The surprising reason I became a coach
I had no intention of becoming a career and business coach when I started my company, CP Jones Consulting LLC. However, a series of encounters with women I deeply respect changed the course of my company and career.
Community changed me (per usual)
The first few months into building my business, I worked hard and played hard. I won and completed new contracts. I also became more social and confident. In the process, I reconnected with friends and colleagues, many of whom were high-performing Black women in business.
What they shared surprised me. Despite their accomplishments and impressive titles, they were also exhausted from corporate politics and systemic issues that routinely compromised them. They were unprotected, overworked, and underpaid compared to their peers. Their successes were in spite of their environments, not because of them.
The final straw came when a friend reached a professional breaking point. After improving during a stress-related medical leave, her health issues returned when she went back to work. She believed her job was making her sick but needed to support her family. I’d heard this dilemma from others and wanted more for her. Enough was enough. It was time for action.
I started with playbooks of responses to common workplace issues like negotiating a raise or dealing with a detractor. After confirming they worked with a small group of testers, I expanded the concept into a multi-week coaching program to help Black women get control of their careers and address common barriers to their success. I named it the 40 hours for 40 acres™ boot camp, a nod to 40 acres and a mule.
40 hours for 40 acres™…because we aren’t your mules
Bringing together professionals across the country, I led the women through a series of one-on-one coaching sessions, workshops, and accountability groups to decide what they wanted professionally and how to get there in a practical, self-honoring way.
In the coaching sessions, we dug into the women’s core values and visions for their lives. We explored their goals and how they wanted to show up at work. We were open about the roles of white supremacy, capitalism, and the patriarchy in their workplaces. And importantly, we reclaimed and shared their stories in sisterhood as the women participated in small groups.
In addition to being transformational, it was practical. They received resumes, cover letters, and elevator pitches. They joined workshops with experts in mental health, HR, and financial planning to address related concerns. Finally, they created action plans to meet their goals. In the following months, they went on to earn promotions, negotiate raises, and start businesses based on our work together.
I know I’ve been changed
Working with these women and seeing their results unlocked my purpose. I wanted to reach more people, especially BIPOC women in business, who break their backs, minds, and hearts for companies that don’t break a sweat for them. I wanted to create a safe space to get clarity and do their best work in a way that respects their values and needs. I wanted to be a coach.
Countless training hours and clients later, I am a certified coach specializing in career transitions and new business planning. Whether my clients work at companies or start their own, we explore what they want and how to get there through a combination of personal reflection and professional development. Transformational, yet practical is still my gold standard.
Mother knows best
Before my mother passed away last year, she made a comment that I shrugged off at the time. Noting my passion for designing the boot camp and serving the women, she said I found “my ministry”. Now, my mother was a woman of faith and even completed seminary so that was a big deal. Too big of a deal, I thought.
Today, I continue to coach and help women take control of their careers or start businesses. In the process, they usually reclaim their confidence if workplaces have dimmed their lights.
I don’t know if coaching is my ministry, but it’s definitely a service. I want people to have better experiences and/or bank accounts after working with me. And you know what?
