My name is Jennifer Slayden. I am a musician, a Certified Life Coach, and a creative soul. Growing up, my father was a professor at MSU, a musician, and an idealist. He taught his seven kids from a very early age to give back to our community, to share our talents, and to treat others with dignity and respect. At 83 years old, he continues volunteering for the local food bank and playing piano at the “old folks home.” He is my driving force.
My business, Big Sky Life Coach, was created from my own journey of illness and struggle. After my three children were born I was doing it all. I felt like doing anything less would not be acceptable. That frame of mind created a downward tailspin as chronic pain I had been suffering coupled with the onset of severe panic attacks. I reached bottom when one night I couldn’t leave my home to get some milk at the store. I was trapped in my own desperation. I felt I had failed everyone I loved.
I received the professional help I needed to overcome my struggles, and in the process realized how my story spoke to so many other mothers who don’t take the time or energy to care for their body, mind, and spirit as they should. Thanks to the challenges that were presented to me, I became familiar with life coaching as a continuum of therapy to hold me accountable in setting new goals, and to live my best life.
I have been employed both in corporations and for myself. I worked for five years as a manager in a MLM firm, earned a cruise, and learned some valuable skills along the way. I have taught music in public and private schools for several years. Life coaching seemed to be the perfect addition to my teaching career. The business of helping women empower themselves is not something I take lightly. I enjoy the flexibility of working for myself, as being a mother is my number one priority.
I have found ways of combining Life Coaching with two of my greatest passions: music and running. I have facilitated women’s drumming workshops and encourage local clients to meet for our sessions as a “walk and talk” as opposed to sit down coaching. I believe that in order to expedite change in one aspect of your life it is important to be healthy in the other areas of your life as well, physical health being one of them.
My proudest moment, so far, in Big Sky Life Coaching was seeing five runners cross the finish line of the Portland Marathon after months of life coaching via teleconference calls, numerous emails and some one-on-one coaching. Not one of them had run a marathon before, and it was combined with raising money for cancer research. To know in some way that I helped promote growth in a positive way is something that continues to motivate me to do more.
Currently I facilitate women’s wellness workshops once a month at Krieg Chiropractic Center. I offer one-on-one coaching locally and via phone and have two group teleconference classes beginning in January of 2010. I have joined the Missoula Businesswomen’s Network and am a member of a local Life Coaching Group where we meet to support each other, educate each other on our different niches and use each other for referrals. My target audience is women in career change, stress reduction, first time marathon training, and creativity coaching for musicians and artists.
I have a website: www.bigskylifecoach.com and write a blog called Life’s Little Lessons. I have found writing to be another source of creativity within and I love sharing stories that mothers and women can relate to, while finding some sort of teaching lesson in them.
As a musician I compose music. As a Life Coach, my goal is to help women compose the life of their dreams. I am honored and humbled by the challenge that presents. I have all the creative tools to meet and exceed my vision of having a healthy Life Coaching Business. Where I am challenged is in my business skills. I need direction in how to grow a business that is a service business, how to reach my target audience, and how to hone in on the resources that are available. I would also like to publish a book, full of Life’s Little Lessons, as well as advance my website into a viable part of my business. I have no background in journalism, but as my business cards say: “Dream Big and Reach for the Stars.” I hope that you will consider my business, Big Sky Life Coach, for the MCDC award. I dream that through my work as a Life Coach, musician, and writer I can emulate my fathers spirit of sharing my gifts, empowering women, and playing music for the “old folks’ home” when I am 83!
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