for you. The board’s theme for 2020 is yet to be formally determined, but it will have to do with broadening our impact on the North Texas coaching community. Stay tuned for more information

The ICF Global Leadership Forum, at which leaders from all the chapters worldwide convene, will be held in Fort Worth this March. We are planning a special event for the chapter during that time. Watch for announcements about that event.

I am proud to be your ICF North Texas president and look forward to working with you to advance the coaching profession in North Texas.

All the best,
Kristin Robertson
ICF-NT President, 2020

Mike Caracalas, PCC
ICF North Texas President

December 2019

Seasons of Change

It feels like a cliché to write about the changing seasons, but it’s genuinely what’s going on for me right now. I spent yesterday raking the fallen leaves in my backyard, and I spent the past week working with the board on transition issues. Every season has its time and my time as your chapter president is coming to an end.

Everyone wants to ask me, “Are you glad your term is almost over?” I will admit to feeling some relief at getting back some of my time, which over the past year I’ve given to the success of our chapter, but I am not “glad that it’s over.” The North Texas chapter is a wonderful organization and I am immensely honored to have led it for the past year. You as a chapter have accomplished so much. From our support of the North Texas Food Bank during International Coach Week to the prestigious Celebrate Coaching 2019, we are making an impact in our community.

All living systems go through transition and our chapter is no exception. Some of our board will be moving on at the end of this year. I want to thank Lisa Seay and Catherine Oleksiw for their tireless support of ICF North Texas. Best wishes to you, and we still look forward to seeing you at the next meeting. We also have two new members joining our board in 2020 and here’s my hearty welcome to Steve Hendon and Jane Koenecke. I look forward to your fresh perspectives.

As I take a step back, I want to be among the first to welcome Kristin Robertson into the role of President for 2020. Go get ’em Kristin! I’m here for you every step of the way.

With gratitude,

Mike Caracalas, PCC
ICF North Texas President

November 2019

Giving Thanks for the ICF

Halloween is a big holiday in my household and every year when it passes, I feel the downward momentum picking up speed toward the end of the year. I’m trying not to let that happen this year. I’ve had such a rewarding time serving as your President for 2019, and we still have a bit of time left together.

Last month, we held our 2nd Annual Celebrate Coaching event and it was a huge success. The chapter was well represented and, equally important, we had an amazing room full of guests and talent developers from organizations around the DFW Metroplex. I couldn’t have been more proud to be a part of it.

This month, we’ll hold our Annual Chapter Meeting on November 8, where we’ll take a look back on all that we’ve accomplished in 2019 and begin looking forward to 2020. And soon after that (December 5) we’ll have our Holiday Party, before we slip into 2020.

You’ll read one more President’s message from me in December, but I’m already beginning to feel the transition coming. The past four and a half years on the board have transformed my view of the International Coach Federation. I always knew it was a great organization, whose mission I align with. But I have a deeper appreciation now for all the volunteer individuals who make it what it is. I’m speaking not just about our chapter here in North Texas, but the other chapters in our “Southeast Forum” and all the chapters around the world. We are part of an amazing global community of coaches. I feel honored to be a part of it and humbled to have served as your leader for my short time on the ICF North Texas board.

If you’ve been showing up all year, I look forward to seeing you again. If you’ve been away much this year, please make a point of coming to our Annual Chapter Meeting and Holiday Party so I can say hello again (or for the first time!).

With gratitude,

Mike Caracalas, PCC
ICF North Texas President

October 2019

Celebrate Coaching Within Organizations

As coaches, ICF North Texas members are well aware of the power of coaching. Whether it’s with our own clients or when we’re on the receiving end of great coaching, we’ve seen the impact coaching can have. It has the power to change someone’s world.

What I find equally exciting is the impact coaching can have on the results and culture of an organization. On October 11, we have the opportunity to share that exciting message with colleagues from around the DFW Metroplex with Celebrate Coaching 2019: The Business Case for Building a Coaching Culture.

Our own Sara Smith will share the latest research from ICF and HCI about how companies with a coaching culture outperform their peers and she’ll present the recipe for how to create a coaching culture. Then we’ll hear from a panel of companies who’ve had some success in this regard. We’ll finish with a keynote by Steve Sosland, who’s created coaching cultures within multiple organizations.

And it’s all happening at the beautiful La Cima Club in Las Colinas. Details can be found in this month’s newsletter. This is our chapter’s signature event of the year. Make sure you don’t miss it!

With gratitude,

Mike Caracalas, PCC
ICF North Texas President

September 2019

Developing Talent through Coaching

In mid August, several ICF North Texas board members—along with one of our counterparts at ICF Global—spent the day at ATD’s 2019 Southwest Learning Summit at the Plano Event Center. If you’re not familiar, ATD is the Association for Talent Development, formerly ASTD (hint: the T was for Training). With respect to coaching within organizations, we believe developing a partnership with ATD makes a lot of sense. After all, what’s the best method of developing talent if not coaching? Okay, that’s my opinion, but it’s a hard-earned and well-informed opinion.

The keynote speaker called himself a coach, many of the breakouts mentioned coaching, and ATD global is even offering a coaching certificate. Given all that, I found myself surprised at the number of attendees who stopped by our booth with only a basic understanding of what coaching is and why it’s such a powerful way to develop talent. It was a reminder to me that I can sometimes get insulated in my community of coaches and forget that the general public, and even Talent Development professionals, are still ripe for an education about the power of coaching to transform lives and organizations.

Our event Celebrate Coaching 2019: The Business Case for Building a Coaching Culture is coming up on October 11. More information is coming very soon, including the opportunity to sponsor a table so you can invite your clients and prospective clients. We’ll certainly be inviting our new friends at ATD, and can’t wait to share the great story of coaching!

With gratitude,

Mike Caracalas, PCC
ICF North Texas President

August 2019

Building the Business Case for a Coaching Culture

Lately, I find myself more and more wanting to sell organizations on the value of coaching. It’s not always easy for me to do. From my personal vantage point, it’s crystal clear. I’ve benefited from some world-class coaching and in my practice, I get to see its effects on those I coach. But when it comes to selling organizations on why they should invest their precious capital in the coaching of their leaders, it’s not always easy to put the data into words that tell a story.

Fortunately, ICF has partnered with the Human Capital Institute (HCI) to create a fabulous presentation on Building the Business Case for Coaching in Organizations. In case you missed it, Sara Smith did a fantastic job of delivering that presentation recently in an ICF North Texas sponsored webinar. You can catch the replay here. Additionally, you can have access to the PowerPoint presentation, which you can present on your own.

This October, we’ll be hosting our Celebrate Coaching 2019 event (see the “Save the Date” in this month’s newsletter) and our focus is on bringing in organizational leaders to educate them on the business case for building a coaching culture. And if you haven’t heard, ICF is in the middle of an organizational transformation to, among other things, bring greater emphasis to supporting coaching within organizations. There will be more to come on that in the months ahead, including an update at the October Celebrate Coaching event.

I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer, and I’ll see you in the fall.

Mike Caracalas, PCC
ICF North Texas President

June 2019

What’s the Value of Your Membership?

Earlier this spring, I renewed both my ICF Global membership and my local ICF North Texas membership. I happily paid those dues because as a professional coach, I couldn’t imagine it any other way. As a board member, I’ve been fortunate to see more deeply into the ICF organization, participating at the both the Southeast Regional and Global levels. The biggest value for me has been actively becoming part of this amazing community of coaches. I’ve learned from my colleagues and made great new friends. Along the way, I’ve benefited from a wide variety of professional development opportunities.

How about you? What do you value about your membership? Maybe it’s the networking. Or it might be the LINC groups. In this month’s newsletter, our Director of Membership, Laurie Goetz, outlines five benefits of ICF North Texas membership.

Maybe you find value in the opportunities ICF North Texas provides to give back to our communities. We’re still in the midst of our annual International Coaching Week effort, where we’re providing pro bono coaching to the leaders of the North Texas Food Bank, which you can read about in this month’s newsletter. We’re making a real impact in an organization that is feeding the hungry in our local community.

Or maybe you really value the professional standards and industry research that comes with your ICF Global membership. In this month’s newsletter we’ve highlighted the launch of the ICF Global Coaching Survey, which ICF is conducting in partnership with PwC. I like to use the data I receive from Global to build credibility with my clients.

No matter what keeps you coming back to ICF, I hope you are engaging as fully and enthusiastically as you can. I truly believe you get back in proportion to what you put in. Paying your dues is a great start, but it’s just a start. Make your membership work for you. Take advantage of all that ICF membership has to offer!

With gratitude,

Mike Caracalas, PCC
ICF North Texas President

May 2019

It’s International Coaching Week!

I was at the dentist today, getting my teeth cleaned with my mouth full of stuff, when the hygienist asked me what sport I coach. All I could manage was a grunt. It’s hard enough to explain “coaching” without the oral impediments of dental torture.

That’s why I love the theme of this year’s International Coaching Week—Experience Coaching! The words we use to describe coaching are excellent pointers, or guideposts, to what coaching is, but until you experience it, it’s hard to understand the impact and why it works. This year we’re helping 40 leaders at the non-profit North Texas Food Bank experience coaching in support of their vision for a hunger-free, healthy North Texas.

I hope you are as proud as I am to be a member of the North Texas Chapter of ICF. My personal goal this week is to share my love of coaching in every way possible. That means showing up as my best self with every client I see this week, proclaiming my pride for our profession all over social media, and continuing to develop myself as a coach with chapter webinars, monthly meetings, workshops, LINCs, and everything else our chapter has to offer coaches like me.

Becoming a coach was never a “job” for me. Becoming a coach was a choice that transformed my life. Celebrating my chosen life during International Coaching Week is the cherry on top.

With gratitude,

Mike Caracalas, PCC
ICF North Texas President

April 2019

How Do You Contribute to ICF North Texas?

Yes, I know you contribute your money in the form of dues and event fees, but we all know there’s more to it than that. We are an all-volunteer organization and this month, it feels especially fitting to recognize our volunteers. April is the month that volunteerism is celebrated nationally (National Volunteer Week is April 7–13 this year).

Like many professional organizations, we would not exist and be able to offer the benefits to you, our members, without the work of volunteers. In fact, four of our members: Katherine Bock, Marie Raines, CurVie Burton, and Laurel Rolls, have spent the last eight months planning the 2019 ICF All-Texas Conference and Retreat. The retreat was held March 28 – 31 in the Texas Hill Country. According to initial reports (and Facebook) a fabulous time was had by all 80 attendees. Thanks to the leadership of these members along with members in Houston and Austin, this event, which didn’t exist two years ago, came to be. We have also seen members joining the Membership and Communications committees, bringing their valuable expertise to help the chapter.

I’ve just returned from ICF’s Global Leaders Forum in Dublin, Ireland, where I represented our chapter along with Kathleen Klaviter, ICF NT Programs Director and a couple hundred other chapter leaders from around the world. This event highlighted the critical role volunteers play not just locally but globally. I was absolutely stunned by the energy, diversity, and talent of the volunteer leaders who make ICF what it is around the world. I could not have been more proud to be serving as your North Texas representative. And it was easy to be proud, given that ICF selected our chapter as an honoree in the 2018 Chapter Recognition program. Along with 12 other impressive chapters from around the world, we were in great company. Here are a few of my photos from the event.

How can you contribute to the chapter? In so many ways, but one in particular has to do with our International Coach Week Celebration (ICW). ICW is April 29 – May 5. It is a tradition during this week for ICF chapters to partner with a non-profit to provide pro-bono coaching. We have the opportunity for 40 coaches to provide 3 hours of pro-bono coaching to the External Affairs team within the North Texas Food Bank. It would be a small portion of your time to make an enormous impact on those helping to feed the hungry in North Texas. This is a member-only opportunity and you must be logged in to sign up. Join us as a volunteer!

Yours in volunteer service,

Mike Caracalas, PCC
ICF North Texas President

March 2019

Building a Vibrant Coaching Community

What I love most about my ICF North Texas membership is the opportunity it provides me to be part of a vibrant community of professionals. Being a solopreneur coach, I need to be intentional about engaging with my community.

This morning I was part of a very lively Digital Marketing LINC with eight of my ICF-NT colleagues. Some of us are novices at Digital Marketing, some are experts, and some are in the middle. Besides learning from each other, we had a lot of fun and simply got to know each other better, as professionals and as people. LINCs are a member only benefit that offer a great way to build Community (and if you don’t recall, that’s Laugh, Interact, Nurture, and Contribute).

As a board member, I get the chance to be part of a larger coaching community as well. We’re part of the Southeast Region, and I meet monthly with my counterparts from ICF chapters across the Southeast. It’s a great group of people to work with and I’ve made lots of new friends in the process.

Later this month, Kathleen Klaviter and I will be representing ICF North Texas at the ICF Global Leaders Forum (GLF) in Dublin, Ireland. In addition to all the learning we’re going to experience, I plan to raise a pint of Guinness or two (or maybe a Jameson Irish Whiskey) to the amazing global community we’re all a part of.

And it starts right here, in our backyard. I hope to see you at our next meeting on March 8, or in one of the LINCs, or maybe even as a fellow attendee at our next webinar on Tuesday, March 26.

Yours in Community,

Mike Caracalas, PCC
ICF North Texas President

January 2019

How Will You Serve This Year?

That’s a question I’ve been asking myself as the reality sinks in that I’ve been elected to be your President for 2019. The rest of the board and I are in the process of setting our goals for the year, but I can tell you now what my biggest priority is.

I want to engage more of you in making a difference for our chapter.

I joined the board three years ago as a way of deepening my connection and commitment to the chapter. It definitely worked! Before that point, I was coming to a few meetings, but I was still “on the outside, looking in.” Now, I’m playing a central role in keeping our chapter growing and moving forward which, as a coach, is what I strive to do in all aspects of my life.

There is a phrase that’s been floating around among some of our fellow ICF chapters in the region which is “moving from consumer to contributor.” I’m sure you know this, but I’ll remind you, we are a volunteer-based, member-led organization. We have no paid staff. Without our members contributing to the operations of our chapter, our operations falter.

One thing that holds us back from stepping forward to contribute may be that it’s not clear exactly what help is needed. For that reason, I’m focusing this year on getting us to document the specific ways you can contribute. My vision is that you can click to a page on our site and see all the available opportunities to contribute, documented in one place, with details about the time commitment and task responsibilities. We’re not there yet, but we’ve begun. Click here to check out what we’ve started. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to contact me directly to chat about how you can contribute (president@icf-nt.com, 972-863-1852).

How will you contribute this year to the continued success of your chapter? Let’s work together to make this year an outstanding one for ICF North Texas!