Choosing To Be Humbled – What?!

Sounds crazy, doesn’t it?

When we’re always trying our best to look good, why would you seek out being humbled?

I had this opportunity recently, though I didn’t choose it consciously the first time around. My friend Kate mentioned that a local yoga studio was having a “Community Day”, where all classes and events were free. We made last-minute plans to attend two of them.

The first was a Yin Yoga class, which Kate said was a gentle, healing kind of yoga. I’m in! I have been an athlete all my life despite some pretty bad injuries and enjoy physical challenges. It sounded relaxing.

What I discovered was that in all the physical challenges I usually pursue (running, biking, swimming, dog agility and conformation, golf, hiking, weight lifting), I have found ways to compensate for my old neck and knee injuries. Being a novice at Yin Yoga and attempting poses I’d not tried before did not allow for this compensation. I felt embarrassed, humbled and frustrated.

Why was this useful? Because it made me confront some fears about being inadequate, not looking good and vulnerability to injury – and not just with respect to yoga. When we achieve competence in many areas of our lives, we tend to view ourselves that way and forget what it’s like to struggle. And you know what? We are surrounded by people struggling every day, many of them close to us. It opened up my eyes and my compassion to this. And when we do that, we are able to connect more closely with others and also with ourselves. That is what made the class valuable to me, despite my discomfort, at times almost to the point of tears. I wanted so badly to be at least adequate at this endeavor, and I wasn’t…

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Testimonials

I’ve had the privilege of working with Ginger for many years; the impact she has had on my life, and those who she also coaches at StoneAge, has been profound.

Her coaching style is direct, useful, and life changing. She has also worked her magic in many of our strategic planning and training sessions where she has facilitated communication, planning, and visioning, leading us to solid deliverables and action plans we can all work to. Ginger is a pleasure to work with and an integral part of the StoneAge team.

I highly recommend her.

CEO, StoneAge
YPO member, Rocky Mountain Chapter

Kerry Siggins CEO, StoneAge YPO member, Rocky Mountain Chapter

Ginger – You rocked!

We got a lot out of your facilitation and approach. Your energy and thoughtfulness matched what was needed in Bravo Forum on this retreat. Thanks for making what you do feel effortless on our journey to becoming bad ass.

We will continue the conversations!

Jeff Pruitt
YPO Phoenix
CEO, Tallwave Capital

Jeff Pruitt

“Ginger provided really fantastic and well received coaching training for our management team: we laughed, we cried, and we learned a lot. Ginger provoked us to take a deeper look at our own values and preconceptions. Her ability to deliver effective coaching skills in a concise and direct manner—coupled with fun but meaningful hands-on exercises to underscore the teaching—provided us with a great set of tools to aid in our quest for improving our high-performance culture.”

Betsy Fitzpatrick Director of Human Resources, StoneAge, Inc.

“Prior to working with Ginger I was chronically frustrated with my inability to accomplish my objectives as effectively as I knew I could. Just as frustrating was the fact that – when exploring where the breakdowns occurred – I realized that it was ME (not a dearth of time or a shortage of good options or ideas) getting in the way of my own effectiveness.

Stepping back myself and exploring these breakdowns only became more frustrating because of how vexing even (seemingly) simple changes proved to be when implementing. “Dr. Heal Thyself” is far easier to say than to do. While hopeful that a coach would prove helpful, my skepticism toward coaching lay just below the surface, nevertheless I endeavored to give it a shot. At exactly the time I engaged Ginger, I found myself dealing with the most significant professional challenge I have faced over the past decade.

Having Ginger as a sounding board proved to be invaluable throughout. Rather than peaking there, over the past two years we have established a relationship which is so important to me that I don’t make a major decision without consulting her on the “how” and almost always on the “what”. The issues we work on run the gamut…from personal to professional, and I have utilized Ginger’s team exercises, practices and cadences as an important part of running my own firm, in helping the companies I advise, in optimizing the boards I serve on and in refining my own YPO Forum and small groups that I lead.”

Brett Keith - Managing Partner, Rockwood Equity Partners

I worked with Ginger for a number of years for goal setting and focus for my company and personal life. She has the ability of getting to the heart of what a CEO should be focusing on and keeping that focus in the right place. The things she has pushed me to do have created some of the most significant results in my life and business. Ginger Makes it Happen!

Nick Jekogian - CEO, NWJ Companies and Signature Investment Group

In 2008 Ginger Jenks came to the rescue at our retreat and instantly connected and impressed each and every of one us. She impressed me so much that I – and at least one other member of our Forum – hired her as a personal coach.

Ginger has been working with me for 10 years. She is part coach, part strategist, part friend. She is an immensely thoughtful and perceptive person who is at expert at keeping me focused (to the extent possible) and spending my time in the right places. Most notably, whenever I had what I considered to be a really sticky business issue with a client, Ginger has always been willing and able to get on a call – weekends included – listen to my challenge and work out a solution with me. And they have all been good solutions. We often hear in business today from outside providers that they want to be our “partner”. Well, Ginger is that partner – and a great one.

Andrew Sacks - President, Agency Sacks

Ginger Jenks is a talented resource with compelling insights garnered through years of experience. She not only manages to provide thoughtful take-home value, but does so with a refreshing touch of humor and practical wisdom.

Her expert curation of the session enabled our group to renew its focus, clarify our vision, and consider strategic ideas we never would have contemplated before…

J. Randall Waterfield - Chairman, The Waterfield Group