9.29.02
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Why I Love My Job / Debra Weiler

AGE: 47

SALARY: Six figures

WHAT I DO: I do two types of coaching. One is career coaching, and that accounts for 30 percent of my business. Sometimes a person has been laid off and needs guidance in finding a next position. They're smart, and they're having a heck of a time getting jobs. I also do executive coaching. I work with executives in Fortune 500 companies to unleash their full potential as leaders and pursue their passions. I enable them to achieve big goals with much less effort by mastering their mental games. I teach them how to develop the mind-set of a champion and achieve a competitive edge. I learned these principles and tools as a world-

class athlete. I was the fastest woman swimmer in the Unites States when I was in high school and college. It helped me learn the mental aspects of being a champion. Visualization. Power of practice. Taper (athletes practice less and rest more just before a big event). I use a lot of the same techniques with my clients. I give my clients workouts between our coaching sessions to help them practice, practice, practice. Some of my client success stories include a client who lost 180 pounds, a consultant who doubled his salary when he dared to follow his passion, and a senior vice president who feared derailment and was subsequently promoted to her dream job as executive vice president. Most executives don't know how to rest. They start their days at 6 a.m. and push, push, push all day. They need to take 10-minute breaks every 90 minutes during their workdays. Most people are only tapping into 10 percent of their potential. Peak performance in any field is a function of your potential minus the things that hold you back. I teach executives how to visualize their goals and eliminate the obstacles such as emotions, self-limiting beliefs, low self-confidence, negative self-talk and fears that keep them from living their best lives. I work with clients by telephone. A typical contract involves six months of coaching, with two hours of coaching each month. I also do team-building seminars and training sessions in emotional intelligence and peak performance for corporations.

HOW I GOT STARTED: I worked with a coach to create my dream job. After 15 years of working as an executive for Fortune 500 firms, I wanted to create a career that would enable me to use my gifts and give me more freedom and time to do the things I love. While I already had a master's in psychology, pursued advanced education in coaching and graduated from Coach University after two years of rigorous study.

BEST PART OF MY JOB: My new career enables me to work less and make much more. Since I do most of my work by telephone, my work is extremely portable. In fact, in the summer, you're likely to find me in my swimming pool conducting a coaching session.

MOST CHALLENGING PART: Helping people break through the established beliefs and habits that are limiting their success and happiness.

WHAT KEEPS YOU GOING: The success of my clients. I am always amazed by what they achieve, and they surprise themselves.