A conversation with Nicole Dupuis, a productivity and leadership coach and founder of Find Clarity Here Coaching. Nicole's coaching approach is explorative, supportive, authentic, action-based - and fun!
Nicole Dupuis is a productivity and leadership coach who specializes in working with overwhelmed small business owners and entrepreneurs (and solopreneurs) to help develop their skills as a leader, take ownership of their schedule, and their business, look inward at what they want to achieve, and find structure, organization, excitement, joy and clarity in their lives and in their work.
Nicole shares her early career experiences in both the finance and non-profit sectors, her struggle with finding engagement in her work, and her transition into coaching. She emphasizes the importance of understanding what motivates us, the power of asking the right questions to find clarity, and the significance of recognizing small wins as successes.
Over the course of our conversation, Nicole addresses the practical aspects of starting a coaching business, including financial planning and the challenges of leaving a secure job for entrepreneurship. The conversation covers the benefits of coaching for individuals seeking to improve their productivity, leadership skills, and overall satisfaction with their career and life.
"To find clarity, it's really peeling back all the fluff, all the stuff ... all the, I think this is what I'm supposed to do, and this seems like what my boss wants, and I kind of like this job, or whatever, and it's getting to: what really lights you up? what gets you excited? what gets you motivated? A big topic lately, it seems, with clients is: people don't know what motivates (them). Is it money? Is it freedom? Is it flexibility? Is it a promotion?" Nicole Dupuis
Some takeaways:
- When you consider your skills, note those you take for granted. I asked Nicole what skills led to her being hired as a technology coach after graduating from college as a philosophy major. She noted her ease with different types of people, and her ability to put presentations together. She did NOT recognize that her comfort speaking in front of groups of people was another one of her skills. Instead, she took it for granted.
- When facing a career change, take the time to explore what it is you really want to do. Nicole left the corporate sector to work for a non-profit. Instead of being energized by the new position, however, she was burnt out by the emotional as well as physical demand of the job. So what did she do? She hopped to a similar company, taking a job with another non-profit, and then another, but she didn’t feel engaged with the work. It was only then that she began to explore what it is she really wanted.
- Keep your day job, if you can, when you first explore starting a business. Nicole was working as a coach and trainer for a financial firm, which enabled her to explore coaching and realize it was her “jam.” She received her coaching certification, and got her employer’s approval to take on some clients on the side before she was ready, financially and emotionally, to go out on her own.
About the guest:
Nicole is a Productivity & Leadership Coach who focuses her energy towards partnering with rising leaders and small business owners to take action on what truly matters. Nicole named her company, Find Clarity Here, because she believes that most roadblocks and obstacles are due to a lack of clarity. Whether it is a lack of clarity in vision, purpose, their why, or time and energy spent, Nicole helps her clients discover skill sets and tools to find and maintain that necessary clarity. With over nine years of experience, she has had the privilege of coaching professionals up to the C-Suite level at Fortune 100 Companies, as well as founders of female-owned businesses. In addition to being a certified coach, Nicole is a certified yoga instructor and a published author.
Website: https://www.findclarityhere.com
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-dupuis-acc-b54948b
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/findclarityhere/
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Nicole Dupuis
To find clarity, it's really peeling back all the fluff, all the stuff that we, all the shoulds, and all the, I think this is what I'm supposed to do, and this is, this seems like what my boss wants, and yeah, you know, I kind of like this job, or whatever, and it's getting to, like, what really lights you up, like, what,Gets you excited.
What gets you motivated? Like a big topic lately, it seems like with clients is people don't know what motivates. that, you know, what is it? Is it money? Is it freedom? Is it flexibility? Is it a promotion?
Narrator
Welcome to making change with your money, a podcast that highlights the stories and strategies of women who experienced a big life transition and overcame challenges as they redefined financial success for themselves. Now here's your host, Laura Rotter.
Laura Rotter
I am so excited to have as my guest today, Nicole Dupuis. Nicole is a productivity and leadership coach who focuses her energy towards partnering with rising leaders and small business owners to take action on what truly matters. Her company, Find Clarity Here, has that name because she thinks most roadblocks and obstacles are due to a lack of clarity in vision, in purpose, why, or time and energy spent.
Nicole helps her clients discover skill sets and tools to find and maintain that necessary clarity. So welcome Nicole to the making change with your money podcast.
Nicole Dupuis
Thank you. Thanks for having me. Excited to be here.
Laura Rotter
I'm looking forward to our conversation and I'm going to start with the same question I always do. And that question is Nicole, what was money like in your family growing up?
Nicole Dupuis
So money was something that you didn't it's not that you didn't talk about it like it wasn't off limits, but it just wasn't a conversation like I didn't get it. education on, you know, from, from family or, or from school about like balancing a checkbook or saving.
And, you know, I just kind of made stuff up as I went and, you know, I feel like then I got to, I guess my first job and I was like, Oh, like a credit card. You, you, Have to pay that eventually. Like all those things that I feel like we all should probably be taught earlier. I feel like I maybe was not.
Laura Rotter
It's so true.
We're not taught anything about money when we're growing up, though, without any direct conversation, there's often messages that we receive from our parents. So I'm curious what kind of messagesDid you see your parents at least in their behavior, if not in their language?
Nicole Dupuis
So money was something to be saved and enjoyed.
So like we often, even now we talk about like family vacations and stuff that we've taken in over the years and there was like this great balance of like Finding the best dive restaurant with like amazing burgers and fries, but also finding like a Michelin star restaurant and and being able to see the joy in both and thelike spending money at an experience like that.
Was worth it if we all like really enjoyed it, but like do we do that every week? Absolutely not so it was I mean, I do feel like one thing I did obtain was balance of finances like don't you don't have to save every penny and never buy anything and whatever but also Enjoy your life, you know, you work and then you have time off, enjoy the time off, enjoy the vacation, enjoy the weekend, you know, again, it wasn't something necessarily talked about like we reflect on on some of those things now, but it wasn't really talked about.
So I remember there was a point where my dad was like, in between, I think, is his last job and whatever the job was before that. And I remember bringing my shampoo bottle to the top of the stairs and I was like, I know we're going through a rough time, so I'll, like, I'll use, like, normally I throw out the bottle and there's, like, a little bit left, like, I'll use the whole shampoo bottle.
And, like, there's just, like, so much in that. We're, like, that's, A, I thought we were going through a rough time. Like, I thought you're in between jobs means no money, like, we're not eating whatever. So, like, a reasonable thought there. And then also, like, And that will save us. Me using all of the shampoo in the bottle, like, will all be okay.
So I think there's like, yes, there was balance, but there was also like, clearly some messages did, like, were, were just in here, like, me putting things together and not necessarily accurately.
Laura Rotter
I love that, Nicole. Again, When we're younger, trying, trying to understand this adult world that surrounds us, it's, we both see that we have a lot of power that we really don't necessarily, and are trying to interpret the messages that are around us.
Did you grow up with siblings? No, I'm an only child. Wow, that's, that's an interesting role.So, what was the message you as the only child, as a young woman, received about education and about what you should aspire to?
Nicole Dupuis
I mean, college was definitely, like, you, you, I didn't, I never thought there was another option.
I think that has actually just changed culturally. Like now, you know, talking to people, like not everyone goes to school. I feel like my generation, it was more like you go, you go to college or university. I think my parents were very, Encouraging of, you know, you can do whatever you aspire to do. I remember there were different phases of like what I thought, you know what I wanted to be when I grew up.
I don't remember ever and they were not like realistic. Responsible things necessarily. I mean, I was maybe I was like 12. I wanted to be like a marriage counselor. I think it probably came from like watching a television show where there was a marriage counselor and they always seem to like be really Zen.
But I do not like 12 like I know nothing. I want to be an interior designer. I wanted to be a cartoonist. For a while, I was really into drawing cartoons, and I never remember my, I don't remember my parents ever like discouraging anything. So I mean, any, any kind of path what I think was up for grabs, at least growing up, and I remember in college.
I don't remember a pressure to, well, what are you going to do with that? You know, what are you going to use this education for in your work? Which, I mean, I look back as a positive, I can see that also being, you know, maybe a negative to a point where it's, you know, it's, it's smart to think ahead. But I, I guess looking back, I appreciate, you know, everything was an opportunity, you know, and as a woman, everything was an opportunity.
Laura Rotter
I think, Nicole, that really reflects. What you've communicated, which is it doesn't seem to have been any overt financial pressure. Like if you're going to go to college, university, which costs money, then you need to be able to support yourself either during or after. Clearly that wasn't, that wasn't, The message you received in that, as we all learned, doesn't necessarily reflect financial resources as it does reflect your parents, who they were as people and their frame of mind.
Because I certainly know that I grew up in a family where. There weren't great financial resources, and yet my father was adamant that you don't go to school to learn a trade, you go to school to learn how to learn, and that reflected his worldview much more than necessarily his pocketbook. So, just sort of confirming what you said to start our conversation, which is, Your parents seem to have a balanced approach to their financial resources. So what did you end up studying?
Nicole Dupuis
Well, something that is very applicable. I'm joking. Philosophy. I was a philosophy major. I did get the question a lot. Like, are you going to be either A lawyer or a philosopher, like I'm just going to sit around in a cafe and, you know, think about life and I mean, neither of those are in my plan, but it was still very, you know, okay, that's what you're into.
Go, you know, have at it very much like what you were saying about like you, you go to school to learn. It wasn't about necessarily only preparing you for work life.
Laura Rotter
It was preparing you for life. Did you think about becoming an academic or it was just that you like the subject matter and that's what you were focused on.
Nicole Dupuis
I really like the subject matter. I did not. I did not know what I wanted to be when I grew up in college and for a for a few years after college. I mean, it took me a while. Longer than some other of my like friends and people I went to school with took me longer. I think to find my path than some,
Laura Rotter
So please share with our listeners what that journey was like, I know that sort of like you're thrust into the real world.
Suddenly you're like, Oh, my God, I'm not in school anymore. Now I'm a grown up. I have to figure out what I want to do. Yeah,
Nicole Dupuis
So I, um, I thought when I graduated school, I thought I wanted to work at a nonprofit. And I think it had something to do with like working towards a cause like I definitely left school with like this attitude of there's a world outside of you and I guess wanting to contribute to that in some way so I thought nonprofit was the answer could not get a nonprofit job because everything required nonprofit work experience, which I do not have.
So I was I talked to like someone in our. Like alumni department, he got me an interview with a financial firm and they were looking for a technology coach. So that was my first taste of coaching, but it's hilarious to look back on because it's like I knew nothing about coaching.At the time. And I know nothing about technology.
So I was, I was there for four ish years and I moved into more like the technology coaching was there. Then it was more like sales coaching as well. And then I moved a little bit into like client relations, which was, I mean, finance was not that world was not for me, but I got a taste. So I got a taste of like some things.
I liked, but to your point, like, I did not know. I thought you get a job. So you get a paycheck, like the whole concept of,Be passionate, find your purpose, like that was nowhere on the radar, like I got to work at 8. 59 and I left at 4. 59, like there was nothing, not trying to find anything within that.
Laura Rotter
Sorry to interrupt, but it's not unique, that's how most of, the world probably works.
Nicole Dupuis
Yeah, and it was kind of like, you leave college, you get a job. Like, nothing about,find a job that suits you, find a job that uses your skills. Like, all the stuff that I talk to clients about now, I mean, that was gibberish at the time. Like, you just, you, you know. Get something, you know, you find something that and a lot of the people that I was close with at the time we're going to grad school.
So I also didn't have other people in the same boat looking for either. They left school with a job. They had an internship that they were on the path to getting a job. So there was no looking or they were in grad school. So I was kind of the only one I knew that was doing a job search right out of college and, you know, going shopping for like a suit that I, you know, needed for interviews.
Laura Rotter
I was going to ask you, Nicole, though, as you ended up in sort of, like you said, technology coaching or sales coaching, what skills did you bring to that? Obviously, you had it. Talk about some skills when you were interviewing and,or were they just happy to have a warm body that could speak?
Nicole Dupuis
I mean, I think that's, that is probably what, so I remember it was quite a rigorous, again, this is, this is at the time.
Now, probably like that's, that's what an interview is, Nicole, like, hello. I had to give, 10 minute presentation. And give that because a lot of my role was I was coaching, but I was also part of the trading department. So I had to like be speaking in front of their incoming classes. So I think they needed to see that I could speak in front of a group.
I can put a presentation together like things like that. So, I mean, I think. Mycomfort level in just talking with different types of people, I think worked well because there were, you know, there are people that are just coming out of college, starting at the firm. There are people who have had their business at this firm for 30 years,but I kind of was expected to, in some way, work with Those extremes and everyone in between.
So just being able to kind of morph and adapt my approach for because I mean, as a technology coach, like whatever the pyramid was like bottom of bottom of the pyramid, like no, I mean, if you heard like, oh, you can be the technology coach like you wouldn't want to do that. Like that. That sounds awful. So it was like being able to kind of prove I could give value.
Thank you.was, I think, key for, like, building relationships there.
Laura Rotter
And what I'm hearing you say, and you're sort of taking it for granted, but not everyone, especially just out of school, is comfortable talking in front of groups. I'm thinking about myself. It took me years to get comfortable presenting in front of groups.
So you're just taking it for granted, but like, yeah, I had a, but that's clearly part of who, you know. You are that skill to be able to do it without hyperventilating.
Nicole Dupuis
Oh, I guess I felt like this is. Again, not knowing, I'm like, this must be a thing. Like you get a job, you must be comfortable speaking in front of groups.
Like now realizing, no, there are many jobs where you never are asked to do that. But I had no idea. So then how did, how did your journey progress? So again, like Finance was not for me. There was a taste of something I liked. They had eventually I had to take like I was life and health license at this.
This was like an insurance firm. Then they needed me to get, I think, to be employed there. I needed like a series six license and whatever. And I could not afford it. Passed that exam. I mean, I couldn't to this day, never, never passed it. So basically it got to a point where like, we can't keep you employed without this license.
Laura Rotter
So they, they, so you're skillful in front of people, but memorization because the series seven, I'm assuming that's what you're referring to is just like wrote memories and
Nicole Dupuis
It was, I had no interest in like no interest in the content. So then I was like, okay, let me try nonprofit again. Like I've had, I haven't had nonprofit experience, but I've had work experienceand I did, I got a job at an organization.
In nonprofit and maybe within the first year, I was like, Oh, I don't want this at all. Like, this is not what I thought it would be. It was so draining. I mean, it was so, it was depending on the type of nonprofit, it's like emotionally draining, depending on the cause it's physically draining, like the hours we were expected to work and the things that we did, like at a nonprofit, you are.
Everything. You, you are a one stop shop. Everything. It was just, it was like, it wasn't sustainable. I couldn't, I couldn't do it. So, but again, not knowing, I was like, it must be this, like, then you hop, you just, you hop to another similar company. So I went to basically one nonprofit after that, and then another nonprofit after that.
And then in my third nonprofit, I had a quarter life crisis. And I was like, what, what are we doing here? Like you tried profit, you, you, that didn't work out so well. You tried nonprofit. You're not feeling that like, what,like, do you even know what you want? And the answer was no. So I started like really trying to figure out like, what would I want to do?
Which I had never really asked myself since trying to find a job right out of college. And I started thinking like, you know, when I had the coaching job, like there were certain days, certain meetings, certain conversations that were really great. Like if I could do more of some of that I would love to.
Laura Rotter
First of all, I love your reference to the quarter life crisis, which is a reality that a lot of people go through somewhere around the age of 28 to 30. There's a real life change. And yet most people don't do the clarity exercise back to the, you know, what you've named your firm until they're much older, right?
We just sort of get on this treadmill. It's almost lucky when things don't work out becauseit's generally you turn around when you're 40 or 50 and go. Like, oh my God, how did I get here? Like, I'm not happy and I have all these obligations. So more power to you of taking the time to step back and say, okay, what did turn me on?
What does create energy for me? And as you said, looking at when you were doing some of the coaching.
Nicole Dupuis
Yeah. Well, and I think too, the push to look at that was like, I was so mentally checked out by then. Like I was, You know, I got to work right on time. I left a little early. I was not engaged in the work I was doing.
I was on Pinterest more hours than I'd like to admit. I was just like, you, you work for a paycheck and there was just such a disconnect and that now that I can look back, that was so draining. Like I was just, I was such a bad version of myself. For the job, but also family friends. Like I was just not it wasn't a good Nicole because it was like there was no there was no purpose.
You know, I really just kind of you go to work to come home and then you go home to go to bed so you can go to work again. And you're right. I think a lot of peoplehit that realization later. And it's like, Oh man, I've been here 20 years. Like what, like, what else is there? What, what else can I do? So what else could you do? Yeah. So, so I started trying to find like things.
Laura Rotter
Were you still working? I'm sorry. Just to sort of focus on financially, you were still earning money while you were doing this, delving into what the next step was.
Nicole Dupuis
Yeah. So I'm still working. And I also so another like added pressure the nonprofit I was working with at the time was getting acquired by another nonprofit and we were all being told.
Like you got a 50 50 chance of sticking around once. So I also had a little bit of a timeline pressure thing, which certainly didn't help the natural flow of like, what do I feel like I want to do? It was kind of like, what do you feel like you want to do? Like by tomorrow, you know, like, so I actually had a friend who had been in recruiting and she connected me with a recruiter and The recruiter, you know, she was like, sure, send me your resume.
And she was like, I can't help you at all. Unless you want to go back into finance. And I was like, bull, like I don't, but like, what do you got? Cause I'm like, I'm not going to have a job in a month. And she set me up with this interview with, with a similar financial firm, honestly, with a similar role, but let, I mean, not technology coaching, but coaching and training.
We, we don't know what that looks like. Like we're hoping you can come in here and kind of form a curriculum around coaching and training. And that intrigued me because it was like, okay, a little, little creative space there and whatever. So I ended up taking that job and that was my last job before going out on my own.
I was there for about five years.
Laura Rotter
So the creativity, the ability to have a little bit more freedom, sounds like was, was attractive to you.
Nicole Dupuis
Yeah, I'm a very, I, one thing that has been consistent all my life is very creative. I like to be able to think of new ideas and do things differently. And what I've experienced in the financial industry is, yeah, no, like not, none of that, as long as it gets through compliance, which it never will.
So I was intrigued by like, you know, let's, let's work together and figure it out, figure out a new way of doing things. So that was a positive.
Laura Rotter
So during that period of time, what did you learn? How did you grow? Because we, we learn and grow from everything we do in our lives, both the positive and, and, and the challenging.
So what's what you feel like that role helped you develop in yourself?
Nicole Dupuis
I learnedwhat I was capable of, because again, up until that point, it was like, go through the motions, like you go to work to come home, you go home to go to happy hour, you go to happy hour to come home,like horrible cycle. And I feel like, again, for life crisis, then I got this job.
And there was a little bit of like, Nicole, I get it together now, like, get, you can't, you're not doing it again. Like you're not showing up and going on Pinterest all day and being disengaged. Like, if you're taking this job, like take, take it fully, like take whatever you can get from it. And I really went into like day one.
With that attitude. And then I mean, it was a whole different version of me. Like, I mean, and it's, it's been different basically ever since. Like I'm, I get up probably like three hours earlier than I used to. I mean, I'm, I'm much more engaged in work. I see work differently. I see my potential differently.
Like my whole mindset shifted. So I feel like that's like the biggest thing I got was just an utter mind revamp.
Laura Rotter
Some of it I'm sure was the position and some of it was you were, you were ready, you know, or older, you were ready to take on a different level of responsibility. So I'm curious to ask, we'll see where this goes.
As I think about that, you, before we go on to your next step, they, What do you think you brought from your, from your academic career as a philosophy major? Do you ever think about that? I mean, I was an English lit major and I often look back then having had a 30 year career on Wall Street. Well, but was that, but I loved stories and I loved understanding the context of the story.
Maybe I'm reading a novel, but You know, what period of time is it taking place? What's what's impacting the characters? So I can see a relationship. Can you see any relationship between your philosophy major and and your life?
Nicole Dupuis
Yeah, 100 percent because I think I wouldn't have. Like you kind of brought up.
Some people don't like check in with that quarter life crisis. If I hadn't basically been trained, educated to question everything and all those philosophy classes, I don't think I would have paused to be like, hold up. Like, what, what is going on here? You know, what, what, what's happening here? And I feel likethe other pieces philosophy is, is examining how you live life.
So I think. Just tuning into like, how, how am I living here in this life? How am I showing up? Is it working? Is it not like taking that pulse check? Not sure I would be as in tune with doing that if it weren't for it. Philosophy.
Laura Rotter
Thank you for letting us explore that. So what happened at the end of the five years that had you ready to take what's a pretty scary leap and go out on your own?
Nicole Dupuis
Again, I, once this job hit and I got to really explore coaching, I was like, okay, yeah, I think this is, this is my jam. But it was still within the financial industry, still in the confines of a firm. So I wanted to explore, okay, what does coaching look like in another environment? So first I started taking classes just to like, Eventually get certified, but like I wanted to, again, just interact with like coaching beyond the walls, you know, and then I started taking on some personal clients on the side and like I, you know, I told my company this, like they were aware it was really just like, do I like this?
I kind of needed confirmation. Is this really something I'm interested in doing. And with that, it was very quickly like, yup. Yeah. Like this is awesome when you set the rules and, and whatever. And at the same time, and this was all like during COVID and everything, I felt like my coaching responsibility was shrinking.
I was being asked to do a lot of other things within the firm. And as I was discovering coaching was really my passion, I was doing less. Of it. So then I started to think, okay, could I do, could I just do coaching? Like does that even exist? So I was looking for jobs for a while that were coaching jobs, and then I was, you know, in these classes talking with people who had their own coaching business.
And I was like, whoa, like could I have a coaching business? And. Again, learning what I'm capable of, like that carried into, you might be able to, to do this. And I, I feel like for a while was, you know, hustling, trying to get some sort of foundation built so I could leave the corporate world and feel like I had something ready, you know, not perfect, but something.
And that was kind of like my last year at the corporate job was really You know, my weekends and my evenings and my early mornings were totally full with like playing around with logos and trying to figure out a website and, and all that stuff. So that when I left, I felt like. I had, it wasn't a full blown business, but it was something, something had begun.
Laura Rotter
Nicole, you're talking about building a foundation before you were ready to leave in terms of business resources. How did you go about building a financial foundation that made you feel comfortable leaving a steady paycheck?
Nicole Dupuis
Yeah, I mean, I don't think that ever felt 100%. But I mean, I tried to, I mean, I, I've never budgeted that.
Carefully in my life than when I during that time because basically everything I was. Kind of bringing it in my side hustle at the time, like putting that was that was my egg. That was, you know, for when I left so that wasn't being touched and every every dollar spent was for my business. Like no. No fun things, no, you know, very limited spending money.
It was allthe website, the logo, the email address, the, you know, all that stuff. And I kind of each, I mean, actually I was going to say each month, but I remember towards the end, every it might've been every day, definitely every week, every week it was again, looking at my budget, like, can I leave today?
Like, where are we at? And I mean, it was literally checking in on what I had coming in for, you know, whatever the end of that month, like salary. If I leave, you know, if I give 2 weeks, what is that? Like, calculating every penny on a weekly basis till I got to a point where it was like, Almost like you're, you're never going to feel ready.
Like now, like you're fine, but like get your mind ready and then you're good to go.
Laura Rotter
And one more just specific financial question, because this comes up for, you know, for clients of mine who are looking to make similar leaps. Were you with a partner? Where did you have health insurance from? Which, you know, when our country is tied to employment, which is crazy, but It is, it's much more expensive to go through a health exchange.
How, how did you work that out?
Nicole Dupuis
Yeah. So the, the last basically healthcare shifting period, whatever it's called, the previousenrollment, why couldn't I think of that last enrollment period? I switched to my husband's. Which I get, I mean, I, you know, some people don't, don't have that. Like, and I know, cause I've been in between jobs and I've had to pay my own.
It is. Ridiculous, ridiculous. So, I mean, I, I feel for people who are trying to build a business and, and do that, but yeah, that was something I did like maybe a year prior.
Laura Rotter
That's great. So please tell us about your business. We certainly have listeners who may be considering something or, or looking for help with clarity.
So tell us about building your business.
Nicole Dupuis
Yeah. So it took me, you know, I knew I wanted to be a coach, but it took a while to figure out, like, A niche, you know, what type of coach? So I, I call myself a productivity and leadership coach. And I work with, you know, people who, who want a CEO mindset. So it really doesn't matter your title.
You might be in a nine to five job. You might have your own business. You might be a solopreneur. You might have a large team, small team. But you just want to level up. So if that means a promotion, maybe, or if that just means kind of like we were talking about before, like you have all these skills, but like, are you using them or using them to their full potential?
Are you fully engaged in what you're doing? You know, and that's that's on the leadership side and the productivity side is I mean, I I work with people who don't have clarity about like why they're doing what they're doing and why do this before that and why. Why is this deadline important and this one's not and I have a million things on my plate and everything's tied for first.
So I do none of it. And then I end the day and I feel guilty. I didn't do anything. And then I start the next day horrible cycle. I help break up that cycle. And, you know, it's yeah. It's being productive so you can enjoy time away from productivity and, you know, your free time, whatever that looks like for you.
Laura Rotter
And can you share, this might be a big question, Nicole, can you share how you might help someone gain clarity? It's, it's a big concept and, and I would agree with you that I might put myself sometimes in the same bucket that a lot of us have difficulty figuring out exactly what it is we're looking to achieve or what it is that would give us that sense of satisfactionabout what we're doing.
Nicole Dupuis
So, I mean, a big part of it is question asking. Like, I think that's why coaches get compared to therapists so much. It's a lot of asking questions and then asking questions about your answer to the question and diving in. So, to find clarity, it's really peeling back all the fluff, all the stuff that we All the shoulds and all the, I think this is what I'm supposed to do.
And this is, this seems like what my boss wants and yeah, you know, I kind of like this job or whatever. And it's getting to like, what really lights you up? Like what, What gets you excited? What gets you motivated? Like a big topic lately it seems like with clients is people don't know what motivates them.
You know, what is it? Is it money? Is it freedom? Is it flexibility? Is it a promotion?And, you know, finding clarity on that. Ok, so like thinking about times you've been motivated, what happened there? Like what, What worked for you? You know, what's okay? Compare that to now. What's missing? You know, what can you do differently to be more engaged in those possibilities of what motivates you?
And is the motivation not what you would expect? So it's, it's learning a whole new grasp of motivation.
Laura Rotter
And what would you say, Nicole, is the is your favorite part of what you do?
Nicole Dupuis
I'll say the shrug because my husband asked me this the other day and I said the shrug. I love being in a session and I would say about half, half of my clients come into a session a little like shoulders up a bit and you know, I got a list of things to talk to you about, you know, it's, it's tense, which is fine. And I Love what I do when at the end of the session, it's like, okay.
And they just,just kind of, I can do this. I feel better. I'm more relaxed. I'm prepared. I know my action steps. Like I'm in a good place. That feels like amazing.
Laura Rotter
I love that. The shrug, right. I hear from people, people cry, people, but just like, sounds like an exhale almost like people.
Nicole Dupuis
Exactly. It was a very good description on exhale.
Laura Rotter
Are exercises a big part of what you do? You give people homework. How does that work?
Nicole Dupuis
I do. I try, I try not to call it homework because I feel like people get like real triggered by that. Which I totally understand.
Laura Rotter
Yes, leftover from childhood.
Nicole Dupuis
Exactly. But I do try, and I say this starting with everyone.
I try to figure out. An action step that the client can try between now and the next session, but it's, it's
Laura Rotter
So it's more actions. Okay.
Nicole Dupuis
Yeah. And it's not, it's not assigning it. It's not. Here's what you got to do is you tell me what makes sense. You know, like, what, what are you comfortable with? What do you think would make a difference?
You know, what, what do you want to experiment with? And it's not, it's not tied to like you did it and it worked great. Like I want to hear too. I tried it and it failed. Okay. Awesome. Like what? Talk, tell me about it. Or I want to know, I didn't do it. I committed to it and I totally didn't do it. Okay, cool.
Like what, what happened there? What do we pick the wrong action step? Did other things get in the way? Do you lack clarity as to why that was the action step you chose? Like, it's, it's picking something. It really is irrelevant, the result. It just, it moves us forward. But yes, action steps are key.
Laura Rotter
It's interesting because what I'm hearing is that it is, The action step your client chooses, whether or not they move forward, is certainly tied to the whole concept of what motivates you, right?
Like you said, like, if you're not really motivated, I'm going to pick this action step because I got to get off this call and Nicole needs to pick something. You're less likely to do it than if, you know, You're in agreement that this would be something meaningful to at least attempt, as you said, a way of teasing out for people what does actually motivate them.
Nicole Dupuis
Yeah, yeah, make it, make it count. Because I've had coaching sessions where we're kind of talking about something like an action step and we're, we're talking about, we're talking about it and it kind of becomes clear. I don't, I don't think this is the right one. Like, I think we've picked something arbitrary and it's, it's not going to work.
And we continue to talk about it, we pick something else. And it's, it's that, I think that's the thing with homework as the word is why, why are we doing it? A lot of times it was just, you know, we called it busy work. It wasn't tied to anything. So I want to make sure the action steps they feel like. It'll do something.
It'll make a difference. It'll move them forward.
Laura Rotter
And do you have particular kinds of people or populations that you enjoy working with more than others?
Nicole Dupuis
I do love working with business owners, you know, with real small teams, like Less than 10 people on their team. Maybe it's just them and one other person or just them.
I really do love that because it's inspiring, you know, for me, like I learned from all my clients. So, you know, it's it. I love that. And I really love working with people who have been recently promoted, perhaps in their first real leadership. Role, and they're kind of like, okay, like I'm here. Let's like do this.
Let's do this 110%. Like I now have this title or whatever. Like I want to do it right. I love that. Those people always show up fully there. They're so open. I love that.
Laura Rotter
I love that you said that Nicole because I was as I asked you the question. And I'm of course listening to your answer. And I'm also thinking that for me, it's not necessarily a demographic, but I love working with people who are the, maybe an overused word, motivated, who are eager for the next meeting, who get the information to me that I asked for.
because they're engaged. It's an engaging process to them as opposed to, and luckily I don't work with a lot of people like this, but people who feel like I bought the gym membership. I bought the consultation with Nicole and now I'm good. Like I don't have to actually spend time doing any of this. She's going to do this for me.
And of course, no work, that will not work. You have to be part and parcel of the process of change and both of us engage clients in, in change and periods of transition and change in their lives.
Nicole Dupuis
Absolutely. Yeah. I mean, I think it's a misconception to people hire coaches when they're struggling. And, and I think that like, I probably do this in describing like, oh, I work with people who are stressed out or who are struggling with this, who are facing this obstacle.
And that is true. But I mean, successful people are the people that work with. Coaches, you know, it's, it's not people who are disengaged as people who are, maybe they're disengaged, but they see that they're aware and they want to fix it or they're totally engaged. And they're like, what's next? Like, what else?
Like, I'm ready, like, bring it on. So I, that resonates what you were saying.
Laura Rotter
Love that. So as we get towards the end of our conversation, Nicole, I, I always like to hear how perhaps your definition of success may have shifted from being an employee right out of college to being an owner of your own business.
What shift has you, have you noticed in yourself?
Nicole Dupuis
I mean, I'm, I'm totally different. I'm a totally different person than I was right out of college. I mean, success, I, I knew what success looked like in school. Once I left school, I had no, I probably didn't even think that was a thing, you know, like, you know, success is a grade, success is Dean's List, success is GPA.
Once I left that world, I don't think I thought about it.
Laura Rotter
So probably you were a good student, by the way.
Nicole Dupuis
Yes, yes. My boss used to joke, like, if anyone needs, like, notes taken, like, just, uh, Nicole probably took really good notes, um, which
I don't, but, so now, I mean, I think just, I'm very big on, on working, I'm not always doing well on this, but working on recognizing things as successes, you know, recognizing when I get a client. Okay. Like stop for a second. Cool. You got a new client, like great. Or you launch a program. Okay. Like pause for a second. Like you launched that program for the first time, like really cool. Or you, you know, made lunch today. Okay. You had a crazy day and you found the time to make lunch, you know, bigger, small.
I'm constantly trying to find spots where I see that I've, I've had a win because that, that keeps me going.
Laura Rotter
It's so important that you've mentioned that. And it's so hard, I think specifically for women, but for people in general, I actually have a spreadsheet that a previous guest sent me. It's a timeline to just go through and note things I've achieved in my, see whether I actually take the time to do it and.
As I even just looked at it, and it's important, as you said, to actually see, and they don't have to be big. It's just things that by putting one foot in front of the other, and I too see that I might, you know, get a lovely note from a client or for a prospect. And it's like, Oh yeah, they said that to be nice or, you know, just sort of very dismissive.
It's important. I've read somewhere that we take in bad information, that sticks to us, that's Teflon, but where we don't take the time to actually register in our body what it feels like to have a good experience, to achieve something, and to take it in. in and let it stay as much as more painful experiences do tend to stick around.
So, Nicole, is there anything that you want to make sure that you mention before we end the conversation?
Nicole Dupuis
Well, this was lovely. If anyone's listening and anything resonated, I'm happy to chat. And help people find clarity. I hope everyone finds clarity because it, it helps again that engagement. We need that.
And I think a lack of clarity blocks that. So I hope everyone's able to find, find that for themselves.
Laura Rotter
Thank you. And of course, I hope everyone recognizes when they don't have it and seeks out a coach like you to help them get it because recognition is so important. The first step, I will, of course, have your website in the show notes and ways to contact you and thank you so much for taking the time, Nicole.
I hope you enjoyed my conversation with Nicole Dupuy, founder of Find Clarity Here Coaching and some of my takeaways to share when you consider your skills, note those I asked Nicole what skills led to her being hired as a technology coach after graduating from college as a philosophy major. She noted her ease with different types of people and her ability to put presentations together.
She did not, however, recognize that her comfort speaking in front of groups of people was another one of her skills. Instead, she seemed to take it for granted.Another of my takeaways, when facing a career change, take the time to explore what it is you really want to do. Nicole left the corporate sector to work for a nonprofit.
Instead of being energized by the new position, however, She was burnt out by the emotional as well as physical demands of the job. So what did she do? She hopped to a similar company, taking a job with another non profit, and then another. But she still didn't feel engaged with the work. It was only then that she began to explore what it is she really wanted.
And finally, Keep your day job if you can, when you first explore starting a business.Nicole was working as a coach and trainer for a financial firm, which enabled her to explore coaching and realize it was her jam. She received her coaching certification and got her employer's approval to take on some clients on the side before she was ready, financially and emotionally, to go out and On her own.
If this episode has struck a chord with you, please don't hesitate to schedule a meeting with me so you can explore finding your purpose. So email me at laura@trueabundanceadvisors.com and we'll get something on the calendar or you enjoying this podcast. Don't forget to subscribe, so you won't miss next week's episode.
And if you're enjoying the show. Please leave a rating and review. It'll help others like you to find it. And I'd greatly appreciate it. Thank you so much.
Narrator
Thanks for listening to Making Change With Your Money. Certified financial planner, Laura Rotter, specializes in helping people just like you organize, clarify, and invest their money in order to support a life of purpose and meaning. Go to www.trueabundanceadvisors.com/workbook for a free resource to help you on your journey.
Disclaimer, please remember that the information shared by this podcast does not constitute accounting, legal, tax, investment, or financial advice. It's for information purposes only. You should seek appropriate professional advice for your specific information.