Susan Potter

Hello!  My name is Susan Potter.  I am an experienced Business and Life Coach, based in Colleyville, Texas, serving clients in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and across the U.S.

I work with healthy mid-life professionals who:

• Feel stuck or unfulfilled where they are today, or
• Either through choice or circumstances are ready to make significant changes in their lives.

Often my clients are seeking a new or second career that fulfills their life purpose or satisfies their desire for greater significance and balance, or more spiritual fulfillment.  Many are future coaches and “women in transition.”

Coaching Process

I follow a simple four-step process to help my clients get clarity on what they really want, and then I help them leverage their talents and strengths to accomplish their dreams – to “win from within.”

1. Assess – First I help you assess where you are today and where you want to be.  I help you clarify your dream or vision of what you really want to accomplish or change.
2. Identify – Next I help you identify what has been keeping you from accomplishing that dream or making that change.  It may be fear or limiting beliefs, or maybe it is some other kind of obstacle.
3. Design – Third, we design a plan with specific, measureable goals and the action steps needed to “bridge the gap” from where you are now to realizing your dream or vision.
4. Commit – Finally, I ask you to commit to taking responsibility for making your plan a reality.  Throughout the process, I help keep you focused, motivated and accountable for accomplishing your plan.

Using the Gardner Institute proprietary coaching model Mindset for Success, I help my clients achieve a deeper level of sustained change with this process.

Credentials and Education

I am an International Coach Federation (ICF) credentialed Associate Certified Coach (ACC), and I’m excited to say I am approaching the required client coaching hours to be eligible for the next level ICF credential (PCC).

I have a B.S. in Behavior Analysis from the University of North Texas and completed additional graduate work in Business Administration at the University of Dallas.  Committed to life-long learning and inspiring others to thrive, I continue to study in the fields of Positive Psychology and Coaching.  I am a certified Gardner Institute Mindset for Success and Mindset of Christ coach and Wired to Win instructor.

The “strengths” philosophy of positive psychology is one of my passions.  I have had training from the VIA Institute on Character to administer the VIA Character Strengths assessment.  I also use the Gallup StrengthsFinder 2.0 assessment in my coaching, and have read most of the Gallup strengths books, including Strengths Based Leadership, and the newest one, Well Being, by Tom Rath and Jim Harter.  I’ve used How Full Is Your Bucket in group coaching with businesses, and How Full Is Your Bucket for Kids when speaking to children or parents of young children.  I like Marcus Buckingham’s Find Your Strongest Life when coaching women.

Experience

From my long-tenure career in the telecommunications industry that encompassed human resources, graphics training and graphics production management within a large corporation, I bring both business and life experiences to coaching.

In the corporate world, I was known for maximizing individual and team results, and was recognized with multiple corporate leadership awards.  My life experience includes a decades-long dual-career marriage, the demands of being a working mother while completing my college education, the joys of being a grandparent, and the challenges of having a large, diverse and geographically dispersed extended family.

I have successfully faced many of life’s most stressful events myself or with family and friends, including health issues, divorce, unemployment, death of parents and friends, relocation and career transition, becoming an empty nester, substance abuse, to name a few.  My reputation for being trustworthy and someone who sees the greatness in others is widely acknowledged by my personal and professional networks.

My coaching clients tell me I excel in my natural talent and strengths to help them discover (or re-discover) their passion and purpose.  Once that is accomplished, I use my coaching skills to inspire each client to employ their own unique strengths to design their personal plan for achieving their dreams.  Based on each client’s goals, I use a variety of coaching tools and methods which focus on awareness and accountability, including the proven process of Mindset for Success (The Dialogues).

Coach Training

In addition to owning my own growing coaching business, I am honored to serve The Gardner Institute as Training Director and on the coach training faculty.

Memberships and Affiliations

I am a member of the International Coach Federation (ICF), International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA), and a number of community and women’s organizations.  As a community service, I provide StrengthsFinder 2.0 debriefs and coaching for a job seekers focus group.

I also facilitate “Women In Transition” group coaching workshops at our home church (Whites Chapel United Methodist Church) in Southlake, TX.

The mantra for both my personal and professional life is:  Gratitude, Grace, Growth.

Testimonials

From individual clients:

“All people have something heavy on their hearts at one time or another, and it can be a shadowing obstacle at work.  Coaching has helped me become more aware of the things “unfolding” around me.  It can give you the edge to overcome obstacles within yourself – with your competitors, your customers, your employees and your peers.  Coaching has helped me make personal and professional improvements.  I’ve lost 15 pounds, my blood pressure is down.  I am exercising more and making healthier food choices.  I am accomplishing more at work and feeling less stressed.  Our profit margin is up, and I am more confident in myself and others.” 

“I don’t think a day goes by that I am not thankful for where I am today.  Susan helped me realize the power within me.  I had spent so many years not claiming my own power – giving it to everyone else around me and not even realizing it.  I was living as a victim of circumstances that were within my power to change.  Recognizing my own strength has made a world of difference in my personal outlook, attitudes and interactions with others.  My relationships with my family, friends and work have all benefitted more than I could have imagined.  I am so thankful I did the work and spent the time and energy under Susan’s tutelage.” 

"Susan has brought new clarity to my life through her amazing insight and depth of knowledge.  Her ability to focus on the heart of an issue is incredible, while her genuine interest in her clients is clearly evident.  Known for her stellar interpersonal skills and positive approach, Susan is a trusted advisor and mentor, always ready to generously share her experience and wisdom.  I can honestly say that my life is better as a result of Susan’s influence." 

“Susan recently debriefed me after I read the Strengths Finder 2.0 book.  She really studied my results and offered ideas about how I could use my learnings to approach an upcoming interview that I had scheduled.  Her insightful suggestions helped me communicate my skills and experiences in a successful way that resulted in me getting a job offer.  I am very appreciative of her ideas and her concern for me.  Thanks again Susan!  You are certainly doing a great job!” 

From group coaching clients:

“Susan has done a great job of reinforcing the message of the Strengths Finder program. She uses real-life examples from her own experience as well as the participants’ experiences to remind us how best to utilize our own strengths and the strengths of our co-workers. She keeps the classes moving at a fast pace all the while keeping a sense of humor and keeping the discussions on track.  Susan has also shared many insightful comments that make you stop and think about your own strengths and how best to utilize them to help you become a better, stronger person.  This is extremely beneficial in a person’s personal life as well as professional life.” 

“I am very pleased to recommend Susan Potter as a real professional and outstanding business and personal coach.  I attended her 8-week workshop entitled Women in Transition and it was really great.  In fact, I encouraged two other professional friends of mine to come and they both loved the course and Susan also.  Susan is organized and designed an excellent program.  She is especially insightful and has a special ability to help a person look at work and life in a more thoughtful and significant manner. I would recommend you work with Susan any chance you get.” 

From coach training students:

“I highly recommend Susan Potter, not only as an insightful Life Coach, but as a supurb Training Director.  Susan has the ability to be sensitive to her client's challenges and, through her extensive ICF training, effective listening skills and keen intuition, is able to help her clients work through negative issues and make positive change their lives.  As a Training Director, she has mastered the unique combination of being highly organized and disciplined, but uses her creativity to research and deliver timely and state-of-the-art curriculum for students which enhances their training experience and provides the environment to become excellent life coaches.” 

“I sincerely and enthusiastically recommend Susan Potter as a Personal Life Transitions Coach and Training Director.  As a participant in Susan’s Women In Transition group, I immediately found her to be a gifted and insightful influence and hired her to be my life coach.  Susan systematically and effectively guided me in rediscovering my authentic self and prompted recognition and ownership of personal strengths creating new potential in every facet of my life.  This experience fueled my desire to pursue life coach training through the Gardner Institute and again, found Susan to be a meticulous, organized, and inspirational training director.  Susan is a valuable resource to help individuals and groups better understand their gifts; not only does she provide new tools for learning, but also an opportunity to develop a unique operator’s manual to reach maximum potential in various disciplines.” 

See my website for additional information and testimonials www.win-fromwithin.com and my LinkedIn profile at www.linkedin.com/pub/susan-potter/8/794/621.

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